Council reaches 6000th green waste bin and counting

IPSWICH City Council wants to encourage even more local residents to go green this year as part of their new year's resolutions and sign up for one of the city's green waste wheelie bins.

City Works Committee Chairperson Councillor Trevor Nardi said more than 6000 bins had been delivered throughout the city now over the past three months.

"Council is pleased by the number of residents who wanted to receive the green waste bins," Cr Nardi said.

"It is great that these environmentally-aware householders are taking a green approach to the grass clippings, garden prunings and other garden trimmingsfrom their properties.

"However, we would like to see even more residents taking up this service and helping council with its goal of further reducing the amount of waste we send as a city to landfill.

"It is estimated that the kerbside green waste collection service has the potential to divert about 15 per cent of domestic waste from landfill.

"Every resident who uses one of these bins is helping us to achieve our goal in this area."

Cr Nardi said garden waste collected in the new 240-litre green waste bins was transferred to a local composting facility and converted into soil.

"At the facility, a series of composting processes convert the waste material into garden soil that is then returned to the natural environment in Ipswich parks and public gardens."

Cr Nardi said the green waste bins were collected fortnightly, for a service fee of $12.50 per quarter, which worked out to be less than $1 a week.

"Ipswich green waste bins are purpose-built for storing organic matter as they include vents to maintain air flow and reduce any potential odour."

Cr Nardi said it was important that residents ensured that the new bins were only used for green waste.

"These bins need to be free of any plastic bags, metals, glass and all other types of waste material.

"While the green waste is converted to garden soil, any other waste material such as plastic bags will remain unchanged and will contaminate the final product."