What belongs in your FOGO bin? Definitely not Ozempic needles

Residents in north-west Tasmania are being warned that their waste collection services could be suspended if they repeatedly place the wrong items in their recycling and FOGO (food organics and garden organics) bins. Dulverton Waste Management (DWM) has implemented a "four strikes and you're out" system to address widespread contamination issues. The company's chief executive, Veronica Schilling, noted the variety of incorrect items found in bins, ranging from needles and garden tools to laptops and even Ozempic needles, which pose significant risks. Incorrect bagging of waste and the inclusion of items like batteries have caused fires within the company's trucks, endangering workers. This contamination also results in an estimated $700,000 annual cost to send improperly sorted waste to landfill, impacting the environment for future generations. While most households (about 90%) are sorting correctly, approximately 4% of households are deliberately misusing their bins. The strike system involves tagging bins with advisories for the first two offenses, followed by a letter and new information materials at the third strike. Before suspending service on the fourth strike, DWM engages with the household to ensure factors like recent property purchase or barriers such as language or disability are not contributing to the problem. DWM operates Tasmania's largest composting facility, aiming to repurpose organic waste into high-quality soil.

“

We have had all sorts of strange and weird and wonderful [items binned] … I can't explain some things.