Armidale’s waste management is among the best in the country, according to Council’s recycling boss, James Turnell.
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And the quality of its product is what sets it apart from operators like those featured in Monday night’s Four Corners investigation, he said.
“I think the Four Corners episode has really highlighted some issues with the industry as a whole,” Mr Turnell said. “In Armidale, we’ve deliberately gone for quality.”
Mr Turnell also said the there was income in recycling, as long as you had quality and what the market demanded.
“We’ve set the contract up with Armidale Recycling so that they are incentivised through the income that they generate through their product,” he said.
“What gives me confidence that the products is being used properly is that we are achieving maximum price.
“No one is going to pay $600 per ton for milk bottles if they’re just going to turn around and landfill it.
The truth is, the only way I can ensure that its going into the right place is that it's in high demand.
Keeping materials separate from the start mean we are producing some of the cleanest recycled material in the state.
- Armidale Regional Council waste manager James Turnell