Free mulch for a cleaner and greener shire

Published on 21 October 2021

It’s spring and Byron Shire Council is offering a terrific deal to people who are cleaning up their yards and gardens and taking their green waste to the Byron Resource Recovery Centre (BRRC) at Myocum.

Until the end of October residents who drop-off a trailer full of green waste will be offered a free bag of high-quality mulch.

Dave Filipczyk, Supervisor of Council’s Bush Regeneration team, said the ‘green for green’ deal is a way of saying thank you to people who are disposing of their garden waste the right way by giving them a free bag of mulch.

“Unfortunately, some people get rid of their garden waste by throwing it in the bush or over the back fence where it is out of sight and out of mind,” Mr Filipczyk said.

“The problem is that this has a terrible impact on our bushland because it introduces weeds, diseases and pests which often take hold and spread quickly, polluting waterways, blocking drains and stopping native plants from growing.

“Disposing of green waste the right way, either in the green organics bin or at the BRRC, goes a long way to protecting our bushland and the native species that call it home,” he said.

Green waste that is dumped in bushland or on reserves also creates a bushfire risk.

Byron Shire Council offers residents, including people who are renting properties, a free annual drop-off of up to 500kg of green waste or 150kg of bulk waste.

Zoe White, Waste Education and Compliance Officer, said there’s no excuse for dumping in the bush and there are heavy fines for people who are caught doing the wrong thing.

“By dropping off green waste at the BRRC and taking the free bag of mulch people are actually closing the loop on their garden waste,” Ms White said.

“At the BRRC we process the garden waste into high quality mulch that meets Australian standards which can be purchased for home gardens or commercial operations.

“We sell it for $35 a cubic metre which is very reasonable and a great gift for plants,” she said.

Information about the annual free green waste drop-off and mulch for sale is on Council’s website.

For media enquiries contact Annie Lewis, Media and Communications Coordinator, on 02 6626 7000.