A WIMMERA waste management service has started collecting recyclable waste from South Australia.
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Wimmera Mallee Waste has received recyclable materials from the Naracoorte Lucindale municipality after Naracoorte Recycables stopped accepting curbside collections.
It comes in response to China’s ban on imports of Australian paper and plastic waste, which forced councils nationwide to search for alternative storage when waste contractors stopped accepting recyclable material.
The recycling industry has warned that curbside recycling might not be viable for much longer after China banned imports of Australian paper and plastic waste from the start of this year.
Naracoorte Recycables owner Malcolm Healy said with no market for plastics, it was not viable for his business to accept the council’s kerbside rubbish.
“We are not processing kerbside rubbish anymore,” he said. “There is no market for the plastics and now the market for straight paper has died, too.”
Read more: Recycling ban could hit hip pocket
However, Wimmera Mallee Waste director Michael Parry he was confident the recycling problem would eventually be resolved. He said his business services four shires including the Yarriambiack, West Wimmera, Hindmarsh and Glenelg Shire Councils.
“Anyone that we have dealt with have shown no inclination to not continue with their recycling programs,” he said.
Wimmera Mallee Waste came to an agreement with South Australia’s Naracoorte Lucindale Council that it would receive recyclable waste in its Horsham and Portland sheds. Mr Parry said majority of the recyclable material has been transported to Portland while the business improves its facilities in Horsham.
“We have taken one load into Horsham. In the future when we have better facilities running up in Horsham we will be receiving it there but that won’t be for some time,” he said.
Mr Parry said the business had the capacity to service the South Australian municipality.
“It shored up the employment of one truck driver and improves the viability from a receival point of view in Horsham as well,” he said.
Mr Parry said transporting recyclable waste interstate was uncommon, but can happen.
“It doesn’t happen very often, but it can happen. It requires more care transporting waste from Victoria to South Australia,” he said.
The recyclable material collected will be transported to Melbourne to one of the three recyclers – Visy, SKM Recycling and Polytrade.