You may not know that household batteries and fluoro globes and tubes can be recycled into new products, but not if they get thrown into kerbside bins where they end up as landfill.

Karen Rudkin from North East Waste said “It’s been estimated that around 46 tonnes of batteries and 28 tonnes of fluoro light bulbs end up in our bins each year across the region and yet there’s a simple alternative! It’s your local Community Recycling Centre or CRC”.

Clarence Valley Council’s Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) are located at:

• Grafton Regional Landfill, 704 Armidale Road, South Grafton; and
• Maclean Waste Transfer & Recycle Centre, Paperbark Dr, Maclean

Residents can drop off quantities of up to 20 litres or 20 kilos of unwanted batteries, fluoros and other household problem wastes including smoke detectors, oils, paints, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, electronic waste and X-rays,. There’s no charge to drop off these items, all of which will be reused, recycled or disposed of safely.

To make it more convenient for residents to recycle small quantities of household batteries and mobile phones without having to visit a CRC, 5 small drop off Community Recycling Stations (CRS) have been set up at handy locations across the Clarence Valley including at:

• Grafton, Maclean and Iluka libraries;
• Treelands Drive Community Centre, Yamba;
• Bunning Store, Grafton

Small quantities of other items including smoke detectors, eye glasses, X-rays and printer cartridge can also be dropped off at some CRS but before you go, please check what can be dropped at the CRS you’re visiting to avoid a wasted trip.

For more information on your local CRS or CRC visit www.newaste.org.au/crc or contact Grafton 6643 0888 or Maclean 6645 5225.

This is a Waste Less Recycle More initiative funded by the waste levy.