In a surprising move, waste educators in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) are inspecting over 1,000 bins a week to educate residents on proper waste disposal.
The program, which started last month, aims to reduce contamination and improve resource recovery. But is it educational or intrusive?
A Canberra Resident’s Surprise
A Canberra resident was shocked to find a bright yellow tag on his recycling bin, informing him of a little-known mistake he was making.
The tag highlighted two types of items that shouldn’t be thrown away – soft plastics and receipts. But why are these items a problem?
Despite their paper appearance, most receipts are coated in chemicals that make them unsuitable for recycling.
Similarly, soft plastics and disposable coffee cups are often incorrectly thrown into recycling bins, when they actually belong in the general waste bin.
How the Bin Inspection Programs Work
The ACT Government, in partnership with Envirocom Australia, selects streets at random to have their bins inspected every week.
“Waste educators” inspect approximately 600 recycling bins and 500 green waste and FOGO bins across various suburbs each week.
The program is purely educational, and officials insist no fines or penalties will be imposed. Bins will still be collected as normal, unless hazardous material is discovered.
Is Someone Going Through My Rubbish?
Yes, the inspectors do open the bins to look at the items inside, but they only observe material on or near the top.
They may move a few items from the top surface to provide accurate feedback.
The inspectors only look at bins already on the kerb for collection and carry a letter of authorisation from the government if any resident is unsure of what they are doing.
Bin Tags: Helpful or Humiliating?
While some residents find bin tags to be a welcome bit of education, others find it too intrusive.
One Essendon mum, Kali, told Yahoo News she felt “shamed” by the note on her bin, which informed her she had mistakenly put reusable shopping bags into her recycling bin.
Residents who are unsure of what can and can’t be recycled can download the Recycle Mate app, which allows you to search for any product and finds out which bin it belongs in.
Do you think bin inspection programs are a good way to educate residents about proper waste disposal, or are they an invasion of privacy?
Let us know in the comments!