Chief executive officer of Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria, Wendy Jones, visited Marnoo last week to make a presentation following the announcement of their inclusion as a State Finalist in the Zero Waste category of the Tidy Towns awards for 2008.

The award recognised the town's recycling program which has helped to reduce litter and waste in the area, as well as making $4000 a year for the Marnoo Memorial Park. This pays for annual indemnity insurance and covers any maintenance works.

Local resident, Chips Fearon, along with Cr Wayne Rice of the Northern Grampians Shire Council, lodged the application for the awards earlier this year.

Mr Fearon said the benefits for the community as a result of the program had been huge.

``Little towns like us could all do it,'' he said.

``We've made ourselves a nice, clean little town to live in and it's great.''

The project began in 2002 when a resident needed to find a way to dispose of cardboard boxes.

``I went to one recycler and asked them what we could do. They said to bring the stuff in but it would cost me six dollars per cubic metre to leave it with them,'' Mr Fearon said.

``So I approached the St Arnaud recyclers and they said they would pay me to take it. And that's how it all started.

``Since then it has grown in size and popularity and now requires the use of three trucks from local farmers to cart the material to the recycling plant in St Arnaud.''

Mr Fearon attributes the success of the program to the upbringing of his generation.

``We 60 plus people do recycling well because when we were young you didn't waste anything. We've been taught to re-use things and not waste,'' he said.

Knowing this and recognising the challenge the town may face in years to come, Mr Fearon attended the local school to conduct a recycling information session. He taught the students about the recycling project and injected enthusiasm about recycling into the younger generation in the hope of ensuring the success of the project for years to come.

``The kids loved learning about recycling and they get involved with it now. You teach the kids and you're laughing,'' he said.

Cr Rice said the success of the project has been amazing and is something that should definitely be considered by other towns.