Waste Not: Lottie Dalziel and the BRAD Recycling Revolution

Lottie Dalziel founded Banish with the aim of making it easier for Australians to live sustainably. Her work has grown from a personal commitment to cut waste into a national platform involving educational resources, community programs and a curated marketplace of vetted products. At its heart is BRAD – the Banish Recycling And Disposal Program.

Photographed here at the BRAD facility beside Sydney's Central Station, Lottie is surrounded by volunteers and colourful containers full of hard to recycle waste – plastic lids, toothpaste tubes, blister packs, bread tags – and other items that can fall through the cracks of mainstream recycling. BRAD has diverted over one million items of plastic waste, giving the community a tangible way to participate in the solution.

“There are amazing people out there who want to do the right thing,” says Lottie, “they just need someone to make it possible.”

Lottie was named NSW Young Australian of the Year in 2023 and in 2025 released a book – 365+ Ways to Save the Planet and Your Money at the Same Time.