LIKE that elusive pair of car keys, items which normally reside in the garden shed, garage or home are turning up in Lockyer Valley recycling bins.
A Lockyer Valley Council spokesperson said most residents had heeded the call on what to recycle, however, a cheeky few were a bit relaxed about what they threw away.
Waste recycling provider Anuha Services has called on residents to think before they recycled following the official introduction of the new waste recycling system last week.
More than 25 tonnes of waste was collected within the first five days of the new system being collected, starting July 1.
Anuha Services general manager Robert Evelyn said while the majority of residents had used the system correctly, some were still unsure about what to recycle.
Mr Evelyn said recycling correctly was paramount with some items finding their way into the bin not only contaminating but causing grief for Anuha's staff.
'There was a bit of confusion at the start,' Mr Evelyn said.
'The main issue is batteries and they're not recyclable at all and they actually cause damage to our equipment particularly AA batteries, they're just the right size to jam it (Material Recovery Facility),' Mr Evelyn said.
'It hasn't been too bad; we expected contamination to go up.
'It'll be interesting to see how this week goes with collecting being primarily in the Laidley Shire area.
'Particularly because we have never collected there before and it'll be interesting to see what sort of tonnage and clean it is.'
Mr Evelyn said some of the items finding their way to the sorting table included old electrical tools, oil filters and building materials.
'I think it's the fact that people were unsure more than anything and people need to remember it's for domestic recycling only and what you generate in your kitchen and bathroom not what you get out of the garage,' he said.
Mr Evelyn also stressed for residents to empty bottles and containers of all liquid before placing them in the recycling bin.
A Lockyer Valley Regional Council spokesperson said some residents were not using the recycling system correctly.
'While the majority of residents have done the right thing, council has identified certain objects which have been disposed of incorrectly,' they said.
'This not only contaminates the recycling items in the recycling bin but once it has been placed in the trucks it contaminates all of the items in the vehicle.'
If you have lost your magnetic handbook or calendar or you didn't receive either of these items, phone the council on 1300 005 872.
CONFUSION
Incorrectly recycled items collected so far included:
Tools, electrical items, wire, oil filters, timber and plastic toys, steel mesh, stainless steel flasks, pots and pans, bed light, kitchen knifes, power cords, bolts and torch batteries.
What can be recycled:
Glass bottles and jars (no lids), newspaper, paper, magazines and brochures, milk and juice cartons, cardboard boxes and cartons, steel and aluminium cans and empty aerosols, rigid plastic containers and bottles.
No comments:
Post a Comment