drumMUSTER Collection Facility of the Year
Wingecarribee Shire Council
The team from the Wingecarribee Shire Council have been involved with the drumMUSTER program for over 20 years, putting initiatives in place to benefit the farmers in the region. The region is known for its agribusiness, equine, and agritourism sectors, and the team noticed drums used for animal or produce production ended up in their inert waste site. After discussions with neighbouring regions that participate in the drumMUSTER program, it was decided to expand their recycling streams to accommodate agricultural drum
The council constantly provides flyers about the program in suitable locations including vet clinics, produce stores, and agricultural equipment stores. The program is discussed with employees of these locations to ensure they are knowledgeable about drumMUSTER and how it benefits the local growers and producers.
Providing information stands at the Southern Regional Livestock Exchange, one of the top ten cattle sale-yards in New South Wales, ensures the council has a branched network to share information about the program and upcoming collections, whilst also attending sale days to share information about programs that benefit farmers and producers, including drumMUSTER.
Improving overall community awareness has been achieved through regular newspaper columns, media releases and social media content. The team at Wingecarribee Council find the most effective way to educate users of container cleanliness is when they drop drums off and some are rejected. The team discuss these procedures and often like to save the farmers a secondary trip, and will assist to clean containers on-site, providing a hands on opportunity to build their relationship with existing clients.
The council are constantly reviewing their methods of collection, processing and education, and recently worked with drumMUSTER to develop a more efficient method of collection by increasing their cage capacity and making them transportable for easy processing. A mobile recycling trailer service is currently being developed and will be operating later this year.
Congratulations Wingecarribee Shire Council, the 2023 drumMUSTER Collection Facility of the Year.
drumMUSTER Community Group of the Year
Dunedoo Lions Club
Judges were impressed with the comprehensive information in this particular nomination. The Dunedoo Lions Club have been involved with the drumMUSTER program since 2009, after wanting to keep abreast of community environmental wants and needs. They saw drumMUSTER as a great opportunity to provide a much-needed service for farmers, whilst raising funds for community programs run by the club.
The club’s involvement with drumMUSTER has also fostered a great camaraderie and connection between the Lions club members, the farmers and the local agricultural retailers.
The Dunedoo collection site operates on the first Saturday of the month, and this regularity has provided farmers with the assurance they need that the facility will be open when they bring in their drums for recycling. On farm pick ups of drums are also organised when requested.
Inspector training is provided to any new Lions members, and it is actively encouraged. There are currently eleven drumMUSTER inspectors in the club.
The Dunedoo Lions Club advertises regularly through their social media channels as well as in newsletters and via local businesses whose clients use drumMUSTER products. Regular reports are submitted to the Dunedoo Diary & Facebook page informing the community of #drumMUSTER collection dates, as well as advertising on local radio and promoting the program during Lions Awareness month.
The club has now recycled over 53,000 agricultural chemical drums.
Well done to the team from the Dunedoo Lions Club. This year’s winner of the drumMUSTER Community Group of the Year.