Wyndham residents are being urged to pay more attention to what they are putting in their green-waste bins.
Recent audits of the city’s green-waste trucks have found residents are confused about what they can and can’t put in the bins.
The optional bins can be used to dispose of garden waste, including leaves, lawn clippings, grass and non-noxious weeds.
Cr Peter Gibbons said residents had been found to be putting general rubbish, recyclables, timber, plastic bags and plant pots in the bins.
“These practices contaminate the whole bin and mean otherwise compostable items are sent to landfill instead,” he said.
Cr Gibbons said it was important that residents put only the correct items in the bins because Wyndham sent its green waste to a state-of-the-art composting facility at Bulla.
“Green waste processed at the new facility is turned into high-quality compost for agricultural use,” he said.
“To ensure that the material provided to farmers is of the highest quality, it’s important that residents dispose of their green waste correctly.
“Removing pieces of plastic, metal, glass and timber from green waste during the composting process is time-consuming and expensive, so it’s important that residents put only correct material in the bins.
“Using green waste bins correctly has benefits for our agricultural community and environmental benefits, as it reduces the amount of waste going to landfill.”
The council has teamed up with the state government and other councils to educate residents, through the Back to Earth website, on what they can and can’t put in their green waste bins.
For more information on green waste, visit: www.backtoearth.vic.gov.au.
