Port Macquarie Hastings Council (PMHC) will be bringing some Christmas cheer to households this December with general waste (red bin) collections to commence weekly under a new six-week trial.
PMHC will implement weekly collections between 23 December and 31 January, to ease the pressure on households traditionally experiencing difficulties with disposing of excess waste at this time of year.
The extra collection is in addition to the weekly yellow bin service which already occurs between 23 December and 3 January, and the regular weekly green bin collections that happen year-round.
All residents are required to do to take advantage of the extra red bin weekly service is simply place their red bin out with their yellow bin (recycling).
Waste collection data obtained during the trial will help determine the feasibility of the service moving forward.
The trial was the brainchild of Port Macquarie Mayor Adam Roberts whose notice of motion to the Council last year requesting a weekly waste service over summer, was supported.
"It was important to bring this issue to the Council's attention to explore what options were available for our community over this busy period," Mayor Roberts said.
"We know the Port Macquarie Hastings summers offer an envious lifestyle, but they also create difficulties for many households who struggle to safely dispose of excess general waste generated during the peak periods of Christmas and New Year.
"I hope that by employing this trial, it will bring some relief to residents. While I've no doubt the service will be well received, I do encourage everyone to think about their waste habits and ways of reusing or recycling items that we can keep out of landfill.
"Information on this, and how Council's three-bin system works, is available by downloading the WasteInfo App which can be found on Council's website."
Our WasteInfo App can help you:
Keep track of bin collection days
Know which bin to place items in
Report any issues relating to waste collection
One of the most common misconceptions about waste disposal is that food waste goes into the red bin, when in fact the most appropriate place for it is inside the green compostable bags which are placed in the green bins. This this includes meat and bones – just not oyster shells.
Residents can complete the kitchen tidy green bags order form to arrange for a new roll of compostable bags free of charge.
