Rotary Volunteers Ian Chappel, Drew Fitzpatrick, Carolyn Fitzpatrick and Frank Behl were on hand to organise the children’s Trash to Treasure event.
Story and photos by Gabiann Marin
Music, creativity and sustainability all come together at Glenbrook Rotary Markets every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, and recently the organisers from the Rotary Club of the Lower Blue Mountains showcased their continuing commitment to waste reduction by hosting a creative Trash to Treasure Competition for local Lower Mountains kids.
Key Points:
Markets help grow community connections and support local and sustainable producers.
In association with Blue Mountains City Council, the Rotary Club of the Lower Blue Mountains and local market vendors, the community markets are becoming even more sustainable with a focus on reducing, recycling and avoiding waste across the whole market experience.
I can think of no better way to spend a Saturday morning than strolling through the local markets, eating freshly prepared gourmet food and perusing the local jams, plants and sustainably made clothing that is on offer, all to the soundtrack of local musicians performing popular old standards and original new tunes.
Local MP Susan Templeman is proud to support emerging musical artists like Jerrah and Friends who perform at the Glenbrook Rotary markets.
Markets are a great alternative to big store shopping, offering locally sourced goods, organic produce and handmade items, all of which inject money back into the local economy, as well as supporting more sustainable commerce. But the Glenbrook Rotary Markets go even further in their efforts to support the community: not only offering a great place for local artisans, farmers and musicians to showcase their wares, but using the market itself to help fund and support local sustainability initiatives.
Recently, the Rotary Club Environmental Working Group also hosted a Trash to Treasure Competition at the Markets, encouraging children of all ages to think about recycling, reusing and repurposing as part of a fully circular economy.
School children worked for weeks to create clever items like this robot and owl, made out of discarded materials. They were entered into the Trash to Treasure Creative Prize.
The Rotary organisers have worked tirelessly to encourage sustainable waste management in the markets, working with market vendors and community to encourage sustainable or zero waste solutions as well as providing opportunities for waste and sustainability education to feature prominently throughout the market environment.
By inviting Blue Mountains City Council Waste and Sustainability officers to host an information stall, the Rotary Club organisers were able to showcase all the innovative and sustainable waste reduction solutions available across the markets and in the community more generally.
The Trash to Treasure Creative Competition encouraged local children to complete an artwork and bring it for judging for a creative art prize, or they could make something on the day by taking advantage of a reuse and recycle station set up and hosted by Rotary Club members.
The station, strewn with all manner of ‘trash’, like paddle pop sticks, plastic straws, empty soft drink bottles and used cellophane, soon became a hive of activity as children of all ages painted, glued, drew and constructed art pieces. They then added them to the gallery of artworks which had already been completed by children over the previous weeks.
Volunteers Sue Parnell and Chris Behl oversee the Creation Station at Rotary Markets.
Thirteen-year-old Elise sat at the table, diligently constructing her creative birdhouse out of paddle pop sticks, and old ribbons.
Unsurprisingly, her work was deemed the winner of the best artwork in the teen category – judged by Rotary members Carolyn Fitzpatrick and Ian Chappell and Market Organiser Drew Fitzpatrick. A representative of the Council’s waste management team also helped award the prizes.
Elise was delighted to be presented with the first prize: a large, fully kitted out worm farm which would take pride of place in her garden, right alongside the prize-winning birdhouse!
Elise and her mum show off Elise’s award-winning birdhouse made on the day from recycled paddle pop sticks.
“I’m so proud of her,” said Elise’s mum. ‘She worked really hard on this.’
Elise smiles, a little embarrassed at all the attention, but also clearly pleased her work has been so well received.
“I think it’s really important not to just throw away things,” she says. “We have to make sure we are careful about what we use and what we do with it.”
Her words are greeted with applause from the market goers who gathered around to watch the award ceremony and admire the other award-winning creations, including a bunny made of old soft drink bottles, a castle constructed of cardboard boxes and plastic straws, and a robot built from plastic cups.
A table of treasure: some of the art works entered in the Trash to Treasure Creative Prize.
Native plant growers and local florists show off the beautiful flora of our bushland. A few steps on and a stall filled with shiny silver jewellery glints in the afternoon sun – it takes a moment to realise that all the beautiful bracelets, rings and pendants are repurposed knives, forks and spoons.
The sounds of a guitar draw you towards the edges of the marketplace where another example of innovative recycling was also drawing a bit of a crowd.
Ken Watt’s innovative idea of repurposing old biscuit tins and scraps of recycled wood into creative fully working guitars has drawn the attention of a number of market shoppers, many of whom eagerly pick up and strum one of Ken’s guitars, keen to see if the instrument really does work.
After plugging into the amp Ken has brought along for this purpose, the guitar hums into life and onlookers clamber to have a go at playing these crafty instruments.
