Waste News & Events
More single-use plastics banned from Tuesday 1 November
The NSW Government is implementing a staged ban on single use plastics.
Lightweight plastic bags were banned from 1 June 2022 and from Tuesday, 1 November 2022 the following items will be banned:
- Single-use plastic straws
- Single-use plastic cutlery, including plastic chopsticks and sporks
- Single-use plastic stirrers
- Single-use plastic bowls (excluding bowls with a spill-proof lid)
- Single-use plastic plates
- Single-use plastic cotton-buds
- Expanded polystyrene food service items, including cups, plates, bowls and clamshell containers.
- Plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care products such as face and body cleansers, exfoliants and masks, shampoo, conditioner, hair dyes and toothpaste.
The bans apply to all businesses and organisations in NSW including not-for-profit groups, charities, sport or recreational clubs, educational institutions and community organisations.
The ban prohibits any person carrying on an activity for a business or organisation from supplying these items.
Some items are exempted such as bin liner bags.
For information about alternative items and exceptions, visit this web page.
Reducing the use of single-use plastics is an important step towards reducing single-use items so instead of using single-use alternatives look for reusable items. Remember to take a shopping bag with you wherever you go and have your own cup or water bottle instead of using a single-use item. Try to reuse any disposable alternatives multiple times before disposing of them in the right bin.
For more information please visit the Plastics Ban website.
Love Food Hate Waste
Love Food Hate Waste NSW is a NSW Government initiative to help households, communities and businesses to stop wasting food.
Reducing food waste is easy with this series of video lessons from Cornersmith in partnership with Love Food Hate Waste NSW.
These lessons are free online until 31 December 2022 and are a great place to start some waste-free cooking fun!
Throw away less food to save money and the planet in a delicious way.
Click on the link below and select “Free Enrolment” to access video lessons and a workbook that will help you to save money, save time and eat healthier with free recipes, meal plan and food storage tips.
Love Food Hate Waste Free Online Lessons
Click on the button and select “Free Enrolment” to access video lessons and a workbook that will help you to save money, save time and eat healthier with free recipes, meal plan and food storage tips.
How can your old mobile save the planet?
Lithgow Council is encouraging residents to join MobileMuster’s nationwide challenge to Go for Zero in March 2021. The first target is those 5 million damaged and broken mobile phones lying forgotten in homes across Australia. While the mobile phones and their accessories don’t even work anymore, they represent a valuable stockpile of resources that can be recovered and reused.
Mobiles phones can be recycled at the following places:-
– Lithgow, Wallerawang and Portland Libraries;
– Lithgow Council Customer Service Centre; and
– Lithgow Solid Waste Facility Weighbridge Office.
What is Cartridges 4 Planet Ark?
Cartridges 4 Planet Ark (C4PA) is an innovative recycling program that provides you with an easy and environmentally accredited way to recycle your used printer cartridges.
It’s a well-known and trusted program that gives everyone, whether you’re at home or work, access to recycling their printer cartridges via our public drop-off sites or through registered workplace collections.
Since 2003 the program has recycled over 46 million cartridges, with zero waste to landfill. This is made possible by the great partnership between Planet Ark, our participating manufacturers, retailers and our program recycler, Close the Loop.
Why recycle cartridges?
Printer cartridges cannot be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin. Cartridges are made up of a complex mix of materials that can be turned into new products, including plastics, metal, inks and toners. When they are disposed of into landfill, these resources are lost.
The C4PA program provides an accessible way for the public and workplaces, including schools and councils, to recycle their cartridges. The program delivers a zero waste to landfill promise and is constantly finding innovative ways to turn old cartridges into new products.
Find Out More
https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/cartridges4planetark/
Love Food, Hate Waste
In NSW, more than a third of the waste we send to landfill is food. That adds up to about $10 billion worth of good food that’s being thrown away every year by NSW households.
With the festive season fast approaching it’s a great opportunity to think about the role that food plays in our celebrations and set positive intentions to champion our fresh produce and reduce the amount of food we throw away.
The NSW Government has launched a state-wide educational program, Food Smart to help people develop positive food waste avoidance behaviours.
Food Smart is a free online program to help NSW households reduce food waste. Over six weeks, email updates provide advice, tips and information to help you save both food and money.
Oh, and let’s not forget the environmental benefits! When food waste is placed in landfill it breaks down and releases methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Check out the Love Food Hate Waste website https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au/ and sign up for the free on-line Food Smart program today
Food Smart | Love Food Hate Waste (nsw.gov.au)
Solid Waste Facility FAQs
Council is moving to a new operation of the Lithgow Solid Waste Facility (SWF) from 1 January 2021. After many years dedicated service provided by local contractor, Henry Plant and Equipment Hire, Council will be commencing ‘in-house’ operation of the facility.
Council has developed a list of frequently asked questions that can be downloaded from the link below.
