In the spirit of festive giving, planet earth was the beneficiary of waste-free Christmas workshops in the City of Cockburn in the run-up to the 2024 holiday season.
Hundreds of kilos of timber and fabric destined for landfill was repurposed to create reusable waste-free Christmas decorations and gifts designed to last, without adding to the growing micro plastics burden in the environment.
About 30 people participated in two workshops, one to create a sustainable Christmas tree and another Christmas-themed event focused on Sewing to Go Plastic Free.
City of Cockburn Waste Education Coordinator Maryline Cassou said a pile of timber pallets found illegally dumped in the City were fashioned into bespoke reusable Christmas trees with the help of volunteers from Cockburn Community Mens Shed.
“We held the sustainable Christmas tree workshop in conjunction with the mens shed and every year they book out because they are so popular. The end results are amazing and people are so proud to have a Christmas tree they made themselves,” Ms Cassou said.
“The sewing workshop was among a Go Plastic Free series held this year thanks to an $8,400 WasteSorted Community Education grant from the Waste Authority.
“It formed part of a broader textile and single-use plastic waste reduction and awareness program. The grant enabled us to purchase sewing equipment, the services of a seamstress specialising in sustainability, along with equipment for our regular community clothes swap events and even reusable party kits free to hire for all our residents.”
City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said the City's aim was to provide the community with opportunities to reduce their own waste at Christmas, divert materials from landfill and repurpose perceived waste, into useful, meaningful items.
“Australians are the world’s leading consumers of new textiles, purchasing the equivalent of 27kgs annually per person. We also generate more plastic waste per capita than any other country, equating to 130kgs of plastic waste per person every year,” Mayor Howlett said.
“The sewing workshops utilised textiles destined for landfill, donated by Good Sammy Enterprises, the community, from the Buy Nothing online community, colleagues and friends. They have instead been transformed into reusable Christmas decorations and gift bags.
“Some of the most common things that end up in the rubbish at Christmas are packaging, single-use decorations, food and unwanted gifts. Even the carbon emissions caused by the shipping of festive items degrades the environment so our community should be proud of their efforts to create special Christmas memories while also practicing sustainability.”
The events were made possible with local support from Cockburn Community Mens Shed, the Hub 6163 and Good Sammy Enterprises.
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Caption: Suzanne Barley and Fritz Neumann with their sustainable Christmas tree, and Cockburn Community Mens Shed volunteer David De Meo.