BEAM Mitchell Environment Group took on the challenge for increasing recycling at the show and diverting reusable materials from landfill.
The group worked with the Seymour A and P Society, Mitchell Shire’s regional waste and resource recovery education officer Grace Davis-Williams and Cleanaway.
Ten recycling bins and one skip were provided for the show, with recycling caps and signs on the bins.
To encourage show visitors to recycle their waste correctly, BEAM volunteers publicly sorted the contents of the recycling bins.
Most of the waste in the bins was cans, plastic and glass bottles and cardboard.
There was some confusion about what could be recycled. BEAM volunteers found lots of non-recyclable coffee cups and straws.
Small amounts of carelessly discarded food scraps and soggy tissues were put in the waste bins, which are good for compost worms but contaminate recycling bins and affect recycling processes.
Waste bins without a nearby recycling bin did contain a lot of recyclable material.
A full skip of recyclables was collected for the day, diverting 50 per cent more waste away from landfill when compared to the 2018 show.