Towards zero waste means we are on the road to zero
14 July 2020
Have your say on Council’s draft Towards Zero Waste Policy for Plastic Free July
Take the opportunity to do something positive for the environment during Plastic Free July and have your say on Council’s draft Towards Zero Waste Policy, currently on public exhibition until 21 July 2020.
Deputy Mayor of Tweed Cr Chris Cherry said it’s in the community’s best interest for Council to get back to basics and take steps to lead by example towards zero waste.
“Waste is costly and it will continue to be more costly each year because there is no magical disappearing act when you put things in your red bin. The notion that you put rubbish in your bin and it’s gone forever just simply isn’t true,” Cr Cherry said.
“Council is no different from residents in that we are required to pay significant waste levy fees to the NSW Government when we send items to landfill.
“It makes sense that Council is looking for ways to avoid waste in our operations wherever possible, increase the use of recycled materials and encourage reuse and repair. This will not only save money, but will help to protect our beautiful internationally significant environment, while also creating more local jobs.
“Towards zero waste sounds like a new age term but it’s not. It’s actually a pretty old idea from ‘back in the day’. It was pretty simple in the old days and the rule of thumb was that nothing was wasted. Everything was made, reused, repurposed, sewn, re-worn and then used again. And for good reason, as it all came down to money and resources.
“It costs money to waste things and that hasn’t changed. The cost of waste is hidden but we all pay for it. We pay for it in the shop with packaging and products, we pay for it when it is disposed of with bin services and managing all aspects of waste beyond the bin and we pay for it environmentally in regards to land, water, air and human health,” Cr Cherry said.
Tweed Shire Council is not alone in its endeavour to improve waste operations. Other local councils, cities and towns all over the world are aiming towards the same change, such as Fremantle, Noosa, Byron Bay, Sydney, Hobart, Vancouver and many more.
Council’s Director Sustainable Communities and Environment, Tracey Stinson said the draft Towards Zero Waste Policy has been developed to guide the organisation towards zero waste practices. But in order for it to be a practical and well-rounded policy, Council is seeking peoples’ input.
“We really want the community to tell us their thoughts. We’d love to hear feedback, ideas, suggestions and ways to achieve this. We want to work together with the community on this,” Ms Stinson said.
“At the end of the day, this is something that will affect our community so it’s critical to get a variety of views.
“The idea is to look at waste holistically and try to design products in a smarter way to reduce the volume of waste and unnecessary materials created. It’s about taking care of things and recovering products and materials, and only sending waste to landfill as an absolute last resort.
“There are many things Council is already doing to reduce waste, such as the implementation of the green bin for our residents in urban areas in 2017, which cut the amount of household waste sent to landfill by 20 per cent. But there is more that needs to be done and we are excited about the new opportunities moving ‘towards zero waste’ presents,” she said.
The draft Towards Zero Waste Policy is on public exhibition until Tuesday 21 July 2020. To find out more, read the draft policy and to have your say, visit www.yoursaytweed.com.au/zerowaste.
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Caption: Director Sustainable Communities and Environment Tracey Stinson and Deputy Mayor of Tweed Cr Chris Cherry at Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre with mounds of household waste behind them destined for landfill and holding items that could have been recycled. If sorted correctly, approximately 17 per cent of items in the red bin could actually be placed in the recycling bin and 25 per cent could go into the green bin to be turned into compost, saving 42 per cent more from going to landfill.