Waste Management

Sorell Council have partnered again in 2024 with Garage Sale Trail for this year’s pre-loved festival. Council are supporting the event, and encourage anyone and everyone to get involved!

Garage Sale Trail encourages people to shop and sell second hand to help reduce the amount of stuff that goes into landfill. Garage Sale Trail is a waste education and behaviour change campaign.

Registrations are free to anyone. Once registering you will have access to others selling in the area, free promotional material, and advice on what to do with left overs once you have completed your sale. Residents and community members can host their own sales or join a local group sale.

The sales run over TWO weekends:

09 – 10 November 2024
16 – 17 November 2024

You can register for both weekends or only one day out of the four. There is no right or wrong way to do it. For those who don’t use email, postal registration forms are available for collection at Council or here.

Shop sales locally within the Sorell Council area and find some one-of-a kind bargains! You don’t want to miss this.

It would be fantastic to see as many residents, community members, and groups get involved as possible.

Here is a link to the Sorell Council microsite: https://www.garagesaletrail.com.au/Sorell

Who is Council’s new Waste Collection Contractor?

Veolia have been awarded the waste contract for general waste, recycling, and the new kerbside green waste collection service.

What new waste services will be introduced?

A new monthly kerbside 240L green waste wheelie bin collection service will commence from 1 July 2024 for residential areas (land use zones General Residential, Low Density, Rural living Zone A, and Village). Vacant properties will not receive a green waste bin.

How can I tell if I am in the collection area?

Please refer to the below collection area maps to check if you are within the collection area. You will also receive a green waste wheelie bin brochure if you are in the collection area.

attached map – Green Waste Collection Area

attached map – Green Waste Overview

Kerbside Green Waste Brochure

When will I get my bin?

A green waste wheelie bin will be delivered to your property between 19 June and 1 July 2024.

What size is my green waste bin?

The green waste wheelie bin is 240L.

When will my collection day be?

Your green waste wheelie bin collection day will be once a month and be the same day as your normal rubbish and recycling collection day. Example: if your rubbish and recycling are collected on a Friday, your green waste bin will also be collected on a Friday.

Waste Management Services Calendar 2024/2025

Can I opt out?

No. Council encourages you to utilise this service. Even if you do not generate a lot of green waste, you need to retain this bin as it will be used for the future food organics and garden organics (FOGO) collection service, likely to commence in 2025/2026.

Can I opt in?

At this stage, Council is not offering an opt-in option for those properties outside of the collection area.

How much do I have to pay?

When you receive your 2024/2025 rates notice in early July, Waste Management Services fees will show an increase reflecting CPI, plus approx. $5 per month for kerbside green waste.

Why are Green Waste wheelie bins being introduced?

Council is committed to actions that help reduce the municipality’s waste footprint. This means the less we send to landfill, the more we help our environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Phase 1 is introducing green waste wheelie bins for your garden organics.

Phase 2 will occur when a new local organics processing facility is established in the next 1 to 2 years. Once the facility is operational, your green waste wheelie bin will become your Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin and collection frequency increased to weekly.

More information on the benefits of FOGO can be found below under the ‘FOGO’ drop down.

I didn’t get my green bin, what should I do?

If you are in the collection area and did not receive a green waste bin by 1st July 2024, there could be a few reasons why, such as; your property is in a new subdivision or your property has not been split from a parent Property ID.

After the initial roll-out of bins, Council will arrange for these type of properties to have a green waste bin delivered.

Providing your property is eligible for a green waste wheelie bin, Council can organise a delivery and apply applicable waste rates. To arrange this, contact our Customer Service Team on 03 6269 0000.

I am building a new home within the collection area, how do I request a green waste bin?

Please complete the below application form to have a green waste wheelie bin delivered:

https://www.sorell.tas.gov.au/recycling-and-garbage-wheelie-bin-application/

Ensure to select ‘240L Green Waste’ and choose your ‘Reason for Application’

My green waste bin has been damaged, how do I get this repaired or replaced?

Please complete the below application form to have your green waste wheelie bin repaired/replaced:

https://www.sorell.tas.gov.au/recycling-and-garbage-wheelie-bin-application/

Ensure to select ‘240L Green Waste’ and choose your ‘Reason for Application’

Can I get additional bins or a smaller/larger bin?

Council has allowed for one 240L green waste bin per property within the collection area. At present, the 240L is the only size available and we are unable to provide additional bins.

What happens to existing bulk green waste and hard waste services?

We are happy to confirm existing collections remain available for both services. However, bulk green waste is now offered four times a year and bulk hard waste twice a year.

Can I still use the bulk green waste service if I have a green waste bin?

Yes. Bookings are still required for this service, so please make sure you book in for bulk green waste before 12 noon on the Friday before your collection week.

Waste Collection Bookings

Will there be any changes to my garbage and recycling collection?

The existing weekly garbage and fortnightly recycling will initially remain unchanged from 1 July 2024.

