Chamber calls for recycling service

The Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has urged Gosford Council to include a comprehensive recycling service in the new waste contract.

"This service needs to include all recyclable goods that currently go to landfill sites, including electrical appliances and furniture as well as green waste," said Chamber secretary Mr Mark Snell.

"Many other Australian and overseas communities have financially viable, successful, comprehensive recycling services.

"We are also keen to encourage the additional local employment opportunities provided by such services."

In a letter to the council, Mr Snell said: "We are concerned that previous attempts in Gosford to implement such services have been ill-conceived, ill-fated and based on poor business models.

"The contract needs to ensure that recycling is encouraged while landfill disposal is discouraged."

The Chamber's submission said the contract should ensure that recycling efforts were focussed at the source, instead of at the destination, the tip.

It suggested a number of other measures be included.

Recycling collections, including bulk kerbside collections, should be made promptly.

Public recycling collection facilities (eg different coloured glass bins and can bins) should be provided and cleared regularly in populous areas.

The contractor should treat recyclable material as a valuable resource rather than "junk". The standard and quality of storage, handling and retail sale facilities proposed should reflect this.

A sophisticated approach was required for collection of both household and business recyclable waste and to the salvage of recyclable material from the tip.

The Chamber was concerned that recycling efforts were not prejudiced by potential conflicts of interest which can arise if separate entities are operating various elements of the "waste" system.

It was important that employees did not sabotage recycling efforts.

Salvaging rights and procedures needed to be clearly defined and monitored.

The Chamber suggested that any recyclable material not recovered by the contractor should be available through properly managed public scavenging opportunities.

"Action on this matter is overdue and the preparation of a new waste contract is an ideal opportunity to take it in hand," said Mr Snell.