The extra weekly green bin service is returning in September, to support residents to prepare for the bushfire season.
Every household will receive two extra green bin services in September, in addition to the usual once-a-fortnight collection. From Monday, 2 September to Friday, 27 September Council will collect the green bin every week throughout the Blue Mountains.
The red garbage bin will be collected weekly and the yellow recycling bin fortnightly, as normal.
Blue Mountains Mayor, Mark Greenhill encouraged residents to take advantage of the service in preparation for bushfire season.
“We’ve had several wet years and there’s a risk we can get a bit complacent about bushfires when the ground is wet, but locals in the Blue Mountains know there’s always a risk,” he said.
“We also know that the more consistently we manage our properties, the easier it is to keep them in good shape, and the better prepared we are for when the next bushfire comes.
“Now is the best time to start planning and preparing, ahead of bushfire season. This service is free to all households, and it’s designed to give you peace of mind to get stuck into those jobs that generate a lot of garden waste like cleaning your gutters, cutting back your trees and shrubs and general garden maintenance."
Blue Mountains City Council CEO Dr Rosemary Dillon said: “It’s important that Blue Mountains residents do not use the red household bins for their green waste. Using your green bin for garden vegetation keeps it out of landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and extending landfill life.”
In the Blue Mountains, the following items CAN go in your green bin:
• Grass clippings
• Weeds (including noxious weeds)
• Cut flowers
• Leaves
• Garden pruning
• Branches (max. length 40cm, diameter 10cm)
• Bark
• Palm fronds
• Sticks.
These items CAN’T go in your green bin:
• Food waste
• Plastic bags or bin liners
• Garbage
• Pots
• Soil
• Bricks
• Tree stumps
• Armillaria luteobubalina, known as the Australian honey fungus (and any other associated plant material). This material must go in the garbage bin or to the sealed garbage area of the waste facility. This includes all tree parts, mulch and soil from gardens where it has been found.
In addition to these extra weekly collections, Council provides several services to support residents as they prepare for bushfire season, including two free booked waste services (choice of kerbside collection or facility drop off) per household, per year; kerbside chipping each August; provision of additional green bins available to households at a cost; and drop-off of green waste at both Waste Management Facilities in Katoomba and Blaxland (charges apply).
You can also attend the RFS Get Ready events, happening in September to get practical tips and advice for preparing your family and property. Find out more about the RFS Get Ready program, including online resources at: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare
For more information on waste services go to: http://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/waste or call the garden waste hotline 1300 769 746.
Troy has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.