TENISON WOODS STUDENTS “RE-THINK WASTE”

Tenison Woods students are re-thinking waste thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Federal Government’s Communities Environment Program.

The Tenison Woods project “Re-Think Waste” is a community wide program with the aim of diverting waste from landfill in an enterprise model conceptualised and managed by youth. The program involves young people working in partnership with community and national leaders to develop systems and products, replicable in other communities, to divert waste sent to landfill, fostering innovation and a circular economy.

The program sees organic material, plastic, paper and e-waste processed on-site, converting items to raw material to then be manufactured into creative and valuable items with the help of specialised equipment. The funding will also support innovative forums and workshop days involving the broader community in waste diversion.

The Morrison Government is investing more than $22 million in the Communities Environment Program to support local environmental projects across Australia, with grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 per project.

Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management visited Tennison Woods last week to learn more about the project and how it was benefitting the students and local community.

“It’s great to see the Tenison Woods community bringing circular economy principles to life, where plastic bottle caps and similar products are seen as a value and an opportunity, not waste,” Mr Evans said.

“Young people have an important role to play in the circular economy and it’s encouraging to see this initiative inspiring students to create practical and entrepreneurial solutions to benefit the environment and community.”

“The Limestone Coast is really kicking goals when it comes to waste reduction and it’s great to know that Our Government can support projects like this. This Federal Funding program is an excellent way to encourage local, grassroots initiatives like this program at Tenison. Not only is it raising environmental awareness but also strengthening local community collaboration,” Mr Pasin said.

Media contact: Charlotte Edmunds 8531 2466