Nowadays children are exposed from an early age to the benefits of recycling in hopes of it becoming second nature and the Break O'Day Child and Family Centre has taken the initiative on board.
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Its innovation was recognised as it took out the early learners category at this year's Waste NoT Awards for its recycling programs. It was one of nine award winners in the state's North recognised for their waste reduction programs.
The centre's program include composting, worm farming, waste recycling, use of recycled materials in arts and crafts, swapping paper towel to reusable clothes, reusing paintings as wrapping paper and ongoing training to make bees-wax wraps, moisturisers, lip balms, bath bombs and face scrubs.
They also encourage families to take garden cuttings and seeds from the garden to increase home-cooked meals.
The St Helens' centre's community inclusion officer Sally Johnson said it was amazing for it to be recognised and receive the award.
She said it took on the initiatives a few years ago because recycling was the way the world was heading to help save the environment.
"I'm so proud to actually be holding this award on behalf of the whole child and family centre," she said.
"We have children there from birth to five ... so it's just a great age to start them off with learning how to recycle. It's just so important for kids to learn at a young age.
"[The children are] really, really keen and having their parents on board as well, that makes a difference, so they can learn at the centre and then take [the] information home."
In other news:
The other eight awards, handed out at the Country Club on Wednesday, went to a range of individuals, schools and organisations in the north in recognition of their contribution to waste reduction.
The Launceston General Hospital took out the state/local government category for its food service waste recovery project, which is the first of its kind in the state. The project diverted 1750 kilograms of food waste from landfill each week into compost, its reduction in methane emissions is equal to removing five cars from the road permanently each year.
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School won the primary school category for its project involving separate bins to promote recycling and sustainability, with green waste being used as compost on the school's garden. In addition to a sustainability club which meets twice a week.
The secondary school category went to Kings Meadows High School's project recycling project. It was initiated by year 9 students and started a school-wide white paper collection and extended it to used paper resources, water bottle, pencil cases and stationery to be recycled or reused.
Panama Production was recognised for its 2020 event, which achieved zero waste by sorting the festival's waste and using reusable cups and crockery.
The higher learning institution category went to the University of Tasmania for its 20 recycling walls, across its Newnham and Inveresk sites, created using old filing cabinets.
Hydro Tasmania was recognised in the large organisations category for setting a target and creating a roadmap to divert 95 per cent of its waste from landfill by December 2021.
Isaac Williams' design objects project took home the individual category for trying to maximise the life of a collection of furniture destined for landfill. It originally focused on presenting a range of cork/steel and timber furniture items, but expanded to include a collection of wallets and bags as a way of keeping usable sections of old upholstery away from landfill as well.
The not-for-profit/community group category was won by the Northern Suburbs Community Centre for its development of five mobile worm farms, sawdust reuse, use of recycled items for garden beds, swap shop, fresh food gardens and permaculture course.
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