Working in an environment surrounded by 20-something-year-olds, I did have a giggle to myself at the excitement of a brand new initiative for Tasmania.
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A container refund scheme where you could take used drink containers and trade them in for some sort of financial benefit.
As the 20-something-year-olds raved about this fabulous 'new' concept, memories began to flood in of wonderful afternoons roaming our neighbourhood collecting used soft drink cans and bottles and then heading to the local milk bar to get five cents per container.
We lived in a street with a lot of older folks, who would store up their bottles and wait for my brother and I to knock on the door.
Sometimes I think they purchased more than they needed because they so enjoyed our absolute delight at collecting the money-making items.
A lot of the time we didn't just pick up their bottles, but also a home-cooked biscuit.
The shop was only down the bottom of our hill, so we would make our way down, with our bag of bottles clicking (music to our ears) and then wait with excited anticipation to see if the shop owner came to the same amount of money as we did.
On a good weekend, we could end up with between 70 and 90 cents.
Back when I was a kid, that bought quite lot.
For that price, you could get an enormous bag of mixed lollies, or two really special ice creams normally too expensive to buy.
We just loved "earning" our own money which of course gave us the freedom to spend it however we wished.
Looking back, I realise at that tender age, we were actually helping the recycling process.
And having lots of fun at the same time.
Now well into my 40s, I sat at my desk and began to inform my enthusiastic younger work colleagues of my wonderful childhood memories.
I explained this was not a brand new initiative, but one middle-aged people were well familiar with.
They looked a little surprised to start with, that a) they worked with someone SO old and then b) perhaps my generation was ahead of its time on this particular issue.
When this container refund scheme returns to Tasmania - and the quicker the better for goodness sake - I know for sure my two younger children will be all over this.
They will no doubt introduce their own scheme to our neighbours in the hope they will all get on board.
And I know they will be successful, because not only are my kids exceptionally concerned about protecting their environment, they will have learnt from the best on how to make the system work for kids.
