Councils call on residents: “Let’s get it right!”

The “Let’s get it Right” campaign is being launched in line with Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week, which aims to encourage people to take responsibility for their recycling to minimise waste and manage material resources correctly.

National Recycling Week runs from Monday, November 7, until Sunday, November 13. The theme this year is “Waste isn’t Waste until it’s Wasted”.

Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac regional councils have joined together to create a united voice on recycling right.

Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson said good recycling started at home, and all residents were encouraged to “get it right” when they were throwing rubbish into their yellow-lidded recycling bin.

“By ensuring only items that can be processed at our Materials Recovery Facility are placed in the recycling bin, you are helping to reduce contamination at our plant and therefore reduce the amount of waste going to landfill,” Mayor Williamson said.

“Once the contents of your recycling bin end up at our MRF, items are initially sorted by machinery but are then sorted manually by staff and contaminants have to be physically removed from the process and disposed of correctly,” he said.

“This causes time delays, increases operating costs and can also contaminate other recyclable items, undoing all the good practices we know that most of our residents follow.”

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall said it is important that we all work together to ensure our residents are recycling at every opportunity, and that we are doing it correctly.

“Waste is an important issue globally, but change must start at home. By making a simple change, such as recycling drink bottles or composting leftovers, you can make a huge impact on the amount of waste that ends up in landfill,” Mayor Hall said.

“Whitsunday Regional Council is excited to be part of the WIM Alliance partnership to tackle our waste as a unified region,” she said.

Isaac Regional Council Mayor Anne Baker said good recycling habits had a flow on effect for our environment.

“If we can get it right, we are not just saving ratepayers’ money in waste disposal but ensuring less waste is going to landfill, which is great for our environment,” Mayor Baker said.

“We are encouraging residents to start having conversations with their friends and family about what they can do to waste less and get it right when they put their recycling bin on the kerbside for collection”.

Residents are reminded that only household packaging, including paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and containers, milk and juice cartons, glass bottles and jars, aluminium cans and foil, steel cans and aerosols and plastics numbered 1 – 6, can be placed in yellow-lidded bins.

To see for yourself how our Materials Recovery Facility works, book a tour any day during National Recycling Week (November 7-11) from 12.30pm – 1.30pm online at www.mackay.qld.gov.au/mrf

For tips on where you can dispose of your waste or recycle goods, visit our A-Z of Waste Disposal. Find out more about Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week here.

Remember – Recycling, it’s not rubbish!