Wyndham council is inspecting green waste bins throughout the city to ensure residents are recycling correctly.
The council has conducted about 160 random inspections of green waste bins since December as part of a Scrap That program, which encourages residents to put fruit and vegetable scraps with other green waste.
Sustainable development director Dean Rochfort said the council planned to inspect 400 bins, and he stressed that fines would not be issued to households found putting incorrect items in green waste.
“The inspections being undertaken are to help us understand the amount and type of material being placed in green waste bins,” Mr Rochfort said. “The data we gather will help us deliver more effective education programs.
“Wyndham City is committed to reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.
“That’s why the Scrap That program was introduced … it’s a fantastic initiative.”
About 29 per cent of Wyndham residents have green waste bins.
Star Weekly invited locals to have their say via the Star Weekly Facebook page last week as we asked if the inspections were an effective use of council resources or big brother gone mad.
Martin and Baz branded the inspections unnecessary, while Lorelle called the move a waste of ratepayer resources.
“All they will establish by looking in my green waste bin is that I don’t put my fruit and veg scraps in there,” Lorelle said.
“More to the point, it doesn’t then distinguish whether I put them in my yellow garbage bin or – as a part of the council’s compost revolution program – put them in my worm farm or compost bin.
“Looking through people’s bins is an inaccurate method and actually really creepy to be honest.”
Click here for more information about green waste collection and what you can put in your green bin.
