Media Release – WA-wide guidelines for kerbside recycling win Infinity Award

Media Release

11 November 2020

The Southern Metropolitan Regional Council is part of a consortium who were crowned winners of the Waste Management Award category of the 2020 WA Waste Authority’s Infinity Awards.

The joint submission from the Waste and Recycling Industry Association of Western Australia (WRIAWA), Cleanaway WA, Southern Metropolitan Regional Council, SUEZ WA and Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) was recognised for the high level of collaboration to address community communications on recycling and reducing kerbside bin contamination.

The WA-wide guidelines for kerbside recycling demonstrate a collaborative approach to address the need to reduce contamination in kerbside recycling bins.

“A single list of materials acceptable for recycling across WA will reduce community confusion and, in the longer term, assist to lower contamination rates,” SMRC Chairman Cr Doug Thompson said. “This, in turn, supports the viability of the recycling industry in WA by ensuring cleaner material is collected through the kerbside system.”

A commonly agreed A-Z guide has been developed as part of this taskforce, to reduce confusion and guide householders in correctly disposing of their waste materials into the correct kerbside bin. The A-Z guide is held on the Recycle Right website (recycleright.wa.gov.au/) and app where it is accessible to all WA residents.

This collaborative approach has led to consistent messaging and the program of promotional activities throughout the year with nearly all local governments with kerbside recycling adopting the guidelines.

“The single list of recyclables allows for more successful and consistent education campaigns across the State, increasing their effectiveness,” Cr Thompson said.

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For further information please contact:
Teresa Belcher
Communications Manager
Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC)
Mobile: 0488 594 324 | Email: tbelcher@smrc.com.au

Notes for Editors
About the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council
The Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC) is one of five regional councils in the Perth metropolitan area and is a local government entity. The SMRC region currently spans 340km2, servicing 110,000 households with a combined population of over 288,000 people. The SMRC was established in 1991. Member councils include the City of Fremantle, City of Melville, City of Kwinana and Town of East Fremantle.