Are you a good sort? Audits happening now
• Dorset Council's Animal Management Officer Wayne Churchill who has been helping with the inspections.
• If you’ve effectively sorted your recyclables, you may find one of these on your bin!
By Daisy Baker
March 04, 2020
Residents in Bridport and Scottsdale might have noticed a tag on their recycling bin this week, on the back of the Dorset Council recommencing their bin audits.
Around 300 recycling bins in Bridport were checked and tagged on Monday, with more audited in Scottsdale on Wednesday.
Dorset Council project officer Bridget Waterhouse said they have teamed up with Cradle Coast Waste Services to implement the Kerbside Recycling Assessment Program.
“The program will see random bin checks occurring throughout the municipality with the aim to help educate and advise residents on what can and what cannot be placed in recycling bins,” she said.
“Officers will be randomly checking recycling bins throughout Bridport and Scottsdale initially with the other communities to follow.
“Officers will tag bins as ‘pass’, ‘needs improvement’ or ‘fail’ depending on bin contents and provide corresponding information for the resident.”
Those receiving a ‘pass’ rating were given a tag that read ‘you’re a good sort’, while those with a needs improvement or fail were given additional information, with the relevant area highlighted.
“To date the biggest issue the team has found has been beautifully separated recyclables tied up in a plastic bag,” she said.
“Plastic bags are unable to be recycled through kerbside collection and must only be recycled through a dedicated soft plastics recycling program for instance REDcycle bin at Woolies.”
Glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and containers and aerosols containers can all be recycled with the lids off.
Rinsed steel and aluminium cans, and clean, loose paper and cardboard is also allowed.
Meanwhile soft plastics, tetra packs, garbage and garbage bags should not be recycled.