As one of the world’s most beautiful metropolitan areas, it’s no surprise that the population of Sydney is growing fast. As more people continue to move into the area, the city will struggle to provide adequate services for the burgeoning population. In particular, recycling services Sydney will have to develop to keep pace.
The fact is that Sydney is slated to achieve mega city status in the next few decades which will create enormous challenges for those responsible for dealing with the city’s waste. Fortunately, recycling in Australia is being taken very seriously and when it comes to waste management and recycling services, Sydney is taking a highly active approach to dealing with the problem.
Waste management is not just getting rubbish out of the way but doing it in a green way and also maximising its value through recycling. Traditionally, rubbish and other waste is carted off to a rubbish dump where it ended up as landfill. This is not a satisfactory solution for many reasons.
The fact is that dumping waste in landfills is not an efficient or sustainable method of dealing with the problem. Landfills pollute the environment and contribute to climate change. Different types of waste cause different environmental problems. Organic waste such as food scraps, for example, results in serious problems as they produce methane which is a far more potent greenhouse emission than carbon dioxide. And of course toxic items such as chemicals can enter the eco system through the ground, the air or get into the water supply.
Other downsides are that landfill is an expensive way of dealing with waste, and there’s also the fact that Sydney is running out of landfills.
The average household sends some 10 kilograms of waste to landfill every week which is highly wasteful as much of the material can be re-used or recycled. In fact it’s estimated that around 70% of household waste can be recovered for a variety of uses. For example, plastics can be reprocessed into clothing such as winter fleeces, while aluminium can be recovered and put to use in the manufacture of airplanes.
When it comes to waste removal and recycling, Sydney is responding to the challenge. recycling services Sydney like recycling in the whole of Australia is something both the public and private sectors are taking very seriously.
Private companies are offering a complete range of waste management services including waste collection, recycling and disposal, hazardous waste management, and asbestos removal and re-insulation. These firms are specialists in the collection, treatment and disposal of toxic wastes.
One specialty is asbestos removal and re-insulation techniques. Other specialties are construction waste recycling facilities. These divert waste building materials such as bricks, tiles and plasterboard from landfill for reuse as roadbase, garden and pathway material.
Another way the private sector is highly active in waste management is in the provision of skip hire. In 2009 the city provided wheely bins for all householders but for bulkier waste items such as construction materials, the container of choice is the skip bin. Skip bins come in a variety of sizes and capacities and are the container of choice for rubbish cleanup, home renovation or construction needs. For skip bin hire, Sydney has a wide range of choices.
You can also hire special skips for use in situations such as when waste has to be collected from elevated locations or multiple bins are required for different types of waste. When it comes to skip hire, Sydney is well provided for.
Finally there’s the growing problem of e waste – the waste from electronic devices such as computers, printers, photocopiers, CDs/DVDs, mobile phones and televisions. There has been a tremendous growth in this type of waste in recent years and a corresponding development in ways to handle and recycle it. Australians produce over 140,000 tonnes of e-waste annually and currently most of it is not recycled but ends up in landfill.
The fact is that over 90% of e waste can theoretically be recovered and recycled and this is something local agencies are working towards. For example, the City of Sydney now offers a free e-waste recycling drop off collection and since November 2008 has recycled over 40 tonnes of e-waste.
Ultimately only concerted action by the public and private sectors can solve Sydney’s waste problems and the city is fortunate to have active and innovative endeavours from both sectors.
William Sharp writes articles for Veolia Environmental Services, a well established Australian environmental services company providing an extensive range of innovative recycling services Sydney and skip bin hire Sydney for over 30 years, helping to reduce the impacts of waste and unwanted resources on the environment. Aside from being deeply committed to sustainability goals, resource recovery and recycling, the company is also a market leader in recycle e waste
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