natural connected prosperous
Waste
Reducing the amount of waste to landfill
Current situation
Approximately 15,000 tonnes of domestic waste was deposited at the Davis Road waste facility in 2013/2014 of which 2808 tonnes was recycled. This represents a 19% diversion rate. A further 6000 tonnes of commercial waste was disposed directly to landfill.
The disposal of waste to landfill is costly as the space to accommodate it is finite and demands new ‘tip’ sites to be found over time. While the proportion of organic waste (greenwaste, food waste etc) disposed of in AMR is low compared to other local governments, it nonetheless results in the production of landfill gas (LFG) which adversely impacts upon the Shire’s level of carbon pollution.
Analysis of waste to landfill by composition 2006-2007
Our goal (2020)
- Reduce volume of waste per person being brought to landfill
- Increase the proportion of resources recovered from unavoidable waste.
There’s no such thing as Waste (only stuff in the wrong place)!
The AMR Shire like many other communities across Australia is facing major challeneges with the collection and disposal of solid wastes. Our landfill is fast running out of space and there is a pressing need to ensure sustainable approaches to the way waste in managed. Our Shire is small and as such suffers from very low economies of scale increasing the costs associated with recycling and
waste disposal.
Its unsurprising then that current trends in waste management call us to think of waste in terms of potential resource streams, each stream representing a resource input for industry or a business opportunity. With your help, we can direct items which would otherwise have been buried, so that they can be used more productively. Our goal is not a bigger landfill site, but less waste. To do this we need to Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle.
What is the Shire doing?
The Shire are working towards the preparation of a Strategic Waste Management Plan (SWMP). The first step in doing so was the completion of a comprehensive community waste survey which every land owner in the Shire was invited to participate in. This provided valuable information about how you feel about the way the Shire manages its waste disposal functions.
The SWMP will chart a course for the way in which the Shire and the community will work together to most effectively tackle the waste challenge. Key initiatives already being considered are:
- The introduction of a kerbside recycling service to Augusta;
- A programme for community education with respect to waste services and particularly recycling;
- Investigation of and consultation on mandatory kerbside recycling for all urban areas in 2015/16;
- Consideration of free greenwaste drop off at Davis Road; and
- Provision of a staffed transfer station at Rosa Brook and Alexandra Bridge with full recycling capacity
How can I help?
Reduce - Avoiding the creation of waste in the first place is the most effective way to address the problem. This relies on changing the way we live our lives. Ask yourself these critical questions:
- Do I really need this?
- Can I buy the same product with less packaging or recycled packaging?
- Is there a bulk option that lets me use my own container?
Reuse - Before you put your glass, metal or plastic in the recycling bin perhaps you can consider re-using it and get more life out of the item? Reusing items over and over again makes good sense, and can save money too. You might refill your plastic or glass drink bottle, turn your glass jars into a vase or a lantern or remodel your old clothes to make something new? Beside personal re-use, there are community organisations with great initiatives to reuse bikes, books and computers.
Repair - Not everyone has the skills to make repairs to household items, but all of us have the capacity to learn. If you are lucky enough to be ‘handy’ share your skills with family and friends.
Recycle - Recycling your waste or unwanted items is very easy to do and has a number of benefits for the community and our planet. When recycled aluminum is used to manufacture cans, 95% less energy is used compared to using raw materials. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost four hours or run your television for three hours!
Documents
- Shire of Augusta Margart River Strategic Waste Management Plan 2016 – 2021 (under development)