Major push to improve kerbside recycling rates

Published on 14 October 2015

Mildura Rural City Council is urging residents to recycle right in a major new push to improve kerbside recycling rates across the region.

Currently up to 13% of all items that get put in kerbside recycling bins are not recyclable. This equates to about 50 tonnes of waste per year, which ultimately ends up in landfill.

Working in partnership with Cleanaway, the company that collects kerbside recycling in the Mildura Rural City area, Council is introducing a range of initiatives to encourage people to recycle right.

Environmental Sustainability Portfolio Councillor Judi Harris said re-educating the community and dispelling some common kerbside recycling myths was crucial.

“We know most people want to recycle correctly and do the right thing, but they may not be aware that items they’re putting in their recycling bin each week, can’t in fact be recycled through the kerbside service,” Cr Harris said.

Some of the most common non-recyclable items that people place in their recycle bins include polystyrene foam, plastic bags, nappies and garden waste.

“Putting these items in with your recycling can potentially contaminate an entire truck load of recyclables, undoing all the hard work and effort people make to do the right thing.”

Council will run a major education and awareness program over the coming months to remind residents how to use their kerbside recycling bins correctly. Residents who repeatedly put non-recyclable items in their recycling bin will also receive written notification and advice on how to recycle right.

“There are about 24,500 residents from Murrayville to Merbein, who currently have access to a kerbside recycling service and the majority of them are doing the right thing. Council and Cleanaway will work together to manage those residents who simply do not make an effort to recycle correctly and continually put non-recyclable items in their kerbside recycling bin.”

From November 1, Cleanaway contractors will begin implementing a system to monitor bin contents, which they currently run in other Councils where they operate.  

Cleanaway Project Communications and Education Manager Nina McHardy said all recycling trucks were fitted with cameras that allowed the operator to watch as they emptied bins.

“If one of our operators spots non-recyclable items when emptying recycling bins we will write to the resident to explain to them what can and cannot go in their bin.”

Miss McHardy said Cleanaway ran a similar program in other regions and it had proven very successful.

“In Albury we have been using this process for two and a half years and have seen recycling rates improve dramatically. We are confident that it will be the same in the Mildura region.”

Items that can go in your kerbside recycling bin include:

Items that cannot go in your kerbside recycling bin include:

For more information about kerbside recycling go to www.mildura.vic.gov.au/recycle

ENDS

Media enquiries 
Angela Umback
p) (03) 5018 8689
e) angela.umback@mildura.vic.gov.au