Tourists flock to Sydney to visit its most popular tourist spots like the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Aside from its beautiful sites, people soon discover that Sydney is one of the best cities to settle. It was ranked in 2018 as the fifth most liveable city in the world based on its stability, health care, culture, education, and infrastructure.
Sydney is Australia’s most populated city, with around five million people. Although there are benefits to having a dense population, the increasing number of garbage is quickly becoming a problem. There is an urgent need to address the rubbish removal in Sydney.
Based on its latest figures, the Environment Protection Authority estimates that Sydney’s spare landfill will have a capacity of 2.1 million tonnes per year. Statistics show that the volume of waste falls under the following major categories – beverage containers, takeaway containers, print and advertising wastes, cigarettes, domestic containers, and industrial containers.
Although the Australian government is doing its part to solve the problem, residents can help by working with groups involved in recycling and rubbish removal in Sydney.
How will they implement it? By applying the 4Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle.
Supporting the three-bin system
Families, perhaps as a weekend activity, should check their homes for unused items like old mattresses, furniture, and clothes.
Unnecessary white goods like refrigerators, washing machines, and stoves need more space for temporary storage. Garbage agencies usually suggest how to pack these appropriately before picking up.
The 4Rs initiative led to the three-bin rubbish system to dispose of daily garbage according to its kind. Collection days will depend on the address.
Yellow lid bins – Recycling
These include recyclable items like:
- Papers (magazines, newspapers, junk mail, envelopes)
- Cardboards (egg cartons, boxes, milk cartons)
- Glass bottles
- Aluminum and steel cans
- Empty aerosol cans
- Rigid plastic containers like shampoo, drink bottles, and yogurt containers
Green lid bins – Organics
Organic items are:
- Garden waste like leaves, weeds, flowers, prunings
- Pet poop that is not in plastic bags
- Hair
- Scraps of fruits and vegetables
- Leftover cooked food
- Teabags and coffee
- Meat, seafood, bread, grains
- Cake, cheese, yogurt
Red lid bins – Others
Some examples of items that do not fall under the categories of recycling or organic items are
- Soft plastics
- Nappies
- Ropes and hoses
- Broken crockery and glassware
- Old clothes and rags
- Polystyrene
For guidance in classifying items, people can contact groups involved in rubbish removal in Sydney.
Learning from the food scraps recycling trial
As part of Sydney’s “Leave Nothing to Waste” action plan, the “food scraps collection trial” targets to stymie 90% of food waste from landfills by 2030.
Participating households have a small kitchen caddy, compostable caddy liner bags, and a food scrap bin to separate food scraps easily. The waste can be converted into renewable electricity and fertilizer. Aside from nourishing the garden soil, there is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
While awaiting the results of the trial, people can avoid food waste in four practical ways:
- Planning meals so that the pantry is almost empty before the next grocery trip
- Shopping wisely by buying only ingredients that are part of the week’s menu
- Finding creative ways to serve leftovers
- Avoiding perishables by storing food correctly
While families practice efficient waste management, it is best to partner with professional rubbish removal specialists who practice safe and “green-friendly” disposal.
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