Victorian-based resource recovery and recycling pioneer, Repurpose It, has partnered up with celebrity garden and sustainability expert, Jamie Durie, to create an educational video series titled ‘Living With Purpose’.

Together, Durie and Repurpose It are combining their years of recycling knowledge and passion for sustainable resource management in ‘Living with Purpose’. The entertaining and informative video series gives Australians the accessible information and know-how they need to feel confident and empowered about their role in the country’s recycling future. The series was created to fill in knowledge gaps and clear up commonly-held misconceptions around sustainability, educating everyday Australians about recycling and repurposing materials.

The development of the series was prompted by the results of an independent survey, commissioned by Repurpose It, which revealed many consumers in the state of Victoria are still sceptical about what happens to their waste when it goes out for recycling.

The survey showed:

  • 30% of Victorians believe recycling goes into landfill
  • 33% of respondents not understanding what the term circular economy means
  • 88% of Victorians openly stated they don’t know enough about how recycling is conducted

The series focuses on topics such as: The circular economy, where your food scraps go and practical ways you can take part in the circular economy at home.

Gardening and sustainability expert Jamie Durie says he is excited to join Repurpose It on this important project.

“When Repurpose It reached out to me about this partnership, it was a no-brainer. We all want to live our lives with purpose, and this series provides insight and ways to do just that. It is so important to get serious about recycling and sustainability for the benefit of our children and future generations.”

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Repurpose It, George Hatzimanolis, says Jamie Durie is the perfect collaborator for the video series.

“Jamie shares the same level of passion and determination we have in preserving our resources for the next generations. This series is very important to share with the wider population to help erase the myths around recycling.”

Durie’s public journey with sustainability started in 1993 with his first ever TV Commercial promoting ways to help the public and private sectors find the simple ways in which they can reduce their impact on the planet. 20 years on, Jamie has continued this line of work and is a committed environmentalist working with numerous organisations dedicated to conservation and environmental responsibility. Some of these organizations include The United Nations World Environment Day, The Australian Conservation Foundation, Greening Australia, Planet Arc, FSC (USA & Australia), Green Peace, Earth Hour and many more. In 2008, Durie was one of 200 selected in Australia to be trained by former Vice President Al Gore as a Climate Change Presenter. In honour of his work over the last two decades, Durie was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2012 for services to the environment and design, and in 2004, he received the Centenary Medal for services to the environment, television, and the community.

Melbourne-based Repurpose It is an award-winning resource recovery business that transforms waste such as soil, waste timber and concrete, food and garden organics, into products that can be re-used in industries as diverse as major infrastructure works, construction and building, as well as landscaping. These old and previously unneeded waste streams can become new and useful materials such as barks and mulches, aggregate, sand and, even, organic compost.

The video series will be released in instalments on the Repurpose It website: www.repurposeit.com.au