Waste Education
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Waste reduction tips
Are you keen to reduce the amount of waste your household sends to landfill? Check out our Tips to Reduce Waste and some more handy tips from Waste Sorted on how to be a GREAT sort! You can also find more information from Recycle Right on how to avoid waste in your household, including some great ideas on how to avoid waste in school lunchboxes.
Composting and Worm Farming
Composting or having a worm farm at home is an inexpensive and natural way to reduce your waste and benefit your garden! You can recycle your vegetable scraps, fallen leaves, lawn clippings and other kitchen and garden waste into a fantastic organic material to improve your garden soil.
Not sure how to get started? Have a look at these great information sheets from Recycle Right on how to set up a home composting system or get started with a worm farm.
Community Sustainability Grants
Got a great idea to improve sustainability in Albany? The City’s Community Sustainability Grant Scheme provides the opportunity for community organisations, schools and small businesses to apply for funding to support local projects targeting key sustainability issues. Check out the guidelines and application form, or give us a call on 6820 3000 to discuss your ideas.
Community Sustainability Grants Guidelines 2023-24
Community Sustainability Grants Application Form 2023-24
Bin Tagging
The City of Albany regularly conducts bin tagging to help provide direct feedback to residents on whether they are sorting their waste correctly. Bin auditors conduct a simple visual assessment of the contents of each bin at the kerbside (prior to collection), and then a tag is placed on the bin to provide individual feedback. If you have any questions about the bin tagging program, please contact us on 6820 3000 or email [email protected]
Join us at workshops and events
We host a range of events and activities to inspire you to reduce, reuse, repair, recycle and upcycle. Our annual Green Fair on the Square celebrates and promotes all things green and sustainable. We also offer events and workshops throughout the year so keep an eye on The City of Albany Facebook page or Subscribe to our community enews here for updates.
See your recycling in action!
Take a peek at what happens to your recyclables after they are collected by the truck here.
Residents and visitors are also welcome to take a tour of Albany's Material Recovery Facility – where your recyclables are sorted and prepared for transport to their recycling destination. To see how your waste is managed and discover how to give your recyclables the best chance to become something new book a tour with Cleanaway on 131339.
Waste Wednesday Information Sheets
If you're looking for some of our handy Waste Wednesday tips, you've come to the right place! See below for the topics available.
Got an idea for a Waste Wednesday tip? Email us at [email protected].
Littering
Littering and dumping are illegal practices where people deliberately deposit their rubbish on land or water.
It can include unwanted items dumped on streets, in parks or on building site bins, or tossing used furniture or other items on vacant land or into the bush.
More serious illegal dumping occurs where people fill up trailers and trucks and dump items in areas where they think they will not be seen such as National Parks, bushland reserves or parks.
This negative and harmful practice shows disregard for Albany's natural environment. There is no excuse for this type of dumping when there are existing waste services available.
Adopt-a-Spot
Do you feel frustrated by seeing litter lying around your street, park or local beach? Then why not adopt that spot and volunteer to help keep your spot litter-free. Individuals, community groups, businesses or school communities can volunteer with the Keep Australia Beautiful WA
Adopt-a-Spot program and contribute to a cleaner environment. You receive free resources to help, insurance cover if you need it and an Adoption Certificate.
Reporting Litter
For litter which has been dumped on public land, please contact the City on 6820 3000 or report it using the 'Report It' form.
Litter which has been dumped on private property is the sole responsibility of the property owner. The property owner has the option of referring their complaint to the Keep Australia Beautiful Council (KABC).
Litter dumped on public land can reported using our Report It form or to the Rangers Team on 6820 3999. Rangers will attend to investigate and arrange for litter to be removed.
The Keep Australia Beautiful Council, through the Litter Report Scheme, issues infringements in response to litter reports from community members who are registered litter reporters. This scheme uses reports of littering from vehicles (cars and boats only).
Fines for Littering
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Offence
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Penalty- Individual
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Penalty- Corporation
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Littering – cigarette butt, general littering
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$200
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$500
|
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Bill Posting
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$200
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$500
|
|
Depositing domestic or commercial waste in a public receptacle
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$200
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$500
|
|
Littering that creates a public risk **
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$500
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$2000
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|
Transporting load inadequately secured
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$200
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N/A
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Examples include: Breaking glass, metal or earthenware, littering of car bodies and car parts, batteries, hazardous chemicals or medicines, fridges and freezers with doors attached, tyres, lit cigarettes and syringes.
The maximum penalties for littering offences is $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for corporations.
Littering and illegal dumping of a more significant nature may be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1986, carrying a maximum penalty of $62,500 (individuals) and $125,000 (corporate bodies). More information on illegal dumping available at www.der.wa.gov.au.
In Western Australia littering infringements can be issued by authorised officers that include: police officers, local government rangers and other officers employed by government departments that oversee the protection of the environment and waterways.
Vehicle Owners
In cases of littering from vehicles, where neither the litterer nor the driver of the vehicle can be identified, the person responsible for the vehicle (usually the registered owner) will be deemed to have committed the offence and will have to pay the fine unless they can identify the offender.
Hazardous Litter
Littering that creates a public risk attracts an infringement penalty of $500 for individuals and $2 000 for corporations. Examples include (but is not limited to) the littering of car bodies and car parts, batteries, hazardous chemicals or medicines, fridges and freezers with doors attached, tyres, lit cigarettes and syringes.
How can I be fined for littering?
In Western Australia littering infringements can be issued by authorised officers that include: police officers, local government rangers and other officers employed by government departments that oversee the protection of the environment and waterways.