Maroondah residents still dumping trash in recycling bins

Maroondah residents have the right intention when it comes to recycling but almost one in 10 items put into recycling bins is rubbish.

As part of National Recycling Week nine Maroondah residents were given a tour of the Dasma Recycling Pty Ltd factory in Lilydale last Tuesday, to learn what could be reused.

Maroondah Council waste educator officer Alicia McArdle said it was a great opportunity to educate people. “It helps us find out what people are actually putting in their bins and how we need to change our education,” she said.

“People can see it doesn’t just come here and sit there, it actually gets made into things.”

More than 150 tonnes of recycling is processed by the facility every day.

A conveyor system allows glass and plastic to be sorted by hand and magnets separate cans.

According to the latest Maroondah Council waste audit, eight per cent of the material residents were putting in recycling bins was rubbish.

Ms McArdle said it was two per cent less than the rest of the region but contamination had increased from last year.

Ringwood mother Sophie Honeyman, on the tour with her six-year-old son Bourne, said it was a good opportunity to find out what could go into her recycling bin. “I wanted to see what happened to recycling for real,” Ms Honeyman said.

“It is good to learn a little bit more about what you can and can’t do.”