The lids have been lifted and the results are in, as Rockhampton Regional Council's Bin Health Check Program wraps up just in time for National Recycling Week.
Launched in March this year with the support of the Queensland Government's Recycling and Jobs Fund, the program saw more than 20,000 kerbside bins checked by a team of Bin Health Professionals across the Rockhampton Region.
The initiative aimed to help households sort their waste and recycling correctly, reduce contamination in yellow lid bins, and celebrate local residents leading the way in their neighbourhoods.
Rockhampton Region Mayor Tony Williams said the results have been very positive, with most households receiving either a perfectly healthy check or only minor contamination.
"I am very proud of our households because every healthy bin check means more resources recovered and less waste to landfill," Mayor Williams said.
Mayor Williams said the yellow lid bins received a simple 'lift the lid' visual check, a resources pack, plus a feedback tag to help households see what they were getting right, whilst offering specific, practical tips to improve recycling habits where needed.
"This program has shown that the majority of Rockhampton region households are sorting their waste and recycling well, and this reinforces our commitment to becoming a zero-waste community," Mayor Williams said.
"We've built a proud recycling legacy in our region, and it's great to see residents continuing to make small changes that lead to big outcomes.
"Feedback from residents has also been overwhelmingly positive, with many households proud to share their Bin Health Check results.
"National Recycling Week is the perfect time to celebrate our successes as a community, thank households for their efforts, and remind everyone that every little action helps us towards our zero-waste goals."
Waste and Recycling Councillor Shane Latcham said while the program focused on recognising and reinforcing good household recycling habits, it has also been able to identify how we can improve problem areas.
"This wasn't about catching anyone out but instead educating households and celebrating the great work those are already doing to sort recyclables correctly," Cr Latcham said.
"From the checks, we could see so many people getting the basics right, which is fantastic to see.
"It also gave us valuable insights into the trickier items that aren't recyclable and often cause confusion, such as receipts, paper towel, soft plastics and polystyrene.
"We'll be using these findings to shape future Bin Health Check programs and education campaigns so we can keep improving together as a region."
As part of the program, Council also ran its first BINfluencer Competition, awarding nine winners from across the Rockhampton region for their outstanding recycling efforts.
"Our BINfluencers are the households who lead by example, reminding everyone when bin night is, keeping the yellow lid recycling bin free from contamination, and ensuring recyclables are loose, clean, and sorted," Cr Latcham said.
"We had winners from right across the region, including Wandal, Berserker, The Range, Frenchville, Norman Gardens, Gracemere, Park Avenue and Mount Morgan.
"Each winner received a Rockhampton Zoo Encounter and a Reviva Ibis Reuse Shop Gift Voucher.
"We're thrilled for our BINfluencers, and I want to congratulate every household that received a healthy bin check."
To view the results from the Bin Health Check Program, click here.
Program Highlights:
- 20,755 households received a bin health check
- 31,303 households received an educational resource pack
- 13 community pop-up stalls held across the region
- 9 BINfluencers awarded from across the region
- 440+ surveys submitted for the Let's Get It Sorted competition
- 300+ monthly searches using the Recycle Mate app
- Insights from the checks will inform future Bin Health Check programs and community education campaigns to improve recycling habits.
This initiative is supported by the Queensland Government's Recycling and Jobs Fund.
The 'Let's Get It Sorted (LGIS) Partnership Program' is designed to support Queensland councils to meet Queensland's Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy targets.
