City of Bunbury focusing on waste

City of Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan said council had made the decision to authorise the chief executive to negotiate with Suez up until June 30 and then look at a contract adjustment. 

“Everything was fine until China decided it would no longer accept recycled waste from Australia,” he said. 

“Suez is now finding that the cost of disposing of the recycled waste has now increased significantly. 

“We don't want to be in the position where our recycled waste is no longer collected or recycled.

“So we look like having to pay more and that will directly impact on our rate payers, who will be asked to pay more.”

Mr Brennan said the best way for residents to help was to ensure they were placing waste in the correct bins to avoid contamination and associated charges. 

Waste education project officer Jo Walker said it was important for people to understand what could go in which bins to keep contamination rates low. 

“For the last year we’ve really targeted the FOGO bin and we’ve seen great results, the contamination rate went from 3.15 per cent down to 0.6,” she said. 

“Recylcing contamination is about 12 to 15 per cent so there is room for improvement there.

“Previously people were confused because every council did something slightly different, the messages were really varied whereas now we’re starting to become more consistent.”

City of Bunbury waste services manager Aileen Clemens said her teams main job over the next 12 months would be to get the community tools to make separating waste in the kitchen easier. 

“For however many years we have been putting waste straight into a hole in the ground and of course it has caused environmental effects,” she said.

“Going forward the Waste Authority’s main target is for zero waste, the more that we are conscious of diverting as much to be recycled or composted, less is going to landfill.”

“What we do now is what effects our kids and grandkids in the future."

For more visit bunbury.wa.gov.au.