ONE man’s trash may be another man’s treasure, but a Bentinck Street resident says the NSW Government’s Return and Earn scheme has started a few odd habits in the city.
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The NSW Government initiative rolled out on December 1 with the aim of reducing the state’s litter volume, and it offers people a 10 cent refund on each acceptable bottle or can returned.
The scheme has been so well accepted in Bathurst, that 424,019 items had been returned in the city’s reverse vending machines (RVMs) by the end of January.
This is the equivalent to more than $42,000 handed back in refunds.
And, with so much cash up for grabs, a Bentinck Street resident, who asked not to be named, said it had encouraged people to go through the yellow-lid residential bins collecting bottles and cans to take to the RVMs to get a refund.
This resident said bin nights across the city were a smorgasbord for anyone who wanted to go through bins, and she recently witnessed someone at her own recycling bin outside her home.
“The dog was barking and I went out the front and outside there was a guy out there with a car and a trailer at my bin. The lid [of the bin] was up,” she said.
“He said ‘I’m just getting the bottles out so I can recycle them’.
“It was creepy, and if you want to do it knock on the door and say ‘I’m a bit short of money, do you mind if I take your bottles.”
Your say
She said it felt like “an invasion of privacy” to see a person go through her bin.
The resident said she immediately called Bathurst Regional Council to see what could be done.
“Council said they’ve had a few phone calls about it,” she said. “Council don’t have a policy and they can’t do anything.”
The resident said council urged her and the community to be cautious if confronting people going through bins.
Council water and waste manager Russell Deans said just two complaints had been received from residents about the issue.
“It is recommended that residents put their bins out as close to collection time as possible,” she said.
“Council staff will monitor the situation and may take action if incidents increase and cause littering or other problems.”
Mr Deans said while residents may put their contents in the bin, the actual bins were owned by the contractor.
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Nadine Morton
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
