Recent bin audits show residents are doing a great job of sorting their rubbish, recycling and garden waste into the correct bins, but there is always room for improvement.
That’s the message from Council ahead of ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Recycling Week 2019.
“Soft plastic is the main thing contaminating recycling bins, with people still bagging up recyclables before putting them in the yellow-top bin,” Council’s Waste & Sustainability Education Officer Emma Menzies said.
“If it is plastic and you can scrunch it up then it can’t go in the yellow-top recycling bin, but you can take it to the Redcycle bin at Coles or Woolworths.
“Keep your recycling loose, as plastic bags get stuck in the sorting machines. They can be recycled but not in the yellow-top recycling bin.
“With ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Recycling Week right around the corner, now is a great time to make sure you’re sorting your rubbish correctly.”
For the next six weeks Council will turn its focus to garden waste bins and recycling bins in several areas of the shire.
“We’re hoping to see an improvement on the previous audit’s results which showed a 6.3% rate of recycling bin contamination with either general rubbish or plastic bags.
“We’ll be putting new stickers on bins in the audit area to explain what can go in each bin, and we’ll be dropping copies of our Recycling Guide into letter boxes.
“We will also put tags on bins to let people know if they have contaminated their bins. It’s all part our goal to reduce waste to landfill,” Ms Menzies said.
“Bin tagging trials in South Australia have achieved significant results, including a 66% reduction in contaminated recycle bins and increased recycling rates up to 43%, after six recycling collections.”
Council is also working with several resorts to reduce garden waste going to landfill.
“We offer 1100L garden waste bins for resorts. These are the half the price of regular waste bins, so resorts that pay for additional waste bins purely for garden waste can enjoy a financial saving, as well as peace of mind knowing they’re helping the environment.”
Diverting recyclables and garden waste from landfill helps conserve landfill space and meet Noosa’s waste reduction targets set by the State.
“Organic waste such as garden and lawn clippings release methane as they decompose in landfill, so recycling it helps reduce Council’s emissions,” Ms Menzies said.
