Fortnightly bulk clean ups reconsidered
North Sydney Council will look at reducing its popular bulk-waste collection service in a bid to encourage residents to rehome reusable items.
At its December meeting, Council voted unanimously to investigate whether the fortnightly service ‘still meets community expectations’.
The motion, moved by former mayor, Councillor Jilly Gibson, also directed Council staff to investigate how it could ‘discourage waste that could be reused, repurposed or repaired being sent to landfill’.
Councillor Gibson told North Shore Living she was spurred to put the motion forward after seeing ‘nearly new’ items, including children’s toys, books, and clothes, put out for the fortnightly collection.
“Many of these items could easily be rehoused instead of sent to landfill. For example, books can put into one of the various street libraries and toys given to playgroups.
“I keep looking at these piles of household goods and wonder whether, by providing a fortnightly service, is Council actually encouraging residents to throw things out rather than think, ‘Can I repair it or give it to someone’?
“Are we making it too easy for people to throw things out?”
A Council spokesperson said that the bulk-waste collection was popular, and had increased every year in the last five years – with a 38 per cent increase in bookings since June 2019.
The 38 per cent increase was during some of the COVID-19 lockdown period when more people were using the service, the spokesperson also noted.
People who lived in high-rise, multi- unit dwellings with a high-transient population – like Kirribilli and North Sydney – used the service most.
North Sydney offers a more frequent bulk collection service than neighbouring Councils. Mosman and the Northern Beaches offer two bulk- waste collections a year, with four for Willoughby and Lane Cove.
The Northern Beaches Council also partners with charities and offers a recycling drop off of good quality household items, including clothes.
Cr Gibson said that times had changed, and waste reduction was a key issue for the North Sydney community.
“If neighbouring Councils have reduced their bulk-waste pick ups, it’s hard to justify continuing.”
By Michelle Giglio