WenDee Ridley returned to her hometown Lighting Ridge after forty years, and she brought with her a way to recycle in a town where it’s not an option.

After stumbling upon a brickmaker over twenty years ago, Ms Ridley started experimenting with making paper burning bricks: a brick made from condensed paper that can be used as a substitute for wood in a fire. 

When she arrived in Lightning Ridge last year, the lack of recycling seemed like the perfect opportunity to restart her project. 

“I came from a three-bin recycling system in Albury and I thought there’s got to be something I can do,” Ms Ridley said. 

Jumping on the opportunity, several businesses and people around Lightning Ridge have all started donating their paper waste to Ms Ridley, all receiving a bag of paper bricks in return. 

To Ms Ridley, the activity has become a therapy, and one that she doesn’t feel the need to charge for, so she has opted to donate the bricks where she can. 

“I haven’t made (selling bricks) a priority yet. I’m just doing it because it feels right,” she said. 

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The project has put WenDee's shredder through the works. (Supplied)

With no shortage of paper coming her way, Ms Ridley is eager to get local school students involved in the project at some point. 

“I really would like to see kids getting in and doing recycling.”

“I like the idea of instilling the old-fashioned ‘Look what I made, I feel good about it.’”.

The bricks are made by shredding paper and soaking it for five days before squeezing the water out in a brick maker. 

While the toxins of dye mean that white paper is only suitable for use in the fireplace, Ms RIdley said that using them in campfires is a good way to use waste paper that has colour. 

“I’ll get a couple more tubs for over summer and make as many as I can to get them ready for next winter.”

The bricks are said to burn for an hour, and can be alternated with wood: that is wood, then brick, then wood when stoking up a fire.