It is time for the Mount Gambier community to refocus on waste management and continue to play their role in a sustainable future.<\/p>\n
And if there is one area where we can improve it is disposing of food waste.<\/p>\n
City of Mount Gambier environmental sustainability officer Aaron Izzard said 35 per cent of landfill was food waste and that stat could easily be improved.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are still hundreds of tonnes going into landfill instead of potting mix,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
There is a one off charge of $85 for a green bin but ensuring food and garden waste, which still makes up 10 percent of landfill, are repurposed and not sent to landfill is critical.<\/p>\n
Council still provides kitchen caddies and compostable bags if you are yet to join the green waste revolution.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasically anything that was alive can go in your green bin,\u201d Mr Izzard said. \u201cIt also includes coffee grinds, tea bags, bones, hair, egg shells.\u201d<\/p>\n
It pays to note that the smell we associate with landfill is exclusively due to food waste.<\/p>\n
While removing food waste from landfill is the number one ticket item, not putting plastic bags in recycling is another key issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t put your recyclables in a plastic bag and don\u2019t put them loose in recycling \u2013 our recycling systems are not designed to deal with that,\u201d Mr Izzard said.<\/p>\n
He also recommends putting all your plastic bags tied up inside one bag as a means to limit their environmental impact with loose bags susceptible to windy conditions that sees them often blow away when dumped in landfill.<\/p>\n
Mr Izzard also reminded passionate recyclers to rinse containers before placing them in the blue bin.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t have to be sparkling clean but give them a rinse first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recycling in Mount Gambier also doesn\u2019t include lids so these need to be removed before placing jars and bottles into the recycling bin.<\/p>\n
The good news with the plastic lids is Tenison Woods College Recology Project takes those and creates a variety of objects including coffee cup holders and furniture.<\/p>\n
There are bins in the Civic centre to drop off your plastic lids and if you want to be super helpful for the Tenison Woods College program there is an online City of Mount Gambier video to show you how to sort them.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately everywhere is different for recycling so check out our website and socials to get all the information you need about not just recycling but all waste management,\u201d Mr Izzard said.<\/p>\n
Downloading My Local Services app is also a great tool for all council services.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt provides bin pick up notifications, lets you know if a truck has broken down as well as a lot of other useful information including community events and facilities,\u201d Mr Izzard said.<\/p>\n
The awareness raising of sustainable waste management in our schools is also helping filter that education into households.<\/p>\n
\u201cSchools that have someone who is passionate about recycling have a really strong focus on teaching kids about what they can do,\u201d Mr Izzard said and he also spends a lot of time in schools presenting to staff and students.<\/p>\n
\u201cI talk to them about the waste transfer station, reuse market and landfill,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Reuse Market is open twice a month and is always on the look out for donations.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo if you are cleaning up at home, we can take anything in good, working condition and you can drop at transfer station for free,\u201d Mr Izzard said.<\/p>\n
The Waste Transfer Station is located at 5 Eucalypt Drive, Mount Gambier and is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 12noon and weekends from 2-5pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It is time for the Mount Gambier community to refocus on waste management and continue to play their role in a sustainable future. And if there is one area where we can improve it is disposing of food waste. City of Mount Gambier environmental sustainability officer Aaron Izzard said 35 per cent of landfill was […]<\/p>\n