Waste and Recycling Services

get it sorted
Waste and
Recycling Services
Council Chambers
31 Victor Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
Postal address
PO Box 57
Chatswood NSW 2057
Phone: +61 (2) 9777 1000
Fax: +61 (2) 9777 1038
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au
printed waterless on Australian made 100% recycled stock
and manufactured carbon neutral
Much of what we consider ‘waste’ can be avoided, reused or recycled. Consider the waste hierarchy diagram before you
dispose of your waste. Landfill capacity within Sydney is rapidly running out and waste sent to landfill represents resources lost
forever. With an increasing population and an increase in consumerism, it is important to conserve resources wherever possible.
To further reduce waste, think creatively about how you can reuse items or packaging
before throwing them out. For example, use milk bottles as seedling guards, cardboard boxes
as cubby houses for kids, or sell your preloved stuff at a garage sale or donate it to charity.
Recycle
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Was
Reuse
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Avoid
Regrettably, Australia is one of the highest per capita generators of waste in the world.
To address this situation, think first about avoiding waste in your daily life. For example,
take your own reusable bags and refuse plastic bags when you go shopping.
Avoid over-packaged items and check if the packaging can be recycled.
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gram
Why should we think about our waste?
Dispose
Almost half of our garbage is made up of food and garden waste. Consider using a compost bin,
worm farm or Bokashi Bucket and create a rich organic fertiliser for your garden.
Waste minimisation in Willoughby - does recycling really make a difference?
Recycling has real benefits.
Willoughby City Council residents, through their annual recycling efforts save, on average:
140 million litres of water - enough to fill 56 Olympic sized swimming pools
Enough energy to power 655 homes
4,264 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – equivalent to removing 1,024 cars off our roads
23,400 cubic metres of landfill.
Vegetation
6,181 tonnes
Figures based on Willoughby City Council’s annual recycling tonnages using Visy’s Environmental Benefits of Recycling Calculator.
By recycling more we reduce the need for landfill which is better for the environment. Recycling also reduces
water and energy use. For example, producing a can from recycled aluminum requires 95 per cent less energy
than it would to produce a can from new materials. Council sends approximately half of all household waste
from the Willoughby local government area to the UR-3R (Urban Resource - Reduction, Recovery and Recycling)
Alternative Waste Technology Facility at Eastern Creek in an effort to curb the amount of waste we send to
landfill. Garbage is sorted at the facility to recover recyclable materials and compost is made from organic waste.
Overview
Garbage
14,709 tonnes
Recycling
8,491 tonnes
Your yellow-lidded mixed recycling bin
What should I put in this bin?
YES
NO
Plastic containers – all disposable plastic containers
from the kitchen, bathroom and laundry with their lids
removed
Paper, for example newspapers,
magazines, office paper, envelopes, etc.
X
Window or mirror glass
Plastic toys
Crockery/porcelain (plates and mugs)
Ceramics or heat-treated glass
Cardboard, including clean pizza boxes
Drinking glasses
Steel cans, including aerosols
Plastic bags and plastic wrap
Aluminium cans
Foam packaging
Glass bottles and jars
Bubble wrap
Milk and juice cartons
Food or meat trays
Paint tins
Vegetation
i
It is important that recyclables are put loosely into the recycling bin and should not be placed in
plastic bags. Plastic bags get tangled in the machinery at the Materials Recycling Facility.
General recycling hints
Remove tops and lids from bottles and jars and ensure they are empty
Flatten containers to save space
Do not put items in plastic bags as they cannot be recycled at the Materials Recycling Facility
Use washing up water to rinse out bottles, cans and jars
Cut up large cardboard boxes into smaller pieces so they don’t become jammed in the bin
Review this guide with the entire family, then keep it on your refrigerator for easy reference
Plastic shopping bags can be recycled at some supermarkets
If you do not fill your bin each week, consider placing it out each fortnight
Recycling
Your green-lidded vegetation bin
What should I put in this bin?
YES
NO
X
Leaf litter
Food scraps
Grass clippings
Building materials
Weeds
Soil
Small branches up to 150mm in diameter and 600mm
in length
Stumps and branches larger than 150mm
in diameter and over 600mm in length
Bush and hedge trimmings
Rocks
Garden tools
Treated timber
Flower pots
Plastic bags
Paper
i
Don’t overfill your bin. The lid must close. Only put your bin out for collection if it is full.
