Inorganic collection is a last resort, says council

June 21, 2006

North Shore City Council is encouraging residents to use its annual inorganic rubbish collection as a last resort only.

The council's waste minimisation team leader, Bradley Nolan, says many residents are not aware that nearly all inorganic rubbish collected ends up going to landfill.

"This is not a sustainable long-term solution, so we all need to look at other ways of reducing or re-using what we throw away," he says.

The inorganic collection starts at the beginning of next month and runs until November.

Residents should put out only items or materials that are not in good condition and cannot be reused or taken to the Hazmobile mobile collection for household hazardous waste.

"Unwanted possessions can be given to charities or second hand dealers. The less that goes to landfill, the better for the environment," says Mr Nolan.

The collection requires that residents act responsibly, to keep the collection hassle-free and on time, he says.

"Each residential property should put out no more than one cubic metre of inorganic material, excluding kitchen and garden organics, demolition material, hazardous waste, tyres or rubbish bags."

Heavy items must be able to be moved by two people.

Notices will be sent to all households a week before the collection starts. Residents are asked to wait until collection time to put their rubbish on the berm. The council's contractors will aim to remove all materials within a week of the start date for each area.

Currently, all the materials collected, with the exception of steel, are sent to landfill.

Residents who miss the inorganic collection - or have more material than is allowed - are advised to visit their local transfer station.

Bradley Nolan reminds residents that dumping rubbish is illegal, and can lead to fines.

ENDS

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