The West Tamar Council is helping recycle polystyrene.
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Working with the Tasmanian Waste Management Group for a six-month trial, the Exeter and Beaconsfield transfer stations will have a special polystyrene collection point.
West Tamar mayor Christina Holmdahl said the whole idea was to allow residents to responsibly dispose of polystyrene.
“It’s a real blight on the environment when it is not disposed of correctly,” she said.
“It’s one of those substances in our landscape that just doesn’t break down.”
When the polystyrene is collected from the Tamar centres, it will be transferred to Launceston.
“It is sent on to Launceston to the waste facility there and then it’s melted down, then it’s produced into material that can be reused again,” Cr Holmdahl said.
The trial has just started, and is part of wider trial throughout Northern Tasmania.
Cr Holmdahl said a number of other councils were also taking part in the project. She hopes the service would still be offered once the trial was over.
Cr Holmdahl said the trial was a good thing because she often saw polystyrene on the road sides.
“It’s not uncommon to see a fairly large polystyrene box that has flown off the back of a truck or a ute. But it just sits there in the landscape unless somebody comes along and picks it up,” she said.
“This is the responsible way of getting rid of this pollutant, but at the same time ensures that it gets recycled properly.
“The responsible disposal of any kind of rubbish is something that we encourage our rate payers to do.”
Cr Holmdahl said West Tamar residents could use the transfer station for free if they hadn’t used their annual passes.
“Once the passes have been used then there is a nominal charge to dispose of your materials and the price is assessed on t he amount of refuse you’re getting rid of,” she said.
The council also offers fortnightly kerb-side collection.
“When that was first introduced, the idea was for people to think more responsibly about how they’re going to get rid of their rubbish,” Cr Holmdahl said.