Food and vegetation waste
Did you know that about half of your household rubbish can be composted? Food and garden waste can be easily
turned into nutrient-rich, organic fertiliser for your garden. Think about composting leaves and grass clippings with
your food scraps instead of putting them out for collection.
How do I compost if I have limited space?
Everybody can compost no matter how limited the space. Compost bins are perfect for the backyard. If you live in
a unit or home with restricted space, try a worm farm or Bokashi Bucket. These options are easy to set up and
maintain. Just choose the kit that suits your needs. Willoughby City Council sells compost bins and worm farms at
a subsidised price for residents and offers free composting and worm farming workshops on a regular basis to assist
you in setting up and managing them. For advice, phone Council’s Help and Service Centre on 9777 1000.
Vegetation
Your red-lidded household waste bin
What should I put in this bin?
YES
NO
X
Food waste you are not composting
Car batteries
Meat trays
Paints and chemicals (liquid wastes)
Plastic bags
Soil and rocks
Plastic wrapping
Building materials
Food soiled paper and cardboard
Gas bottles
Nappies
Recyclables
Foam packaging
Hot ash
Vegetation
Tree stumps
i
Remember: Avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle
Helpful hints to reduce your waste:
Only dispose of items that cannot be reused or recycled
Buy items that are not over-packaged or buy in bulk
When shopping, choose items that come packaged in recyclable material
Take reusable bags for shopping
Start a worm farm or compost bin
Placing your bins out for collection
To ensure your bins are easily and safely collected, please follow these bin placement rules:
Place your bins out the night before collection day
Bin handles must face your house, so the bin’s lid opens to the street
Place bins one metre apart. If they are too close together the truck’s ‘arm’ cannot pick up the bins
Make sure all bin lids are closed, otherwise material can spill during collection
Do not put extra bags or bundles next to or on top of your bins. They will not be collected
Do not place bins close to trees or cars. This makes collection difficult and/or dangerous
Please note bins are not to be stored permanently on the nature strip
A weight restriction of 60kg applies to all bins
Contact Council to report stolen or damaged bins
General garbage
Apartment living - your blue-lidded paper recycling bin
What should I put in this bin?
YES
Newspaper
Office paper and envelopes
Magazines
Egg cartons
Clean cardboard
Milk cartons (cardboard)
Telephone books
Clean pizza boxes
X
NO
Nappies
Facial tissues
Waxed cardboard (waxed fruit boxes)
Plastic bags
Food soiled paper and cardboard
Unit blocks within Willoughby have a slightly different service as they
may have a separate blue-lidded bin for paper and cardboard. If you
do not have a blue-lidded bin in your apartment building, you can place all your paper and
cardboard in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.
Some apartment buildings within Willoughby do not have a green-lidded vegetation bin.
If you feel that your building could use one please contact Council.
Living in an apartment without a backyard doesn’t mean you can’t reduce your organic
waste. Consider using a worm farm or a Bokashi Bucket to cut down on food waste. Make
nutrient-rich fertiliser from your worm farm to use on pot plants, or make compost with
your Bokashi Bucket to give to friends with a garden.
Bokashi Bucket
Worm farm
Apartment living
Other services
Chemical CleanOut
It is important that household hazardous waste does not end up in garbage or recycling bins as it can be harmful to the environment. The NSW
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water run free chemical collections for the safe disposal of chemical wastes such as:
household paint and paint related products, herbicides and pesticides, poisons, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, chemicals, batteries
and motor oil. Visit www.cleanout.com.au for details.
e-waste
Recycle your e-waste for free at Willoughby’s e-waste drop-off events. You can dispose of
monitors, CD and DVD players, modems, laptops and notebooks, televisions, keyboards,
printers, video players, stereo systems, computer parts and cables, scanners and fax machines.
On Call Clean-Up
For a small fee you can have two cubic metres (2m3) of rubbish, which is about one box
trailer load, collected from your home. We will collect: old furniture, kitchen appliances,
broken whitegoods and mattresses. Contact Council to book in the service.
Rubbish can then be placed on your nature strip the evening before the scheduled
collection day.
Contact Council on 9777 1000 or visit www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au
for further information on our additional garbage services.
It’s dumb because you’re trashing where you live.
