BENDIGO households are on their way to zero waste, with the first month complete of an environmental challenge prompting new ideas to reduce the rate of local landfill.
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Organisers of the Zero Waste challenge, run through Bendigo Sustainability Group, said the first four weeks of the initiative have led to a greater rate of recycling and reuse of everyday products.
Sustainability group member Verity Lougoon said the program was continuing to get more people to take notice of their waste.
“The idea behind it was getting the community engaged and the conversation it’s started has been great,” she said.
“People have taken some really simple steps in the challenge – baking at home rather than buying pre-packaged things and composting where they hadn’t before.”
More than 160 households have signed up to the challenge since it was launched on September 9.
Chris and Karen Corr, and their two sons, were among the families trying to keep their rubbish use to a bare minimum.
Chris said the month-long challenge made them reassess their habits.
“We try and reuse everything as much as we can,” he said. “It’s an ongoing thing we’ll keep adopting. It’s good education tool for the kids and we’ll take it on as a long-term challenge.”
People interested in taking up the Zero Waste challenge can still register by emailing zerowaste@bendigosustainabil
ity.org.au