Public garbage bin hack catches on at Machans Beach
A grassroots-led and simple idea is has begun diverting bottles and cans from landfill at a Cairns seaside suburbs and its hoped environment friendly trend will catch on throughout the Far North.
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A grassroots-led and simple idea has begun diverting bottles and cans from landfill at a Cairns seaside suburb and it’s hoped environmentally friendly trend will catch on throughout the Far North.
The Machans Beach Community Association has begun a trial of add-on baskets to existing council garbage bins where recyclable drink containers can be deposited.
The single basket, or repurposed old milk crate, attached to a bin at the corner of Machans St and O'shea Esplanade during its first week of operation saved 35 bottles and cans from ending up in landfill.
Machans Beach local Leon Bradley said he saw a similar set-up when visiting Bunbury in Western Australia and thought it could work in Cairns.
“I love the idea,” he said.
“(We are planning) to set them up all along the esplanade and at bus stops as well.
“If we do it on all the bins we would save 150 bottles a week just in Machans Beach.”
The contents of public rubbish bins go directly into landfill as it’s not possible to separate recyclable containers from usual waste deposited in bins such as nappies, food scraps and dog poop bags.
It’s hoped the trial at Machans will encourage other people to place additional collection boxes alongside public rubbish bins so that drink containers will be recycled and not end up as landfill.
“Hopefully we can get support for it and the council can adopt it all over the place,” Mr Bradley said.
“We have the beautiful reef and rainforest on our doorstep and it’s just not right.”
Mr Bradley said the containers get recycled through the Containers for Change scheme and the proceeds would be donated into his grandchildren’s bank account.
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Originally published as Public garbage bin hack catches on at Machans Beach
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