Tiny polystyrene beads washed up in Freshwater

Tiny polystyrene beads have been washing up on Freshwater Beach following Council bulky goods collections and we’re urging the community to make sure they dispose of waste correctly to avoid this happening again.

This recent incident, currently being investigated by Council’s Environmental Health and Regulatory teams can happen anywhere and the cost isn’t just restricted to waste removal and sweeping streets and gutters. The tiny beads can enter our stormwater drains and make their way to our pristine waterways and beaches, wreaking havoc on our wildlife for years to come.

Although Council cleans up as much as possible, the beads are small and light, they move quickly and it is impossible to remove them all.

So what should you do with them?

Any polystyrene beads should be placed in a strong sealed plastic bag with the air expelled, then placed in your red-lidded garbage bin. They are prohibited from being placed out on the roadside bulky goods collections.

If you would like to recycle your polystyrene, check EPS Recyclers for drop off points and fees.

Get rid of your bulky goods right: Check out what you can and can’t throw out in a bulky good collections. Our A-Z Guide to Recycling, Reuse and Disposal is a great place to start if you’re unsure about an item.Drop off your unwanted items at Kimbriki. Many items from the mixed waste drop off zone are diverted from landfill and sold at the Buy Back Centre. In fact, Kimbriki diverts 82% of the waste they receive away from landfill. Check out their website for fees.Fix it! Instead of just replacing your broken appliances or furniture, come along to our Furniture or Small Electricals Repair Café to see if we can help repair it.Come bag a bargain at one of our Avalon Car Boot Sales. You can sell your preloved goods like clothes, toys and household items from the boot of your car for only $40. There’s live music, fresh coffee and a sausage sizzle so it makes for a great family day out!Add to your piggy bank and hold your own Second Hand Saturday! We will advertise your garage sale on the Council website free of charge if you’re a residential household with a bulky goods clean up collection.Add even more pennies to your piggy bank by selling or giving away your unwanted items on sites such as Gumtree, Ebay and Facebook. We have a Buy Sell Online workshop to teach you how.

Remember, you can report illegal dumping to Council through our online Customer Service portal.