Yellow-lidded recycling bins will be making their debut in Wollongong’s Stanwell Park and Thirroul foreshore areas this weekend as part of a new trial program.
Wollongong City Council says the introduction of recycling bins to these popular spaces is part of a broader strategy to improve the municipality’s foreshore areas and get a better understanding of community behaviour and usage of the bins.
Council will be using the information from these sites to place recycling bins at another 13 parks and foreshore areas over coming weeks.
“We know that our community values their environment and they have told us that they want to be able to dispose of their waste responsibly when out in public spaces like they can at home,’’ Wollongong City Lord Mayor. Gordon Bradbery AM said.
“Recycling programs in public spaces along our foreshore, parks and on-the-go settings face unique challenges as they rely on people doing the right thing to avoid contamination when they’re out of their usual household setting,” he said.
“To make this work, we need everyone to do the right thing when using the new recycling bins in Stanwell Park and Thirroul. That means only placing material that is recyclable in the recycling bin.
“We’ll be monitoring these bins to get a better idea of how our community responds at two of our seventeen beaches across the region. This is especially important as these public spaces are known to be busy summer destinations for our residents as well as those travelling from outside the area.”
He said recycling is just one part of the picture when it comes to protecting the environment.
“We’re asking community members visiting these beaches to remember the four Rs on waste minimisation: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
“The best ways to reduce rubbish in our environment is to rethink before you buy. In practical terms that means being more mindful about our purchases and reusing what we own.
“Over the summer, we often see people leave behind perfectly good beach chairs, towels, umbrellas and even more expensive items such as surfboards and tents. That’s such a waste and these items have no place in our public bins or being dumped on our beaches and parks.
“Please bin your waste responsibly, and that means using the right bin if you visit Stanwell Park or Thirroul foreshore. If your rubbish doesn’t fit in a bin, take it home with you and leave our public spaces neat and tidy for the next person to enjoy,” Mayor Bradbery said.