Do’s & Dont’s & Helpful Tips

DO:

Place your bin out for collection the night before or no later than 6am on collection day.

Ensure your green waste wheelie bin is placed kerbside with 1 metre between other wheelie bins and obstacles such as poles, or trees.

Number your bin lid to protect from loss or theft.

Remove bin from kerbside as soon as possible after collection.

Place the bin with handles facing your property.

If your bin is not collected on your normal collection day, contact Customer Service on 03 6269 0000.

What can be put into your green waste bin:

DON’T:

Place bins behind a parked car or other obstacle.

Overload the bin or make it too heavy (maximum 80kg)

What cannot be put into your green waste bin:

If you have any other questions in relation to the new kerbside green waste service, please contact Customer Service on 03 6269 0000.

Garbage collection occurs weekly

What you can place in your garbage bins:

We WILL collect:

• food scraps
• disposable nappies
• small broken household items such as china and glassware
• plastic bags, garbage bags, and non recyclable plastic and food packaging.

We WILL NOT collect:

• building materials
• batteries (drop household batteries at the recycling area at the Mornington Park Waste Transfer Station
• chemicals (caustics, acids, thinners/solvents)
• medical waste (sharps)
• medicine/drugs
• heavy metals
• herbicides and pesticides
• dyes and colours
• tyres
• glues and adhesives
• asbestos
• recyclable packaging (place this in your yellow recycling bin)

Important information on waste collection

Please observe these requirements to assist with your waste collection:
– Number your bin lid to protect against loss or theft.
– Remove bin from kerbside as soon as possible after collection.
– Bag all items, especially dust and loose materials, to prevent jamming and avoid spillage during collection.
– The bins are for domestic waste only – food scraps and non-recyclable materials.
– Do NOT put bricks, heavy timber or steel in the bin as these materials can damage the collection equipment.
– Do NOT place rubbish beside or on top of the bin.

Tips for ensuring your bins are collected

– Place your bin out for collection the night before or no later than 6am on collection day.
– Make sure there is a distance of at least 1 metre between your bins and any obstacles such as a pole or tree.
– Bins must face the road with handles facing your house
– Don’t place your bin behind a parked car or other obstacle.
– Don’t overload the bin. The lid should be fully closed.

• Recycling collection occurs fortnightly on the same day as your garbage collection.

How to use the recycling bin service

Your recycling bin should be used as a first option to discard the recyclable materials and to avoid disposing them in the garbage bin. Recycling bins should be placed at the kerbside with the wheels facing away from the road by 6.00am on the collection day. For residents with a shared bin service where there is no kerbside space, the bins are to be left in the bin enclosure for the contractor to remove and empty the bins. When placing bins on kerbside ensure the bin is clear of obstructions such as trees with overhanging branches, poles and signs. Allow spacing of 1 metre between other bins or garbage wheelie bins. Bins will be emptied between 6.00am and 6.00pm. Bins presented late will not be emptied. Please ensure that your recycling wheelie bin has been loaded correctly and that there are no loose or large items in the bin that have caused the contents to lodge inside the bin. Do not secure the recyclable materials in plastic bags.

Recycling Contamination

If you put non-recyclable items in your recycling bin, it will not be collected. If your recycling is contaminated it can mean an entire truck load of recyclables cannot be recycled. Recycling collection occurs fortnightly on the same day as your normal garbage collection.

Putting non-recyclable items in the recycling bin is called ‘contamination’. If your bin is contaminated it won’t be collected, as a few contaminated bins can mean an entire truckload of recyclables cannot be recycled. Please make an effort to recycle right!

Plastic bags are the most common contaminant found in recycling. Plastic bags CANNOT be placed in the recycling bin:
– they should be reused;
– returned to a supermarket and placed in the plastic bag recycling station;
– or disposed of in your garbage bin.

Do not place the following items in your recycling bin:

• Domestic Waste – garden or household
• Ceramics, pottery, cookware and cutlery
• Plastic bags
• Window glass or broken glass
• Clothing or shoes
• Oil, acid or chemical containers
• Nappies
• Asbestos

Recycling Other Items

Here is a list of what you can recycle and items that can’t go in your wheelie bin –

TAS Recycling Infographic

A-Z Recycling Guide

Please click on the link below to make your Green or Hard Waste Bookings:

Waste Collection Bookings – Sorell Council

Bulk green waste is collected four times a year, and is only available to residents who currently have kerbside pick-up of rubbish.

Green waste needs to be placed on a tarp, in an open rigid container (other than a wheelie bin) or tied in bundles. DO NOT put it in plastic bags or cardboard boxes as it will not be collected.

Green waste must be:

• Less than 1.5 metres in length.
• No thicker than 20 cm in diameter.
• 2 cubic metres maximum.
• Easily lifted by 2 people.

Bulk hard waste is collected twice a year and is only available to residents who currently have kerbside pick-up of rubbish.

Hard Waste must be:

• Less than 1.5 metres in length.
• 2 cubic metres maximum.
• Easily lifted by two people.

