Reckless recycling a cause for concern

In recent months there has been a rise in contamination rates in yellow-lidded bins, with a marked increase in the amount of building waste, presumably from residential renovation projects.

Contamination rates have steadily increased over the past six months at the MRF and are creating a real problem for both staff and the community.

Mayor Greg Williamson said anything that enters the facility that cannot be recycled poses a safety risk to our staff and can also damage equipment.

“Your kerbside recycling bin is not an extra bin for rubbish that won’t fit into your general waste bin. It’s important that general waste is disposed of correctly, so as not to damage our machinery or injure staff,” Mayor Williamson said.

“While some items from home renovations may be recyclable or reusable – such as tiles, hoses, bricks and timber – these items cannot be recycled at the MRF.

“Our MRF facility only recycles household packaging such as hard plastics and glass bottles, milk and juice cartons, paper and cardboard, aluminium cans and foil, steel cans and aerosols.

“All other items must be manually separated by staff and are sent to landfill, which is costly for ratepayers,” he said.

Mayor Williamson said staff had also identified that almost a third of waste in red/green lidded general waste bins were items that could have been diverted to the Incredable Drop Off at the Paget Waste Management Centre for repurposing and recovery.

“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,” he said.

To increase recycling awareness, council has developed an easy to follow “What goes where” poster. Schools and body corporates are welcome to order these FREE of charge to place on their premises to help improve correct recycling rates. Head to Recycle Right to order yours.