16 November 2011

New bins in Civic. Erm, which one is the recycling? [With poll]

| johnboy
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new bins

Simon Corbell has proudly announced the arrival of new garbage bins in Civic.

A trial of thirty-seven recycling bins in Civic will start from today, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Simon Corbell, announced today.

“The ACT Government has committed $165,000 to install the new recycling bins and bin shrouds as part of the new public place recycling trial which will run until the end of June 2012,” Mr Corbell said.

“The stainless steel bins will be installed next to existing waste bins around City Walk, Garema Place and the City Bus Station. These bins will increase opportunities for the public to recycle and divert an estimated 12 tonnes of waste from landfill.

“We know that Canberra has the best household recycling rates in the country with around 78 per cent of domestic recycling recovered. New bins in the city will help people continue these good habits when out and about.

Which is all very noble, but there’s not a lot to indicate to the punter which one is going where.

Simon offers this guidance:

“The bins are designed for ease of use with side-by-side shrouds which clearly identify general waste on the left side and recycling on the right and will be located at sites where recycling has been identified as being most effective.

I’m not sure the identification is that clear on the basis of my own inspection this morning.

New recycling bins in Civic

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UPDATE: The Greens are taking credit for this initiative.

Further Update: The TAMS Media Room have been in touch to promise educational stickers:

#6 TAMSMediaRoom
12:17 pm, 15 Nov 11

Both the waste and recycling bins will be clearly sign-posted with large A3 signs tomorrow (Wednesday 16 November). The recycling bin signs will have a yellow background, while the waste bin signs will have a green background. Both will show cartoon images of the sort of material that can be deposited in them. The bins will be installed over the remainder of the week. The bins with the smaller access points are for recycling.
TAMSmediaroom

However with Simon’s advise to use the bin on the right I’ve been admiring the pair in the bus interchange.

bins bins

So which is on the left again?

ANOTHER UPDATE: The Greens have been in touch to show they too want more visibly different bins.

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Mysteryman said :

I would be very surprised if the new bins were custom designed just for this application.

I would hope not – These bins seem to be identical to the ones that are in use all over Brisbane.

Excellent, now I can go and put my recycling in the public bin. TAMS are too incompetent to provide enough bins for a multi-unit residential complex where 1 bin for every 3 x 3 bedroom properties is apparently adequate. These bins will now save us having to fork out extra cash for additional bins (why it costs more is also puzzling..).

The left bin in the bottom photo is already damaged (looks like it has been kicked at the bottom).

Well that lasted long.

Finally – bins!!!! Yay! I worked out it is costing $4,459 (ish) per bin – I hope that means they will resist vandalism, stay put and remain attractive.

Hmmm…. this reminds me so much of a scene from Princess Bride with the Canberra Public cast as the Man in Black, and TAMS playing Vizzini.

You only think I guessed wrong! That’s what’s so funny! I switched bins when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders – The most famous of which is “never get involved in a bin war in Civic” – but only slightly less well-known is this: “Never go against TAMS when the ‘No Waste by 2010 Waste Management Strategy’ is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha… “

Mysteryman said :

I would be very surprised if the new bins were custom designed just for this application. >$4000 a bin is a LOT of money for a recycling bin.

Break your wheelie bin and see how many hundreds TAMS will try and charge you for a new one.

Maybe the $4000 includes the wages for the next 12 months for someone to empty them.

TAMSMediaRoom said :

The bins with the smaller access points are for recycling.

So what if you want to recycle something larger, such as a 2L drink bottle? If its recyclable and doesnt fit the small access hole, guess where its going.. 50/50 bet between the rubbish bin or the footpath.

damien haas said :

Am i the ony person that thinks 165 thousand dollars for 30 odd bins is perhaps defeating the idea of sustainability and recycling ? All i see are my ratepayer dollars being recycled into designer follys.

Better then a stupid pile of twisted metal, a phallic looking owl and a windmill…at least these bins are “useful” for however long it takes for them to be destroyed. Who wants to opent the books?

creative_canberran2:04 pm 15 Nov 11

Do we know if these are those special containment bins they’re installing in public areas like the London underground? The ones which are designed to contain explosives detonations. That may explain the cost. Otherwise, what a rip off.

I would be very surprised if the new bins were custom designed just for this application. >$4000 a bin is a LOT of money for a recycling bin.

damien haas said :

Am i the ony person that thinks 165 thousand dollars for 30 odd bins is perhaps defeating the idea of sustainability and recycling ? All i see are my ratepayer dollars being recycled into designer follys.

Hey, TAMS Media Room, as per the above quote, this seems like a lot of money for very little. I will do it for $162k, hell I will do it for $20k. I just need some square tube and sheet metal. I have the required tools already.

damien haas said :

Am i the ony person that thinks 165 thousand dollars for 30 odd bins is perhaps defeating the idea of sustainability and recycling ? All i see are my ratepayer dollars being recycled into designer follys.

37 Bins at $165,000, That’s $4459 per bin, I do suppose most of the money would have been used in planning the design, colour and shape.

TAMSMediaRoom12:17 pm 15 Nov 11

Both the waste and recycling bins will be clearly sign-posted with large A3 signs tomorrow (Wednesday 16 November). The recycling bin signs will have a yellow background, while the waste bin signs will have a green background. Both will show cartoon images of the sort of material that can be deposited in them. The bins will be installed over the remainder of the week. The bins with the smaller access points are for recycling.
TAMSmediaroom

Am i the ony person that thinks 165 thousand dollars for 30 odd bins is perhaps defeating the idea of sustainability and recycling ? All i see are my ratepayer dollars being recycled into designer follys.

The bin with the larger space for rubbish will have more put into it, whatever the signs, because your hand won’t have to go as near to it to put things in.

powerpuffpete10:54 am 15 Nov 11

Not to be a sourpuss but we’re talking about Garema place here. You think we could put in plastic bins? They’d be trashed (scuse the pun) within a week.
The round hole is for round objects (like bottles). Playschool taught me well.

I am guessing they’ll eventually get stickers to make it obvious but you’d think they could do that at the time of install. Or do you need some special waste management degree to stick on a label?

Left and right is of course relative to where you’re standing. But I think I can figure this out, and I think it’s a good thing.

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