ballaratswaronwaste 2019SBALExpoCreative ideas can give a new purpose to something that would have otherwise been discarded.

Rochelle Kirkham

That was the theme of the Can Do Communities display at the Smart Building and Living Festival in Buninyong on Sunday.

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Kerrie Tomkins demonstrated ways to breathe new life into second hand furniture and homewares at the expo, transforming old furniture to a bright new feature for her home.

An old shabby orange cushioned bar stool now has a funky blue cushion top to match a freshly painted vase and table decorations.

I try to make the least amount of waste as possible. Everything is repurposed or upcycled.
- Kerrie Tomkins

Ms Tomkins said it has been years since she has purchased any new furniture. Up-cycling the old has saved her hundreds of dollars and reduced her waste.

"If I decide I don’t like the decor or the colours aren’t right I will make a change by painting it or reupholstering it," she said.

"Even down to a doona cover, I use the old ones for Boomerang Bags. I try to make the least amount of waste as possible. Everything is re-purposed or up-cycled. I could go for over a month without putting bins out."

Ms Tomkins uses chalk paint that is easy to use, dries quickly and has no odour.

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Photo: Kerrie Tomkins old furniture revamped with chalk paint on show at the Smart Building and Living Festival in Buninyong.

She said her work attracted a lot of interest at the expo on Sunday, with many people stopping to chat saying they were inspired to have a go at up-cycling their own furniture because it looked so easy to do.

"My suggestion is to get something small and mess around with it," she said.

"I buy a tin of white chalk paint and tubes of acrylic paint and mix up my own colours. Just have a go. If you get something that is small and cheap from the op shop to start you get to build your confidence."

The Grampians Central West Waste and Resource Recovery Group Can Do Community Program display also showed expo visitors how small appliances can be fixed, how sewing repairs can help garments last longer, how to care and repair for books and other ideas to reduce waste like community composting and community gardens.

collectiveboomerangbags 2019SBALExpoBoomerang Bags on display as part of the Can Do Communities Program. Picture: Buninyong Sustainability

Executive officer La Vergne Lehmann said the program was about building community capacity to reduce waste.

"We are very excited about showing the community how easy it to get some of these activities happening and how they can help reduce our waste, save money and bring a community together at the same time," she said.

More than 1500 people attended the Smart Building and Living Expo at Royal Park, a substantial increase on attendance last year.

Around 70 businesses and community groups were involved in stalls and displays.

nordtronderlagcabin 2019SBALExpoNord Trondelag cabin on display. Picture: Buninyong Sustainability

Expo director Andrea Mason said there was a growing interest in sustainability and more people looking to create greener lifestyle habits.

"There has definitely been a shift based on a lot of good work being done in this space on the back of war against waste, the waste issue in general, energy prices and everyone is picking up on it now. Once upon a time sustainability was something that was scoffed at," she said.

"The people who come to these expos are hungry for knowledge. The feedback from the stallholders were they were getting a lot of questions and people were looking for that information so they could make changes.

"We hope people are able to take what they have learnt and put it into action and build on that in future. I see very clear need to address climate change. People need to be able to do that in a way that fits in with their lifestyles. I believe in the power of consumers to drive change."

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Rochelle Kirkham Courier masthead main

Smart Building and Living Expo 2019 - a ‘Can Do’ kind of day!

Over 1500 people strolled through the Smart Building and Living Expo in Buninyong this year on February 24, 2019. Perhaps it was the beautiful weather or the fantastic range of stalls and electric vehicles but there was definitely a positive vibe this year. Around 70 businesses and community groups were involved in stalls and displays.

expoA feature of this years’ event was the ‘Can Do Communities’ display where creative ideas showed how to give a new purpose to something that would have otherwise been discarded. can do

Second hand furniture and homewares were transformed into pieces that will become a bright new feature in homes.  Many people stopped to chat to the stallholders saying they were inspired to have a go at up-cycling their own furniture because it looked so easy to do.

Old materials, saved from landfill, were used to make Boomerang Bags. A community push to reduce the need for plastic bags while we shop and reduce the waste we put out in our bins.

The Grampians Central West Waste and Resource Recovery Group Can Do 

repair cafe sign

Community Program display also showed expo visitors how small appliances can be fixed, how sewing repairs can help garments last longer, how to care and repair for books and other ideas to reduce waste like community composting and community gardens. Executive officer La Vergne Lehmann said the program was about building community capacity to reduce waste. "We are very excited about showing the community how easy it to get some of these activities happening and how they can help reduce our waste, save money and bring a community together at the same time," she said.

twizyThe electric vehicle displays once again drew lots of interest and the Australian Electric Vehicle Association was on hand to answer questions. “As more car companies switch to producing electric models, it is only a matter of time before they are the norm’ one enthusiast said, “and it is exciting to see the push for an electric plug station here in Buninyong."

 

 

There was also a great range of building and lifestyle stalls. The container house created some excitement, but others loved the straw bale house and sustainable housing designers. Energy assessors were there showing people how to improve their existing homes and the windows and insulation experts were kept busy too.

crowdExpo Director Andrea Mason said there was a growing interest in sustainability and more people looking to create greener lifestyle habits. There has definitely been a shift based on a lot of good work being done in this space on the back of the war against waste, the waste issue in general, energy prices." she said.

"The people who come to these expos are hungry for knowledge. The feedback from the stallholders is they were getting a lot of questions and people were looking for information so they could make changes.

"We hope people are able to take what they have learnt and put it into action and build on that in future. I see a very clear need to address climate change. People need to be able to do that in a way that fits in with their lifestyles. As consumers, we have the ability to drive change."

Images can be seen on our Facebook page, or the Photo Gallery page on the web site.

 

See the article in the Owner Builder magazine  click here

Smart Building and Living Expo 2019Expo SBAL 2019

Sunday February 24, 2019 10am - 3.30pm

This is our 6th year and along with Sustainable Building, Designing and Smart Living advice, transport, and featuring All things 'e' : e-waste, e-bikes, e-cars etc.

Registrations are now open

Expo talk EditDo you have a business, trade or product that is helping change the way we live and build, or fighting the War on Waste? It's time to register for your site at the Expo!

We are looking for all these and more: 
All things 'e' : e-waste, e-bikes, e-cars etc. - Refuse Reduce Reuse Recycle - say no to single use plastic items

Electric Vehicles - cars, bikes, motorbikes and associated infrastructure

SustainableBuilding - building, design, windows, structural products, insulation, retrofitting, solar and batteries

Lifestyle - bikes, plants, clothing, household, personal products, health, education, waste, and food.

Community groups can register for free.

 

Ballarat's sustainability group, BREAZE will have a display of all of their current projects.

Come for the facts, come for the food or just come for fun!

 Contact Andrea This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0427 338 482 if you would like to join our successful team

FORP sponsorship banner 2019 300 dpi

 

 

Another successful Expo by the Buninyong Sustainability team.20180225 Grampians Waste1

Numbers, full reports, and more photos to come.

Please send us your photos - either via Facebook, or email them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

See below for more photos, or see the facebook album.

Read more ...

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The Smart Building and Living Expo will not get off the ground without the help of our sponsors and supporters!

Our GOLD Sponsor!

GCWWRRG aims to reduce waste and maximise recycling and resource recovery through information sharing, project development and collaborating with local government and industry.

See all the sponsors and supporters
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