Waste management is a vital service in any community. Most local governments are invested in waste management programs that oversee the pick-up and disposal of rubbish from their local communities.
You can read this article to understand the importance of proper waste management in communities.
The Inner West Council pick-up service is the rubbish removal service of the local government in the Inner West Council. This service is meant to help residents in the area with proper removal and disposal of items that are beyond the capacity of the weekly garbage removal service providers. They provide a means of disposing bulky items that cannot fit into the regular garbage bins that are provided by the services.
Despite the best efforts of the local government, it is clear that they cannot service the whole council alone. If you look at the calendar for waste disposal and recycling you will find out that alternatives are needed.
In this article therefore, we will discuss some alternatives to using the government service and also touch on what we feel is the best alternative which is using private rubbish removal services. But before that, let’s briefly explain how the Inner West Council pick-up service works:
How Does the Inner West Council pick-up Service Work?
The following are brief summary points to help you understand how the council waste management and recycling program works:-
- Purpose and Scope – The purpose is to help residents responsibly manage and dispose their waste and also adhere to best practises as laid down by the local government. The scope of the service is to help remove items that are too large for curb side rubbish removal. Such items include mattresses, home appliances, old furniture, and other bulky items.
- Schedule – This program operates on a schedule and every resident is given the schedule for the year. So everyone knows when their area is scheduled for pick-up.
- Approved Item – There are specific type of items that are approved for this service. Every resident of the council is expected to get a list of those items so that they drop only the items that are approved for the council pick up. These items include white goods, e-waste, old furniture, and other heavy household stuff.
- Notification or Booking – Residents of the area may be expected to notify the council of their need for the service or book the service ahead of time. This helps the people in charge to plan appropriately to accommodate everyone.
- Environmental Considerations and Recycling – The council has the right to determine the items that will go to the landfill and those that will be recycled or upcycled. This is to reduce the impact of waste on the landfill and also reduce waste.
- Council Guidelines – The council ensures that residents know what is allowed /approved for pick-up in this program and also how they are to be dropped off for pick-up. Failure to adhere to the guideline will mean that the resident will not partake of this service.
Limitations of this Service
Despite the fact that this is a laudable initiative, it has some drawbacks, and they include the following:
- Schedule – The items for disposal must be prepared and kept for pick up on designated days and if a resident misses that day (or those days), they most likely have to wait for the next collection dates.
- Booking Issues- Sometimes, more people might book and the resources available will not be sufficient to serve them all.
- Items on the Approved List – Sometimes residents may need to dispose of things other than those on the approved list. This can create an issue for the resident.
- Preparation of items for disposal – There are guidelines for preparation of items for disposal and sometimes community members may not be able to adhere to these guidelines. This automatically disqualifies them from benefiting from the service. You can visit this site https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/ for more information.
Other aspects to considerabout this service are:
- Limit of items that can be disposed per time
- Weight restriction on what can be disposed
- Materials that are prohibited from collection
- Accessibility to the items to be picked up
- Every area cannot receive service at the same time
Alternatives to Government Pick up Services
Looking at the way these government services works and the fact that there are many limitations and drawbacks, it is evident that one needs to find an alternative to dispose of bulk items, e-waste, and white goods.
We will consider some of these alternatives:-
Donation
If the items you want to dispose of are not far gone, you can consider donating them to shelters, thrift stores or local charities. Ensure that the items are well prepared before you donate them. For example, if you want to donate a used couch/sofa, you can refinish it by covering it with new upholstery.
If the fabric on the sofa is just dirty, you can dry clean the sofa and have it as good as new. This saves you the stress of looking for a disposal service while providing value for someone else.
Garage or Yard Sale
Most times people have to dispose of stuff not because they are completely bad or useless but because they have newer models. If this is the case with you and you do not want to donate the old items, you can organize a yard sale. This event can double for a fun time of socializing with friends and neighbours.
You will be amazed at people who will appreciate this and you will also get some cash from the adventure.
Online Sale
This is an alternative that is less stressful than the yard sale. It is also great if you do not want people in your space. All you need to do is take pictures of the items and post them on different online platforms. Ensure that you read the instructions of the platform and follow them so that you can get the best out of the transaction.
Private Waste Disposal Companies
These just as the name implies are companies that provide rubbish removal services. We consider them the best alternative to council pick up services especially if you cannot sell the items or donate them. You can take a look at Ridly rubbish removal for companies that provide waste disposal services at your convenience. All you need to do is look out for the one that best suits your needs and engage in their service.
Tips for Finding the Best Alternative to Inner West Council Pick up
We stated above that hiring private companies for your rubbish removal is the best alternative to council pickup but you need to get the right company to hire. Find below tips to help you:-
- Ask for recommendations from people in your neighbourhood or friends and family
- Research and make comparison
- Check for licensing and insurance
- Find out the range of services offered
- Confirm their environmental practises
- Check their cost and transparency with pricing
- Consider their service schedule
- Confirm the tools and equipment that they use
- Read customer reviews
- Ensure that they can reach your location
- Conform the reliability and punctuality of the company
- Ensure that they have a good reputation
- Find out where they dispose the wastes
- Find out whether they offer recycling service
Conclusion
We established the fact that government waste disposal services cannot efficiently serve everyone in a community. For this reason, it is imperative that you find an alternative. We briefly shared some alternatives but we recommended that you look out for a good private waste disposal firm. This will save you from the inconvenience of having to be tied down to the schedule of the council pick up and other attendant issues.
We have given you tips on how to find the right company to work with. Pay attention to these tips, as they will assist you in making the right choice.
