Did you know that household batteries and fluoro tubes can be recycled into new products - but not if they are thrown into kerbside bins where they end up as landfill.
Lismore City Council's Waste & Services Education Officer Victoria Currie said an estimated 46 tonnes of batteries and 28 tonnes of fluoro light bulbs from across the region end up in landfill each year and yet there's a simple alternative.
"Dropping these items off at your local Community Recycling Centre (CRC) or one of our three new Community Recycling Stations allows us to recycle them, rather than ending up as landfill, which is much better for our environment," she said.
"In partnership with North East Waste, Council has installed three new Community Recycling Stations to make dropping off problem waste even easier for residents. They are conveniently located at our its Corporate Centre in Goonellabah, the Lismore Library and the Nimbin Transfer Station.
"Community members can also drop off mobile phones and accessories, ink-printer cartridges and X-ray – and there is no charge."
For those with larger amounts of problem waste, the Lismore CRC is located at the Lismore Recycling and Recovery Centre on Wyrallah Rd, East Lismore. Residents can drop off quantities of up to 20 litres or 20 kilos of unwanted car and household batteries, fluoro globes and tubes and other household problem wastes including smoke detectors, oils, paints, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, electronic waste and x-rays.
The CRC and the Community Recycling Centres replace the recovery satchels that Council once provided. That system has been replaced as it led to a high number of breakages which meant items could not be recycled.