A unique initiative will see used grain bags turned into wearable items as part of the "Grainbags to Gladwrags" competition.
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The Grampians Central West Waste & Resource Recovery Group is spearheading the competition in a bid to highlight the rising use of single-use plastics in agriculture.
This initiative will seek entries from fashion designers using grain bags - one of the most problematic single-use plastics.
The agricultural sector produces a wide variety of "waste" products ranging from organic waste streams, scrap metal and many different plastic products.
In agriculture, plastic film is used to store grain, wrap hay bales and protect crops from pests, frost and drought. While the benefits of using plastic are clear, many plastics used in agriculture are not being recycled, and are often dumped, buried or burnt.
For some plastic waste there are good solutions like DrumMUSTER and ChemClear. They have successfully dealt with hundreds of thousands of chemical containers.
However, soft plastic are more problematic and if not dealt with properly, will remain in the environment for a very long time. This fact is the inspiration for the "Grainbags to Gladwrags" competition.
The competition will no doubt produce some interesting items but will also draw attention to the use, recycling and disposal of soft plastics.
Education is a top priority for the group with the highly successful ResourceSmart Schools program getting children thinking about resources.
The group also provides assistance to many community groups through small grants to set up waste diversion activities like Boomerang Bags groups and Repair Cafes.
Grampians Central West Waste & Resource Recovery Group is the link between state, local governments and industry for waste and recycling.
They facilitate a coordinated approach to planning and delivery of infrastructure and services for residential waste, commercial and industrial waste and construction and demolition waste.
Turning what might seem like waste into organic matter is also on the group's radar. They aim to develop organic processing opportunities that will result in a viable organics sector that will have local markets for their products.
