Week 02

On Tuesday we had our first lecture for our lab 'Waste and The City' from Kath McLaughlin, Waste Education Officer from the City of Sydney.
I found the lecture insightful and engaging, as Kath was able to provide us with statistical information regarding waste management in the Sydney area and offer possible solutions. I was surprised to discover Australia is the 2nd highest producer of waste in the world, with Sydney-siders spending 2.5 billion dollars a year on things we never use. Kath was also able to show us the impact of waste on not just environmental but also social and economic aspects of our society. While slightly 'kitsch', as Kath did warn us, the educational 'Ian Thorpe Recycling Video' was highly informative, teaching me about the process of recycling and useful facts I was previously unaware of, such as why it is important to remove lids of plastic bottles before recycling.
A highlight of the lecture was when I won a 'Keep Cup' for correctly identifying a use for recycled plastic bottles: fleecy jackets!
Although I have only been engaging with this subject for two weeks I already feel more aware of how I deal with my own waste, ensuring reusing and recycling is a top priority, even more so than before.
As far as our individual projects go, this week will be used to spend more time on King Street, conducting interviews and identifying issues. I have contacted the council to find out specifics including rubbish collection days and problem areas. By next week's class I aim to have a reasonable grasp on the waste issues of my particular street so I am able to discuss my findings with my group.