The Town of Dalby Council in south west Queensland is using decorated garbage trucks to increase public participation in recycling. This follows Council’s recent win of a Beverage Industry/Environment Council award for resource conservation and waste management.
The award recognised the efforts of Council’s Environmental Health Officer, Todd Summerville, who returned to his home town of Dalby five years ago with a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in environmental health. He said the future of waste management in regional areas presents many opportunities and challenges for Councils.
Dalby was one of the first Queensland Councils to introduce a split bin for garbage and recycling collection in 1992.
“Council strategies such as split bin recycling have been cost effective and popular among residents,” Todd Summerville said. “There are three recycling sectors the Council manages – rubbish, green waste and water – with the remainder being buried in the tip.”
Plastic bottles, aluminium and steel cans, glass, and liquid paperboard are collected in split bins. He said water recycling would be a particular challenge in the future.
“Waste water is currently being used on the golf course, racetrack, some sporting fields and in a subterranean system at Dalby’s South School. Every bit of Council’s green waste is being recycled and reused in parks and gardens. The future of green waste is being looked at on a wider scale to incorporate domestic green waste.”
He said residents had been very supportive of Dalby’s recycling strategy but Council was hoping to increase participation rates through public awareness.
