Cardinia Shire council staff members including customer service officer Sam Marsh have adopted a new office bin system. 38585Picture: Luke Plummer
By Bridget Cook
CARDINIA Shire Council has adopted a new office bin system in an attempt to cut back the amount of rubbish that goes to landfill.
The office has introduced the Eco Bin system, an idea of the Planet Earth Cleaning Company, based on colour-coded waste bins.
The system is based on four colour-coded bins – for paper and cardboard, organic waste, mixed recyclables and landfill – but staff also have a mini 10cm by 10cm bin on their desks for landfill.
The system, designed to take the confusion out of recycling, helps to easily sort waste and so minimise the contamination of recyclable materials.
Cardinia Shire waste education officer Ella Boyen said if people recycled everything that could be recycled, compost everything that could be composted and re-used items that were reusable, the little bin was big enough to hold all the rubbish they produce at work in a week.
“It’s true and it works,” she said. “Once you stop being wasteful it is amazing just how little rubbish you actually produce.”
Ms Boyen said that since the program was launched last July waste per person had been cut back by about half.
“People are getting really good at composting and recycling,” she said.
For details of the Eco Bin system and how offices, schools or homes can take part contact Ella Boyen on 5945 4304 or visit www.planetearthecobins.com
