Strathbogie Shire residents are doing their part to help out the environment.
Residents have collectively diverted nearly five tonnes of unwanted textiles from landfill within the first five months of Strathbogie Shire Council’s new waste recovery initiative.
Introduced in November 2023, the textile recovery boxes were set up in the shire’s four transfer stations, in collaboration with Upcycle4Better.
Strathbogie Shire administrator Peter Stephenson said that the community has embraced the program, with January 2024 seeing the highest recovery with 1.4 tonnes of textiles collected from Euroa, Nagambie, Violet Town and Avenel transfer stations.
“From the start of November 2023 until the end of March 2024, almost five tonnes of unwanted textiles were diverted from landfill,” Mr Stephenson said.
Combined monthly figures for the recovery boxes
November 2023: 752kg
December 2023: 1097kg
January 2024: 1406kg
February 2024: 745kg
March 2024: 967kg
Upcycle4Better collects textiles at no cost to council, sorting them into 500 recycling and upcycling streams.
Mr Stephenson thanked the community for backing the program.
“Since November, our community has played an important role in sending textiles to a new life with the lowest environmental impact,” he said.
“The data shows that individuals across the shire can combine their efforts to have a real impact on minimising our environmental footprint, supporting textile sustainability practises and keeping things out of landfill that can be reused, repaired or upcycled.”
Residents are reminded to ensure textiles are clean and dry before placing them in recovery boxes.
For more information on the transfer station locations, visit strathbogie.vic.gov.au/services/rubbish/transfer-stations
Total collection figures at each transfer station from November 2023 until March 2024
Euroa: 2433kg
Violet Town: 1653kg
Avenel: 487kg
Nagambie: 394kg