Ken Watts makes innovative guitars from recycled wood, old tins and metal signs.
The idea for the recycled tin guitars was inspired by a trip to a different market where Ken saw a street musician playing an instrument assembled out of found objects. Newly retired, Ken decided to adapt the idea and create fully working guitars out of old biscuit, lunchbox and coffee tins as well as wood and metal signs.
“It took a bit of trial and error,” Ken reveals. “But eventually I found a way we could make them fully compatible with any amp system. All of them can be plugged in, except the kids guitars here”, he points out two smaller versions, made out of a child’s Christmas chocolate tin and a Buzz Lightyear biscuit tin. “Those are acoustic guitars.”
He picks up a guitar made from an old biscuit tin with a 1960’s car illustration on it and strums it fondly, the music floating across the other stalls, hovering over the heads of market goers, weaving between the bouquets of native flowers wrapped in recycled paper, and tinkling across jam jars, adding another layer to this wonderful weekend experience for the locals of the Lower Blue Mountains.
Floral Team Building and Events are just one of the many innovative sustainable businesses you can find at Glenbrook Rotary markets.
Take Action:
Reduce your waste and support local farmers and artisans by buying produce at local markets like the Glenbrook Rotary Markets.
While there, consider handmade, second hand and sustainable gifts as an alternative to purchasing them from larger retail stores. Glenbrook Rotary Markets are open on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month at 1A Ross Street, Glenbrook.
The Rotary Club of the Lower Blue Mountains supports all sorts of great causes and sustainable practices. You can support them by making a donation at the Glenbrook Markets or find out more about the Club here >
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
We’ve had some great news! Santa is coming to the free Community BBQ at the Planetary Health Centre Expo in Katoomba on Saturday 22 November. He’s arriving early to help us celebrate Christmas in a way that’s safer and healthier for us and the planet, and he’s let us know that he’ll be giving everyone who comes a free fire-retardant plant for their garden. We’re so thrilled we’re putting on fun family events for the day: from a fabulous free drumming workshop with Emily from Hands, Heart and Feet, to live music and a pollinator hunt with Amelie Ecology, and workshops to create plastic-free Christmas presents. There’ll also be an opportunity to meet the RFS, NSW Fire & Rescue, Red Cross and other emergency services. Come and learn ways to keep the family safe while also having fun, enjoying a coffee, sampling some plant-based sweets and a free BBQ lunch, and taking home lots of useful information about hazardous materials and preparing for extreme weather events! Register here to attend (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/disaster-risk-awareness-expo-or-full-cycle-2025?
Do you feel overwhelmed about preparing your home for bushfire? Come along to the free Bushfire Retrofit Toolkit Workshop at the Disaster Risk Awareness Expo (and pre-Christmas Family Day) at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on Saturday 22 Nov. Meet the team who developed the Toolkit and learn to use it in a free, 2-hour interactive workshop. You will have the opportunity to work on case study properties in small groups and ask the team questions about your own property. Free afternoon tea provided. Bookings essential here (Disaster Risk Awareness Expo link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/disaster-risk-awareness-expo-or-full-cycle-2025/tickets #beprepared #bushfire #retrofit #disasterriskawareness #planetaryhealth #katoomba #bluemountains #bushfireretrofittoolkit...
When we pulled up some old lino we were shocked to learn at the Katoomba Resource Recovery and Waste Management Facility that it was made of asbestos. There are so many parts of old homes in the Blue Mountains that contain asbestos, so, to help keep everyone safe, we`ve invited Betty the Asbestos Education House to the Planetary Health Centre on Saturday 22nd November as part of our Disaster Risk Awareness Expo and pre-Christmas Family Day. Betty is a purpose built, mobile model home designed to demonstrate where asbestos might be found in and around any Australian home built or renovated before 1990. Her exterior resembles a typical fibro home but when opened up, she has extensive audio and visual information including a bathroom, kitchen, living room, man shed/garage and a dog house. You can learn more and register to attend this free event here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
Yesterday we launched the Upper Mountains Seed Saving and Gardening Group at the Planetary Health Centre. It`s the perfect time to get planting so we shared locally acclimatised seeds for a variety of beans (they don`t cross-pollinate so you can plant as many varieties as you can fit in!), round yellow zucchinis, Japanese pumpkins and Roi de Carouby peas. Seeds are arguably one of the best return on investments you can make in your life. Plant one tiny celery seed and when that plant goes to seed you can harvest thousands to replant and to sprout and add to your salads. We`ll be meeting on the first Saturday of every month as part of Skill Share Saturdays at the Planetary Health Centre. Our next meeting will be Saturday 6 Dec. Register here if you`d like to attend (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-upper-mountains-seed-saving-and-gardening-group?
