Waste production increases by about 30% during the holiday season – largely from food, packaging and wrapping paper.
Our Resource Recovery Team works hard over the holiday period to ensure your service is not interrupted, even when there's a bit extra.
"There are no changes to bin collection days over the Christmas period, even if bin collection falls on a public holiday," explained Lloyd Isaacson, Council's Manager Assets Management and Resource Recovery.
"However, because it is a very busy time, bins may be collected a little later in the day. We are asking residents to please wait until 3pm on their usual collection day before calling Council as it's likely the driver is on their way!"
The Resource Recovery Centre and Salvage Shed will close on the following dates:
- Wednesday 25 December
- Thursday 26 December
- Wednesday 1 January
"The Resource Recovery Centre will be open as usual from 8am to 4pm all other days, and the Salvage Shed open as usual from 9.30am – 3.30pm all other days," said Mr Isaacson.
Between Christmas and the new year, expect delays at the Ballina Resource Recovery Centre due to the high volume of waste generated during the festive season and high customer numbers.
Here's some handy tips to help reduce your festive footprint:
Forget food waste
- Encourage guests to bring containers to take leftovers home, find tips from Love Food Hate Waste to use up leftovers and freeze what you can't finish.
- Toss all food scraps from cooking and all uneaten food (including seafood and bones) in your organics bin, it will be collected during Christmas week.
Recycle Right
- Use your recycling bin for hard plastic bottles and containers, steel and aluminium cans, glass bottles and jars, cardboard and clean paper (including wrapping paper)
- Keep a milk crate or box outside for guests to pop their empty drink containers in.
Don't dump on charities
- Charities are often overwhelmed with low quality donations over the festive season. Please check what your chosen charity accepts and only donate during donating hours.