Willoughby City Council’s recycling corner
Council provides a facility to recycle:
Mobile phones and chargers
Compact discs
Batteries
Light bulbs
Items can be deposited free of charge at Council’s Help and Service Centre, level 4, 31 Victor Street, Chatswood during office hours.
Other options
Your unwanted items can be someone else’s treasure.
Reusing items helps keep them out of landfill, so before you throw them out, why not consider some of the following:
Check with relatives or friends to see if there is anything they would like
Participate in Second Hand Saturday and sell or give away items before a general clean-up
Host a garage sale
Sell them on the internet or in the classifieds
Donate to charities such as St Vincent de Paul, the Salvation Army or the Smith Family
You can also list unwanted items online at:
www.reuseit.org.au
www.e-cycled.com
www.yours2take.com.au
These sites allow the disposal or pick-up of unwanted items for free.
For information on recycling all sorts of items, go to www.recyclingnearyou.com.au
Other services
General Clean-Up
Service >>
Willoughby City Council is now
offering three scheduled General
Household Clean-Ups spread
throughout the year.
The scheduled General Clean-Up
Service can be used to dispose of
bulky waste items that cannot be
placed in your weekly garbage
collection.
Acceptable Household Waste
Household furniture
Small appliances
Soft furnishings
Mattresses/foam
Carpet and linoleum*
Other non recyclable
household items
Whitegoods and metal items
e.g. fridge/freezer, washing machine
*Must be cut into manageable lengths
of 1m and bundled neatly, maximum
1/2 cubic metre
Unacceptable Household Waste
General household garbage
Building material, bricks, concrete, tiles
Chemicals, oils and paint
Car batteries, car parts and tyres
Vegetation, dirt, stones and sand
Fibro/Asbestos
Gas bottles
Liquids of any kind
Large sheets of glass (windows, shower
screens, glass table tops, etc) and mirrors
REMEMBER
Consider donating usable items first
Participate in Second Hand Saturday to
reduce the amount of material you place
out for collection. Phone Council for details.
Free On-Call
Service >>
The free On-Call Clean-Up
Service can be used either for
bulk vegetation or for general
household goods but cannot be
used for a mixture of the two.
To book the service, residents
should call the Help and Service
Centre on 9777 1000.
If using this service for vegetation
please note:
Remember
All material must be on the kerb the Sunday
before the scheduled collection week
Material must not be placed on the kerb for
more than one week prior to the collection period
Acceptable Vegetation Items
Tree prunings and loppings
Untreated timber
Christmas trees
Palings (no nails) maximum: 1/2 cubic metre
REMEMBER
All vegetation must be tied with string into
manageable bundles
Do not place vegetation in plastic bags
All tree branches and untreated timber must
be cut into 1m lengths
The maximum thickness of tree branches is
75mm in diameter
Christmas trees must be chopped into
maximum lengths of 1m
Excessive volumes of material will not be
collected (maximum of 2 cubic metres)
All loose items must be contained in either
bags or boxes
Avoid placing material in such a way that
may block pedestrian and vehicle access
Unacceptable Vegetation Items
Untied or loose vegetation
Vegetation in plastic bags
Painted or chemically treated timber or pine
Whole wood pallets
Tree stumps
Builder’s timber
Whole fences
General garbage
Timber with nails
Any rejected material not removed from the
nature strip will be referred to a Council Ranger
Consider recycling your fridge through the
Fridge Buyback scheme. For more information,
visit www.fridgebuyback.com.au or phone
1800 708 401. Terms and conditions apply
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need to take the lids off the plastic bottles that I recycle?
Lids are made of a different type of plastic to bottles so they need to be removed and placed in the general rubbish. If they end up at the Materials
Recycling Facility, their small size means they can jam the machines. Lids that are larger than the size of a take-away coffee lid can be recycled.
Having removed the lids, please ensure that all bottles are empty. Any liquid within a bottle can spill and ruin other recyclable products. Also, the
weight of a half-full bottle makes it more difficult for automated systems to recognise it as a plastic item.
Why can’t I put broken drinking glasses, window glass or mirrors in the recycling bin?
Kitchenware, mirrors and windows are made of heat-strengthened material and melt at a higher temperature than glass used for jars and bottles.
This means these materials will not melt during the recycling process and cause contamination of the finished product (five grams of this material
in one tonne of glass is enough to contaminate the whole load).
