Town of Bassendean senior environmentalist Jeremy Walker, Mayor Renee McLennan, Professor Greg Morrison and Miles Flavel, of Bassendean’s volunteer sustainability committee.
Camera IconTown of Bassendean senior environmentalist Jeremy Walker, Mayor Renee McLennan, Professor Greg Morrison and Miles Flavel, of Bassendean’s volunteer sustainability committee. Credit: Supplied/David Baylis d487528

Town of Bassendean to host second Climathon in bid to form waste reduction ideas

Kristie LimEastern Reporter

THE Town of Bassendean will join more than 100 cities worldwide in a two-day event, where the community will develop ideas to establish a waste circular economy.

Climathon is a hackathon organised by Climate-KIC Australia, where teams will compete from October 26 to 27 in developing innovative solutions to their cities’ major climate and sustainability challenges.

The event will involve local residents, university students and other interested people presenting a proposal to a panel, where the winning group will receive a prize.

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Mayor Rene McLennan said the aim of the event was to create practical ideas that could be implemented as part of a circular waste economy in the Town.

“In a circular economy we keep resources for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life,” she said.

“The more people that participate the more diverse and innovative ideas that will be generated and explored, so people from Bassendean and beyond are encouraged to get involved.”

Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute director and Climate-KIC Australia director Greg Morrison said the driving force behind the event was China deciding not to accept recycled waste above 0.5 per cent in contamination.

“This is our first piece of work on waste and it is with Bassendean because we have a progressive Mayor and council,” he said.

“We will work out how we can start to provide information for people who live here and (also) for Coles, Woolworths and retailers on which packages that are generally contaminated with recycled packaging bins.

“We are not telling how people can live their lives but help enabling a sustainable waste system in Bassendean.”

THE ESSENTIALS

What: Climathon.

Where: Town of Bassendean Community Hall (down the steps), 48 Old Perth Road, Bassendean.

When: October 26, 1pm until October 27, 2pm.

Register for Climathon here

For more information, email greg.morrison@curtin.edu.au