DISPOSING of problem waste – batteries, oils, paints, gas cylinders, smoke detectors and fluorescent lights – is no longer a problem for Tamworth and district householders.
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Yesterday, new Environment Minister Rob Stokes came to town bearing gifts – $83,000 for the upgrade of the Tamworth waste management facility, which includes a permanent collection site for household problem waste.
Mr Stokes joined member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson and Tamworth mayor Col Murray to share the good news.
“This facility will provide a permanent, convenient service for Tamworth residents to drop off problem waste for free,” Mr Stokes said.
“A number of statewide projects, such as this one here in Tamworth, are expected to recover and divert at least 152,000 tonnes of recyclable waste from landfill in NSW each year.
“That is a significant amount of recyclables saved from rotting in landfill and funnelled back into the productive economy, in turn helping to make a significant contribution to reaching our statewide waste and recycling goals.”
Mr Anderson said expanding the eligible problem wastes that can be collected on the Tamworth site would benefit the whole community by making it easier for householders to dispose of their wastes in the right way.
“Now we won’t have to wait for the one day of the year when we can dispose of these products,” Mr Anderson said.
“Residents will be able to clean out problem waste by dropping it off at the upgraded facility as a result of this grant.”
Cr Col Murray said the grant would be used to broaden its recycling capacity at the Tamworth waste management facility.
The NSW government’s Waste Less Recycle More initiative is a five-year $465.7 million package to transform waste and recycling in NSW.
It includes funding for business recycling, market development, managing problem wastes, new waste infrastructure, local councils and programs to tackle illegal dumping and litter.