b'01WANGARA(WA)In FY23, our Wangara Soft Landing team worked with 12 councils to recycle over 120,000 mattresses and bed bases, and since broadening our scope of work to include collection and recycling of whitegoods and furniture, were diverting more tonnes of waste from landfill every year. 02While Wangara is a fast-growing, efficient site, it hasnt lost its razor-sharp mission-focus: creating jobs for people who need them most.As Administration Assistant, Laura Sudano has a unique perspective on our Wangara sites operations. She says,I started working here early this year, and Im blown away by the people and work environment. The staff are all friendly, helpful, and inclusive, and everyone works so well together.Our 45 Wangara staff members come from diverse backgrounds, and many have had their lives transformed03since joining Soft Landing. From the 19-year-old who Given we can recycle around 75%was couch-surfing and looking for work and a sense of of the mattress components, theypurpose to the 50-year-old refugee who needed stable, full-time employment to support his familytheyve all shouldnt be going to landfill.found a place within our team. KYLIE ROBERTS-FROSTSOFT LANDING ACT Its physically challenging work, and there is a large demand for mattress and furniture recycling in the area, says Laura, but the warehouse team get through it all. Theyre driven, dedicated, and they work hard. Its a productive atmosphere, and we all support each other. Soft Landing Wangara proves that by partnering with04HUME (ACT) Bedding Stewardship Council (ABSC), and the Directormore local councils and diversifying our service, we can General and Deputy Director General of ACT NOWaste,generate more employment opportunities while havingThe Hume Soft Landing team were honouredso there was a lot of media present. a positive impact on the planet.to host The Hon. Tanya Plibersek, the Federal Minister for the Environment and Water lastAt a local level, this has made consumers more awareLaura says, Theres a lot of heart in this place. We all November, where she made the significantof what we do and why we do it, she says, but its alsoknow were working towards something bigger than announcement that mattresses had been addeddriving more interest in areas where Soft Landing isnt asourselvesI love that were creating jobs while doing to the Ministers Product Stewardship Priorityvisible. Its a wakeup call to retailers that something has our part to reduce waste, and Im proud to be a partList for 2022-23. to be done, and that were here to help. of what were achieving here. Following the announcement, our Hume site had its With an estimated 1.8 million mattresses disposed of eachlargest recorded intake of mattresses, receiving 2,900 year in Australia, ACT State Manager Kylie Roberts-Frostmattresses over two weeks in the summer. Kylie says, 05 says, The announcement was a substantial win for theIt was the busiest summer season weve ever had, and0505sector. It puts the industry on notice to ensure mattresseswhile winter normally dips, we had a steadier intake than are manufactured, used, reused, and disposed ofin previous years. Its fantastic from an environmental sustainablyand to treat the matter with a sense ofperspective, but it also means we can create more jobs SOFT LANDING urgency. for people facing barriers to employment, which is ourSOFT LANDINGLandfill space is rapidly becoming a problem nationwide,main purpose.and mattresses are bulky items that occupy enormousWhile jobs are critical for financial security and wellbeing,amounts of space. Given we can recycle around 75%it goes beyond just the individual benefits. I love that were creating of the mattress components, they shouldnt be going toKylie explains, Its not as easy to be environmentallyjobs while doing our part to landfill, she says.While the announcement alone was enough cause forsustainable if you dont have a job. So, by creating jobsreduce waste, and Im proud for people, were also supporting them to contribute to celebration for Soft Landing, supporting our missionenvironmental management. Its all linked. Theres soto be a part of what were to divert waste from landfill, it also raised our profilemuch opportunity now that mattress recycling is higher06considerably through extensive national TV, radio andup on peoples radar, and Im excited to see what weachieving here.print media. can achieve.Kylie says, Four Members of Parliament attended our siteLAURA SUDANOSOFT LANDING PERTHfor the announcement, plus members of the AustralianPhoto supplied by the ACT Government PAGE 43'