19/10/2025
ANNOUNCEMENT !!!! Finishing community collections in December 2025.
It’s been a big decision:
After nearly ten years of being a Community Collection and Waste Education Drop Off Point and Hub, for all things Recycling Waste FOGO ( with all the bits in between), I have decided that 7th December 2025 will be the last Community Collection Day.
This passionate free community service stall, whilst I raised and worked around my boys/school/ medical/family requirements, has finally lead me to my perfect job in Waste and Community Education.
My values & passion of how many community residents I have made a difference to, for Waste & Sustainability, far outweighed the significant costs & hours to run a community stall.
It’s started as a metal health and wellbeing day - a whole 4 hours, once a week, away from my crazy 24/7 busy boys, where their Dad would look after them, whilst I talked about my passionate hyper focus subject, which was invaluable for me.
However, now as a single Mum, it is definitely harder to find time to sort with the volumes of recycling items coming in, (even changing to monthly collections), getting the volunteers, pay for insurance (fyi: add insurance for ‘waste’ and ‘volunteers with waste’ and there is an automatic $2k bill), and some days ensuring that I don’t get Environmental Fatigue (yes it’s a thing😳).
It’s not just the markets, there is so much behind the scenes: it’s doing all the drop off of items that you give to me, packing away, packing up boxes, post office trips, drop offs to all the recycling locations across Perth, dealing with random items that people ‘just leave for me to deal with’, sitting in a shed on my weekends sorting through coffee pods ensuring that they are the right ones to send off to the recycling program.
OH….and there’s also the boxes of recycling collected and boxed up to go - then the recycling program stops effective immediately. So…now it’s my responsibility and cost to work out what to do with it 🤯 - it’s still in the shed 😳.
At the next two collections days in Nov & Dec, I will rearrange the layout in areas for drop off points, providing as much additional information and lists of where and how to find additional information.
I will still be around, and will probably be at a market again, but in a Community Education and guidance role and not collecting. I miss just being able to chat to the community about Waste and help with information, as the Drop Off Day is now soooooo busy.
I am still available for late night recycling questions and still will have availability of resources and data to assist with home/school/workplace/and the FB trolls.
I would also like to give super thanks the following:
Kalamunda Farmers Market - Nicole Airay - who originally made me set up a stall in 2015 & Andrea - current Manager.
Kalamunda Chamber of Commerce - for allowing to be a continuous community stall.
Replenish Kalamunda-Rach, Simon,Ellee, along with the new owners Issy & Grant
City of Kalamunda inc the Crew at Walliston Transfer Station
- John, Kate & the Claw Staff
WasteSorted Schools Program
Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs - Sharon X
Donut Waste - Sharka
EMRC - Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council - all the past Waste Ed crew since 2014. X
Em at Bottle Top Hill - may we both find time just to chat about all things Waste.x
Plus all the volunteers past and present:
Diana, Rowan, Steph & Dave, Monica, Nicky, Gerry, Toby B, Claw Crew, Margaret, Rhonda, and every one I have forgotten.
Thank you to you.
You have made changes over the years to our community by:
RETHINKING (our purchases)
RE-EDUCATING (ourselves)
REMINDING (a friend or neighbour who may be unsure).
And mostly, thanks to my boys, you are my inspiration to make this world a better place.
Out of everyONE, just be the ONE - Sylvia Earle.
Live less out of habit and more with intent… have Recycle inTent - Bel 😉
💚♻️✅
Bel. X