Why do I need to wash out my bottles and cans?
Dirty recyclables attract vermin to your bin and can be unpleasant for workers at the sorting plant. Rinse out your recycling in your washing up
water to conserve water.
Can pizza boxes be recycled?
Pizza boxes that have no food residue can be recycled. However, if there are traces of food on the box, please dispose of it with your general
rubbish, or place it in your worm farm or compost bin.
What does the numbering on plastic containers mean and why is it no longer used to identify recycling?
The numbering within the triangle refers to the different type of plastic used to make up the container but it does not necessarily mean the item
can be recycled through the kerbside system, for example polystyrene is not recyclable in your yellow-lidded bin but it bears the number 6 (as do
some plastic bags which are also not recyclable in the yellow-lidded bin). It is less confusing to remember that all solid plastic containers used in
the kitchen, laundry and bathroom can be recycled.
Can I recycle window envelopes and glossy magazines?
Window envelopes and packaging that is predominantly paper or cardboard with a small amount of plastic can go straight into your recycling
bin. Glossy magazines can also go in your yellow-lidded recycling bin.
What does contamination refer to?
Contamination is where an item is placed in the wrong bin. It may be garbage in a recycling bin or a glass bottle in a paper bin. Contamination
can ruin a whole truck load of recyclables and is an unnecessary and avoidable cost to the community. In order to reduce contamination, all
collection vehicles are fitted with cameras. Addresses where recycling bins are contaminated are noted for follow up action by Waste Services
staff. Recycling is often hand sorted, so next time you place an item in your recycling bin, please consider how it may affect the sorting staff at
the recycling centre. Common contaminates found in recycling bins are nappies, car batteries, dangerous chemicals and polystyrene foam. It is
important that recyclables are put loosely into the recycling bin and should not be placed in plastic bags. Plastic bags get tangled in the machinery
at the Materials Recycling Facility and can contaminate the whole load.
How do I dispose of compact fluorescent lights?
Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) contain a small amount of mercury (about five milligrams) sealed within the glass tubing. CFLs should not be
discarded into landfill as the mercury can leak into the environment. The correct way to dispose of CFLs is by recycling them – either at Council's
Help and Service Centre or through a Chemical CleanOut event. Broken CFLs can be recycled through the Chemical CleanOut event only.
They should be placed in a bag and care should be taken when handling them. Broken CFLs will not be accepted at the Council offices.
What can I do with my old batteries?
Single-use batteries, rechargeable batteries and phone batteries can be recycled for free at Council’s Help and Service Centre. Car batteries can
be taken to the Artarmon Waste and Recycling Centre at Lanceley Place (for free) or dropped off at the NSW Department of Environment,
Climate Change and Water’s Chemical CleanOut events (see www.cleanout.com.au for locations and dates). Rechargeable batteries can be
recycled at Battery World, 5 Mitchell Road, Brookvale, phone 9939 2439 or 39 Church Street, Ryde, phone 9807 8582.
Frequently asked questions
A-Z directory
A
Aerosol cans (empty): Recycling bin
Aluminium cans: Recycling bin
Asbestos: Waste and Recycling Centre (Belrose and
Eastern Creek only – bookings are essential)
B
Barbeques: Council metal recycling service
Batteries (car): Household Chemical CleanOut or
Artarmon Waste and Recycling Centre - free
Batteries (single-use and rechargeable): Household
Chemical CleanOut or Council’s Help and Service Centre
Batteries (mobile phone): Mobile Muster collection
points, libraries, post offices, Council’s Help and
Service Centre
Bicycles: Bicycle Recycling Network or donate to charity
Branches and prunings: Vegetation bin or
Council’s bulk vegetation recycling service
Building waste: Private contractor
C
Car parts: Waste and Recycling Centre (check WSN
website for facilities that accept)
Carpet: Council’s general clean-up service (rolled
into 1m lengths)
Cartridges (printer): Recycling Near You or
