Better household recycling and reduced costs to landfill will be made possible with the provision of $7.5m in funding announced in Western Australia in January.
The $7.5m Better Bins program, announced by the WA Environment Minister, Albert Jacob, provides funding for initiatives such as the provision of three bins systems for household recycling and community education and promotion.
The WA Local Government Association (WALGA) welcomed the announcement, saying better kerbside collection services would help reduce landfill costs for local councils.
WALGA President Mayor Troy Pickard said the program was a proactive step towards helping local governments and the community participate in better environmental practices.
“Since 2001, the amount of household waste going to landfill has reduced by about 10 percent, this is in spite of the population increasing by about 30 percent.
“For households in the metropolitan area, we’re tracking towards a 39 percent diversion of waste from landfill but with a target of 50 percent by 2015, there’s still a long way to go and this program will help to achieve that target.”
Councillor Pickard highlighted a number of councils already using the three bin system which are experiencing good recovery rates and high levels of community support, but noted the funding would also be available for other initiatives to achieve greater waste diversion from households.
“There is flexibility for councils to take different approaches that will meet their specific needs, like additional spending on community engagement and education to inform the community how to use the new bins.
“Local government is committed to contributing to the State Waste Strategy Targets and WALGA has been running the ‘That’s Rubbish’ awareness campaign over the Christmas period to encourage householders to adopt appropriate recycling methods.
“This Better Bins Program will help councils in their efforts to achieve greater recycling at a community household level.”
The Better Bins Program and the ‘That’s Rubbish’ campaign are funded by the Waste Authority through the Waste Avoidance and Resource Levy.
