Australia’s longest running agricultural waste management program will record a landmark achievement on Tuesday, with the collection of its 30-millionth chemical container.
Agsafe’s drumMUSTER program, which began in 1999, is an end-of-life product stewardship program that has already saved councils an impressive $31 million in landfill costs, by diverting eligible, empty containers to recycling schemes.
It’s only by collaborative efforts that Australia’s oldest product stewardship program continues its success, with 814 collection sites operated by 360 councils and 142 other community-based collection agencies nationwide.
Celebrations will take place at Dookie Lions Club collection site, near Shepparton, Victoria, where the community group will receive the 30-millionth container at a public event on 15 August.
The club, operational for 44 years, has collected 40,000 drums since 2013, raising $10,000 towards a public fitness station in Mary Street, Dookie.
Club member and drumMUSTER inspector, Peter McManus, said he recommended drumMUSTER as an excellent fundraising idea and a way for communities to connect for a worthwhile cause.
“drumMUSTER is great for community groups like us as the funds go straight back into the local area and it’s great to see the environmental benefits,” he said.
“People understand that by working with drumMUSTER we help farmers keep their farms clean and seeing what we’ve achieved, the club wants to keep collecting.”