Sustainable solution to electronic waste
Pictured: Father’s Farm Manager Greg Minge & Demian Wolf of Betta Home Living
As the world becomes increasingly digital, homes and businesses are beginning to pile up with unwanted electrical items, and e-waste is becoming an ever-increasing problem.
Barossa Co-op, as part of its ‘Environment, Sustainability and Governance’ strategy, has recently formed a sustainability working group, comprising passionate ‘Sustainability Champs’ from across the Barossa Co-op, to generate and action ideas to reduce waste, save energy and do the right thing by the environment. This team has recently been actively searching for solutions for electrical waste.
To improve and adequately recycle Barossa Co-op’s electrical waste and polystyrene, research was undertaken by the group to find a local organization that could support such an important initiative. The team discovered The Father’s Farm, a local organization that recycles a variety of computers, IT goods, small and large appliances, as well as tools and equipment.
Run entirely by volunteers, The Father’s Farm is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with Electronic Recycling Australia, who are based locally on Grand Junction Road in Adelaide. They act as a collection station with 6 electrical bins, as well as recycling polystyrene.
“We are run entirely by volunteers, and our e-waste collection helps support our youth mentoring program. Electrical waste such as fridges, televisions, washing machines and other electrical everyday items are pulled apart by our volunteers to ensure all parts can be properly recycled, and Electronic Recycling Australia will come and bring six empty bins, fill them up and bring them back.” Greg Minge, Manager of The Father’s Farm, said.
The volunteers at The Father’s Farm spend four hours every Thursday and Saturday taking the community’s electrical products. Once taken by Electronic Recycling Australia, both the electrical appliances and polystyrene are completely recycled. The funds from e-waste collection assist in funding the John’s Place program, which assists in teaching youth life skills.
Cathy Main, CEO of Barossa Co-op, commented, “We are fortunate to have such a wonderful local organisation in Father’s Farm to support ours and other businesses in the Barossa Valley, with their recycling programs for electrical goods and polystyrene. As a community owned business, the Barossa Co-op has a responsibility to not only reduce cost by recycling more effectively, but to keep focused on sustainability. Preserving our environment is a key responsibility for ours and other Barossa based businesses.”
Now delivering electrical waste and polystyrene from Betta Home Living to The Father’s Farm on a Thursday, Barossa Co-op is thrilled to be able to dispose of waste, that would ordinarily go to expensive landfill, to a responsible an important organization like Fathers Farm.
The Father’s Farm is open for both residential and business collection on Thursdays and Saturdays from 8:30am-12:30pm, at 110 Moppa Road, Nuriootpa.
For more information about The Father’s Farm and the John’s Place youth mentoring program, please visit thefathersfarm.com.au.
