Over the next four months, Council will replace and recycle all household waste bins in preparation for a new high-tech household waste collection service, delivering improved service, better value for money and greater environmental outcomes.
The bin delivery and replacement service is the largest ever undertaken in Australia, a significant logistical exercise delivering 330,000 bins to 100,000 households across the Northern Beaches.
The new bins use the latest technology which, once operational on 1 July, will enable residents to use an app to track their service and report issues in real time.
One hundred per cent of all collected bins will be recycled into new bins and the replacement program saves ratepayers around $1.2million.
Mayor Michael Regan said a great deal of planning had gone into ensuring the bin roll out will be as smooth as possible and additional customer service officers will be on hand to answer questions from residents.
“Waste collection is one the most important jobs we do so it’s exciting to be delivering what we believe is the best new waste service for the Northern Beaches,” Mayor Regan said.
“We are not just improving the service but also delivering savings which will be passed on to our ratepayers.
“We are modernising our waste collection and processing system across the whole Council area with new trucks, using smart technology and safer on board systems.
“We’ll see an overall environmental benefit equivalent to taking 8,400 cars off the road each year.
“The new household waste bins are a key ingredient in making this service efficient and effective for every resident.
“The new bins, coupled with the advanced vehicle technology and on-board systems mean that requests are managed in real time and deliver a greatly improved service.”
Bin Delivery
For the first time all Northern Beaches residents will receive equal and consistent services including the same number of collections and the same bin size, design and quality.
Residents in multi-unit dwellings would receive the same size and number of garbage, container and recycling bins they currently use, and vegetation bins on request.
Other households will receive a standard set of bins:
- 1 x 80L red garbage bin (apart from residents who pay for additional services now who will receive the same additional service)
- 1 x 140L yellow container recycling bin
- 1 x 140L blue paper recycling bin
- Up to 2 x 240L vegetation bins (One will be delivered but an additional bin can be ordered at no additional cost)
Most residents will be getting the same size red bin they have now and larger recycling bins.
Mayor Regan said that additional bins to the standard service would continue to be available on a user-pays basis however the priority was to improve environmental outcomes so encouraged residents to take on the waste reduction challenge.
“Across Australia, councils and residents are recognising the terrible environmental impact our waste is having and joining the so-called ‘war on waste,” Mayor Regan said.
“I had lots of people contacting me after the ABC War on Waste aired and its great to be able to tell them that we have adopted a superior service, that maximises recovery of all usable materials and makes it really easy for out residents to do their bit.
“Composting, worm farms, beeswax wraps, reusable coffee cups and shopping bags all make a huge difference to keeping our waste down.
“And for those who want to learn more, over the next few months Council will be running a series of workshops which residents can join to learn more about how to reduce their waste.”
Logistics
The significant bin replacement program will take around four months to complete. Residents will receive a letter informing them when to expect their delivery.
New bins will be dropped at the front of properties. Residents with new bins are asked to put out their old bins as normal on collection day and then leave them out until they are collected.
Benefits of the New Waste Service
Commencing 1 July 2019, the new combined Northern Beaches waste contract is delivering:
- a total solution, avoiding the equivalent of over 43,200 tonnes of CO2 each year – that’s the same as taking 8,431 cars off the road
- state of the art collection trucks - a fleet of cleaner, safer and technically more responsive vehicles
- technology initiatives enabling residents to track collection - trucks with a mobile app to alert Council of any service issues
- improved waste processing and reduction of waste going to landfill
- ongoing clean, green vegetation bin service which successfully produces high volumes of commercial grade compost.
Mayor Regan said the new bin and waste contracts were another success story of the amalgamated Council.
“Our significant scale gives us a strong position in negotiations to get best value for money and outcomes for our community.
“That translates into improved service for residents and a better outcome for our environment.”