More than 6,000 residents attended Central Coast Council’s 2022 household Chemical CleanOut campaign, with 260 tonnes of hazardous waste collected.
Run over four weekends, the program aimed to encourage residents to clear out unwanted and out-of-date hazardous items from homes, garages, and sheds to be correctly disposed for free at nominated Chemical CleanOut locations.
Council’s Unit Manager Waste and Resource Recovery, Andrew Pearce, said the community should be congratulated for taking up the opportunity to dispose of hazardous materials safely, while also allowing for the recovery of reusable materials.
“Incorrect disposal of chemicals, such as dumping, placing in the bin or pouring down drains, are offences that attract fines and penalties, but more importantly, they can also cause serious environmental effects by contaminating our waterways and landfill sites,” he said.
“The Chemical CleanOut campaign is just one of the many resource recovery initiatives offered to residents by Council, beyond their household waste and recycling collection services.”
Pearce said paint was the most common item dropped off at the events, with other items including motor oils and garden chemicals.
This year’s Chemical CleanOut disposal sites were at Long Jetty Depot, Mt Penang Event Park, Charmhaven Depot and the former Kincumber Landfill.
“The Kincumber site was a new site this year and proved extremely convenient for residents in that area,” Pearce said.
Council Administrator, Rik Hart, said once again he was impressed by the ongoing commitment from the community to responsibly dispose of problem wastes.
“In previous years, CleanOut events across the region have attracted consistent, record-breaking numbers – and 2022 was no different,” he said.
“It is clear residents are eager to do the right thing and keep these hazardous materials out of landfills.
“The community have made it very clear to Council that they want us to focus on managing waste in the environment, and we are listening and acting by introducing new recycling and waste management initiatives and processes using new technology and partnering with other stakeholders.”
Pearce said the community can discover more about Council’s waste management by checking the A-Z Waste Disposal and Recycling Guide at 1coast.com.au.
Household Chemical CleanOuts are held bi-annually, with the next scheduled event to be confirmed and promoted in early 2023.
The Household Chemical CleanOut program is a NSW Environment Protection Authority Waste Less, Recycle More initiative funded by the waste levy, brought to you by the NSW Environment Protection Authority, Paintback and Central Coast Council.
Source:
Media release, Aug 30
Central Coast Council