Items that will NOT be collected:

• Fridges and freezers.
• Hazardous materials (e.g. tyres, batteries or asbestos).
• Broken glass or building rubble.
• Car bodies or engine blocks.
• Chemicals or liquids (e.g. paints and oils).
• Normal household rubbish or gas bottles.

For your Bulk Green and Hard Waste to be collected, it is essential that you book your collections in.

This can be done via:

Online – using the above booking link

Phone –  6269 0000

All waste must be placed on the nature strip the weekend prior to your scheduled collection week. Council’s contractor will collect your green and hard waste during the scheduled collection week. Littering fines can be enforced for any items that are placed out earlier than permitted.

If your waste is not pre-booked or does not comply with the size limits or material requirements, it will not be collected.

What does FOGO refer to

FOGO is the acronym for ‘Food Organics, Garden Organics.’

FOGO is all types of organic materials – from food scraps to lawn clippings and much more. Council is developing education material that explains what organics are suitable to be disposed of.

When FOGO is introduced, residents can dispose of it in the green waste bin which is collected kerbside from all properties within the collection area.

Why is Council introducing FOGO?

Diverting organics for landfill is the most significant action Council can take to reduce our corporate greenhouse gas emissions.

To successfully introduce FOGO, it requires a new facility to be built to turn the organics  into a valuable resource (compost) Further information on the composting facility will be announced during 2024/25.

The Tasmanian Government set the target of reducing the volume of organic waste sent to landfill by 25% by 2025, and 50% by 2030, under The Tasmanian Draft Waste Action Plan (2019).

In the National Waste Policy Action Plan, the Australian Government with States and Territories have agreed to:

• Support the development of infrastructure to process organic waste by 2022
• Introduce FOGO collection services to households and businesses by 2023.
• Halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill for disposal by 2030.
• Achieve an 80% average resource recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030.

The Plan also aims to reduce annual total waste generated in Australia by 10% per person by 2030. That amounts to about 300 kg reduction of waste per person per year.

Reducing and recovering organic waste will help us meet this goal. Bin audits have shown 40-60% of waste currently sent to landfill is organic waste.

RECYCLING HUB

The Sorell Recycling Hub is a dedicated special item recycling facility located in the Council Offices.

This facility provides the community a place to recycle small items that are recyclable but are not included in kerbside collection. It diverts materials containing heavy metals from landfill and helps support the circular economy.

Items we are currently collecting include:

• Batteries
• Mobile Phones
• Printer cartridges
• Small e-waste items
• Medical x-rays
• Plastic bread tags
• CD’s & DVD’s
• Fluorescent light globes
• Medicinal blister packs

Items can be dropped into the Recycling Hub during Council’s opening hours – 8.00am to 4.30pm Monday through Friday.

RECYCLING CENTRES

Council has two community recycling centres which are accessible 24 hours, 7 days per week:

• Sorell Recycling Centre – Stores Lane, Sorell
• Dodges Ferry Recycling Centre – 538 Old Forcett Road (behind the Dodges Ferry Football Clubrooms)

Dodges Ferry Recycling Centre

Recycling Centres only take surplus materials from kerbside recycling bins such as cardboard, paper, aluminium and steel cans, plastic and glass bottles. Please do not leave domestic rubbish, oil, tyres, whitegoods etc. this is littering and you may receive a fine (ranging from $200 to over $3000).

Recycling Centres are emptied 2-3 times per week, please do not leave stacked on the ground, this causes litter.

The Sorell Municipality does not have a transfer station. Most items that cannot be collected as part of the normal collection services provided by Council can be taken to the Mornington Park Waste Transfer Station located at 126 Mornington Road, Mornington.

For full details including fees, contact the Mornington Park Waste Transfer Station on 6282 3200 or visit https://www.morningtonparkwaste.com.au/

To request a new or replacement garbage, recycling or green waste bin please fill out the online application form here.

If you are the tenant of the property, the owner/property manager is required to complete and sign this form as there may be some additional costs involved with the replacement of the bins.

There may be a fee associated with this replacement.

2024-2025 Annual Fees and Charges

Council offers a delivery service for new and replacement garbage, recycle, and green waste bins every Wednesday.

Wheelie Bin Collection Days

Sorell Municipal Waste Collection Maps

attached map – Green Waste Collection Area

attached map – Green Waste Overview

Sorell Council – Waste Management Services Calendar – 2024/2025

2024-2025 Annual Fees and Charges:

Council has a policy for waste collection from multi-unit developments which provides guidance to developers and residents on waste collection services provided.

You can read it here: Guidelines for Multi Unit Developments  (refer pages 9 – 19)

If you are experiencing difficulty putting your wheelie bins out for collection, Council can arrange a driver assist service with the Waste Contractor.

There are no additional fees for this service however, an application is required for submission to Council and a medical certificate from your Doctor is to be provided with this.

The Contractor must also be able to service your bins safely.

Please contact us to discuss your options on 03 6269 0000 or by submitting an enquiry via the website Contact Us.