No flies at any tip is something to be proud of, but Gloucester tip’s new waste management strategies are also resulting in various environmental benefits. Discarded items are avoiding landfill by being reused by new owners, less landfill is going across the new weighbridge, and there is more household recycling and cleaner mulched green waste.
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The new strategies were implemented last October when Gloucester Shire Council took over the running for the tip, in response to tightening environmental regulations and to manage escalating costs. Using grant funds, accessing and processing at the landfill was redesigned so that household waste and green waste was deposited away from the tipping area. The results are no flies, cleaner mulched green waste and easier to use recycling areas whose extra materials to go into the tip shop. Items initially going to landfill are now being repaired and reworked, and then sold.
The addition of a weighbridge is also accurately measuring waste going to landfill. Vehicles are now required to enter and depart the landfill over this weighbridge, which has resulted in a significant decrease in tonnage compared to last year.
“Household recycling has increased by 37 tonnes over the five month period from January to May 2015 which is a drastic reduction of waste to landfill. These outcomes have resulted in a major decrease in waste levy payment to the State Government for 2014/15,” Council’s Environment and Waste Coordinator, Tania Parkinson said.
A further grant will go towards the completion of a new Community Recycling Centre (CRC) at the landfill which will enable Council to receive hazardous waste such as oils, household chemicals, smoke detectors, fluorescent lights, household batteries from the public free of charge from August 1.