NSW
Locals in Coleambally, Darlington Point and Jerilderie will soon be seeing a bright new garbage truck in their neighbourhood.
Murrumbidgee Council Mayor, Ruth McRae said the truck was an important part of the new way the Council manages waste, with collection services moving in-house for organics, recycling and garbage.
Mayor McRae said the new state-of-the-art vehicle can collect four bins per minute, which is a 30% improvement on the old truck.
“This allows the one truck to service our vast Council area and eliminates the need to outsource collection, all of which is making the service as streamlined and cost-effective as possible,” she said.
The truck is fitted with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and several cameras which allow the driver to see obstructions as well as the type of waste being placed in the hopper.
“The new truck also provides an excellent way to spread the word about the need to put the correct items in each bin and builds on the extensive engagement already undertaken,
said Mayor McRae.
“What better way to share the message than to use the garbage truck itself? The artwork is quite striking and really does emphasise the need to sort right every time.
“So far, everyone has been making a remarkable effort to sort their waste correctly, both with recycling and organics. The initial data has been very encouraging.
“The main offender is soft plastic, which should only go in the red-lid garbage bin.
“Contaminated waste in both the green-lid organics and the yellow-lid recycling bins means extra expense for Council. Unfortunately, this is passed on to the community.
“We’re very fortunate our community is so engaged in positive outcomes for the area and are confident everyone will heed the message and make small behavioural changes that will collectively have a large impact,” she said.