Recycling Textiles? Northern Ireland’s Been Doing It for Decades!

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MK Council Member, Annie visited Northern Ireland recently. We asked her to share some of the stories that inspired her. 

What inspired you on your trip?

When I was visiting friends for Christmas in Northern Ireland in the UK, I had a pair of ripped jeans in my luggage after spending a month travelling. They weren’t ripped to look fashionable, they were so ripped that they were not wearable. I sheepishly asked my friend who lives in Northern Ireland if she knew of a place that might recycle my ripped jeans. She laughed and said of course, we have been recycling textiles for decades!!! 😱 I was in shock as there little to  no textile waste recycling in Western Australia. My friend simply took my jeans down to the local government recycling centre. If recycling is hard for consumers, they simply won’t do it! I’m very impressed with Northern Ireland and their recycling programs and how easy they make it.

What are you doing to reduce your waste footprint?

My project is to reduce waste in my home. So far, I send textile waste to Upparel in Victoria, I refill dry goods at Wasteless Pantry, I only shop consignment and purchase natural fabrics for clothing and I refill my liquids products for the shower at Skipping Stones mobile refillery.

What other textile recycling is there in WA? 

We found Perth Community Clothing Recycling Wholesaler . Check them out here. 

 

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International Visitor Leadership Program

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Hi,  I am Bella, an MK Youth Board member.

In January 2025 I had the amazing opportunity of travelling to the US on an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), sponsored by the US Department of State. I visited DC, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and Orlando looking at different not for profits and partnerships working in volunteerism and civic action. We met with several universities, small and large organisations working to make change in all areas of society. One of the most inspiring parts of the program was the 17 other change makers I travelled with, from all around the world. Highlights were a session run by story telling scientist, John Trybus and a session on fundraising by Scott Mietchen. Trybus talked about how to tell stories strategically to convey a message and generate action. Mietchen’s session was very specific about what stimulates on going donors and how to manage these relationships. I learnt a lot about their not-for-profit sector, how it operates and how it’s structured. How the federal system of government impacts the work of the NFP’s was very interesting, as well as the financial structures in place. Most NFP’s had large endowments which seemed to be a way of setting up sustainable income streams. This is definitely something we could look into. Whilst in the US I also participated in various cultural activities – ice hockey, Jazz, NASA Kennedy Space Center, museums and more!

I am looking forward to putting what I learnt into action at Millennium Kids in 2025.

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GreenLAB Retrospective

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A Year of Green Action

How Millennium Kids’ GreenLAB Program is Changing the Environmental Game

Have you noticed things are heating up this year? It’s not just the weather—Millennium Kids’ GreenLAB team is turning up the heat on environmental action! After taking a well-deserved break over the summer, the youth-led initiative kicked off an exciting year of programs that are set to make a lasting impact on our planet in 2025. GreenLAB, a citizen science initiative in Perth, empowers young people to monitor, care for, and adopt trees in urban landscapes—creating real change through hands-on action. In 2024, with support from Department of Communities, Youth Engagement Grants, we collaborated with Friends of Lake Claremont to bring a range of activities to the local community.

Here’s a look at how each month brought fresh opportunities for youth leads to step up, each bringing their own environmental challenge.

Check out the full story here. 

If you want more information register for our monthly newsletter here.

By Josh and the GreenLAB team

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Birds, flyways and a university in a park

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Interview with Cat, CEO,MK

What did you do during January?

In January 2025 we closed up the MK office and put our feet up. Sort of! Some headed to the beach, others headed to the bush for some camping and others brushed up on their skills through a variety of courses. I headed back to the Urdaibai Bird Centre, Basque Country, Spain,  in the UNESCO Biosphere to learn more about the East Atlantic Flyway, the birds that stopover at Urdaibai on their flight and the old myths that anchored people to caring for their  country.

Who did you meet that inspired you?

An amazing trip to the University of Navarre introduced me to Prof Fernando Echarri the Head of Environmental Education. What a meeting! The university is in a park. Yes, 113 hectares of parkland. Plus it is the perfect  place for a research centre,  University Navarre Musuem, that combines art science and history. It is always so inspiring to meet others and hear of their work. Fernando loved the concept of the Millennium Kids structure with kids being the centrepiece of an organisation.

What are you reading now?

Reinventing Organisations by Frederic Laloux

We are always looking for new ideas at MK. Watch this space.

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Cat, OAM

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On Australia Day 2025 Cat, our CEO, was awarded a  Medal of the Order of Australia Award OAM for her work in environmental eduction.

Cat said:

“This award is really validation to all the kids in Millennium Kids, our supporters and friends. Thanks must go to the MK Council, Youth Board and Alumni past present and future.

In my view this award recognises all the children and young people who want better outcomes for people and planet. It has been my privilege to listen to them, to support and mentor them and help them make dreams come true.

There is work to be done.”

Congratulations to other awardees – so much goodness in the world. Check out awardees here.

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RAC Ignite

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The RAC Ignite Leadership Program has been another year of ‘Sparks Flying’ in the words of Ben Kent, this program has seen young people start to understand how we together make a safer, more sustainable and better-connected WA!

