Council green waste bins for rural towns

Noosa Council is expanding the garden waste collection service to rural townships to counter the problem of green waste- lawn clippings, leaves, branches, twigs, weeds and palm fronds- going to landfill. Rural residents are being offered the service for a more environmentally-friendly solution to managing their garden waste. This garden waste collection is an optional service. These lime-green lidded waste bins are collected from homes every fortnight on the alternative week to the yellow lidded recycling bin.

Currently, most Noosa residents either fill their household rubbish bins with green waste which goes to landfill, or take their green waste to the tip in a trailer themselves. Neither method is satisfactory.

Green waste in landfill produces greenhouse gas emissions and takes up landfill space. Trips to the tip are expensive - petrol, tip disposal fees, trailer use and registration costs, and the cost of the time taken.

The green waste bins cost $65 per annum for a fortnightly collection. Once ordered from Council, a new green waste bin will be delivered in approximately 4 weeks' time.

The green waste collected by council is shredded, aged, mulched and made available to residents, free of charge, for use as garden mulch.

Over 3,000 coastal residents already use the garden waste service, saving money and creating time for other activities. The landfill site benefits through reduced organic load and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.  People and the environment both win.

5 September 2014