The Shire of Collie in Western Australia introduced a three-bin waste management system in April, with very successful results.
Since the introduction of the third organics bin, over 50 per cent of kerbside household waste collected from residents in the Shire of Collie is now being diverted from Landfill, exceeding the Waste Authority’s 2020 target set for regional centres.
Collie residents are achieving some of the state’s highest diversion rates with some of the lowest contamination rates.
At the last audit, the organics bin contamination rate was just 2.4 per cent and recycling was sitting at 9.4 per cent.
Collie’s organics collection has contributed to the production of over 3500 tonnes of quality compost, which is distributed to agriculture and landscaping industries throughout the region.
Shire President Wayne Sanford said, “The Collie community’s dedication and commitment to the environment is to be commended.
“The roll out of Collie’s three bin system has been smooth and is clearly achieving positive results.”
This is due to the resident’s greater understanding of the impact of waste and a willingness to share recycling and recovery messages amongst the community.
Increasing the community’s understanding of waste recovery involved extensive community education, which was undertaken when the three-bin system was introduced, and continues to be reinforced at regular intervals.
The reinforcement of waste recovery is undertaken in a number of ways, including in Council’s newsletter, via social media and at events.
Waste education was also taken into the local primary schools to provide children with the information to make a difference in the community and their homes.
All primary schools taking part in waste education have received a load of mulch for their school gardens, with the mulch being sourced from the organic material collected in the Shire.
This provides a positive reinforcement of the recycling and waste management message to all students.
The three-bin system is being introduced to the business community, which should provide further improvement in the diversion of waste from landfill.
Waste Education is provided by the Shire of Collie in conjunction with the Waste Education Officers of the Wellington Waste Group.
