THE Ophir Road Resource Recovery Centre is almost at the end of its life, with its rubbish piles serving as a reminder to cut back on what residents throw out, according to mayor John Davis.
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The centre’s role as a landfill site is due to finish by the end of the year to become a transfer centre for the Euchareena Road facility. Already, most landfill is baled and transported to Euchareena.
Many of its stockpiles, which include steel, concrete and large trees, grow and shrink depending on when they are collected and transported to other facilities for processing.
With the rubbish stockpiles particularly noticeable recently, mayor John Davis highlighted the importance of continuing with Orange’s waste strategy.
“We’ve spent the last 25 years on a better garbage service and the new facilities, and if we hadn’t done it, those piles would be 10 times higher,” he said.
Orange produces about 30,000 tonnes of waste a year, with about 60 per cent diverted away from landfill. Forty-six per cent becomes compost, while 14 per cent is made up of recyclables.
With Orange City Council proposing earlier this year to move to fortnightly red bin collections in an effort to reduce waste to landfill even further, Cr Davis said it was important to keep up the effort.
“It would help if the green bin part of the program succeeded,” he said.
“If we stay with the weekly red bin, and we don’t move on the green bin, it’s not going to go the full circle.
“Even with recycling, everyone in Orange is doing a great job.”
Open forums will be held at the Civic Centre on July 8 and 9 from 9am to 1pm for those who want to learn more about how to sort their waste more efficiently.
danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au