Do you have old pool toys, air mattresses, umbrellas or lunch boxes for disposal? As the Council’s kerbside collection remains suspended until mid-2022, consider dropping these items at the Tarragindi Community Garden at Wellers Hill Bowls Club, where there’s a Tarragindi Recycling Bin.
The bin, an initiative by Tarragindi resident Renae McBrien, is accessible 24 hours a day and collected regularly. Ms McBrien’s team brings these broken or popped items to PLOYS, an initiative that repurposes old stuff into trendy bags, backpacks, smartphone cases, pouches or wallets to promote recycling and achieve zero waste.
At the end of December 2020, Ms McBrien was able to collect a substantial number of recyclables that were taken to PLOYS’ Bundaberg site, where the items will be cleaned, repaired and sewn to become new products.
Incidentally, PLOYS celebrated its first year of operation on 9 Jan 2021 with a price cut on its online eco-friendly items.
Ms McBrien is a radiographer, horticultural therapist and consultant on community gardening and recycling. She has been instrumental in helping Brisbane hospitals adopt smarter recycling methods.
“We have a responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of the health care service and to improve our hospital environments to increase our wellbeing and connection with nature,” Ms McBrien said.
The Council has recognised Ms McBrien’s contribution by awarding her the Waste Innovation 2019 award. She was also honoured with an International Woman of the Year citation and a Planetree Kindness Award in recent years.
