The Rogue Ginger

I’m so excited to share what Australian Library of Things Network has got planned for this year’s LoTs Summit in Sydney. It’s going to be such a fun couple of days.

1 August — Workshops + LoTFEST at Canva Space, Surry Hills
They'll be taking over the incredible Canva Space for a day packed with interactive workshops, collaboration, big ideas, and plenty of chances to connect with other passionate LoTs folks.

They will also have a special guest appearance from Gene Hominicki, founder of MyTurn lending software, sharing insights and stories from the world of sharing and lending libraries.

And then… LoTFEST! 🎉
Celebrate everything to love about Libraries of Things with good food, drinks, music, and some very fun surprises. Keep your eyes peeled for a few special guests too.

2 August — Sydney LoTs Bus Tour
Hop on a minibus with your new LoTs mates and come explore some amazing sharing spaces across Sydney. You'll visit Inner West Tool Library and the Sydney Library of Things in Lane Cove to see how these spaces operate and connect with the local communities behind them.

🎟️ Tickets
They have bundled all three events together for $185, but because you’re an early bird, you can grab the full summit pass for just $170 using the code EARLYBIRD2026. Link to tickets is here> https://shorturl.at/Ygapf

The code is valid until the end of May, so now’s the perfect time to lock it in.

Can’t make every event? No worries! The code also works for Workshops + LoTFEST tickets, so you can still score the early bird discount.

I can’t wait to see everyone together for a couple of inspiring, energising, and seriously fun days celebrating the sharing movement.

I’d love to encourage anyone with a reuse case study, pilot, or data to contribute to the growing resource library being created by Upstream Solutions. The more knowledge and data shared, the easier it will be to grow the reuse movement.
https://upstreamsolutions.org/submit-a-case-study

I LOVED reading about Darebin’s Party Kits in the latest Party Kit Network newsletter. Jo and Jackie are assets to their community and have done so much to reduce waste through different endeavours. I’ve been big fans of their commitment for years.

https://www.partykitnetwork.org/post/meet-darebin-party-kits

Yarra Water invited me to the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show to check out their stunning water-wise garden created in partnership with emerging horticulture designers from Melbourne Polytechnic.

One of the designers, Belinda, talked me through the design which was a real treat. The garden is proof climate-resilient planting can be both functional and beautiful. With 15% of household water consumption used outdoors making simple swaps in your garden can truly add up.

- making use of permeable surfaces to help capture water
- mulching to reduce evaporation
- place plants together with similar water need requirements
- Water in the early morning or evening to limit evaporation
- Water deeply once or twice a week rather than lightly every day
- plan for habitat
- consider altering the ground to hold water in locations like a swale or putting in a dry creek bed that can take on extra water when needed for natural distribution once the rain goes

Yarra Water has many more water wise tips and I hope they get to come back next year with this hands on display. I know I wasn't the only one who walked away inspired.

A big thank you to Yarra Valley Water for helping to bring this awesome garden to life so we can see and learn. Thank you as always to Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show for putting together another fantastic show. Big congrautaions to Belind, Ceinwen & Emerson, Lauren & Naomi from Melbourne Polytechnic for your inspiring garden designs.

We packed away our TV away and as a result we've become a bit of a board game family. One game we are loving is Earthcare Game. It's an eco themed game that brings sustainability actions to life through play. Designed for a wide age range, Earthcare blends fun with education, helping players explore ideas like reducing, reusing, recycling, and connecting with nature in an interactive way. Have you played it?

If you'd like to learn about other eco themed board games I have a blog post here > https://www.therogueginger.com/2026/03/Eco-Themed-Board-Games.html

I love when the topic of reusables and byo containers makes it into news outlets 🤗

BYO Containers founder, Bianca Cottle, was interviewed for a recent feature in the article ‘Key takeaways: should you BYO containers when buying food?’.
Bianca shared tips to help customers wanting to move away from single-use packaging to feeling confident they can take reusables containers for food at cafes, takeaway, delis and more. We are thankful to news outlets like The Guardian for their continued commitment to stories on sustainability and reducing waste. You can read the article in our Media highlight.

Reminder to visit your local Op Shop for secondhand Easter bags and decor. The Vinnies in my neighbourhood has a fun assortment of items ready to be reused and reloved 🐣 🐰 🍫

Vinnies Shops VIC

I have been busy moving clothing and toys onto new homes. I feel it’s a constant flow state of rehoming as kids grow quick. We also do this with hard to recycle items. Having permanent outboxs, as suggested by Zero Waste Guy, helps me stay ontop of the tasks and keep our waste minimal.

An outbox is a great way to start working items that need to be recycled or donated out of your home. I do this with e-waste, light bulbs, batteries and lightbulbs. Have you tried this?

Share if you agree Bob Brown would make an excellent CEO of the new EPA

Here’s to many more stadiums and large venues making the switch from single-use to reuse 👏

A huge milestone for the reuse movement in Australia!

ENGIE Stadium in Sydney will become the first venue in the country to switch to reusable cups for every single pour of beer, wine and spirits.

The impact goes far beyond game day. This commitment helps normalise reuse at scale, shows that circular solutions work in high-volume environments, and builds confidence for other venues to follow. Every refill represents fewer single-use cups in landfill and a big step toward shifting behaviour nationwide.

When major venues lead, real change accelerates.

Here’s to more organisations embracing reuse and helping make waste-free events the new standard.

Congrats to and