The young leaders are currently working on their project and pitch, with the final 3 pitching at the Celebrate Event to a panel of judges who will decide the projects that will get 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

At Millennium Kids we co-designed the program to ensure our ‘Skills for Life’ framework and 21st Century Thinker models are weaved throughout to ensure that participants have the skills they need to be a change maker and go into there next journey with the skills to succeed.

I encourage any young leaders who are interested in this program to keep an eye out on the RAC WA page, or go to: https://lnkd.in/gepT8YwG

In the words Oscar Micheaux, “There is no barrier to success which diligence and perseverance cannot hurdle.”

I love working with the Millennium Kids team, we always have so much fun and always Have Fun! Eat Chocolate! and Care for the Environment! Thanks so much Catrina, Bella, Jacob, Stuart and Marli! Thank you also to the RAC Team Cass, Ben, Alyce and Carlie for supporting young people to be leaders in their communities!

 

By Troy Wood, MK Youth Board member and RAC Youth Lead

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Dr Karim comes to MK Headquarters

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A message from Dr. Sayit Abdul Karim who recently completed his International Community Service with Millennium Kids in Perth, Western Australia.

I have been involved in the Millennium Kids’ programs and gained remarkable knowledge and experience in my international community service in Perth, Western Australia (WA). Therefore, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my counterpart, the CEO of Millennium Kids Inc., Catrina Luz Aniere, and the Citizen Science Coordinator, Wayne O’Sullivan, for hosting me and facilitating my visit to Perth, WA.

The activities included, but are not limited to, a climate change celebration, field observations, visit revegetated drain projects with education opportunities in the City of Canning and Friends of Lake Claremont, community capacity building, and the humanitarian program. In addition, I had a chance to discuss and share ideas with the Millennium Kids membership, local government; the City of Canning, partners and collaborators; the University of Western Australia, and Nature Play. I also met with Prof Lyn Beazley AO, Patron of Millennium Kids.

I believe that the Millennium Kids program is beneficial for both parties, and this experience is very valuable for me and my local Dompu community’s well-being, as well as a sustainable environment. As we share the same concerns, we need to have international cooperation and to work together to find the best solutions for our future. 

Dr. Sayit Abdul Karim

Associate Professor at the Faculty of Business & Humanities,

University of Technology Yogyakarta

 

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Celebrate Lake Claremont Day was a Buzz!

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On Sunday, 15 September Millennium Kids and Friends of Lake Claremont participated in the Celebrate Lake Claremont 2024 festival.

We ran an amazing nature race, which was a sort of a nature treasure hunt involving various stations that participants had to visit and learn about before receiving a stamp in their passport.

 I ran the Native Bee station, where I taught participants amazing facts about the importance of Native Bees as the pollinators for the Lake Claremont, and general, ecosystems, while they got their faces painted.

 I had around fifty visitors, young and old, visit my station and gave some positive feedback.

The other stations led by our MK GreenLAB team members included learning about local birds, Polyphagous shot hole borer, meeting our friends from Friends of Lake Claremont, Friends of Western Swamp Tortoise, Cottesloe Tree Canopy Advocates and painting your favourite wildlife. We also gave Cottesloe Tree Canopy advocates $500 to give away native tree species for their gardens. 

Preston Momen. MK Youth Board member 

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RAC Ignite Leadership Program

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We are super excited to have our MK team work with RAC again in 2024.

The Leadership Program is a free program were we help you take the lead in shaping a better tomorrow. Take action, make a difference and connect with leading experts and mentors to create a future you want.

What’s involved

Up to 30 selected participants, 18 – 24 years, will take part in an exclusive series of action learning modules, meet and be inspired by experts, learn invaluable skills and be supported to imagine and pitch a big idea to create a better WA.

Check out the link to get further information and apply now.

 

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Hope is our Superpower

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India, our Melbourne based MK member, had the honour to meet and shake hands with Dr Goodall, at the Melbourne Museum showcase as part of Janes Goodall’s Roots and Shoots Australian tour. India talked about who MK is, what we do, and about our Agents of Climate Change program and then did a 5 presentation to other invited stakeholders!

Goodall introduced herself, not in English, but in chimpanzee! This was a fantastic start to the event. Dr Goodall gave us a beautiful and inspiring speech about hope; as the event we were at was part of her worldwide tour “Reasons for Hope”. Dr Goodall explained to us her life story about how , like many of us, was in love with animals and nature at a young age. She said that despite being told it wasn’t possible, it was too dangerous, and that she was “just a girl”, she ventured to Africa to pursue her goals of learning and researching about chimpanzees. Importantly, she noted that the only reason she left the beautiful forests of Africa was seeing how those forests, home to such unique and beautiful flora & fauna, were being destroyed. Dr Goodall felt a responsibility to help our planet. A responsibility that was felt deeply across the room.

She talked about how hope is the force which guides us young people into acting towards a future of healing, tangible action, and of reconnecting to Mother Nature. Dr Goodall and the Roots & Shoots mission is quite similar to ours at Millennium Kids; working with young people to strive for a better future.

 India talked about Siddharth’s postcard project, and how young people are the key to the future we need! She was also lucky enough to listen in to everyone else’s projects and presentations and felt very inspired seeing all the things kids and young people were doing in their communities to make a difference.

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