108 Bargara Rd
Bundaberg East, Qld, 4670
A valuable environmental service run by IMPACT Community Services is finally back up and running after being on hiatus due to COVID-19.
IMPACT's Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in University Drive operates a 'drum muster' for the region's farmers, where they collect bins used for agricultural chemicals, and process them to be recycled into usable products.
The drumMUSTER is made possible thanks to a Federal Government-funded program to support both the agricultural and recycling industries.
Contact Recycling & Collections Centre for collection
07 4155 3411 or visit 78 University Drive, Bundaberg QLD 4670
IMPACT’s Social Enterprise Manager Robert Henderson said that all farmers needed to do was to make sure the containers had been triple-washed for collection to guarantee safety for all involved.
“Then we make sure it's correctly disposed of,” said Mr Henderson.
He said the program was popular with many locals previously making use of the service.
It had been on hold as a result of coronavirus restrictions but has started back up again since regulations have been relaxed.
“It's good for the environment but also great for the farmer,” Mr Henderson said.
The farmer doesn't have to go to the trouble of organising the container disposal and doesn't incur the cost from local council which, in some cases, can be quite expensive.
The other important advantage is that the work benefits IMPACT’s supported employees at the MRF. IMPACT employs more than 20 workers with disabilities under the Australian Government's Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) for the task of recycling.
Find out more about how recycling with IMPACT creates jobs for locals
Tony Norton is a MRF staff supported employee who previously went out regularly to collect the bins.
“It’s a good day out, getting away from the site for a bit,” Tony said. He makes sure that the farmers have thoroughly cleaned the drums, otherwise they aren’t able to take them.
The MRF currently collects three times a week, and the containers are then baled and sold on to be reconstituted into new products.
You can take drums to the facility directly at 78 University Drive, Bundaberg, or if you have more than 250 containers call the team at the Recycling and Collections Centre on 4155 3411 to arrange for them to be picked up.
For more information about the drumMUSTER click here.
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