Saturday, July 27, 2024

Byron lifts lid on recycling behaviour

Byron Shire Council will be lifting the lids of 210 yellow and green bins a week from Friday, as part of a new campaign to help people improve their recycling behaviour and reduce waste going to landfill.

Council says bin auditing programs have been previously run in the Shire and the Lift the Lid campaign would also be rolled out in neighbouring councils this year.

“We’re checking your bins for incorrect items and we will let you know how you’re doing via a tag left on your bin,” said Council’s Education Projects Officer, Sarah Child.

“Education is a huge part of this campaign so once we’ve checked your bin we will leave you tips and resources to help you get it right.

“We know that recycling can be confusing with all the different packaging and new products on the market all the time. Many forms of packaging claim to be recyclable, but they can’t be recycled in our system.

“Placing items in the wrong bin can impact the quality of recyclable materials, interfere with machinery or sometimes result in more waste to landfill. That’s a bad outcome and one that can be prevented by learning to recycle right.”

Council has produced a range of resources to help people recycle correctly, including its online A-Z guide: A to Z Waste and recycling list – Byron Shire Council (nsw.gov.au)

“We’ve had a range of posters and brochures over the years but with so much packaging changing all the time, the online A-Z recycling guide is the best way for people to sort their rubbish correctly.”

“You can also contact us on 1300 652 625 with specific questions or if you find something new that is not covered,” Ms Child said.

If a home’s bin has been inspected as part of the Lift the Lid campaign, the owner will receive one of three tags:

  • Thank you – Well done, you’ve sorted your bin items correctly.
  • Uh oh – There are some items in the wrong bin.  We’ll let you know and provide you with educational material
  • To the resident – We have found major contamination. We won’t collect this bin.  You’ll be asked to re-sort it before it can be collected.

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