Staying at home is the most advisable thing to do during this coronavirus pandemic. With increased indoor activities, households generate more rubbish than usual. While spending more time in your home, you might unconsciously do things that add to the increasing junks.
Australia faces severe problems with waste, and it might get worse in the following months. As the country aims to target for a cleaner and greener surrounding, you can be a part of this meaningful action. The pandemic has given a lot of people more time at hand–and recycling your rubbish is one of the must-do activities.
Recent lockdowns had impaired garbage collectors and everyone whose working to clean different places. Continuous uncollected junks cover the view of clean streets you enjoy every day. You can reduce the increasing rubbish during this trying time.
But first, you need to know how the COVID-19 lockdown causes increased household rubbish in Australia.
Increasing Rubbish Volume
Sydney’s local council reported a 35% rise in the volume of wastes. As you are staying in your home, unquestionably more online shopping has been done. Also, the increase in rubbish is due to home improvements and international workers returning to their home countries.
Home improvements and redesigning are of becoming famous in these times. People find such hobbies for enjoyment, distraction or ease boredom. With such materials from home overthrown, this will surely consume spaces on the streets.
Moreover, international workers helping to clean the rubbish went to their home countries. The workforce has been decreasing, and that’s why it is getting difficult to deal with the dumped waste.
Moreover, the volume of the trash collection is mainly because of the commercial and industrial sectors. Wastes from construction and demolitions added to the problem. The problems with rubbish affect the overall viability of the business industry. Many people are speculating about where COVID19 came from, however, we believe that it’s more important to focus on the immediate impact of it and what it’s really doing our economy.
Illegal Dumped Rubbish
The illegally dumped rubbish in the City of Melbourne has reached 70%. Meanwhile, the City of Canada Bay Council in Sydney reported an increase of 50% in household materials throughout April compared last year. The illegal dumping has increased by 35% in Sydney. These numbers are large ones that unquestionably contribute to the cluttered streets and charity shops.
Due to the demands of the pandemic, some councils such as Inner West in Sydney stopped bulk collection, although they are already available again. Discarded items could be useful if you wanted to create something out of it. Making things using recyclables can make your days productive and minimize rubbish.
Also, waste and recycling are major concerns that will continue the accumulation of discarded items. Beware of littering your area, because if found guilty, you could face penalties almost $10,000 or a month in jail.
Excessive Residential Decluttering
Aside from the industrial and commercial settings, the production of trashes is diverted to the household setting. More rubbish is produced as more people stay to work from home.
Hardware retailers provide many items for renovation projects as you would be busy decorating your home-turned-into-office. While you have more leisure time, redesigning your house unquestionably adds to the excessive rubbish in the streets.
Besides, changing your appliances and old furniture with new ones excessively adds more rubbish.
Inadvisable Reuse
Australians have thrown out more than 10 per cent rubbish and recyclable materials. Everyone is throwing the wrong things in the curbside recycling bins such as soft plastics and items that can be crumpled together.
These soft plastics include plastic bags, toilet paper wrapping, food packaging, and delivery bags. As this rubbish ends up in curbside bins, it could lead to unexpected levels of contamination. Also, it spoils the nation’s reasonable recycling efforts. Reusing of things lessen the anxiety of the people on the fear of getting infected with the coronavirus.
Moreover, flattening the curve means staying at home. Hence, households and communities tend to fill up more bins. For example, reusable cups are prohibited in cafes to prevent contracting the coronavirus. Furthermore, the target of Australian plastic packaging to be recycled or composted reached up to 16%. With the current outbreak, it will drop to 13% by 2025.
Unwanted Donations
More rubbish is forming outside charity shops after residents declutter during the outbreak. Among the decluttered materials include clothes, old suitcases, children’s toys, and furniture. Piles of these materials are thrown while you see signs urging people not to dump goods.
After everyone seems to leave things on the streets or outside stores, charities face a national bill of $18 million to clean up the dumped donations. You can still use donation bills or designated donation locations throughout NSW, but be sure these are not full.
Donating to charities would not be helpful by leaving your items outside in closed shops– as 10% use the stores for waste disposal. You can help those most in need by recycling and donating responsibly.
The illegal dumpings are escalating right across Australia. The local communities are frustrated seeing their residential streets become rubbish dumps. Facing more trashes, you can help reduce it by recycling materials.
Being responsible for taking the time to dump your garbage correctly and avoiding too much decluttering will lessen the rubbish outside your homes.
Conclusion
There are things you can enjoy during this lockdown– the things you always wanted to do when you don’t have enough time. One of these things could be redesigning your house. But don’t forget that as you’re isolated in the comfort of your homes, you are producing more trashes.
The increasing rubbish makes your residence unpleasant. Being responsible for dumping your trashes, minimizing decluttering, reusing materials and avoiding unwanted donations are the least you can do to lessen the rubbish.
The rubbish increases every day, and you can always do something about it. As the coronavirus affects everyone severely, no one wants the waste to do the same next.
For all your rubbish and junk problems, Paul’s Rubbish Removal is your company for a fast and hassle-free rubbish collection service in Sydney. Removing all your rubbish with our service, you can now focus on the more important things in life.
Call us now on 0407 125 125, and we’ll respond with a free estimate. We are the perfect solution for all your rubbish problems, making sure your place is spotless.
