Don’t dump your DIY junk

The City of Ballarat has a message for residents carrying out home projects – “don’t dump your DIY junk” in your yellow recycling bin. 

Contamination in Ballarat’s recycling bins is usually around 15 per cent but, during COVID-19, has risen to 20-25 per cent. The City of Ballarat’s aim is to reduce this to just five per cent. 

A large part of this contamination is DIY project waste, such as timber, metal pipes, garden hoses, porcelain, eWaste, soft plastics, and textiles, which must be sorted out of general recycling and transported back to landfill at an increased cost to ratepayers. 

The City of Ballarat will also go out to tender for its recycling services within the next 12 months, with higher yellow bin contamination rates also potentially increasing the contract price. 

Most importantly, less yellow bin contamination means more of our recycling can be reused in new products, such as bench seats or bollards. 

So, what can you do with your DIY waste? Load it up in a trailer and take it to the Ballarat Transfer Station, using your free vouchers recently distributed to all residents (up to one cubic metre per voucher) via mail. 

Correct materials to put loose in your yellow recycling bin are: 

• Rinsed plastic bottles and containers from your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry 
• Rinsed aluminium cans and rinsed aluminium trays 
• Clean paper and cardboard 

Incorrect materials to put in your yellow recycling bin are: 

• Timber 
• Glass – take to a Pass on Glass site 
• Plastic bags wrapped around recyclables 
• Food waste 
• Textiles 
• Electrical waste such as toy cars 

City of Ballarat councillor Belinda Coates said Ballarat is also transitioning to a circular economy. 

“This is where we repurpose a lot of waste to make sure we are using all of our resources to their full extent, and not just throwing it all into landfill. We can all do our part by ensuring we keep our recycling bins free of our DIY project waste,” Cr Coates said. 

For Ballarat Transfer Station opening hours and other information visit ballarat.vic.gov.au.