Wollongong City Council is giving local residents the chance to save money and help reduce landfill by downsizing their red-top bin before the end of February 2011.

By opting for an 80 litre bin over the largest 240 litre size, residents can not only avoid the usual $60 changeover fee, but reduce their annual domestic waste management levy by over $250. It can also cut each household’s domestic waste output by thousands of litres each year.

Council’s Director of Planning and Environment, Andrew Carfield, said by downsizing their bin, residents would not only be saving money, but also be working with Council to build a greener future.

“We encourage everyone to take this opportunity and reduce their household waste by changing to a smaller bin,” said Mr. Carfield.

“By doing so, you can save money, save resources and help create a cleaner environment for everyone.”

“There are many ways residents can reduce the amount of material in their red-top bins, such as composting food scraps or setting up your own worm farm,” Mr Carfield said.

The closing date for a free change of bin size is Monday, 28 February. Any applications submitted after this date will incur the regular fee.

The new garbage bin will be delivered to applicants prior to or during July 2011.

For more information or an application form, contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on 4227 7111 or visit Council’s website www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au.

More ideas on how to reduce your domestic waste output can be obtained by calling Council’s Green Team on 4227 7105 or booking in for a free Waste-Wise workshop at Wollongong Botanic Garden’s Discovery Centre.