news, local-news, waste, West Coast, recycling, service, kerbside, garbage, David Midson
Recyclable waste will no longer be collected from homes on the West Coast as part of a major overhaul of the region’s waste management regime. West Coast Council found only one in 10 households used the optional recycling service and the material collected was often so badly contaminated it had to be resorted or sent to landfill. General manager David Midson said these factors and the huge costs associated with dealing with contaminated recycling required a change of tactic. “It’s important for councils like us to find different approaches and find solutions that work,” he said. RELATED: West Coast Council plans to phase out kerbside recycling in 2020-21 and introduce free communal collection points in each town. Mr Midson said the collection points would have separate bins for different types of recyclables, such as glass or cardboard, to help reduce contamination. “Our recycling changes are to increase the amount of recycling that occurs on the West Coast and make sure that recycling can be effectively recycled,” he said. The West Coast waste management overhaul was promoted by concerns current practices failed to meet environmental obligations, safe workplace requirements and community expectations. Mr Midson said “business as usual” was financially unsustainable and failure to act would lead to a dramatic increase in costs for ratepayers. “We need to start making changes now in order that those issues don’t become overwhelming,” he said. “Across all of Australia waste management is changing and on the West Coast we’re probably a little bit further behind that change.” One major change will be the rollout of security cameras, locked gates and set operating times at waste transfer stations to combat illegal dumping. The security measures follow a number of incidents, including the nighttime dumping of more than 50 tyres at the Tullah station. The stations will also not accept certain types of waste, including commercial waste, car bodies, concrete, asbestos and rock rubble, which will need to be taken to the landfill at Zeehan. “The reason we’re making these changes is because we’re trying to come up with a solution which means we don’t have to go to charging for the waste transfer stations,” Mr Midson said. West Coast Council will also provide two hard waste collections a year and consider introducing a green waste collection service. Mr Midson said the green waste currently collected at the waste transfer stations was often sent to landfill because it was “heavily contaminated”. “We’re hoping that the new security measures mean there’s less contamination of green waste but if that doesn’t occur, it means we have to explore other options,” he said. “And that may be a green waste collection service or green waste going to landfill.” What do you think of the waste management changes? Have your say by sending us a Letter to the Editor using the form below.
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Recyclable waste will no longer be collected from homes on the West Coast as part of a major overhaul of the region’s waste management regime.
West Coast Council found only one in 10 households used the optional recycling service and the material collected was often so badly contaminated it had to be resorted or sent to landfill.
General manager David Midson said these factors and the huge costs associated with dealing with contaminated recycling required a change of tactic.
“It’s important for councils like us to find different approaches and find solutions that work,” he said.
West Coast Council plans to phase out kerbside recycling in 2020-21 and introduce free communal collection points in each town.
Mr Midson said the collection points would have separate bins for different types of recyclables, such as glass or cardboard, to help reduce contamination.
“Our recycling changes are to increase the amount of recycling that occurs on the West Coast and make sure that recycling can be effectively recycled,” he said.

A recycling sorting line. Picture: File
The West Coast waste management overhaul was promoted by concerns current practices failed to meet environmental obligations, safe workplace requirements and community expectations.
Mr Midson said “business as usual” was financially unsustainable and failure to act would lead to a dramatic increase in costs for ratepayers.
“We need to start making changes now in order that those issues don’t become overwhelming,” he said.
“Across all of Australia waste management is changing and on the West Coast we’re probably a little bit further behind that change.”

CHANGES NEEDED: West Coast council general manager David Midson. Picture: Brodie Weeding
One major change will be the rollout of security cameras, locked gates and set operating times at waste transfer stations to combat illegal dumping.
The security measures follow a number of incidents, including the nighttime dumping of more than 50 tyres at the Tullah station.
The stations will also not accept certain types of waste, including commercial waste, car bodies, concrete, asbestos and rock rubble, which will need to be taken to the landfill at Zeehan.
“The reason we’re making these changes is because we’re trying to come up with a solution which means we don’t have to go to charging for the waste transfer stations,” Mr Midson said.
West Coast Council will also provide two hard waste collections a year and consider introducing a green waste collection service.
Mr Midson said the green waste currently collected at the waste transfer stations was often sent to landfill because it was “heavily contaminated”.
“We’re hoping that the new security measures mean there’s less contamination of green waste but if that doesn’t occur, it means we have to explore other options,” he said.
“And that may be a green waste collection service or green waste going to landfill.”
What do you think of the waste management changes? Have your say by sending us a Letter to the Editor using the form below.