Waste News 2024
May Update
May was a busy and productive month for the Resource Recovery & Waste Management team. Here are some highlights:
Facility Maintenance and Operations
Recyclables and waste from the Killiecrankie and Lady Barron Waste Transfer Stations were transported to Whitemark, where waste in the active tipping area was compacted and covered. New signage, bollards, barriers, and gates were installed at the Whitemark Waste Facility. These measures are designed to improve traffic flow, mitigate fall hazards, and secure restricted areas, ensuring a safer and more organised facility. The team also continued the essential task of clearing and stacking end-of-life vehicles. Additionally, staff supervised booked disposals in the hard waste area, ensuring they were conducted safely and efficiently.
Recycling Efforts
Substantial recycling efforts and community involvement occurred. Over six and a half tonnes of recyclables were shipped off the island, including:
- 1109 kilograms of aluminium cans
- 755 kilograms of scrap metal
- 4875 kilograms of lead-acid batteries
- 9.2 kilograms of various products collected through the Community Recycling Hub
The May Cash-4-Cans sorting event saw eight volunteers sorting through the last of our aluminium can backlog. Thirty bulk bags full of aluminium cans were decontaminated and baled, resulting in three bales ready for shipment next month. This recycling initiative will now transition to hosting events every two to three months. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the wonderful volunteers for their hard work over the last year.
The Community Recycling Hub collected 14.7 kg of eligible products this month. We appreciate the community's continued efforts in sorting and recycling properly. This brings the total amount diverted from landfill to 169.8 kilograms.
Administration
The team has been actively working on several key initiatives to enhance waste management processes and meet regulatory requirements. The monthly waste disposal data was collated, verified, and reported to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE). In line with the Waste and Resource Recovery Act 2022, the annual landfill volumetric survey has been scheduled for July. This survey will enable NRE to compare the total waste deposited at the landfill with the amounts reported as disposed. Over the last year we have been diligently monitoring and checking all incoming waste at the Whitemark Waste Facility to ensure accuracy of this comparison.
Meetings were held with stakeholders to explore management options for our mixed hard waste and motor oil stockpiles. Progress continued on the Recycling Modernisation Fund project, with updated budget, project plans, and site layout details sent to the funding body. Additionally, the team has started drafting the Waste Acceptance Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to standardise and streamline operations, ensuring consistency and efficiency in our management practices.
Opening Hours Survey
The Resource Recovery & Waste Management team is seeking your input to better structure the opening hours at the Whitemark Waste Facility. Council is committed to providing 18 hours of service per week. By completing this survey, you can help us ensure that these hours are scheduled to offer the best possible service within our current limitations. Thank you for your time and input.
Survey link: https://forms.office.com/r/NTMDVVHq8e
Following a recent safety incident involving a community member in the hard waste area, we've implemented new safety measures at the Whitemark Waste Facility.-
Tuesday: 8:00 am to 10:00 am
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Wednesday: 8:30 am to 11:30 am
Waste Updates — April 2024
Facility Maintenance and Operations:
Throughout April, the Waste Team continued their efforts in maintaining and operating our waste facilities. A concerted effort was made to clean up tyres, batteries, and gas bottles that were incorrectly disposed of in the hard waste area. Additionally, new signage was placed on the refurbished skip bins at the waste transfer stations and the green waste disposal area at Lady Barron.
Recycling Efforts:
Throughout April, the Community Recycling Hub received 22.2kg of eligible products. Notably, the percentage of ineligible products dropped to 2%, reflecting improved sorting practices. Thank you to the many community members that are participating. We would like to also announce that there are now three new programs being collected at the tip office:
- Cling wrap, snack and sandwich zip lock bags, and freezer bags (clean please!)
- Maxtra+ water filters
- Razor blades including their hard and soft plastic packing.
If you have any questions about these or any of the other recycling programs, please get in touch by email wastemanagement@flinders.tas.gov.au or call 03 6359 5001.
Cash-4-Cans
The April Cash-4-Cans sorting event successfully sorted thirty bulk bags of aluminium cans. A total of 6 bales are ready for shipment next month. It is estimated that with one more well-supported event, this recycling initiative will be able to transition to hosting events every two to three months. A big thank you to Nicole Schubert, Anne Rae, Bronwyn Stubbs, Janet Toonen, and Marika Godbehere for their impressive sorting efforts.
drumMUSTER
A reminder that the Whitemark Waste Facility hosts monthly drumMUSTER drop-off days on the first Wednesday of every month between 8:30 and 11:30 am. Please triple-rinse your Ag and Vet drums before you drop them off. If you can’t make these events and you have a large stockpile, please get in touch and we may be able to organise an alternate day and time.
