General News
21 March, 2026
Wheelie is a wee bit small
A YEAR ago yellow recycling bins were introduced across the Cassowary Coast and the lids of general waste bins were changed to red, but a local group claims the smaller, 140-litre general wheelie bins are just that – too small.
The Cassowary Coast Waste Action Group says council made a “penny pinching” decision to keep small red-lid bins rather than issue a 240-litre general waste alternative as other Far North councils have – and the decision is backfiring.
Group coordinator Liz Fabian says people are literally “seeing red” over the issue, noting that many residents are frustrated at having smaller general waste bins next to recycling bins nearly double the size at 240l.
“There have been many complaints that the red and yellow bin sizes are the wrong way around and there is now evidence that people are indiscriminately throwing rubbish into both bins every week,” Ms Fabian told The Observer.
“The old wet waste bins are copping a lot more rubbish that used to go in the dry waste bins instead.”
The group estimates there are about 16,000 households in the region and replacing the bins would cost around $1.2 million.
“That sounds like a lot, but grants are surely available, with the long-term cost of contaminated recycling certainly being far higher,” Ms Fabian said.
Since council launched the yellow bins last year, Mayor Teresa Millwood has had to do at least one mini campaign on social media highlighting contamination of the recycled materials by general waste.
The waste action group also says that on a tour late last year of the materials recovery facility in Cairns – where the region’s recycling waste is taken – they were informed that the yellow bins from Cassowary Coast “are still 50% contaminated. This converts to waste charges back to the council,” the group posted at the time.
Ms Fabian has compared the waste contamination with Cairns, where the group says, years of recycling contamination at 100% was reduced to about 12% after the introduction of strong community and child-focused education programs.
“If this ‘payback’ issue continues, we could be permanently stuck with contamination levels above 90%,” Ms Fabian said.
“That means ratepayer money will be endlessly thrown in the bin.
“Don’t forget we aren’t yet paying for the full cost of waste, with the total extent of state government levies set to appear on rate notices four years from now.”
But at this point, council has no plans to replace the 140L red bins with larger, 240L ones as standard issue.
Residents can apply for the larger bins but have to pay more.
In the current rates year – 2025/2026 – the charge for the standard service of one 140L general waste bin and one 240L recycling bin is $467, whereas the amount increases to $530 for ratepayers wanting a larger red bin instead.
Read More: Cassowary Coast