A trip to the local recycling centre may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the ‘Recycle Street’ project aims to at least make it easier and more accessible for local residents.
The Helensvale Waste and Recycling Centre is the first site of the Recycle Street initiative by City of Gold Coast and aims to encourage good recycling behaviours by treating each recyclable material as a product that can be dropped off at store-front style self-service stations.
It’s designed not only to encourage greater recycling but also to curb contamination that was being caused by residents incorrectly recycling or not recycling certain items. This is an overarching issue in Australian recycling, with China’s recent restriction on the import of recyclable material focusing primarily on the high rate of contamination of those materials.
Ease of use for the facility is also a key concern for the City, with residents able to check online to find out if there’s a queue before they make their trip to Recycle Street. Convenience is a key factor in decision making in recycling, and it will be interesting to see if these changes lead to the outcomes that the council is hoping for.
Recycle Street is also aimed at reducing the need for new landfill space and extending the lifespan of existing local landfill, key concerns for communities that inevitably expand closer to landfill over time.
Positive Action
- We’re looking for more feel good stories around recycling, if you represent or work for a council or business doing something interesting in this space, we would love to hear about it! Get in touch at pr@planetark.org.
- For more information on what can and can't be recycled in your area, plus how to get it recycled, visit Recycling Near You.
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