If you’re thinking of a major clean-up of your home, the next few weeks should be the best time to do it.
The Brisbane City Council’s annual kerbside collection is set to happen in May for the suburbs in the Centenary area. This should be the perfect time to get rid of that old sofa, dining set or that big piece of furniture or appliance that is too big for the wheelie bin.
Here is the schedule for the Centenary suburbs:
| 22 May 2017 | Jindalee Jamboree Heights Sinnamon Park Middle Park Mount Ommaney Riverhills Sumner Westlake |
| 29 May 2017 | Seventeen Mile Rocks
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Be Guided, Get the App
The city council will send out flyers to residents at least a week before the schedule, but so as not to miss the date, you can download the council’s Brisbane Bin and Recycling app for free at the following locations:
You can set the app to notify you when it is time to bring out your items to the kerbside. It would also be good to be guided on what’s acceptable and not acceptable. You could get charged if unwanted items remain on the kerb after 7 days of the notified collection period.
It’s also important to take note of the items that are acceptable and those that are not. Here is the list of acceptable and unacceptable items according to the Brisbane City Council.
Acceptable items
- furniture and white goods (e.g. fridges and stoves)
- small household appliances (e.g. fans and toasters)
- carpet and rugs
- bath and laundry tubs
- wood products less than 1.5 metres
- bicycles and sporting equipment
- electronic waste (e.g. televisions and computers)
Unacceptable items
- garden waste (e.g. trees, grass, potted plants)
- dirt and stones
- bricks and concrete
- commercial builders waste
- car parts and tyres, including car batteries
- general household waste (e.g. food scraps)
- liquids
- hazardous wastes (e.g. chemicals, oil, asbestos)
- gas bottles
- glass and mirrors
- household waste that normally goes into your waste or recycling bin
Finders Keepers Time
Aside from being an opportune time to get rid of unnecessary clutter in the house, kerbside collection is also a much-awaited event for some to find treasure in other people’s trash. There would be many cases where items thrown out are still useful and the owners just want to have something new for their home.
By rule, once an item is placed on the kerbside, it becomes fair game to anyone who wishes to scavenge for anything that may be useful for them.
There are no city council laws prohibiting such act. In fact, it could be a good thing overall as it would mean lesser amounts of trash to go to the landfill. As for the owner, they would not really care who took the trash as long as it is taken out of their property.
This year’s kerbside collection can be an exciting event for pickers who have no qualms about re-using other people’s trash.
You’d be surprised what other people will put on the kerb. Such as the story of a four-person spa bath being left for collection. But there were stranger items thrown out in the past that were not as pleasantly surprising such as when an unarmed hand grenade was included in the pile. That prompted the collectors to call the bomb squad to the scene.
Some people turn the kerbside collection into a scavenging game. But if you are up to it, remember to be courteous when taking items out of the kerb. Be mindful of keeping the pile clean and not throwing items around.
It is actually a good thing to re-use other people’s discarded items, but don’t give them the extra task to clean up what you left behind.
