Orange’s new green waste bins are being collected for the first time and there are positive signs the local community is quickly learning how to use them.
The 15,000 new ‘Kitchen & Garden Organics’ bins were collected for the first time in July.
For the first few weeks, extra staff from JR Richards are walking alongside the new collection trucks, looking inside each of the new bins and leaving feedback notes for residents.
Orange City Council’s Director of Enterprise Services Stephen Sykes said he was pleased at signs that residents are learning how to use the new system.
“When the aim is to turn kitchen and garden organic waste into compost, one of the crucial factors is that residents have to learn what they can and can’t put in the new bins. It’s good that we’re hearing that there’s a really low level of contamination.
“A lot of effort has been put into the public awareness campaign and it’s great to see that Orange residents have heard the lessons about ‘No Plastic Bags’ and ‘No Nappies’.
“Overall, volumes of garden organics are down which is to be expected during the winter season.
“It’s going to take time for us all to get used to a new system. Twenty years ago, there was resistance to the idea of separating out paper and glass for recycling but now it’s seen as common sense that we all do that.
“There are good signs that this new system is off to a good start.”
