New kerbside recycling contract with Cleanaway

Published on 14 May 2020

West Wimmera Shire Council’s waste contractor Wimmera Mallee Waste has signed a new disposal of comingled recycling agreement with Cleanaway Waste Management, ensuring all kerbside recycling will be handled appropriately.

The State Government has now announced a new policy, Recycling Victoria – A New Economy, and significant improvements in recycling are pivotal to the future success of the industry.

Following the closure of the SKM recycling facilities in Victoria late last year, West Wimmera Shire Council had to dispose of recyclables to the Dooen landfill.

With this new agreement, all kerbside recycling will now go to Cleanaway, a recognised recycler, from June 1, 2020.

However, residents are warned that there will be costly penalties to Council if items are not placed in the correct bin, and penalties will also be applied if the recyclables contamination rate is more than 10 per cent. Council and Wimmera Mallee Waste stress that all recyclables placed in bins must be clean and contain no contamination.

Since the first week of May, Wimmera Mallee Waste have been closely monitoring bin contents and placing stickers on any bins that do not comply.

Items that can be recycled include:

• Newspapers, magazines, paper & cardboard (non-waxed) -loose, not bundled
• Milk containers and juice bottles – with lids removed
• Clean steel food cans - please rinse them out first.
• Aluminium cans, trays & foil (scrunch up into a fist sized ball before placing in bin)
• Empty clean rigid plastic bottles and containers, such as shampoo and conditioner containers, soft drink bottles, etc.
• Clean glass bottles and food and sauce jars with their lids placed in the recycling bin separately
• Aerosol cans

Items that cannot be recycled include:

• Bagged materials in any type of plastic bag– anything bagged will go straight to landfill
• Coated cardboard cartons that are used to package milk, juice and various other liquids ie Tetrapaks
• Polystyrene packaging or bubble wrap
• Foam meat trays
• Clothing, footwear, textiles & toys
• Food and garden waste. This goes in your compost or garbage bin, or to your local transfer station
• Soft plastics such as bread bags, frozen food bags, confectionery bags, cling wrap, chip packets, cereal bags, zip lock bags, plastic foil food bags
• Nappies
• Light globes or window glass

Wimmera Mallee Waste is West Wimmera Shire Council’s kerbside waste and recycling contractors and this collection service will continue as normal.