A PUSH to encourage campers at Warrnambool’s foreshore caravan parks to go green has been hailed a success.
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One hundred recycling bins were scattered between the Surfside and Shipwreck Bay holiday parks at the start of summer and park manager Alex Reardon said campers had embraced the “green” initiative.
Mr Reardon said there was a trial of recycling bins at Surfside over Easter last year.
“We had 40 bins around Surfside over Easter. That trial had varying degrees of success,” he said.
“From that trial we’ve rolled it out across both parks for summer, with 60 bins at Surfside and 40 at Shipwreck Bay.
“We made sure they looked different, with a yellow lid, and we have educational material in prominent areas like amenities blocks and camp kitchens.”
Mr Reardon said recycling bins were deliberately placed in the middle of two general waste bins.
“That stops contamination from people who just put their rubbish in the first bin they find,” he said.
“The collectors said there had been no contamination of recycling, except for people putting their recyclables in plastic bags and then putting them in the bin.”
Mr Reardon said now the recycling bins were filling before the general waste bins.
“People seem to want to do the right thing, which is great. We can’t thank the campers enough and they deserve to be congratulated,” he said.
“It’s meant we have been able to remove some of the general waste bins and cut down on our waste costs.
“There is room for more recycling bins now too.”
Mr Reardon said the parks had also been using Facebook to connect with campers. “It’s an easy and quick way to communicate with campers. It sort of has become a message board,” he said.
“Facebook allows us to get some promotional stuff out and to communicate quickly with campers if we need information or help with something like a lost child or the like.”