Waste less, compost more
Who we are
A local volunteer group helping reduce waste, promote a circular economy and empower the Ku-ring-gai community.
Join our volunteer team!
We are always looking for local volunteers to help with any of the below programs. No skills required and we are a friendly bunch.
Get in touch with us to join the WhatsApp Chat and share your ideas on reducing waste and organics recycling.
Join the private Facebook group now
What we do and how to help
Clothing, Toy & Book Swaps
Our Kids & Teens Clothes, Toys & Book Swaps are a fun, feel-good way to refresh wardrobes, toy shelves and book collections while reducing waste.
By extending the life of clothes, toys and books, we reduce waste and keep items out of landfill — helping support our community’s Net Zero goals.
What to bring
Clothes
- Clean, good-quality clothes, shoes and hats (0–19 years)
- No underwear
- No stained, torn or damaged items
- No corporate-branded items
Toys
- Gently used toys in good condition
- Clean before bringing
- No broken items
- Include all pieces where possible
Books
- Children’s and teen books in good condition
- No torn, heavily marked or water-damaged books
- No coffee table or adult books.
What happens on the day
- Sign in and scan the QR code to estimate how many clothes, toys and books you’ve brought.
- Place items in the Drop Zone.
- Browse and choose items your family might enjoy.
- When leaving, scan the sign-out QR code and estimate how many items you’re taking home.
Our volunteers will sort items and restock tables throughout the event.
Ku-ring-gai Composting Network
We are connecting residents who want to be either a:
- Host (accept others organic scraps for your compost) or
- Guest (take your scraps to someone's house/apartment).
We have over 70 participants across Ku-ring-gai and we need more!
Find out about our Composting Network
How to start a compost or worm farm
Visit our information page to get tips and tricks and even access discounted bins.
Find a Composting Network host near you!
Maps below show you both the size of the hosts compost bin at their location and the type of composting system they have for you to contribute your scraps to.
Hard-to-Recycle Map - drop-off locations
Our amazing volunteers have you covered for all those tricky items to recycle!
E-waste, textiles, metals, glasses, x rays and sharps and more. Explore the online map to find drop-off points.
This will be an ever-evolving project with more locations added. Let us know if we have missed anything!
Explore the Hard to recycle map
Top 20 waste-free actions
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Use loose tea to make a cuppa
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Start a worm farm
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Refuse plastic bags
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Use hankies instead of tissues
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Use reusable cups for takeaway drinks
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Sort my garbage every week
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Buy second hand clothes
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Choose glass containers over plastic
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Choose to repair instead of throwing away
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Join a recycling/share community
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Bees wax wraps – not plastic wraps
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Wash hair with a shampoo soap bar
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Use plant based bin liners
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Recycle used toothpaste and cosmetics
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Buy produce from co-ops or bulk stores
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Freeze leftovers
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Pickle and preserve
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Write a letter to govt about banning takeaway cups
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Write a letter to a manufacturer about reducing packaging
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Join the Ku-ring-gai Composting Network
Free-Cycle sites near you
Freecycle is a community network where people give away things they no longer need for free, rather than throwing them out. ♻️
Low-waste cooking recipes
Community organisations
Find out more about St Ives Towards Sustainability and One Street. Two of the not-for-profit groups working with our Net Zero Champions to make great things happen in your neighbourhood.
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