WASTE COLLECTION | RESPONSE TO THE COMMUNITY – 9 JULY 2021

History & Current Collection

The current kerbside waste collection services introduced in October 2019 were brought about by the need for councils to minimise the amount of waste going directly to landfill.  There is a significant amount of material that is discarded in the waste bin that ends up in landfill and does not need to be there.  What the Council is trying to communicate and foster, is the need for all residents to consider the broader waste management issues from product purchase (packaging) right though to disposal.  A significant amount of waste that is currently placed in the waste bin is organic material or recyclable material.  The FOGO collection targets the organic component, the recycling collection targets the recyclable materials and soft plastics are currently able to be disposed of at Woolworths and Coles.

The standard service to residential urban household is a 120 litre waste bin, 240 litre recyclables bin and 240 litre FOGO bin.  The Council acknowledges that the level of use of the bins will vary from household to household, as does the amount and variety of waste and recyclables produced by each household.  However, it should also be recognised that whatever generic waste management collection service the Council offers, it will never suit every household situation.  There will be cases, as there are now, where residents may have to manage excess waste outside the provided collection service or manage material that is unsuitable for disposal through the collection service by other means.

As a result of the changes to Central Coast collection services in 2019, the community has reduced the waste to landfill by almost 50%, in the order of 1,500 tonnes per year. 

Current Issue – Overfilling

In recent months, Veolia has become increasingly concerned with so many overfull waste bins.  They advised that the level of overfilling has become a safety issue with potential for loads dropping over the truck and into the travel path of passing vehicles.  A particularly bad example of this happened in Victoria, where a baby seat hit a cyclist. Veolia advised us late last week that they would no longer be collecting the overfull bins due to the risk and that they would be attaching the relevant notice to bins to advise of the reasons.

The general waste collection service provided to residents is for a 120 litre bin and the general rule is that the lid is able to be closed. Whilst preferable to be closed, a bin with its lid on a slight angle would still be collected. The bins that are likely to have warnings applied are loaded well beyond their capacity where there is potential for the waste to fall off the top. The warning stickers that Veolia use are a standard format and act as both a deterrent and a reminder of the collection requirements. Similar audits and red/green bin notices are used for recycling to remind people of whether they have recycled the correct materials. What can you do if you need a second or larger bin?

There are options available for those residences that may not be able to cope with the current collection service, whether to do with size of a family, young families with babies, or other special circumstances such as medical conditions.  To avoid overservicing, there are criteria applied to the application process.  

The relevant forms and information to apply are available by clicking on the green button: Waste Management Collection Service - Webpage

Council staff are happy to assist with the application process.  We will work with you by either meeting face-to-face or by phone, to offer information and assistance with advice on sorting of waste in the first instance.

Weekly Collection

The current waste contract is for a fortnightly collection.  This is the service that is currently accounted for in the residential waste levy.

The option for an additional bin collected fortnightly is provided where necessary, in lieu of a weekly service.

What can be recycled? – Sorting Guides

The Council’s Waste Management Collection Service webpage has several detailed brochures to advise of what can be placed in the waste bin, recycle bin and FOGO bin.

This information is provided to all new residences when their bins are delivered and are available below by clicking on the grey button.

Kerbside-Recycling - Brochure Kerbside Recycling – Do’s & Don’ts A-Z Guide to Recycling Waste FOGO Brochure What Goes Where? FOGO - FAQs Contact Us

For any waste related enquiries including bin requests, recycling questions, broken lids, or any other issues mentioned here, please call on 6429 8110.

What will the Council do from here?

The information and community feedback as a result of the overfilling appearing on the Facebook post, dated Tuesday 6 July 2021, will be thoroughly considered by the Council.

The Council is currently in the process of creating a 10 year Waste Strategy.  The information and community input provided will be listed for inclusion and consideration in that process.