Don’t let recyclables go to waste

From polystyrene and old televisions to car batteries and cooking oil; there’s plenty of household waste that doesn’t belong in your yellow-lid bin but should still be recycled.

Eurobodalla Council’s waste manager Adam Patyus said he encouraged the community to make use of the shire’s waste-management facilities at Moruya, Surf Beach and Brou, from which reprocessing companies are contracted to collect and recycle a range of waste:

Polystyrene – processed then taken to Sydney for reprocessing into hard-plastic items like picture framesMotor and cooking oils – reprocessed into biodieselTyres – reprocessed into re-treadOrganic garden waste – shredded, tested and used for Council works or free for residents/businessesInorganic waste – concrete and bricks are crushed and used onsiteTimber waste – quality timber is sold through buy-back centres, the rest is shredded and used as mulch onsite.

Mattresses, e-waste (mobile phones, televisions and computers), batteries, paint, steel and other metals, fridges and whitegoods, empty chemical drums, and fluorescent light globes/tubes are also accepted.

Mr Patyus said there was no charge to dispose of these items, except mattresses, however some were only accepted in household quantities – about 20 litres/kilograms.

“Be sure to transport items carefully and protect your vehicle with a sheet or tray in case of leakage or breakage,” he said.

Mr Patyus also reminded residents to correctly sort their yellow-lid recycling bins items to help ensure outgoing material from Moruya’s Shelley Road centre, is not contaminated with non-recyclable content.

“Council’s kerbside plastic recycling is baled as a commodity and sold on to approved recycling traders,” he said.

“Our contractor has confirmed uncontaminated bales of plastic are not dumped or sent to landfill.”

For guidance about what can and can’t be recycled, residents can check their Household Waste and Recycling Guide, visit our waste and recycling webpage,  or phone Council’s recycling hotline on 4474 1024.