Workshops

As a part of the conference program, there are five workshops attendees can participate in. Delegates will be able to select their preference when registering for the conference (from 12 March 2024) 

• Managing asbestos waste from generation to disposal (Tuesday 14th May)
• A deep dive into PFAS (Wednesday 15th May)
  
• Illustrating circular economy concepts for greater impact (Wednesday 15th May)
• Cultivating the garden of what ifs (Thursday 16th May)
• Fast fashion - upcycle: Mend it, don’t sent it – to landfill! (Thursday 16th May)

Managing asbestos waste from generation to disposal

There is no debate: the appropriate place for any asbestos waste is disposal in landfill. However, it is not as simple as just digging a hole to dump it in. 

There are specific requirements around the packaging, transport, tracking, temporary storage, and ultimate disposal of asbestos waste which vary slightly from state to state. These are all necessary to ensure the safety of waste transporters, the public, and staff at landfill facilities. 

There are also operational considerations, particularly in relation to costs of disposal of small amounts of asbestos waste. 

A deep dive into PFAS

Serving as an interactive platform to understand PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), this workshop will analyse in detail the concerns, risks and management of these ‘forever chemicals’.

Hear how key organisations are dealing with PFAS and what their anticipated priorities are as well as hearing about the impact of PFAS on real world projects. 

Our expert panel, facilitated by Gayle Sloan and including representation from Envirolab, EPOC Enviro and HUESKER, will look at aspects such as characterisation, assessment, remediation, and management of PFAS in our community.

Recognising how much has been learnt and understood regarding the investigation and management of PFAS contamination over the last decade, we will focus on where, as an industry, we need to be in 5 years, and what we need to do to get there.

The workshop will conclude with a panel discussion inviting a robust discussion from panellists and participants.

Illustrating circular economy concepts for greater impact

Sustainability and circular economy ideas need to be more normalised and explained in a way that translate into action - this is where illustration comes in! Visuals can stick in long-term memory, they can transmit messages faster and also trigger emotions and actions. Join Designer and Illustrator, Elise Motalli, to learn how to use drawing to simplify and communicate circular economy concepts for greater impact and action.  

What's involved:

• Elise will guide you through her proven 4 stage process where you'll get to draw your own illustration based on a circular economy concept or idea of your choice. This process will also involve peer feedback to encourage iteration and refinement of your illustration.

You'll walk away with:

• Knowledge of how to clearly identify the purpose of your drawings, context for use, intended audience and underlying call to action
• A language of simple hand-drawn shapes and visual principles that you can use in your work
• Multiple examples of illustration page layouts that you can use as templates to help simplify complex ideas or information

Your experience will be:

• Tactile: We'll be amplifying the use of our 'thinking hand' (the way our brain connects to our hand) through drawing
• Interactive: We'll be together, live in person, which always makes for a more fun and engaging learning experience
• Fun and creative: With plenty of fun drawing activities, this workshop will show you the untapped creative potential you have in drawing

Cultivating the garden of what ifs

"Cultivating the garden of what ifs" is a workshop is designed to inspire creativity and foster collaboration in tackling environmental challenges. 

Participants will engage with the "what if..." framing to explore innovative solutions to waste management, guided by the Theory of Change. 

This hands-on session will involve brainstorming, group discussions, and the collaborative development of ideas in the "Garden of Ideas," led by Brenna Quinlan. 

Fast fashion - upcycle: Mend it, don’t sent it – to landfill!

This upcycle fashion workshop teaches and displays how to reinvent second hand garments to save them from landfill, by teaching and demonstrating how to create a new wearable fashion piece. The skills learnt and displayed here are creative, technical and inspiring. Amanda will provide an introduction to fast fashion and throw away culture and show you exactly what’s possible. During this hands on workshop participants will redesign, cut, sew, and think outside the box!