Forbes Shire Council is introducing a new kerbside waste service from April 4 next year.
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The familiar red and yellow lidded bins will still be part of the service but there will also be a new green lidded bin for collection of your food and garden waste.
A council survey earlier this year of 400 residents revealed 75 per cent were in favour of the green lid bin being added to the service.
The frequency of collection will be weekly for the green lidded bin and fortnightly for both the red and yellow lidded bins.
Further samples taken by council indicated 80 per cent of residents surveyed were in favour of Forbes Shire Council reducing waste and landfill and the green lidded organic bin will contribute to that.
Forbes Shire Council resource officer Leon Ross said the new system puts greater onus on residents to take extra care when disposing of their rubbish and to display an element of diligence.
“It does come back to the residents to a degree,” Mr Ross said.
“Reducing waste going to landfill and putting the right things in the right bins as well as ensuring that sanitation services work effectively are all part of the new objective.”
The bin size will remain the same at 240 litres and completely new bins will be provided, with the option to keep your old bins for use around the yard.
Alternatively you can leave your old bins by the kerb on the first collection of the new bins and council’s contractor JR Richards and Sons will collect them.
If you put your old bins out to the kerb for collection after the new service has started, they will not be emptied.
The new service has been supported by recent audits conducted by council that show the average red lidded bin on collection day is 57 per cent full, and of that volume, 60 per cent is food and garden waste.
There will be a range of educational and supporting materials on how to use the new three bin system, along with collection timetables and what is allowed in each bin.
As part of the new bin system you will also be given a bench top kitchen caddy to put your kitchen scraps in before emptying to your green bin. The food and garden waste will be sent to an industrial composting facility, where they will be composted to be processed for use on gardens.
Forbes Shire Council is one of three councils in the region entering into food and garden waste collection, along with Parkes Shire Council and Bathurst Regional Council.
The intention of the new system is to reduce waste going to landfill and increase resource recovery in Forbes Shire.
“It is a positive step,” Mr Ross said.