Recycling with Marian Green: Founder of St Nic’s Recycling Hub

Marian Green established the St Nic’s Recycling Hub in Duncraig at the beginning of 2022. The Hub collects large volumes of recyclables each month from the community, that may otherwise have ended up in landfill. 

Putting waste in the right place

There are lots of recyclable materials that are not suitable to be placed into the recycling kerbside system and can be recycled through other sources. Since founding the Hub, Marian has worked hard in sourcing destination recyclers, running educational sessions with community groups, liaising with governments and interest groups, promoting the Hub through Facebook, and completing all the general administration tasks to keep the Hub running.  

A “Green” community effort

Marian can’t remember a time when she wasn’t volunteering and helping the community. Her parents inspired her efforts as they were always volunteering for different organisations throughout their lives. What motivates Marian with her efforts at the Hub are the amazing people from the community that she meets each Hub day.  

Marian believes we all have a responsibility to care for the planet, and creating St Nic’s Recycling Hub has been her way of upholding this responsibility and encouraging recycling throughout the community.  

You can recycle at the Hub on the 3^rd Saturday of every month, 9am – 11am at St Nicolas Anglican Church, Cnr Poynter Drive & Beach Road, Duncraig.

What items can you recycle at the Hub?

• Plastic lids and plastic bread tags.
• Plastic plant pots and plant tags.
• Oral care products.
• Pens: including felt tips, highlighters, markers, mechanical pencils, correction tape, liquid paper.
• Household batteries and printer cartridges.
• E-waste and mobile phones.
• Light globes.
• Disposable razors.
• Medication blister packs (with a donation to cover costs of recycling these).
• Containers for Change: Donate your refund to St Nic’s by bringing along your 10c containers.

Marian’s tips for starting on your recycling journey

1. Start small and build your way up. 
2. Learn what can and can’t go in the recycling (yellow lid) kerbside bin. For further information, visit Recycling bin (yellow lid).
3. Choose one more recyclable to divert from landfill. Once it becomes a habit, pick one more and then repeat! 

Get involved

If you have already nailed your recycling efforts at home and you want to further help recycling efforts for the community and the planet, residents can help out in many ways. 

A few ideas from Marian include: 

• Start your own “Sub Hub”. These are recycling collection points within your community such as at a retirement village, childcare centre, school, sporting club or elsewhere. Collections are then brought to the St Nic’s Recycling Hub each month.  
• Own a café? You could collect milk bottles and soft drink bottle lids or containers and deliver them to the Hub regularly. You can also donate your coffee granules to local community gardens or via Sharewaste. 
• Prefer volunteering? St Nic’s Recycling Hub is always looking for people to help collect recyclables and deliver them to destination recyclers. 

For more information on how you can help Marian’s recycling movement, contact her via email. You can also follow St Nic’s Hub Facebook page.

For further information and about locations where items can be recycled, visit:

• TerraCycle – Free recycling programs
• City of Joondalup – Where to recycle batteries and other items
• Terracycle – Priceline 
• Officeworks | Pen, Cartridge & E-Waste Recycling 
• Rigid Plastics – Claw Environmental Recycling Perth 
• Nespresso Australia – Coffee Pod Recycling | Recycle Capsules
• Public Donation Points – Give Write
• Be a GREAT Sort