Solo Resource Recovery trucks deliver environmental messages in Tweed

Tweed Shire Council and Solo Resource Recovery have kicked off a new 10-year waste collection and recycling contract with a new range of garbage collection trucks on the road.

Four new designs for the collection trucks will be on display, promoting the ‘less to landfill’ message and aims to be a visual reminder of council’s aim to meet its Towards Zero Waste commitment.

Messaging on each truck is aligned with council’s goal to reduce its impact on the natural environment and adapt to climate change for a sustainable future. Messages include: Less to landfill – Working together to reduce our impact on the environment; Recycling – Give new life; Organics – Turn scraps into soil; and Recycle these items.

Stewart Brawley, Council’s Acting Director Sustainable Communities and Environment said the council wanted the community to feel compelled to look after the Tweed region and protect the environment.

“We can all do this by reducing waste, sending less to landfill, using the bins correctly, and using the red bin as a last resort,” he said.

Solo Resource Recovery trucks currently collect about 118,000 bins every fortnight in the Tweed. Part of the new contract, the largest single contract council manages, includes the recycling of bulky kerbside goods and planting 5000 native trees in the Northern Rivers.

Brawley said he appreciated the long-standing partnership between council and Solo which had grown and developed with the needs of the Tweed community.

“During the upcoming 10-year contract period, we will celebrate 100 years of waste collection for the Tweed community by the Richards family,” Brawley said. “The first services commenced in 1932 for the removal and disposal of night soil in the Municipality of Murwillumbah, moving from day labour (horse and cart) to contract (automobile collection).

“Council and Solo are proud of the increased diversion of waste from landfill through innovative collection initiatives. We are now diverting more than 60 per cent of waste from landfill as part of council’s Towards Zero Waste Strategy and we have set a goal to improve this to 70 per cent over the next three years.

Robert Richards, Solo Managing Director, said the company was proud to be working with the Tweed community for another 10 years.

“The history we have with the Tweed community is based on being part of the community and we are pleased to be working in partnership with council as part of the Towards Zero Waste commitment,” Richards said.

“This contract will continue to support 133 employees within the Tweed, ranging from administration and engineering to collection services and recycling.

“The new service includes 13 new trucks that have been engineered and constructed locally in the Tweed at Solo’s Engineering Division ‘Rico Recovery Systems’ at Chinderah.”

For more information, visit: tweed.nsw.gov.au/waste-recycling.