How much Waste?
217.68 tonnes of leviable waste was received in April and reported to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE) at the Whitemark Waste Facility.
New initiatives
A new Green Waste woodchipper has been ordered and plans for a new shed at the Whitemark Waste Facility are underway.
Waste Updates — March 2024
Facility Maintenance and Operations:
During March, our team has been busy maintaining and operating our waste facilities. We've been handling everything from moving waste and recyclables to managing the active tipping areas. Efforts were particularly directed towards the maintenance of our transfer station skip bins, which underwent thorough cleaning, sandblasting, and repainting. While most skip bins have been refurbished successfully, one awaits completion as it required additional structural repairs. We want to remind businesses that it's important to use the Whitemark Waste Facility whenever possible. This helps make sure there's enough space for residents to dispose of their household waste at the Lady Barron Waste Transfer Station.
Recycling Efforts:
March also marked a period of focus on recycling initiatives. We are proud to report progress in recycling aluminium, lead-acid batteries, cooking oil, and products collected through the Recycling Hub. In total, a remarkable 4,400 kilograms of recyclable materials were shipped off the island for recovery. These efforts showcase our commitment to promoting sustainable waste management practices and reducing our environmental footprint.
Administration:
In addition to our operational activities, March saw comprehensive explorations into management options for waste motor oil storage and transportation, refrigerant reclamation, and recycling solutions for our mixed hard waste stockpile. These investigations are ongoing as we strive to identify and implement effective solutions for managing our waste streams and stockpiles responsibly. Furthermore, our team diligently prepared two submissions for the High Priority Infrastructure Grant, focusing on upgrading motor oil collection points and procuring a vertical baler for bulk bag processing. Additionally, March's waste data was collated, interrogated, and reported to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE). These reporting efforts play a crucial role in informing decision-making processes and resource allocation, ensuring that our waste management practices remain transparent, efficient, and environmentally sound.
Waste Updates — January 2024
As we kick off the new year, our waste management team has been hard at work maintaining our facilities, sorting recyclables, and preparing aluminium bales and lead acid batteries for transport off-island. Behind the scenes, our team has been diligently fulfilling our waste data reporting obligations and reviewing community feedback from the proposed waste strategy. Additionally, we've been actively seeking out solutions for managing hazardous wastes to ensure compliance with regulations and promote environmental sustainability. Inspections of our facilities have provided valuable insights into areas where we can enhance our practices. We've identified gaps in our current processes and are working to address these challenges.
Appropriate disposal of hazardous waste materials is a priority for us. While we work on enhancing the current infrastructure and signage, please take note of the following information:
Hazardous Waste Disposal
Hazardous materials require special handling and disposal procedures to ensure the safety of our community and environment. The following materials may be disposed of at Whitemark Waste Facility, but please note that there are restrictions and specific disposal requirements. Please reach out to our waste management team for more details.
• Agricultural & veterinary chemical drums — empty & triple rinsed.
• Asbestos containing materials — by prior arrangement only.
• Clinical waste — by prior arrangement only.
• Cooking oil — within sealed containers.
• Expired marine flares.
• Fire extinguishers.
• Fluorescent tubes.
• Gas bottles — empty
• Household batteries (AA, AAA, button, 9v, etc) — both terminals taped.
• Lead acid batteries.
• Motor oil & oil filters — within sealed containers.
• Tyres — de-rimmed.
It is important to remember that these materials must never be disposed of in general or hard waste bins, stockpiles, or within the landfill. Failure to adhere to these disposal guidelines may pose risks to public health and the environment.
If you have hazardous materials that need to be disposed of, please reach out to our waste management team for advice and guidance on appropriate disposal methods.
Lady Barron Waste Transfer Station
This facility underwent a makeover, with resurfacing, gravel addition and the removal of stockpiled green waste, to improve traffic flow and operational activities. While we continue to enhance this facility, please note that currently only the following streams are accepted:
• General Waste
• Cardboard (flattened, please!)
• Glass
• Aluminium cans
• Scrap metal
• Green Waste
Disposal of motor oil and lead acid batteries is suspended until containment areas are implemented. Please note that mixed builders’ waste, white goods, tyres, and cooking oil are no longer accepted at this facility. However, these items can be disposed of at the Whitemark Waste Facility during its opening times:
Mon, Fri & Sun: 13:30–16:30
Tue & Thu: 07:00–10:00
Wed: 08:30–11:30