Stonnington bins: Council approves random inspections program

An inner city council will become the latest to do random checks of residents’ bins as it tries to claw back hundreds of thousands of dollars in contamination costs.

Stonnington residents will have their bins inspected for contamination and correct recycling of materials as part of a 12-month trial. File picture.

An inner east council will crack down on bin contents at up to 1000 homes per month in a bid to slash its garbage contamination bill.

Stonnington councillors approved a 12-month “feedback program” at its meeting on Monday night, seven-votes-to-two, which will give council staff the power to inspect the top 20 per cent of contents in residents’ bins.

The bins will be selected at random and staff will be able to take photos of recycling offences, leave notes on bins and put information leaflets in letterboxes.

The council will record data against each address, and if residents continue to offend on up to three more occasions, they can expect a phone call or a visit from officers.

The $65,000 program will be proceeded by a three-month education campaign to help residents “update their waste knowledge” and raise awareness of the benefits of recycling.

The council estimates it is being pinged about $140,000 per year in contamination penalties from its recycling processor and loses $450,000 in resources costs.

Councillors Alex Lew and Marcia Griffin voted against the plans, with both airing concerns about photographing contents and encroaching on residents’ privacy.

Cr Lew stated: “We’ve already seen Stonnington experience a cyber attack … this is creating a sense of insecurity in our community.”

But the council’s director of environment and infrastructure, Rick Kwasek, confirmed the council had strict privacy protocols in place, and any photographs taken would be of waste only, not materials containing personal information.

Cr Kate Hely supported the plan, saying residents would not be fined or get a “forensic examination” of their bins.

“This program is about education and encouragement, we are by no means the first council to do this,” she said.

“We know bin contamination is a massive problem in Stonnington … it is important we give this a go.”

Cr Matthew Koce agreed, saying it would give the council “significant savings” and the program was “not designed to embarrass anyone”.

Cr Griffin disagreed, saying the council had failed to “educate and communicate the importance of proper waste disposal” and feared the program would “not endere or motivate residents”.

Mayor Jami Klisaris said those who get their bins inspected were likely to receive “a white tag in the handle” if they did anything wrong.

“We are not policing, it is about positive enforcement … we are trying to teach people to do the right thing,” she said.

The bins program was approved as part of an environmentally-heavy agenda at the meeting, with councillors also approving a draft waste strategy for public consultation, and passing the council’s plastic-free policy.