It’s been a long time since we threw all our rubbish in the one bin and sent it to the local tip. Now food waste is set to join the long list of items that should never have ended up in landfill.
Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre, which processes garbage from the Northern Beaches area, already recycles more than 70% of waste. That includes glass, plastic, paper, aluminium cans, car batteries, televisions, computers, vegetation and wood waste, as well as waste concrete, asphalt, bricks and roof tiles. But it isn’t enough.
Our region only has one landfill site for waste that can’t be recycled. That’s at Belrose and, after 51 years of operation, the site is full. That means that after November, the Council will be forced to truck waste to a landfill site in western Sydney instead. It’s expensive and it’s not a sustainable way of dealing with our rubbish. As well food waste in landfill breaks down to release greenhouse gases, including not only carbon dioxide, but methane, which is even worse.
Now there’s a plan to take Northern Beaches recycling to the next level.
In two years time, householders will be required to separate out food scraps and throw them in the green lid bins, along with other garden waste. This one step will reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by almost half.
Kimbriki is not yet able to handle putrescible (food-containing) waste, but that will change when a major new recycling and waste processing facility opens at the site in 2019 or 20. Food and vegetation waste will then be turned into compost, which will be available for sale.
For residents, the number of different bins will decrease from four to three, as follows;
The general waste red-lid bins, which will be collected fortnightly for houses, and weekly for unit blocks.
The mixed recycling bins, for paper, glass and plastic combined, which will be collected fortnightly for houses, and weekly for unit blocks.
The mixed food and vegetation green-lid bins which will be collected weekly. Residents will also be given a free kitchen tidy bin and cornstarch bags to store food waste before putting it in the outside bin.
“This is a sensible plan that was put together by Mosman Council and the three former Northern Beaches councils, which jointly own Kimbriki”, former Manly Councillor Candy Bingham said.
"The Northern Beaches council is on board now as well, and has called for tenders.
“We need to look to the future - we just have to reduce landfill waste. Kimbriki’s advanced new waste technology will do that and at the same time take hundreds of trucks off our local streets.
“It will cost each household about $2 extra per week, which is a great investment.”
While community support for recycling is strong there are concerns such as, how to stop food waste from smelling, and what to do with nappies.
For these issues and more information generally go to
Gone are the days when a visit to the local rubbish tip was a family outing. Dealing with rubbish has become big business, and a major cost to Councils.
Belrose tip has been swallowing our rubbish since 1965. But last month it accepted its final load. That leaves Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre at Ingleside as our only local tip. And at present it can't accept putrescible waste (food, manure or nappies).
The problem has forced the Shore Regional Organisation of Councils - Manly, Mosman, Pittwater and Warringah - to send rubbish half way across Sydney to Eastern Creek Landfill.
It's a necessary solution but it comes at a price, with the four combined Councils now set to pay $14 million annually for the next three years for the service.
But by then both Kimbriki and local residents will have a much bigger part to play.
Residents will then be required to separate food waste from other household rubbish and dispose of it in the garden waste (green-lid) garbage bins.
Kimbriki senior project officer Mark Winser says that step alone would cut in half the amount we throw into our general waste (red-lid) bins. It would mean 55,000 tonnes less "rubbish" going to landfill each year.
"We already separate our recyclables. We already separate garden waste. We're asking people to take that next step," Mr Winser said.
It's all part of Too Good to Waste - the regional waste strategy just released for Manly, Mosman, Pittwater and Warringah. The strategy, which treats waste as a resource rather than a liability, aims to increase household recycling rates to 70% by 2021.
Kimbriki will get a major revamp as well. It's been kicked off with a $1.2 million State Government grant for better recycling and resource recovery capabilities at the centre. By 2017 Kimbriki should be able to sort and recover resources from commercial and household waste, as well as being able to process food and garden waste together to make high-grade compost for sale.
That’s a good step in the right direction.
Manly Council is set to scrap its popular General Clean Up Days. The popular service lets residents throw out their old and unloved gear and gives kerbside recyclers the chance to sort treasure from trash.
But the council says the street clean-up days encourage "illegal dumping of unwanted household goods" and plans to replace them with a new "on call" system.
The new service, which will start in 2014, will entitle households to two clean-up days a year, bookable online. Electronic waste will now also be included.
Do you think the "on call" service make our streets cleaner? Or will we lose recycling opportunities and an easy six-monthly throw-out service? Let us know.
New rules to be enforced from 20 May to limit residents putting waste on the pavement rather than within bins, has been put on hold following strong opposition from residents.
Locals in particular from leafy suburbs of Balgowlah Hts, Seaforth and Clontarf jammed Councillors' in-boxes with emails of protest stating difficulty in getting bulky branches and excessive green waste into just one bin.
The matter is to be reviewed following further community consultation.
A new waste system to be introduced in 2014-15 will create a major change in the way we deal with our household rubbish.
SHOROC (a partnership between the councils that make up the region of the Northern Beaches) will phase in a new waste collection system in order to increase recycling and keep costs to ratepayers down. The new system will include all households in Mosman, Manly, Warringah and Pittwater. The main changes will be:
To find out more click here
Rubbish overflows on East Esplanade. Photo sourced from Manly Daily.
Residents were repulsed by the overflow of rubbish in public spaces following the Cole Classic on Sunday 5th Feb.
Large numbers of attendees were to blame, as well as a lack of easily accessible bins and neglect in rubbish collection. Over 10, 000 competitors, support crews and visitors participated in the Cole Classic, which was complemented by fine weather.
Embarrassingly, the Manly Daily dubbed Shelly Beach “Smelly beach”.
These concerns are raised in the light of popular events staged in Manly that attract large crowds, such as New Year’s Eve and the Australian Open of Surfing.
The overflow of rubbish also highlights the lack of cigarette receptors attached to the bins, encouraging smokers to simply ‘butt out’ on the ground or worse – in the harbour – putting marine life at risk.
Is it the council’s responsibility to properly address rubbish disposal, or is it more a matter of personal responsibility?
Despite the influx of visitors surrounding the Cole Classic and other major events, residents are calling for more bins and frequent rubbish disposal to help keep our community spik and span.
Concern has also been raised by the installation of bins that block the harbour view from a popular restaurant along East Esplanade Reserve.
The Council has just installed much needed rubbish bins in East Esplanade Reserve - but who decided that a set should be placed right in front of the view of the harbour of one of our most popular restaurants?
This is such poor planning. Locals are also concerned that there is still no receptacle for cigarette butts (except the ground!). This was a Council decision because the reserve is a "non-smoking zone" ... but nobody knows that!
What do you think?
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_Have you seen the new proposals to further reduce and recycle rubbish on the Northern Beaches?
As a joint initiative between Manly, Mosman, Pittwater and Warringah Councils the proposal will result in the average house or ‘single dwelling’ garbage service being:
Candy Bingham, Deputy Mayor & Manly Ward Councillor on Northern Beaches Council. Background in marketing, public relations and community engagement. Author of five business books. Former Lady Mayoress of Sydney. Aka Candy Tymson.