Canberras NoWaste Hypocrisy

So do they only collect the recycling bins fortnightly too? If so, that is pretty ridiculous. An average household can fill up that recycling bin in a fortnight easily.

But I would have thought that it is the body corporate’s responsibility to ensure there are adequate waste recycling facilities, within the limitations of the system. So I think you should complain to them and make them use some of your fees on paying for more bins or a hopper.

And to try and do your bit to improve the system in the longer term, write to the Minister and/or your local member.

We often have that problem, our weekly rubbish bin is rarely upto half full, meaning that all our separated recyclable material just gets thrown in on top. Pretty much every rubbish day, the top half of our rubbish bin is filled with bottles, cans, cardboard, etc, while the yellow-lid bin sits full waiting for its fortnightly pickup.

On occasion, we will take the recycled stuff to the drop-off centre at Tuggeranong, but normally its just easier to throw it in the rubbish bin.

pink little birdie said :

I’d vote for anyone who had a policy of getting the recycling bins emptied once a week rather than the once a fortnight.

+1 for this.

I’d vote for anyone who had a policy of getting the recycling bins emptied once a week rather than the once a fortnight.

You bought in a body corporate, suck it up.

WifiDeTech said :

My first suggestion is to see if your strata management will hire extra recycling bins. Failing that, perhaps write to the local council or member of parliament about getting then relevant law adjusted for atypical multiple unit developments like yours. Failing that, this forum may help if there are many others in the same boat as you. If all else fails, I would recommend putting a poster up on the recycling bin area with a request for people maximise the use of their bins by flattening their recyclables where possible eg. Cartons, boxes and plastic bottles can all be flattened. Glass jars are a notable exception but unless these are washed completely clean, there is no point putting them in the recycling bins as the recycling centre say they will not use them…Come to think of it, I imagine the Greens would be the best parliamentarians to write to about this.

The Greens are all about garbage; don’t expect any action from them however. They have failed miserably to stop the garbage/recycling trucks spilling oil over the Territory’s roads and then having it pollute our waterways.

WifiDeTech said :

I would recommend putting a poster up on the recycling bin area with a request for people maximise the use of their bins by flattening their recyclables where possible eg. Cartons, boxes and plastic bottles can all be flattened. Glass jars are a notable exception but unless these are washed completely clean, there is no point putting them in the recycling bins as the recycling centre say they will not use them…Come to think of it, I imagine the Greens would be the best parliamentarians to write to about this.

WifiDeTech makes some good points – however in the ACT they are not worried about the clenliness of the glass or aliminium that goes into the recycling, while preferable they will take it in any condition (other than really gross) as the processes they use cleans this all out anyway. And if you want to write it is to a member of the Assembly – we don’t have a council in Canberra.

My first suggestion is to see if your strata management will hire extra recycling bins. Failing that, perhaps write to the local council or member of parliament about getting then relevant law adjusted for atypical multiple unit developments like yours. Failing that, this forum may help if there are many others in the same boat as you. If all else fails, I would recommend putting a poster up on the recycling bin area with a request for people maximise the use of their bins by flattening their recyclables where possible eg. Cartons, boxes and plastic bottles can all be flattened. Glass jars are a notable exception but unless these are washed completely clean, there is no point putting them in the recycling bins as the recycling centre say they will not use them…Come to think of it, I imagine the Greens would be the best parliamentarians to write to about this.

I live in a complex of 50 standalone three bedroom houses. We each have our own individual garbage and recycling bins and don’t pay a cent beyond normal rates.

However, the complex was built before separate recycling bins existed, so perhaps the current code doesn’t apply (we couldn’t magically create a space to put a recycling hopper).

Yep we have the same issue broadly – although a little different in practice. Somewhere in the history of the complex the 7 units that face the street got one recycling bin per unit but the 7 of us that are on the interior road have to share 2 bins between us. we too have challenged the antiquated Nowaste policy to no avail and have ended up shelling out for another 2 bins that get emptied fortnightly.

The only way that this will change is that one of the high profile runners in the election takes it up, or the Strata Management group takes it up to achieve a change in policy. Until then there is absolutely no incentive for people in unit complexes (which will be a dominant group with all the units going up) to recycle to the level the ACT Government wants us to in their policy.