By Michael Roberts | posted on March 14, 2020
OVER the next two months select Plantagenet households will have their recycling habits rated in a State Government-funded initiative aimed at improving waste management.
Bin tagging programs have been rolled out across WA over the past year in a bid to reduce contaminated recycling material.
It involves a simple visual assessment of a household’s general waste and recycling bin, where a feedback tag is then attached to a bin handle offering individual tips on how to recycle more and waste less.
“Unlike more traditional education programs, this program recognises positive recycling habits and provides increased community engagement and awareness,” Shire of Plantagenet Environmental Coordinator Alex Tucker said.
“When recycling is used correctly it has the potential to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.
“This helps reduce the amount of money the council spends on waste management. “
Bin tagging was recently trialled at 50 Plantagenet households during round one of the program, and that number will now expand in round two.
“Round one encouraged positive engagement with residents and we found that many residents came out of their houses wanting to talk to the bin auditors and ask specific questions about recycling,” Ms Tucker said.
Despite concerted efforts to educate people on what can and can’t be recycled, Ms Tucker said there were some common mistakes households still made.
“Whilst it is true that soft plastics can be recycled into other usable products, the particular sorting system used by our waste contractor, Cleanaway, is not set up to deal with them,” she said.
“In simple terms, the yellow top recycle bin is for recycling empty and clean rigid plastic bottles and containers, paper and cardboard, steel food cans, alfoil and glass bottles and jars.”
And the yellow tip bin isn’t your only option for recycling common household items, according to Ms Tucker.
She said household batteries and mobile phones could be dropped of at the Shire’s administration office, while white goods and electronics could be taken to the O’Neill Road landfill.
