Simple ideas to have big impact

HOW did you mark World Environment Day last Sunday?

Alfredton Rotary Club and some innovative young people gathered at Rotary Place to celebrate the winners, and all entrants, of their annual Environmental Challenge.

The competition encourages individuals, businesses, and school groups to pitch actionable green solutions to big environmental problems that could help to make the world cleaner and healthier into the future.

It aims to raise awareness of climate change, pollution, and threats to native habitats, and successful entries have won cash prizes, sharing over $5000 between them, to help make their concepts a reality.

In the open category, Adam and Ashlee Slater from Zero Plastics Australia have been awarded for their idea to simplify shopping trolley use.

“We want to develop our keyring prototype, so it can be inserted into the $2 coin slot of a trolley,” Mr Slater said.

“We need to try and get it to the next stage, but research and development costs a lot of money. Being a family-owned business, that’s really hard, so our prize will be used to create a mould.

“Once we have that, we know how to recycle the plastic to bring a usable product to life. Then we can sell them, bring revenue in to grow the business, and recycle more plastic.”

In the school category, Ballarat Grammar year 9 student Nina Dunn explored biodiversity, ecosystems, and urbanisation through her celebrated concept.

“My idea was to build planter-boxes out of sustainable materials and fill them with native plants to attract pollinators,” she said.

“They will be put in urbanised spaces, and developing areas like Lucas, where there might be less plants. We can increase pollinators and increase the biodiversity footprint of Ballarat.

“Today we’ve been talking with Adam from Zero Plastics Australia to potentially use his company’s reusable plastics to make the physical planter boxes. Such a simple idea can have such a big impact.”

Also in the open category, Rowena Miller and Jo Fryer will share a mentoring package, with ideas to repurpose factory furniture, and grow food in shared community spaces.

Bryn Hill has been given a letter of commendation for encouraging people to adopt a vegan lifestyle.

Alfredton Rotary Club received 38 competition entries in 2022, having approached 140 schools across the region. They hope it may become a part of some schools’ curriculum in the years to come.

The Environmental Challenge was sponsored by local businesses including Caine Property, Integra, Smart Options, Central Highlands Water, Baird and McGregor, and PPT Accounting.