7 April 2021

Belconnen residents rejoice: bulky waste collection bookings now open

| Lottie Twyford
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Minister for City Services Chris Steel

Minister for City Services Chris Steel says the bulky collection will help keep reusable goods out of landfill. Photo: File.

For those who want a headstart on a spring clean – or kickstart an autumn clean – there is most definitely no time like the present as the ACT Government is expanding its free bulky waste collection scheme to Belconnen residents.

As part of a fast-tracked rollout, all Canberrans will be able to access the scheme by 1 July. Originally, the system had been designed to roll out in phases until 2024.

Concession card holders are already eligible for the free service, no matter what suburb they live in.

Each household can claim one free waste collection per year, and these can be up to two cubic metres in size. Items such as furniture, household appliances, white goods and electrical equipment can all be picked up.

The usual suspects are ineligible for collection, such as any items that are too heavy for safe manual handling, hazardous waste or chemicals, gas bottles or sharps, asbestos sheeting and building or construction rubble.

Mattresses and bed frames can be collected, but there are fees ($25 per mattress and $25 per base).

Likewise, garden waste cannot be picked up through the service.

Minister for City Services Chris Steel said the service was being introduced at the perfect time.

“If you did some tidying over the Easter break, now’s a great time to get rid of those household items you no longer need,” he said.

Through a partnership with charities like GIVIT, The Salvation Army and Vinnies, many of the goods find their way back into the homes of those who need them most.

Mr Steel said it’s just one way Canberrans can “contribute to creating a circular economy where things are recycled and re-used, not simply thrown into landfill”.

READ ALSO Jindabyne woman collects 760kg of rubbish along roads since April

Belconnen is the latest area to benefit from the service, following its introduction into Tuggeranong and Gungahlin in 2020.

Since then, the bulky waste collection service has achieved a 38.8 per cent resource recovery rate by diverting waste from local landfill sites.

It’s also an easy process for residents as the goods only need to be left inside the property’s boundary in an accessible location, and residents do not need to be at home at the time of collection.

For those who live in apartment buildings, the bulky waste collection service is still available as the body corporate or managing agent only needs to identify a suitable place for collection.

Bookings for collections can be made online.

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