New report highlights increase in recycling in Wodonga because of the three-bin system

New data shows that over the first year of the tri-bin collection there has been a 44 per cent cut in waste going to landfill with tonnage down from 7896 to 4431.

As well as 27 towers, the rubbish fall equates to 475 truckloads, 3.7 Olympic pools or two Cube auditoriums worth of garbage.

The report, compiled by the city’s director of business services director Trevor Ierino, also showed the number of contaminated bins measured 1.14 per cent.

This compared to an industry best practice figure of 2 per cent.

Demand for larger bins was less than 2 per cent in terms of requests for red-lidded and recycle bins.

Former mayor Rodney Wangman said the data reflected a turnaround in the culture of rubbish removal.

“We’re almost at a 90-plus (per cent) success rate in either reclaim, re-use or recycle,” Cr Wangman said.

“That’s pretty remarkable from where we started, some 10 years ago, in my recollection at about 50 per cent and in those days we used to have a tip in Wodonga.”

Mayor Anna Speedie acknowledged the recycling culture was inherent in younger generations.

“Education is key and I think that schools are to be congratulated on some of the initiatives that they have taken up themselves – so there’s Trashless Tuesdays and Wastewise Wednesdays,” Cr Speedie said.

“I certainly know that at home I am educated probably more so by my daughter than anybody else.

“I really think the next big-ticket item that we really need to be working hard to...is really looking at that commercial arm who are still potentially not undertaking some of this recycling.”

In his report Mr Ierino found there was no commercial food and organics collection involving cafes and there were trials to address that situation.

An experiment involving a motel using kitchen caddies in each of 30 accommodation units was also outlined.

It found the caddy liners were being virtually replaced daily and their cost was over-riding red-bin savings in organics being diverted from landfill.

Cr Wangman noted the report came as Albury councillors debated the merit of the three-bin system ahead.

“There’s been commentary around the three-bin system in the past week interestingly enough, but what this report says to us as a community is that there was a unity ticket by all cross-border councils for improved co-operation about the single largest contract that councils will have,” he said.

Wodonga Council tips home waste cuts will save it $1 million in Albury tip fees in three to five years.