Garbage collectors caught 'illegally' dumping recyclables and rubbish together!
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It's no secret that our planet is in trouble. Climate change is a very real and pressing issue, and the consensus among scientists is that we need to act now if we want to preserve the Earth for future generations.
One way we can all help make a difference is by recycling as much as possible – but it turns out, our efforts may be in vain.
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems that not even our recyclables are safe from being mishandled and treated carelessly.
A private waste collection company in Melbourne has been caught on camera dumping bins full of recyclable material into garbage trucks filled with general rubbish – thereby negating the whole point of having a yellow bin in the first place.
It's just the latest scandal to rock Australia's recycling industry after revelations hundreds of millions of plastic items were being stockpiled in a Melbourne warehouse instead of being recycled, as people had thought. It really makes you wonder where all your hard work ends up going!
Major Melbourne events and almost 500 apartment buildings are serviced by Urban Waste, which has been subject to multiple complaints from residents for more than a year now.
But it wasn't until A Current Affair's cameras started snooping around that anything was done about it.
Following a tip-off, they captured Urban Waste workers picking up recyclables and rubbish in the same trucks from numerous properties in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs – something that should never happen!
Credit: A Current Affair.
Jeff Angel from the Boomerang Alliance was quick to criticise the company's actions, calling them out for this 'illegal' behaviour.
'This company should be collecting the yellow bin separately, with a different truck, and take it to a material recycling facility where they can then do the sorting. That's the normal practice,' he said.
The recycling advocate described the move as a slap in the face to Australians trying to do the right thing, and many couldn't agree more – it's more important than ever that we're doing our bit to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Angel has called for better regulation and oversight from the government to stamp out what he described as 'cowboys' in the industry.
Despite being caught red-handed, Urban Waste has stood by its employees who were seen throwing recyclable materials into garbage trucks.
According to the company, which provides services to almost 500 residential buildings and important events in Melbourne, the yellow rubbish bins had already been 'contaminated' by non-recyclable waste.
'This is a common occurrence, especially within bins at larger community living complexes,' a statement from Urban Waste read.
'Our drivers made the correct decision to not transport contaminated bins to the recycling plant, which could cause further contamination on a broader scale. This is something all waste companies face on a daily basis.'
A lot of the things that end up in yellow bins—like food waste, polystyrene, and plastic bags—can't actually be recycled. The company could be fined up to $5,000 per load of recycling waste that has more than 5 per cent of contaminated waste.
We're already doing our part by sorting our rubbish – the least they could do is live up to their end of the bargain! This latest news is certainly disheartening, but it's important to remember that we can all still do our part to reduce our environmental impact.
What do you think of this story, members? Let us know in the comments!
One way we can all help make a difference is by recycling as much as possible – but it turns out, our efforts may be in vain.
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems that not even our recyclables are safe from being mishandled and treated carelessly.
A private waste collection company in Melbourne has been caught on camera dumping bins full of recyclable material into garbage trucks filled with general rubbish – thereby negating the whole point of having a yellow bin in the first place.
A private waste company, Urban Waste, has been caught mixing recyclables and general waste. Credit: YouTube/A Current Affair.
It's just the latest scandal to rock Australia's recycling industry after revelations hundreds of millions of plastic items were being stockpiled in a Melbourne warehouse instead of being recycled, as people had thought. It really makes you wonder where all your hard work ends up going!
Major Melbourne events and almost 500 apartment buildings are serviced by Urban Waste, which has been subject to multiple complaints from residents for more than a year now.
But it wasn't until A Current Affair's cameras started snooping around that anything was done about it.
Following a tip-off, they captured Urban Waste workers picking up recyclables and rubbish in the same trucks from numerous properties in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs – something that should never happen!
Credit: A Current Affair.
Jeff Angel from the Boomerang Alliance was quick to criticise the company's actions, calling them out for this 'illegal' behaviour.
'This company should be collecting the yellow bin separately, with a different truck, and take it to a material recycling facility where they can then do the sorting. That's the normal practice,' he said.
The recycling advocate described the move as a slap in the face to Australians trying to do the right thing, and many couldn't agree more – it's more important than ever that we're doing our bit to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Angel has called for better regulation and oversight from the government to stamp out what he described as 'cowboys' in the industry.
Despite being caught red-handed, Urban Waste has stood by its employees who were seen throwing recyclable materials into garbage trucks.
According to the company, which provides services to almost 500 residential buildings and important events in Melbourne, the yellow rubbish bins had already been 'contaminated' by non-recyclable waste.
The garbage collector was caught on camera dumping the yellow bin and red bin into the same truck. Credit: YouTube/A Current Affair.
'This is a common occurrence, especially within bins at larger community living complexes,' a statement from Urban Waste read.
'Our drivers made the correct decision to not transport contaminated bins to the recycling plant, which could cause further contamination on a broader scale. This is something all waste companies face on a daily basis.'
A lot of the things that end up in yellow bins—like food waste, polystyrene, and plastic bags—can't actually be recycled. The company could be fined up to $5,000 per load of recycling waste that has more than 5 per cent of contaminated waste.
We're already doing our part by sorting our rubbish – the least they could do is live up to their end of the bargain! This latest news is certainly disheartening, but it's important to remember that we can all still do our part to reduce our environmental impact.
What do you think of this story, members? Let us know in the comments!
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