Bin ‘health checks’ set to lift the lid on community waste habits

Council's random checks of household bins which began this week will help to lift the Scenic Rim community's recycling rates and reduce the volume of waste being incorrectly disposed of. 

The first round of bin ‘health checks’, which involve a visual ‘lift of the lid’ check of general waste and recycling bins, will be carried out to collect data that will assist Council in targeting community waste education programs. 

Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen said random checks of household bins on bin collection days would help to reduce the number of recyclables entering the waste stream as well as the contaminants which make recyclable materials difficult process. 

“Please be assured that Council officers will not search through your bins or enter your property to conduct these bin health checks,” he said.  

“Once checked, a tag will be placed on the bin.  

“A green ‘smiley face’ tag will show you are disposing of waste and recyclables correctly, while a red tag will indicate there’s room for improvement and provide constructive feedback on how to improve your waste and recycling habits." 

Mayor Christensen said a regional waste audit by Council in 2022 showed that more than 19 per cent of items placed in yellow-lidded recycling bins should have been disposed of in general waste bins which have a red or green lid.  

“By working together and putting the right items in the right bins, you can help Council produce high quality recyclables, reduce waste to landfill and reduce processing and disposal costs which impact our community,” he said. 

“I encourage you to follow these simple tips before placing recyclable items in your yellow-lid recycling bin: 

• keep recyclables loose, not bagged 
• flatten cardboard to maximise bin space 
• remove caps and lids from bottles and jars and dispose of these in the general waste bin 
• rinse dirty containers, and 
• if in doubt, leave it out, and pop it in your general waste bin with the red or green lid.” 

Residents whose bins receive a green tag during the bin health checks will be entered into a draw to win a $50 Shop Scenic Rim gift card. No personal information will be collected as part of these entries.  

The winner of the gift card will be contacted via a letter posted to their address, providing instructions on how to collect their prize.