By Belinda Nolan
ROGUE recyclers beware, Brimbank Council will begin a new campaign targeting incorrect recycling with council workers set to rifle through your bins.
Officers from the council’s Recycling Inspection Team will conduct random searches of residents’ bins over the next two months to check whether they are recycling correctly.
Those found to be doing the right thing will be rewarded, while those binning non-recyclable materials will be told to clean up their act.
Inspectors will place a “Brimbank Gem” sticker on bins containing correct recycling material, with selected residents able to claim a $50 shopping voucher for their efforts.
Meanwhile, residents recycling incorrectly will receive an “improve card” instructing them on what they’ve done wrong and how to improve.
Paul Younis, the council’s General Manager of Infrastructure and Environment told Star the council had been inspecting residents’ recycling bins for the past four years but the rewards scheme was a new initiative.
Inspections are conducted on bin day, with officers looking under the lid of bins before they are collected.
More than 17,000 tonnes of recycling are collected each year in Brimbank, which boasts higher levels of recycling than the Victorian average.
The initiative has become a talking point among Brimbank residents.
Keilor Residents and Ratepayers Association President Susan Jennison told Star she believed the council should focus its efforts on more pressing issues.
“They seem to be going to extraordinary lengths here and I would have thought that there were more important things to be focussing on,” she said.
Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association President Darlene Reilly agreed.
“I understand that the council is offering a service and they have the right to inspect but I think there are bigger problems in Brimbank that need addressing than recycling.”
But Albanvale Residents Association spokeswoman Clare Brennan said she supported the initiative.
Ms Brennan said she believed many residents were confused about which materials were appropriate for recycling.
“I think it’s a good idea because I think there are a lot of people who aren’t recycling properly and when you consider all the contaminated stuff that gets mixed in with recyclables, something really should be done about it.”
Peter Lewinsky, Brimbank’s Chair of Administrators said the council was committed to reducing waste and encouraging sustainable living.
“The new ‘Be a Brimbank Gem’ program will reinforce the message that there are benefits in recycling right and I encourage members of the community to try to become Brimbank Gems,” Mr Lewinsky said.
Correct recycling material includes hard plastic bottles and containers, clean paper and cardboard, cans and glass bottles.
For more information visit the council website at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au.
