A report on environmental trends says that each year every Australian creates one ton of rubbish, making the nation the second largest waste creator after the United States.

21 million tons of solid waste were put in landfills each year, equal to about 1.146 tons a person annually, or 3.14 kilograms a person each day. A significant amount of this was material classified as hazardous, such as old batteries, which people throw out with the rest of their household garbage.

A report on Australia’s biodiversity earlier this year found that nearly 1600 species are in danger of extinction because of human activities such as land clearing.

Consumption of water and energy throughout Australia is at a record high, and is likely to continue while standards of living are high, the Australian Bureau of Statistics report says. The bureau found that “in terms of sustainability, high resource consumption and increasing outputs of wastes are important features of Australian society and are related to the nation’s growing population and increasingly high standard of living”.

Environmental groups called for the creation of a “sustainability council” to address the country’s resource-guzzling habits, saying not enough was being done to encourage people to live in way that was less damaging to the environment.

Greenhouse gas emissions had risen 17.4 per cent between 1990 and 1999, from 390 million tons of carbon dioxide and its equivalents to 458 million tons. Domestic power consumption, including car use, accounted for one third of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.

Recent reports have highlighted Sydney’s increasing hunger for power but environmental groups have criticised the State Government for failing to adopt aggressive demand-management programs.

The director of the Total Environment Centre, Jeff Angel, said energy planners and governments needed to “lead the way to reduce Australia’s excessive share of greenhouse gas emissions”. “Demand can be easily reduced by energy efficiency programs if government and industry have the will to make them happen,” Mr Angel said.

The bureau did note Australians were recycling more, and more people had also indicated they were prepared to buy organically grown fruit and vegetables, which use less water and fewer chemicals.

Many customers contact bookabin to find out which bin to order because they have a mixture of waste.

If you have less than a wheelbarrow of soil or concrete, a similar amount of green garden waste and general junk from around the house, this can all be mixed in a general waste bin.

If you have more than a wheelbarrow of clean fill type waste as well as other bits and pieces, we often suggest two smaller bins for different waste types, rather than a large general waste bin, as you can reach the weight limit fairly quickly if you have more than a wheelbarrow of dirt or concrete.

The bin types available are:

General Waste: (suitable for light domestic and commercial waste) - NOT suitable for clean fill as it is too heavy, typically anything involved with a “general clean up around the house and section” that is neither liquid nor hazardous waste. The weight limit on this bin is 150kg per 1 cubic meter (eg: 3cm weight limit is 450kg)

Clean Fill / Hardfill: (soil, clay, sand, concrete, asphalt, brick, rock, tiles, etc) There is no weight limit on this bin because of the heavy nature of the waste.

Green Garden Waste: (leafy green garden waste) - NOT suitable for clean fill, as green waste is disposed of differently, use this bin if you have any of the following: Grass, leaves, tree trimmings, small branches and other organic materials. The weight limit on this bin is 150kg per 1 cubic meter (eg: 3cm weight limit is 450kg)

Soil / Dirt: (100% pure soil / dirt only - no turf or contaminants) the cost of disposing of the pure soil is cheaper than if it is contaminated with other waste, if you mix other waste with the soil you will be charged additional fees as the disposal is more expensive. There is no weight limit on this bin because of the heavy nature of the waste.

Hazardous waste cannot be placed in any skip bin. This includes TV’s, monitors, fridges, paints, solvents, liquids or any asbestos. To dispose of any of these materials you need to contact your local council. They will be able to provide you with a contact who can dispose of anything hazardous or not accepted in your skip bin (i.e. food waste).

Use the LIVE CHAT function on the website to ask any questions you may have regarding which type of bin is best for your needs.

It is estimated that around 18 million waste tyres are generated in Australia each year. The disposal or re-use of waste tyres varies greatly between States and Territories but overall nationally, it is estimated that about 57% of waste tyres go to landfill and 13% are disposed of inappropriately through illegal dumping.

Apart from the costs to the community and Governments through littering our landscapes and waterways and taking up scarce landfill space, waste tyres are a source of health and environmental concerns: fires in stockpiles can release toxic gases and pollute waterways and tyre stockpiles provide breeding habitats for mosquitoes. Tyres going to landfill or being dumped are also a lost opportunity; waste tyres are a potentially valuable resource with various re-use, recycling and waste to energy options.

If you have tyres to dispose of the best thing to do is to find an outlet in your area that will recycle them.

• Reclaim (Aus wide) call them to discuss on 1800 685 454 www.reclaim.com.au
• Tyre Crumb Australia (VIC) Phone: 03 9357 3433 sales@tyrecrumbaustralia.com
• C and N Ruggiero (VIC) Phone 03 9314 8833 www.cnruggiero.com.au