Sutherland Shire Council says it is “excited by the opportunities” the new Return and Earn recycling scheme offers, while warning of fines for anyone caught raiding kerbside recycling bins for cans and bottles.
The council issued a statement supporting the state government’s 10 cents deposit scheme on cans and bottles and then replied to questions put by the Leader.
“Sutherland Shire Council is excited by the opportunities the NSW Government’s ‘Return and Earn’ recycling scheme presents in providing additional funding for recycling initiatives and waste education for our community,” the statement said.
“We’ll continue to work with the NSW Government and their contractors as they roll out the scheme and hopefully introduce dedicated deposit machines in the Sutherland Shire soon.
“The ‘Return and Earn’ scheme requires Councils to put any funds gathered from our kerbside recycling collection services back into waste oriented community initiatives.
“This is another great opportunity for Council to reduce our environmental footprint and ensure a sustainable future for our community.”
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: What funds are received at present from kerbside recycling, and how they are used?
A: Council currently holds a contract with Visy to process the recyclable materials collected from resident’s yellow bins and receives a small income determined by the international market rate for recyclables.
Last year the income received was less than two per cent of the total cost Council incurred providing the kerbside recycling collection service. This income is used to offset the operating costs of the service. Council considers the environmental benefits of this collection service to be well worth the cost of its operation.
Q: What effect does council think Return and Earn will have on the volume of cans and bottles in kerbside recycling bins?
A: Councils domestic recycling service collects a wider range of recyclable materials than are currently accepted by the scheme, this includes recyclable paper, cardboard, metal cans, plastic and glass.
Many of these recyclable products collected in the kerbside service are not part of the Return and Earn scheme, and the exact impact of the scheme cannot be known until the NSW Government rolls out more dedicated collection infrastructure for the community to utilise.
Experience in South Australia suggests we’ll continue to see a meaningful number of containers to be recycled through the kerbside bins.
Q: Might many residents simply return them directly and get a refund?
A: Yes, residents can choose to return their eligible containers directly through the Return an Earn Scheme.
Council will continue to collect all recyclable products through the kerbside service regardless.
Q: Could bins be raided?
A: This is a possibility. Council will be monitoring incidents of this and will take action if the scavenging creates littering or other nuisance problems.
Fines range from $80 to $450 plus a possible administration fee for clean-up.