The KTOWN pickers - Katoombans Taking On Waste Now - are clearing litter from local tracks and streets and stopping it from entering our waterways and eventually our water supply. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/ktown-katoombans-taking-on-waste-now/
This Saturday will be the first meeting of the Upper Mountains Seed Saving and Gardening Group at the Planetary Health Centre, starting at 10am. Register your interest here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3LalNFy
It will be followed by the Planetary Health Bushcare group at 1.30pm. Register your interest here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/49k8PPo
Global poisoning by a tsunami of toxins that are flooding the planet is fast becoming the biggest threat to life on earth. Extreme weather events like fire and flood accelerate this chemical pollution. To address this the Planetary Health Centre`s Full Cycle 2025 conference from 20-22 Nov is bringing together leading experts in managing extreme weather events as well as those who are working on reducing the risk of hazardous materials like asbestos and PFAS. According to keynote speaker Julian Cribb:
"The poisoning of our planet through human chemical emissions is arguably the largest human impact of all upon the Earth. In volume, it is four to five times greater than our climate emissions (which are a part of it), and three times more lethal than the estimated climate death-toll. It is the mega-threat least understood by society, monitored by science or regulated by government. It has mainly occurred over the last 50 years, due to a massive global surge in chemical use and materials extraction.
Scientific assessment has identified more than 350,000 man-made chemicals. The US Department of Health estimates 2000 new chemicals go on the market every year and the Smithsonian says 1000 new compounds are now being synthesised every hour. The UN Environment Program warns about a third of these “are persistent, able to accumulate in humans and animals and are toxic”.
The World Health Organisation estimates that 13.7 million people — one in every four — die each year from diseases caused by “air, water and soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change and ultraviolet radiation”, caused by human activity.
Human chemical emissions are thus responsible for the largest mass killing in history.
Learn more and register for the conference here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
There will be a free community expo on Saturday 22 November at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba.
Conference volunteers receive free registration. Email planetaryhealthevents@bmcc.nsw.gov.au if you’d like to volunteer at this critically important event.
T`ai-chi and Qigong routines can increase mobility and strength, improve immunity and help build an inner calm. To get the greatest health impact you need to practice them on a regular basis, so we`re thrilled to now be offering a 6-week block of classes to take you into summer starting 9am this Saturday 1 November and running until Sat 6 December. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4qrw4Nx This Saturday, 1 November, the activity is also the first in a full day of Skill Share activities at the Centre that includes Seed Saving and Gardening from 10am, and Planetary Health Bushcare from 1.30pm. You can book in for Bushcare here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/49k8PPo Contact Lis on 0407 437 553 for more information.
Rotarians 4 Planetary Health will be meeting again at the Planetary Health Centre at 6pm on Monday 27 October. Register at this link if you`d like to attend! (link in profile) https://events.humanitix.com/rotarians-4-planetary-health-l7bb4qhr?
Thank you to everyone who popped by for the @ediblegardentrailbluemountains today! It was a great day discussing gardens, ponds, frogs, seeds, composting seats, wicking beds and how to restore the hydrological cycle! Next Saturday will be our Skill Share Saturday. We`ll be kickstarting a 6-week block of Tai Chi & Qigong at 9am, launching our Seed Saving and Gardening Group at 10am and running our monthly Bushcare Group at 1.30pm. You can book in for Tai Chi here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/tai-chi-and-qigong-six-week-block-spring-2025-qaw2ts2v and to Bushcare here (link also in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-bushcare-spring-summer-2025
The Planetary Health Centre is on the Edible Garden Trail today! Last week we launched the Upper Mountains Seed Savers and Gardening Group. Come along to learn more, enjoy a coffee in our garden, and pick up a free Vegetable and Flower Sowing Guide. We`re open from 10am. You can find us at 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba. Tickets for the Edible Garden Trail available here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-edible-garden-trail-2025
The Planetary Health newsletter is now out. Read about three days of innovation at the upcoming Full Cycle Conference in Nov, the Edible Garden Trail this weekend, and a six week block of Tai Chi and Qigong classes at the Planetary Health Centre (link in profile): https://bit.ly/47jbFBz
Gabiann has worked as in-house writer/editor for Amnesty International, Greenpeace and Médecins Sans Frontières across Australia, Africa and the Asia Pacific. She is an award winning novelist and children’s book author, having won or been shortlisted for several Australian and international writing prizes. She was one of the key designers and the writer of the award-winning multimedia interactive narrative, Kids Together Now, which focuses on helping children deal with issues around bullying and racism.
Julie Nance invited her 82-year-old mum to join her on outings in Lower Mountains parks, after months of being confined to home due to sickness. With fond memories of family picnics growing up, their quality time together in nature gave them both a much-needed lift.
