Getting rid of household waste these days requires a bit more thought than it did in the past but once you get the hang of the colour coding system for bins and are clear about what goes in each bin all you have to do is wait for collection day and hose the bins out from time to time. There are however times when you find that you have much more waste to dispose of than your routine collection service can handle. One such occasion may be if you’ve been carrying out renovations or a major refurbishment in your home. True, all cities have tips where people can take excess waste but this involves hiring a suitable vehicle to get to the tip, which may not be that close. For Sydneysiders living in the North Shore area the closest SUEZ tip is at Belrose and there are conditions about what may and may not be dumped there and a fee to pay. A much more practical solution for Sydney North Shore area residents would be to let a professional outfit handle the matter and for that you need look no further than https://www.wastedopportunities.com.au/.
Is it really rubbish?
Certainly not as far as waste-management outfits are concerned. They will ensure that what can be recycled is and that as little as possible goes to a landfill site. However, householders themselves are in a position to make decisions about what goes into the skip and what does not. Bathroom or kitchen renovations or refurbishments for example may produce items such as medicine cabinets and kitchen utensils that others, such as neighbours, relatives or friends, may have a use for.
Clearing out clutter
As time goes by, the home, for many people, tends to accumulate more and more items that though no longer used are not seen as rubbish. They accumulate in attics, basements, storerooms and garages to name but a few of the places where old clothes, books, kids’ toys and the like pile up. Then there comes a day when it all gets too much and it’s time to clear the decks. But it’s not rubbish so what’s to be done with it?
Finding a home for unwanted stuff
There are a number of options, one very ethical one being to donate to an op shop. There are many such establishments in the Greater Sydney area, each contributing to a particular worthy cause and usually staffed by volunteers. They sell goods, both new and used, donated by members of the public – clothing, books, music albums, shoes, DVDs, toys and furniture and other such goods.
Other options include garage or car-boot sales, and for items that have greater value like a set of golf clubs you no longer have any use for you could place a for-sale ad for free on Sydney’s online Trading Post or Gumtree website.
Bulky unwanted items
There are some items that waste disposal companies will not receive, mattresses being one example, and others that are too big for regular waste collection but for which hiring a skip bin collection would be an extravagance. However, the City of Sydney’s waste and recycling services will pick up such items by appointment.