RESIDENTS ENCOURAGED TO CHECK WHAT THEY BIN
Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) has received the results of its 2023 Domestic Kerbside Waste Audit, with the report highlighting a high degree of contamination and diversion potential across two of the three waste streams.
A third-party consultant undertook the audit at the end of 2023 in accordance with the NSW Government Household Kerbside Audit Guidelines (2010). The audits allow Council to understand the waste quantity and composition generated by households within the Local Government Area. The data obtained identifies what is working well and highlights potential improvement opportunities that would result in social, environmental, and financial benefits.
Manager Resource Recovery and Efficiency, Jamie Lobb, said selecting the correct bin for the type of waste product is key to reducing contamination and increasing resource recovery rates.
“Utilising bins correctly will decrease contamination and reduce the amount of time currently spent by Council staff and contractors removing the waste from the accepted products. This is a time-consuming, expensive process and reduces the quality of back-end products,” Mr Lobb said.
Varying contamination levels and diversion opportunities were reported across the three services.
The general waste service (red bin) audit identified that 59 per cent of bin contents can be diverted to FOGO (38 per cent), recyclables and container deposit schemes, such as Return and Earn (21 per cent).
The comingled recycling service (yellow bin) audit identified that 20 per cent of contents was contamination, with the main contributor being recycled materials placed in non-recyclable bags.
Meanwhile, the FOGO service (green bin) audit noted less than 1.5 per cent of the contents was contamination. With only 8 per cent of food organics observed, it highlights the potential of using the green bin to house the organic material currently being placed in the red bin.
“To increase efficiency, we do check bins for contamination at point-of-collection using cameras on the collection trucks. Residents are notified of contamination via stickers placed on the impacted bin and letters placed in letterboxes. The purpose of the notifications is to provide information and education around correct material disposal,” Mr Lobb said.
Residents seeking more information about Council’s domestic waste services can visit https://www.dubbo.nsw.gov.au/Households---Residents/Rubbish--Recycling-and-Sustainability/domestic-waste-management .
Last Edited: 25 Jun 2024