Waste is not glamorous, but it is to some of us here at Council.
There’s a quiet revolution underway right here in Eurobodalla, with our waste team reworking how we collect, process and dispose of rubbish. With a new Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy ready to go, we’re focusing on finding value in reuse and keeping it out of landfill longer.
The biggest shift is in soft plastics – we’ve trained our staff to bale it (yes, you read that right). We now compress all the shire’s soft plastic at Moruya’s Waste Transfer Station. Baling saves so much space we’ve more than doubled the load – from under one tonne to well over two – with RecycleSmart transport carrying it to be processed at APR Plastics in Dandenong. It’s one of those rare wins with environmental benefits and cost savings travelling in the same truck.
Polystyrene is next in line. We’re moving to recycle all our polystyrene at the Moruya Waste Transfer Station now that the Surf Beach waste facility’s machine has finally given up the ghost after nearly 15 years of hard graft. We’ll be getting a bigger machine, with possible funding support through the NSW Environmental Protection Agency’s Bin Trim program.
So often in recycling, cleaner rubbish makes for a better product and polystyrene is no exception. The best uses clean, dry and white material – like the rigid packaging protecting appliances such as televisions – to make an A-grade foam. Because Eurobodallans are good recyclers, we make a high proportion of top-shelf product and even get some money back for it.
Textiles have long been a bit of a bugbear, with our waste team trialling different solutions for years now. Textile recycling event days – much like our household chemical clean-out events – seem to work best. You can expect another later in the year, where we’ll be partnering with textile recyclers RRR Australia and Eurobodalla’s very own Yumaro. The reusable items go to charities for resale, while the worn-out fabric is turned into industrial cleaning rags, cut and overlocked by Yumaro workers, and sold across the country.
The broader picture sits inside Council’s Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy. Alongside the bigger infrastructure changes, residents will also begin seeing improvements to Council’s waste webpages, with simpler tools, clearer information and more tailored support for households, schools and businesses.
Our food waste future
Food waste is firmly on the agenda, with NSW mandates for food and garden organics (FOGO) rolling out for bigger businesses from July. Don’t panic! Eurobodalla businesses are exempt until 2028 to let regional systems ramp up to cope with increased organic waste.
Rather than rely on one giant processing facility, we’re assisting our local businesses in exploring a decentralised model for Eurobodalla’s business organic waste. This could include commercial composting, community compost hubs, worm farms, Bokashi systems for smaller businesses, and direct partnerships between businesses and local farmers.
Actually, some of that is already happening. For example, food waste from clubs and hospitals is diverted for composting and agricultural reuse rather than landfill – the circular economy in action.
Full FOGO services for domestic organic waste across Eurobodalla will be established by 2030.
- This news item was first published in Council’s printed newsletter for residents, Living in Eurobodalla – delivered to the shire’s 26,000 households.
