Encouraging residents Recycle Right

Published on 14 November 2017

Maribyrnong City Council is embarking on a campaign to change resident behaviour regarding recycling and contamination in kerbside waste. The Recycle Right campaign will run from November to March 2018.

During stage one of the campaign 10,000 household recycling and waste bins randomly selected across the municipality will be inspected. The bin audits, to commence in November, will provide valuable insight into household habits and identify common waste mistakes being made.

Maribyrnong currently has a lower than average recycling rate (34% when compared to the state wide average of 46%). The issue of placing non-recyclable items in a recycling bin means large loads of recycling waste is then tainted. While placing recyclable items in a normal waste bin will add to landfill.

During the bin inspections, residents who are found to be ‘recycling right’ will be rewarded with an opportunity to win 1 of 15 Yarraville Experience vouchers. Households who are part of the bin audits will find a tag on their bin with advice on items that may have been incorrectly disposed of.

The second stage of the campaign will specifically address households where contamination is a real issue and they show poor waste sorting practices. These residents will be offered further information and resources to educate them on correct recycling tools and practices.

Although there is a lot of community interest in recycling and reducing waste, conflicting information is often circulated regarding what items can be recycled in kerbside waste collection. In addition to tags being placed on the bins to inform residents of what can and cannot be placed in them, a comprehensive dos and don’ts list has been placed on the Council website.

All residents across the municipality will also be encouraged to take the Recycle Right pledge: www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Residents/Waste-Services/Take-the-Pledge

Follow up bin inspections and an evaluation of household waste practices will round out the final stage of the Recycle Right campaign.

A word from the Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam:

‘Maribyrnong City Council is committed to reducing recycling contamination by 50% and increasing waste diversion to 46%. Through the Recycle Right campaign we hope to reinforce positive recycling behaviour and reward those doing the right thing.

During this campaign we will be identifying common recycling mistakes being made across the municipality and use this information to better educate our residents. This is not about punishing households, it is about evaluating waste practices.’

Maribyrnong News

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