Richer soil campaign

Mindarie Regional Council, which manages waste for seven metropolitan council areas, recently approved a pilot "no glass" in green bin campaign.

"The"no glass" campaign (is) aimed at reducing the amount of glass being placed in the green top bin by residents," MRC sustainability and waste education manager Geoff Atkinson said in a report to the council.

Mr Atkinson said the campaign would target up to 170,000 households through focus groups, bin audits, stickers, flyers and advertising.

With most general waste sent to the Neerabup resource recovery facility (RRF), Mr Atkinson said glass contamination reduced the quality of compost produced in recovery.

He said the facility received and processed 100,000 tonnes of general household waste annually, creating about 25,000 tonnes of soil conditioner.

"The soil conditioner is of a high quality but due to an excessive amount of glass in the process, it does not comply with the Australian Standard making it difficult to market," he said.

"Residents have never been specifically told not to put glass in the green top bin and have, in fact, even been told to put broken glass in it.

"This mixed messaging and lack of clear direction, as well as overflow glass"contamination" from the yellow top bin, is resulting in the contamination we are experiencing in the green top bin."

Mr Atkinson said the campaign would target the four member councils that mainly sent waste to the Neerabup facility: the cities of Wanneroo, Joondalup and Vincent plus Town of Victoria Park.

He said bin audits in those areas in May would help determine how much glass went into bins and set a benchmark to start the campaign.

The MRC plans a peak promotion during summer, when people use the most glass, and final audits of glass in bins and compost next March.

It will also put stickers on bins in the four target council areas.

All glass should be placed in the yellow recycling bin.