More than a third of Geelong’s 35,000 cubic metres of hard waste has gone to recycling rather than landfill so far, according to council.
Cleanaway, the contractor for the trial service, recycled about 37 per cent of hard waste it collected from greater Geelong households over six months, City Hall said.
Geelong Mayor Bruce Harwood said the “great result” reflected council’s commitment to limiting waste going to landfill.
The figure was above the average 25 per cent recycling rate for the service, offered by most metropolitan Melbourne councils, according to City Hall.
Cleanaway had collected hard waste from 12,309 greater Geelong homes from April to September, according to council data.
That represents almost one in every nine households across the municipality. The trial, which began 1 April, will continue until 30 June 2020.
Cr Harwood urged residents yet to access the service to make a booking.
“We encourage residents who are looking to do a spring clean to consider their disposal options and to check out what can be accepted through the book-in hard waste collection.”
He also encouraged locals to visit www.geelongaustralia.com.au/hardwaste for more information.
Residents who accessed the service from April to June this year were eligible to receive another hard waste collection during 2019/2020, he added.
The service allows ratepayers and residents to dispose of bulky items not accepted in the three residential kerbside bins.
This includes couches and other furniture, white goods, computers, carpets and rugs.
Small amounts of timber, scrap metal, roofing and guttering less than 1.5m in length are also allowed.
Hard waste must be less than three cubic metres in volume – equal to a pile 3m long, 1m high and 1m wide.
Meanwhile, Council is yet to announce an end to Geelong’s household recycling being diverted to landfill as a result of Victoria’s waste crisis.
SKM, which previously processed Geelong’s recycling, went into liquidation this year, causing work to cease at its South Geelong depot.
But Cleanaway, SKM’s receiver, had resumed normal recycling services for six Victorian councils, 9News reported on Tuesday.
