The following letters to the editor were written in response to this article, which highlighted the fact that City of Ballarat is the only council in Victoria where kerbside glass collection is not offered in either glass-only bins, or as part of commingled recycling.
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The letters begin below.
I would like to support the Mayor's cautious approach to how we manage glass collection into the future.
Since the current system of council issuing plastic trays for glass to be dropped off at nominated sites, we have found that each tray takes us pretty much three months to fill.
When compared to even a small waste bin for pickup, this indicates that we would only need maybe one pickup per year.
The potential costs associated with running collection trucks around Ballarat do not seem justified with this level of collection rate.
Jeff Stewart, Canandian.
Rate payers prefer kerbside collection for glass - plain and simple.
It's baffling that City of Ballarat cannot manage this issue.
They can approve 5-8 new house developments a week, which leads to more pressure on waste collection services.
That's a big increase in rates revenue for the council, yet none of that revenue can be used to solve problems like this?
Jo Govan, Nerrina
People with special needs find it much harder to recycle their glass, even if they want to.
Lifting and driving can be difficult, and I for one have lots of glass collected, but have not been able to get it to a recycling place.
I'm considering just putting it in the bin, which I have never had to do before.
I feel very disappointed.
I wish there was some way to recycle in the yellow bin, or at the same time as the yellow bin recycle day.
Ros Sky, Ballarat North.
It is embarrassing that only Ballarat does not have a pick up recycling device for used glass.
Glass is heavy and older people can't carry a box of glass to a collection point.
Glass is a very good material to recycle compared to many plastics.
Most wine and spirits are packaged in glass.
Come on Ballarat Council stop crying crocodile tears.
Collect and recycle glass properly again.
Lorraine Huddle, Soldiers Hill.
Why can't we have both?
Ask who would like a bin or use drop off points.
Some people don't hav room for another bin
So would rather have drop off point
Come on Ballarat let's get together on this.
It's supposed to be our choice.
Especially if you are a rate payer.
Deborah Wilson, Miners Rest
For probably the vast majority of people, the number of glass containers they need to dispose of would probably take some months to fill even a small wheelie bin.
With container deposits due to be introduced for Victoria, the number of glass containers put in bins will be reduced substantially.
Having collection by a truck every week - or even every fortnight - would be a very expensive and inefficient method of collection.
Perhaps some community group might take the initiative and offer to collect from households in return for the deposit money?
This was a lucrative pursuit for me as a child when bottles previously had had deposits on them.
Stuart Kelly, Ballarat West
I'm against kerbside glass recycling for the following reasons: lack of space at home to store bin between collection days; more cost to residents (as per mayor's comments); and unsightliness of bins, especially when they fall in the street and contents falls out.
The current system is effective, so leave things as they are.
Brenda Baxter, Ballarat.
One aim of waste collection is to keep households free from dangerous waste build up.
People with no access to transport are less likely to recycle to a common collection point.
Perhaps there is a way to collect glass at same time as collecting other recycling.
Pauline Sawyer, Ballarat.
If local council can't be bothered to collect the glass in a commingling manner, which most of the states councils do, then they'll get their glass in land-fill as far as I'm concerned.
David Chapman, Ballarat North.
I would like to see our glass collected ASAP!
Denise Wilkie, Lake Wendouree.
I feel that the current system of glass collection is working well - we don't need another bin.
John Howard, Buninyong.