Rubbish / Recycling FAQ's
If I need to get a replacement wheelie bin, what must I do?
George Town Council will generally replace bins when requested and when a person has genuinely lost a bin or had it stolen or damaged.
The bins should only be used for garbage collection and the collection of recyclables respectively and are not issued for use as general household storage containers. If you move house, the bin and crate should not be taken with you.
Contact Council on 6382 8800 do discuss the procedure for reporting a stolen or lost bin. This may involve signing a statutory declaration (legal document) stating how this item is no longer in your posession. Council will arrange for a replacement bin. This procedure usually takes approximately 7 working days.
What items are WASTE and what items can I RECYCLE?
Download our A to Z guide on recycling and waste.
If I don't put out a bin, why do I still get charged a fee on my rates notice?
If you live in an area provided with a collection service, you are entitled to use that service. Council must pay the waste collection contractor to service the whole municipality, thus Council passes the cost of collection onto all residential properties and spreads it around all of those entitled to access that service.
About the kerbside recycling assessment
Northten Tasmanian Waste Management Group (NTWMG) is to conduct an assessment of bins to determine the amount of general waste that is being incorrectly placed into yellow lidded recycling bins across the northern regionof Tasmaian. The assessment will be coupled with an education program showing residents what can and cannot be placed in their recycling bins. Each recycling bin will be checked three times (over three fortnightly pick-ups) to assess the level of contamination. A sticker will be placed on the bin after each assessment, showing whether or not the resident passed or failed based on the contamination rate found.
Paintback
George Town Council is proud to work with Paintback, the national paint collection scheme. Paintback receives unwanted paint (both waterand oil based) and paint packaging with over 165 permanent Australian collection points, including our own George Town Waste Transfer Station. Paintback will dispose of it safely or repurpose it into other industrial uses.
This significantly reduces landfill and ensures the waste paint doesn’t end up in our waterways.
The packaging and waste liquid are separated with the containers being recycled, subject to contamination.
The solvent paint can then be converted into an alternative fuel source replacing coal. Water is separated from acrylic paint with the by-product used in a variety of industrial applications significantly reducing landfill and the reclaimed water is used by other industries which reduces the reliance on mains water.
Paintback is funding Australian research into how it can improve the recovery of paint and pails to reduce demand on virgin resources.
Paintback aims to have 90 per cent of unwanted paint diverted into Australia’s budding circular economy, where products are re-used or are repurposed for other manufacturing or industry processes to keep them circulating, instead of being discarded permanently.
Visit the George Town Waste Tranfer Station after your next paint job and drop off your leftover or unwanted paint and packaging, it’s free to drop off.