Put green bins out next week

The new green waste bins will be collected from Monday.

They will be collected weekly,  along with general waste bins.

New recycling bins have also been delivered to households after Bathurst Regional Council signed a new 10-year contract with J.R. Richards for recycling and organic waste collection.

The old Bathurst Regional Council branded recycling bins will need to be placed out on Monday, April 11 for collection.

Fortnightly collection of the recycling bins will remain in place. 

Mayor Gary Rush said the changes to Bathurst’s waste collection were  an important step in reducing the amount of rubbish going into landfill.

“Approximately 60 per cent of what is currently going into the red-lidded bin is organic and this can now be placed in the new food and garden waste bin, that is, things like food scraps and garden waste,” he said.

“This will keep this material out of our Waste Management Centre, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“This material will be turned into a valuable compost product at a processing facility in Blayney.”

When residents received their green bins, they were also provided with a kitchen caddy that could be used in the house for food scraps.

This raised questions about being able to use biodegradable bags to store organic waste between collection days, however, council has said residents will need to find alternatives to the bags.

“Council has received a number of enquiries about using biodegradable or compostable bags in the new kitchen caddies, but the contract doesn’t allow for any type of plastic bags as part of the new service,” Cr Rush said.

“If material is enclosed in a plastic bag from the organics bin it will go to landfill.

“I’d encourage residents to use newspaper, paper towel, paper bags or even their junk mail to line their kitchen caddies.”

n For more information about the changes to waste collection, visit the Bathurst Regional Council website at www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au.