Tasmanian Scouts promote Waste Management Campaign across Festival site, again!

Next year’s Wooden Boat Festival will mark a decade of involvement with Tasmanian Scouts, Cubs and Joeys. Over past Festivals, the youth groups have participated in many varied activities and projects to assist the success of the Festival.

The history of the Tasmanian Scouts, Cubs and Joeys & AWBF

It first started back at the 2013 Festival, with the Scouts providing the site cleaning teams to ensure all tables across site were cleared after meals, all recycle and rubbish bins emptied and replaced, and compacting of rubbish and recycle, including cardboard recycling from all stall holders. Regular sweeps of the site were carried out over each day of the four day festival to ensure it was rubbish free.

The Scouts also became involved at the 2015 Festival with the huge Boat Owners Welcome Function. They provided food waiting services to all boat owners participating in the Festival, and participated in the smooth running and assistance of many special events throughout the Festival period. The erection of the 300 plus table and seat sets across the site, and at the end of the Festival, taking them apart and storing them in large stillage’s.

In the 2015 Festival, the Scouts commenced their first active public awareness campaign to improve rubbish disposal. As well as recycle waste program to ensure all waste was efficiently handled in the most efficient manner.

Of concern to the Scouts and AWBF management was the contamination of recycled materials, caused by general scraps and rubbish thrown into the recycle bins, and the subsequent dumping of the recycled materials to land fill. The contaminated articles included partly eaten pizza in boxes and plastic takeaway containers with food.

The 2015 Festival waste reduction program was proudly sponsored by Dick Smith. The newly sponsored program involved Scouts scouring the Festival site during the four day Festival making sure all clean recycle materials were kept out of general waste and placed in appropriate recycle bins. The end result was a spotless site and the amount of rubbish going to land fill was reduced. Still a major problem was the amount of contaminated rubbish thrown into recycles bins, making them unsuitable for recycling.

The waste reduction campaign back in 2015 saw the unannounced visit to the Festival of the programs sponsor, Dick Smith, to see the scheme in operation and also meet some of the Scouts. The article with a photo of Dick Smith with the smiling Scouts appeared in the Hobart Mercury.

What do we do now you ask?

Although we have all been recycling for some years now, which bin do you throw a used coffee cup in? Is it general waste, mixed recyclables or food organics?

The 2023 Australian Wooden Boat Festival has been fortunate to receive a state Government Grant to increase the public awareness of recycling, sorting rubbish and recycling before throwing it into the correct bin. Again in 2023, the Scouts are completely involved with the entire site cleaning program and totally involved in the public education of recycling and sorting.

Special hi-vis vests are being made for all Scouts to wear with the simple message, “Sort it for the Scouts”. Food tables will carry the message on specially made signs. Three special bin racks are being constructed for the three types of waste with real examples of the waste to be placed in the bin being located behind the bin lid.

Scouts will be in attendance at the main waste bin stations to help educate the public sort their rubbish before throwing it in one of the three common bins. Public education of the “sort it out” program is to be included the Festivals newsletter and in all boat owners welcome packs when they arrive on site.

“Sort it out for the Scouts”, what an exciting recycle program for the Scouts, said Paul Stephanus, General Manager of the Festival. A program totally supported and encouraged by the Scouts in the preparation for the upcoming Festival.

Want to know more about the behind the scenes? Read this article written by Paul Cullen, previous AWBF GM in 2018. Where does everything go you ask?