Ever wondered what happens to the items you put in your four kerbside bins once the truck drives away?
A new set of videos lifts the lid of what happens to your recycling, food and garden waste (FOGO), glass and general waste, and the importance of getting the right things in the right bin.
Following the journey of the kerbside bins once they are collected, this four-part video series tracks your items from kerbside to their final destination: being transformed into something new or to landfill (for general waste).
"It is eye-opening to see how far these items can travel and what they can become," said Cr Leon Walker.
"The technology used to sort and process materials is pretty incredible, such as the use of laser sorting for glass. However the videos clearly tell the story that if items are put in the wrong bins, this can cause major problems, such as batteries leading to fires. The most important sorting always happens at home"
With Anglesea Landfill nearing capacity and landfill costs rising each year due to the increasing State Government landfill levy, these videos offer top tips on how to 'be a good sort' and why it matters. Sorting your items correctly will help reduce waste, keep valuable resources in use and will help protect the environment for future generations.
"Thanks to our community's efforts avoiding waste and using Council's four-bin system, overall 71% of residential material is diverted from landfill and being recovered. This means less waste is being buried and more materials are going on to live a second life."
"But we can always do better. Did you know that 53% of what's in red-lid general waste bins doesn't belong in there? On average, general waste bins still contain 37% food and garden waste, 5% glass and 10% recycling. All of these materials can be recovered through the other correct bins."
"These videos really show the impact of our everyday choices. Getting our bins sorted correctly is one of the simplest yet most effective ways we can all reduce waste," said Cr Leon Walker.
Still unsure what item goes in which bin? Council's own rubbish and recycling app, SCRRApp, which takes the guess work out on bin day, and has an A to Z guide of items and which bin they go in.
Watch the videos at surfcoast.vic.gov.au/KerbsideBinVideos
