This month we are excited to recognise Lane Cove Council as one of TerraCycle’s top community collectors!
Lane Cove Council began its journey as a Community Collection Hub with TerraCycle just over five years ago. Motivated by a growing demand from local residents and council staff to provide more sustainable solutions, the community has been collecting for multiple TerraCycle programs, diverting an incredible 533kg of waste from landfill.
We caught up with the Waste Avoidance Officer at Lane Cove Council to hear a bit about their recycling efforts, and to gain a few tips for our other collectors.
Why has your TerraCycle recycling Hub been so popular?
“We think that it is balance between having a community willing to do their bit for the environment and providing a convenient service to help make it easier for people to do the right thing. By hosting our Collection Hub at Council it also sends a strong message about the scale of our commitment – a small act like recycling coffee pods can go a long way when we’re in it together!
Council explains that the recycling station is “positioned in the foyer of the Council’s Civic Centre, at 48 Longueville Road. The Community Collection Hub is highly accessible to staff, local residents and the public who pass through during the day.”
How do you keep your collectors engaged?
“We regularly reach out to our collectors through our Sustainability E-News and from time to time use our social media platforms on Facebook and Instagram to remind everyone about the collection point.
Alongside their participation in TerraCycle programs, Lane Cove Council also participates in several green events and sustainability initiatives.
“On Sunday10 October, we’ll be running our annual ‘Sustainability Lane’ at the Rotary Fair. On the day we showcase sustainable living through a variety of stalls, demonstrations and live entertainment. The event also helps to put a spotlight on local community groups and businesses contributing to a more sustainable Lane Cove community.”
What is the most popular program you collect for?
“We’re currently participating in free national recycling programs for L’or, Moccona and illy for coffee pods and Colgate Oral Care for dental care products. We also take things a step further and purchase Zero Waste Boxes to collect soft plastics, mail satchels and beauty products. The most popular community waste stream is beauty products, which we collect and recycle through TerraCycle’s Beauty Products Zero Waste Box. Pre-COVID it would require emptying once a fortnight and still averages once a month!”
Beyond recycling with TerraCycle, is there anything else Lane Cove Council does to reduce their footprint?
Council worked with Lane Cove’s Sustainability Action Group, who introduced BagShare – a year-round initiative encouraging shoppers to share their reusable bags. Similar to Community Collection Hubs, BagShare collections bins are placed in convenient locations within the Lane Cove Village, mostly near to supermarket entry points.
We’ve also recently added an eWaste Collection Bin outside two supermarkets so that residents can drop their small electronic waste (mobile phones, laptops, electrical equipment, etc.) on their way to do the groceries.
Lane Cove is known for its village feel so there are lots of other groups and initiatives we have throughout our community which help to make it easier for everyone to play their part in making Lane Cove more sustainable.
You can read more about Lane Cove Council’s ambitious emissions reduction targets here
From a stellar Community Collection Hub to sustainability hero, the Lane Cove community goes above and beyond to do live more sustainable lives. Small lifestyle changes in the community have a real impact on the environment. Lane Cove Council not only encourages their residents to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, but also leads by example, engaging in a number of operational initiatives and programs to reduce its energy usage and carbon footprint.
Want to become a Community Collection Hub? Sign up here and start your recycling journey today!
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