New three-bin waste service coming to Ballina Shire urban areas in July

All Ballina Shire urban residents will have a new garden and organics bin delivered in June as part of a new forward-thinking and sustainable waste service to commence on 4 July 2011.

This new service will include a weekly collection of garden and organic material, a fortnightly recycling service as per the current service, with any remaining waste to go in the old garbage bin, which will also be collected fortnightly.

Each week you will put out two bins with all residents to put the recycling bin out in the same week and the waste bin to be put out by all residents on the alternate week.

When the new bins are delivered you will get a comprehensive booklet which will assist you in managing your waste.

The new weekly garden/organics bin will collect all materials that can be composted from the kitchen, including fruit and vegetable scraps, meat, fish and bones, teabags, eggshells, dairy products, food leftovers, paper towels and tissues.

All garden trimmings, weeds and lawn clippings can also be placed in the garden/organics bin.

However, residents are advised that no plastic bags are allowed in the garden/organics bin.

Materials can be wrapped up in newspaper or placed directly in the bin.

To accommodate residents that require assistance with managing their kitchen scraps, a limited number of kitchen tidies and rolls of 75 compostable bags will be available from Council’s Waste Management Centre from mid June.

Only one kitchen bin and/or roll of bags will be available per household and proof of residence must be presented.

The council says its new waste service is a great move for the shire both economically and environmentally.

Council’s Manager of Water, Sewer and Waste, Rod Dawson, said: “The new collection service has the potential to divert half of the waste currently collected in the household waste bin which is going to Ballina’s landfill.

“This will help to preserve the landfill which is running out of room and reduce the tax council has to pay on waste that is landfilled.

“Removing garden and organics waste from landfill helps prevent methane and leachate production whilst ensuring valuable
resources are not wasted.”

Rural and non-residential waste services will not change. To find out if you will be receiving the new service you can view the urban collection area map on Council’s website.

Residents can also have a smaller 140L bin delivered instead of a 240L bin by completing an application form which is
available from Council’s Customer Service Centre phone 66864444 or website www.ballina.nsw.gov.au (home>waste management>urban 3-bin waste service).

Related Articles: