Stories From: Waste

Op shops, antique stores and other secondhand sellers in the lower Blue Mountains offer an eclectic mix of practical, fun and rare pre-loved items. We took a tour of the  treasure troves helping to boost the circular economy.

Micro-recycling options are accessible and feasible for anyone, offering profound and important opportunities for us all to be part of creating a more sustainable and less wasteful world.

For many families looking forward to Christmas, the cost of living, as well as sustainability, have been at the forefront of their minds. Two families in the Springwood area share how they’re creating fun and affordable ‘new’ traditions.

Food wastage is one of the biggest problems in the developed world, contributing to landfill, climate change and food insecurity, but in the Lower Blue Mountains a number of organisations are finding ways to reduce food waste while helping locals access delicious fresh food and slash their grocery bills.

Magpie Markets in Lawson are a local institution providing a sustainable boost to the local economy. Recently a trial waste sorting and recycling hub has significantly reduced waste going to landfill. Find out more and meet some of the stallholders here.

Most of us have got into the groove around recycling. But what do we do with those items that can’t go in the recycling bin? A new local recycling initiative has soft plastics, old undies and socks, broken tech, plant pots and more, sorted.

In response to the global biodiversity crisis, which has seen around 69% of wildlife populations decline in 50 years, Lawson resident Ian Tanner has established an Ecological Funding Group which is raising funds to provide focussed donations to the Environmental Defenders Office and The Nature Conservancy.

Along Macquarie Road in Springwood, many businesses are taking action by making quiet, and often surprising decisions which benefit and promote sustainability in our local area, and across the world.

With 20 secondhand 'shops' to explore, including lots of funky vintage and op shops, Katoomba is a growing hub for the circular economy. This guide explains what’s on offer where and how to donate your unwanted stuff.

When school kids around the state heard the call: Invent or innovate something that will change our world and leave a lasting impact, Lawson Public School students rose to the challenge.