A Wagga scrap metal dealer has lashed out at the state government’s Return and Earn scheme for creating “unnecessary” recycling problems.
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Father-son duo Laurie and Scott Coleman operate Wagga Scrap Metal Recyling and have dubbed the recycling kiosk system “idiotic”.
“We’ve been running this business for years and understand this industry inside out but this a bloody terrible idea,” Scott said.
“I put my hand up to be involved because I’m an interested party and it doesn’t look like anyone’s running the show.”
The pair strongly believe the costs of the Return and Earn Scheme far outweighed its benefits; namely, time-consuming transactions, transportation expenses and increased road traffic.
“We know cans - in the past 12 years we’ve processed over 100 tonnes of cans - and it’s easy just to bring them here and get cash for cans,” Scott said.
“A bloke we spoke to using this new system said he got $40 from cans but it took him 45 minutes to get them through.
“Furthermore, cans aren’t even crushed on site so you’ve got semitrailers being filled up with whole cans and bottles so there’s only one tonne tops being transported and that puts more traffic on our already congested roads.”
The scrap dealers raised further questions over the design and placement of the kiosks, querying why Cleanaway TOMRA was permitted to place shipping containers without a development application.
Council states the containers were in line with governmental amendments to planning policy.