Australia Post
CDs and DVDs: Discs only, Ausmag Media
www.ausmagmedia.com.au or Council’s Help and
Service Centre
Chemicals (pool, garden and household):
Household Chemical CleanOut
Christmas trees: Council’s bulk vegetation
recycling service
Clothing and textiles: Donate to charity
Computers and computer parts: e-waste drop-off events
Corks: Guides Australia
D
Detergents: Household Chemical CleanOut
E
Egg cartons: Recycling bin
Electronic waste: e-waste drop-off events
Eyewear (glasses): Donate to charity
www.onesight.org.au or Recycling Near You
F
Fire extinguishers: Household Chemical CleanOut
Food and vegetable scraps: Compost bin, worm
farm, Bokashi Bucket or garbage bin
O
Fuels: Household Chemical CleanOut
Furniture: Donate to charity or Council’s general
clean-up service
G
Gas bottles/cylinders: Household Chemical
CleanOut or Artarmon Waste and Recycling Centre
Garden tools and equipment: Council’s general
clean-up service or Recycling Near You
Glass (window or drinking – wrapped): Garbage bin
H
Household appliances (metal): Council’s metal
recycling service
Household cleaners and solvents: Household
Chemical CleanOut
Heaters: Council’s metal recycling service
J
Junk mail: Recycling bin
Oil (engine): Household Chemical CleanOut
Oil (cooking): Recycling Near You
P
Paint/paint tins (household): Household Chemical
CleanOut
Paper towel: Garbage bin or compost bin
Plastic shopping bags: Garbage bin or
supermarket collection bin
Plastic toys: Donate to charity
Plastic wraps and films: Garbage bin
Polystyrene: Garbage bin
Pottery and porcelain: Donate to charity or
garbage bin
Pots and pans: Council’s metal recycling service or
donate to charity
Poisons, pesticides and herbicides: Household
Chemical CleanOut
R
K
Kitty litter (animal waste): Garbage bin
Radio: e-waste drop-off events
Refrigerator: Fridge Buyback scheme or Council’s
metal recycling service
L
S
Light globes (incandescent – wrapped): Garbage bin
Light globes (compact fluorescent and fluorescent
tubes): Household Chemical CleanOut or Council’s
Help and Service Centre
Lawn mowers (fuel drained): Council’s metal
recycling service
Scrap metals: Council’s metal recycling service
Smoke alarms: Garbage bin
Soil and rock: Private contractor
Steel cans: Recycling bin
Styrofoam: Garbage bin
Syringes/sharps: Royal North Shore Hospital
M
T
Manure and animal droppings (bagged): Garbage bin
Medicines: Take to any pharmacy (Return
Unwanted Medicines) or garbage bin
Mattresses: Council’s general clean-up service,
Dreamsafe or Artarmon Transfer Station (fees apply)
Meat trays (styrofoam and plastic): Garbage bin
Microwaves: Council’s metal recycling service
Mirrors: Council’s general clean-up service or
donate to charity
Mobile phones: Recycling Near You or Mobile
Muster collection points
Telephone books: Recycling bin
Televisions: e-waste drop-off events
Timber: Artarmon Waste and Recycling Centre
Tissues and napkins: Garbage bin or compost bin
Tyres: Artarmon Waste and Recycling Centre
N
X
Nappies (disposable): Garbage bin
Needles: Royal North Shore Hospital and selected
pharmacies
W
Washing machines: Council’s metal recycling service
Waxed cardboard: Garbage bin
Window envelopes: Recycling bin
Wrapping paper (excluding cellophane): Recycling bin
X-ray films: Recycling Near You
Council services:
Weekly garbage, recycling and garden organics collection, metal/whitegoods recycling clean-up service, general clean-up service
e-waste recycling. For more information phone Council on 9777 1000.
Other services:
Donate to charity or Freecycle (contact: www.freecycle.org or www.reuseit.org.au/)
Fridge Buyback scheme (contact: 1800 708 401 or www.fridgebuyback.com.au)
Recycling Near You (contact: 1300 733 712 or www.recyclingnearyou.org.au)
Waste Management Centre (contact WSN: 1300 651 116 or www.wsn.com.au)
Dreamsafe (contact: 1300 551 245 or www.dreamsafe.com.au)
Cycle Recycle (contact: www.bikeclub.wordpress.com)
Return Unwanted Medicines (contact: 1300 650 835 or www.returnmed.com.au)
A-Z directory
get it sorted
Waste and
Recycling Services
Council Chambers
31 Victor Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
Postal address
PO Box 57
Chatswood NSW 2057
Phone: +61 (2) 9777 1000
Fax: +61 (2) 9777 1038
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au
printed waterless on Australian made 100% recycled stock
and manufactured carbon neutral