Glen Innes Severn Council General Manager Hein Basson, left, Glen Industries Manager Kylie Hawkins, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, Mayor Col Price and Jaymie Kelly of JR Richards Waste and Recycling Services at the opening of the new recycling centre in Glen Innes.
RECYCLING and the environment in Glen Innes has been given a huge boost today with the official opening of the new Glen Innes Community Recycling Centre by Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall and Mayor Col Price.
The construction of the centre followed a grant of $238,300 from the State Government last year to Glen Innes Severn Council through the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA) Waste Less, Recycle More initiative.
Mr Marshall said the new recycling facility, which is now accepting paints, oils, batteries, gas bottles, polystyrene and other household problem wastes, would bring long-term environmental and health benefits to the Glen Innes community.
“The new Community Recycling Centre is a great asset to Glen Innes as the community now has a facility for the safe disposal of problem wastes open all year round,” he said.
“With residents now having a new service to keep household problem waste out of kerbside bins the community will be able to reduce the amount of environmentally hazardous and recyclable materials that end up as landfill.”
Mr Marshall said with the recycling centre open seven days per week, it would complement the existing Glen Innes Chemical CleanOut events to ensure these wastes are kept out of the landfill completely.
“This centre makes recycling so much easier for the community and the staff at the waste facility and provide a large incentive for people to recycle more and put less into the landfill, saving the environment and saving the community money,” he said.
Mayor Col Price said council was committed to improving recycling and waste services for residents and that the new facility would provide a year-round, convenient solution for recycling and safely disposing problem wastes.
“The Community Recycling Centre grant was part of a $492,300 upgrade of our waste facility,” Cr Price said.
“A new weighbridge and waste drop off area has created a more efficient layout at the landfill which benefits not only council but residents as well in diverting the maximum amount of waste from landfill.
“Congratulations go to all council staff members involved including Greg Doman and Alex Gaden who delivered the project in a timely manner and within the budget.”
Located at 88 Rogers Road, the Glen Innes Waste Facility and Community Recycling Centre is open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm and 11am to 4pm on weekends.
The centre accepts the following problem wastes:
• Water-based and oil-based paints;
• Used motor and cooking oils;
• Lead-acid and hand-held batteries;
• Gas cylinders and fire extinguishers;
• Conventional tube and compact fluorescent lamps;
• Smoke detectors;
• Polystyrene, paper and cardboard; and
• Plastic and glass bottles.
Mr Marshall said the new Glen Innes Communtiy Recycling Centre was one of a network of 100 centres being built around NSW with funding awarded by NSW EPA in partnership with the Environmental Trust.
“Through Waste Less, Recycle More the state government is providing more than $465 million over five years to reduce waste sent to landfill, increase food and garden waste collections, boost business recycling and invest in new infrastructure,” Mr Marshall said.