Increases for some waste at ARCC transfer stations

Charges for green and electronic waste will increase by after the adoption of the 2019/2020 Ararat Rural City Council budget.

Council CEO Dr Tim Harrison said the small price increases in the two waste categories were to help cover some of the cost of disposing of these items.

Dr Harrison said the Council’s transfer station charges do not fully cover the cost of waste items being disposed of with Council subsidising these costs, which can be significant.

“We understand the community might be concerned about these price rises but we do need to try to minimise the cost to the organisation,” he said.

“There is an enormous amount of pressure on the waste system at the moment, and it’s really important for Council to balance the need for reasonably priced waste disposal with an economically responsible approach.”

The increase in charges are:

Small e-waste items (televisions, microwaves, computers) – $10 each, which is no increase from last year however, transfer stations will now also accept a bag of small, loose items (toys, electrical cords) for $10; Large e-waste items – a rise from $20 each last year to $25 each (minimum charge); Green waste, minimum load or car boot – from $8 last year to $10; Green waste, single axle trailer or ute – from $12 last year to $15; Green waste, tandem axle trailer – from $15 last year to $18; Green waste, truck load per m3 (maximum load 3m3) – from $15 per m3 to $20 per m3.

Dr Harrison said the state government had introduced a ban on e-waste going into landfill, which came into effect on July 1, with residents able to dispose of these items at either the Ararat or Lake Bolac transfer stations.

He said e-waste bags would be available at transfer stations for a number of small loose items such as toys or electrical cords that could be disposed of for $10.

Other smaller items such as televisions, DVD players, computers and printers will cost $10 each, with large items such as photocopiers priced at $25 each. There are a range of other options for the disposal of e-waste, which are often free of charge – please see next page for a list.

Dr Harrison said that while refrigerators, air conditioners and freezers are also considered e-waste, these will remain free to dispose of at all transfer stations as part of the scrap metal collection.

As an aside, Dr Harrison pointed out that Ararat Rural City Council was not affected by the current issues in the recycling system, as it did not use the company involved to process its recycling.

Options for the disposal of e-waste:

IT equipment – printers, computers, laptops can be taken to OfficeWorks for free. Household batteries – Aldi has a free recycling disposal bin. Mobile phones – check the Mobile Muster website for more information www.mobilemuster.com.au or drop in the Zoos Victoria box located at the Ararat Regional Library. Televisions – Harvey Norman accept TVs for recycling.