Stay on Santa’s nice list and recycle right

Residents are encouraged to think about how they dispose of their waste over the festive season and ensure the right things go in the right bin.

Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson said often residents tried to put too much into their bins, making them difficult to empty.

“With all that extra cardboard and boxes from gifts, it is common that larger pieces can get jammed in the bins, blocking the items underneath.

“This stops the bins from being emptied fully by the trucks,” Mayor Williamson said.

“The best way to overcome this is to ensure all recycling is loose. Any larger items that don’t fit easily into the bin can be broken down into small pieces so that the bin doesn’t become compacted.

“If you have too much cardboard for your bin, you can drop it off for free at the Incredable Drop Off at Paget or at any of council’s Transfer Stations,” he said.

Mayor Williamson said residents should also not be tempted to throw general waste in their recycling bin when it becomes full.

“Any contamination in your yellow-lidded bin can spoil a whole load at the Materials Recovery Facility.

“Food items, dirty nappies, green waste and polystyrene and foam all reduce the quality of our recyclables and so belong in your general waste bin.

“And remember, keep the soft plastics out of your recycling bin,” Mayor Williamson said.

“They get stuck in the machinery at our recycling facility causing breakdowns and delays.”

Residents should only recycle paper and cardboard, glass bottles and jars, aluminium cans, steel cans and aerosols and plastic bottles and containers numbered one to six.

Check out council’s Facebook page for daily tips on how to recycle right over Christmas, or visit our recycle right page.

Waste facilities Christmas closures

Household waste collection services will continue as usual over the Christmas break, including Christmas Day and all public holidays.

Council’s Paget Waste Management Centre is open every day over the holidays from 6.15am to 5.45pm, including Christmas Day and all public holidays.

Council’s green waste facilities, except Paget, will be closed on Christmas Day and the Incredable Tip Shop will be closed from 4pm Sunday, December 20, and reopens 9am Thursday, January 7.