Wollongong City Council will be undertaking an audit of a small number of household waste bins during October.

The audit – of about 366 bins across the city – will enable Council to collect data on household quantities and waste characteristics that will assist Council in achieving its target to reduce waste to landfill and to also gain a snapshot as to how many households are recycling and composting to reduce their waste.

Council’s Waste Services Manager Kathleen Packer said the audit will be undertaken of random bins and steps will be taken to ensure the privacy of all the sampled households.

“It is essential that Council gain information on a number of issues, such as how full the bins are and what percentage of recyclable and organic materials are in the red-lidded bins,” Mrs Packer said.

“This confidential audit will help Council determine how we are going in encouraging householders to reuse, recycle and compost garden and organic food waste.  With this information it will help Council determine what educational programs we should provide to help households with their waste, what they can recycle, and how they can reduce their waste.”

The audit also will look at the breakdown of waste into various types including hazardous waste, glass, plastics, and electronic waste. It will provide information on Wollongong City’s waste generation which can be compared to other local governments in NSW.

The information from the audit will be reported to the incoming Council later this year and to the State Government to assist in developing programs to support the NSW Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy.
 
Any household wishing to be excluded from the audit should inform Council in writing before 9 September. Letters should be sent to the Waste Services Manager, City Works Division, Locked Bag 8821, Wollongong DC NSW 2500.
 
For more information you should visit the Council’s website or contact Council’s Customer Service centre on (02) 4227 7111.