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Christmas is a time for traditions, and this year, Warrnambool City Council residents can once again count on the popular extra recycling collection to help manage the holiday cheer.
All households can put their yellow-lidded recycling bin out for collection every week from December 29 until January 11.
There are no changes to anyone's bin nights during this time, although to facilitate the extra work required, bins must be out by 6pm.
All other bins (landfill, glass, FOGO) will be picked up on their usual fortnightly frequency.
Warrnambool Mayor Cr Ben Blain said that the extra pick-up would make things easier at a time of year where bins can fill quickly.
“The Christmas and New Year period is a time where recyclables can quickly accumulate, so the extra recycling collection is definitely welcomed by many,” he said.
“And it’s an especially important time to make sure you don’t miss a collection, so please make sure your bins are out by 6pm on your usual bin night as trucks will be coming earlier to help them manage the extra recycling collections.”
Find out more about kerbside collections in Warrnambool
Top tips for Christmas and New Year
Cr Blain also had some top tips to help you dispose of waste correctly over the holidays.
“Probably the number one issue at this time of year is white packaging foam – polystyrene,” he said.
“Firstly, it’s doesn’t go in your recycling bin. It may have a triangle with a number printed on it, which people sometimes confuse with a recycling symbol. This is in fact a resin code, and doesn’t mean it goes in your recycling bin,” he said.
“The second thing with polystyrene is that while it goes in your red-lidded landfill bin, it needs to be tied up in a garbage bag first.
The reason for this is that if left loose, it gets crushed easily and there’s a greater risk of it either blowing away and ending up in the environment, or clogging mechanical equipment on the trucks.
“Wrapping paper goes in your yellow-lidded recycling bin, as long as it’s made of paper and not foil, and with gift bags, if you can’t re-use them, then you can remove the rope handles and put them in your recycling bin – again as long as they are paper or cardboard and not the shiny foil ones.
“Other things to remember: all food waste, including bones, goes in your FOGO bin and recyclables should be clean before going in either the glass or recycling bin.
“And if you have a real Christmas tree, you can drop it off for free at the Warrnambool Community Garden between December 26 and January 26 where it will be turned into mulch.”
Take the Warrnambool Rubbish and Recycling quiz
With support from Sustainability Victoria, Council is also conducting a kerbside waste education campaign, part of which is a community survey.
“When it comes to thoughtfully disposing of waste, most people want to do the right thing. But with so many different product materials, it's not always straightforward,” Cr Blain said.
“We’re running a survey presented in a quiz format, so it’s a fun way to brush up on the latest information, and for us at Council, it will help us understand where we should focus our education efforts.”