Ms JO HAYLEN (Summer Hill)—Operating for over 20 years from the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville, the Bower Reuse and Repair Centre is a beacon of environmental leadership in our inner west community.

The Bower is committed to reducing landfill and waste, and collects unwanted furniture and construction materials across 20 local government areas, giving unwanted items a new lease of life.

In addition to their many programs, The Bower this year hosted the inaugural Art from Trash exhibition, showcasing a range of repurposed works made from recycled materials.

The awards seek to encourage creativity and innovation when it comes to upcycling our waste.

Congratulations to Mia Sabel who won the People’s Choice Award for her work titled Banksia, a lampshade made from 300 single use plastic bags collected from Woolworths and Coles.

Ms Sabel’s work highlights the damage single use plastics do to our environment and the impacts on sealife and ocean ecology.

Congratulations to all the artists who entered the exhibition for your beautiful and thought provoking works, and congratulations to Guido and all at the Bower for another fantastic initiative.