If you’re planning a clean-it-up-and-chuck-it-out project as we go into winter, EPA Victoria has some handy hints to make it a satisfying result.
EPA interim chief executive officer Joss Crawford said the EPA website has useful tips to protect the environment and prevent your jobs from turning into a headache.
“A little knowledge can equip you to avoid the traps of sending waste to the wrong place and turning it into a pollution problem that will come back to get you,” Ms Crawford said.
“Everyone has an environmental duty in Victoria. There are pathways for disposal of things like old paint or chemicals, or asbestos that work much better than trying to hide it at the bottom of the bin. You just have to know what to do,” she said.
“Victoria’s Environment Protection Act includes a General Environmental Duty, that makes it everyone’s responsibility to take reasonable action to prevent pollution, so a little homework on the EPA website before you start can make life a lot easier.”
Hiring a skip? Choose a respectable company, ask to see the receipts that show they take waste to a licensed landfill or recycling facility, and beware of suspiciously low prices that might mean your waste will be dumped illegally in the bush, a park or a creek.
If you suspect there’s asbestos there are simple rules that let you deal with small amounts yourself, and above those amounts it’s just a matter of hiring a licensed asbestos removalist.
What about old paint and household chemicals? There are drop-off points and household detox events to allow you to dispose of those without them just becoming contamination.
Check the EPA website before you start, and do your bit to prevent harm to our environment and your local community.
And if you encounter pollution, remember you can report pollution to EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or provide details online at epa.vic.gov.au/make-report.
