EVERY second Friday, our street is filled with overflowing general waste bins.
Meanwhile, the new green organics bins are lucky to be half full.
Our street is made up of many young families and we’re trying to do the right thing.
But organic scraps make up just a small fraction of the waste compared to the packaging that comes with everything we buy.
So when a large green bin is collected weekly and a small general waste bin is collected fortnightly, inevitably it’s a mess.
For the record, I am supportive of the three-bin system concept and trying to change the way we dispose of our household waste.
In fact, I wrote in this column a few months back that we would embrace the challenge and give it a go before complaining. But, admittedly, it’s still not working for us.
I got in touch with Mildura Council’s Manager of Parks and Waste Services, Matt George, this week, to ask if other Mildura residents were having the same issues.
He admitted that the response to date has been a bit of a mixed bag.
Some people are loving it, some complain because they barely generate any organic waste, while others are reporting their bins are constantly overloaded.
Mr George explained there was an option for families with more than one child in nappies to apply for an additional general waste bin. But that will cost an extra $110 per year on top of our already high rates.
It means weighing up whether it’s cheaper to buy an extra bin or keep paying to dump extra bags at the tip.
That extra general waste bin option also exists for households with seven or more people, or for those who may have medical waste.
Council also has a waste education officer who can work one-on-one with households to give them tips on better diverting their rubbish.
Mr George pointed out that taking soft plastics back to supermarkets was another way of better disposing of packaging.
But it all takes effort. And is it really practical in our busy daily lives?
In other municipalities, the green bins are collected fortnightly and the general waste bins are collected weekly. It would seem a simple solution.
However, it’s unlikely to happen here. Contracts are now in place and State Government landfill costs are expected to rise sharply in the coming years.
Council’s goal is to divert 60 per cent of waste from landfill, which is realistic given they have halved our general waste collection.
All of this has come at an extra cost to ratepayers, so while it will be a win for the environment, something still feels a bit off.
Council introduced the new system on July 6 this year and will review it after 12 months.
Sunraysia Daily would still be interested to hear the views of local residents on how they are coping with new three-bin system.
Email us at news@sunraysiadaily.com.au
