Not the Prettiest of Subjects but What a Stunner of a Result!!

Let's face it, when you start talking about waste in it's various forms the reaction from people is not usually that of gasps of awe, beaming smiles or even a show of interest, wanting to know more. You rather get expressions of people screwing up their faces or uttering things like Ewwww! or Yucko! or That's Gross! and a general desire to change the subject. But waste, how we process it, how much we produce and ways we can reduce it is something that needs to be discussed. If nothing was ever done to handle the waste we produce we would literally drown in it after only a very short time and that is a very ugly and smelly image indeed. But there has been considerable effort put into the reduction, reuse and recycling of our waste for a number of years now which has produced a stunning result for our environment compared to when most waste was simply dumped into landfill, our rivers, our lakes or bushland and that should give us a reason to smile and a desire to know more.

However it's no time to rest on what has already been accomplished because waste is something that will always be with us. The meaning of waste to us has changed from something that we throw away, bury in the ground or consider of no use anymore, to, in more and more instances, a commodity, a resource or new material that can be used to replace and reduce the use of existing less environmentally friendly or costly ones. It literally is magic, creating something we can use out of what before was considered to be nothing. It's this change in thinking that is the most important aspect of reducing waste in our society because it can't be done without the participation of all of us. The momentum of recycling, reusing and reducing is something that Futureworld wants to encourage and increase which is why there is a dedicated exhibit showcasing all the great work that has been done in this area.

This three-pronged waste mantra is a central part of the exhibit which shows it's application in business, government and the community. The Illawara region was one of the first if not the first to have a power station that uses green waste such as lawn cuttings, garden clippings, small branches and any else that has a green tinge to it. It's called the SWERF system and was a collaboration between government and business, that being Wollongong City Council and Brightstar, to reduce the green waste going to landfill. The green waste is processed and composted to produce gas that is used to fire a generator to produce electricity. It's far more efficient and cleaner than it's coal-fired counterparts and are utilising an otherwise wasted resource. The exhibit here boasts a model and interactive display of the SWERF system so you can find exactly how it all ticks. The SWERF isn't the only innovative project about. There are several others you can learn about including the how old computers are being recycled and how industrial, agricultural and dometic sewerage is being converted into biofuel. It's all fascinating and very heartening to see so much work being put into what is sorely needed.

There is just so much to see and learn here. I know it doesn't sound to appealing when you mention hands-on and waste in the same sentence but the composting and recycling area in the outdoor section of the exhibition provides natures own rich fertiliser for our very own No-Dig garden. It's another area of our everday lives that can convert something we would normally throw away into something useful. Your garden will absolutely love you for it!! The beautiful flowers, succulent best-tasting fruits and vegies and the greener than ever trees show us that when properly utilised waste can be one of our greatest assets. Instead of drowning in it we can use it to flourish. So come and see for yourself how the ugly toad that is the waste in our lives gets magically transformed into the handsome prince or gorgeous princess that is our cleaner air, better tasting food and non-landfilled wonderful and precious environment. Sounds like a Fairytale to me!!!!!