2013/14 has been a record year for the drumMUSTER program in the Mackay area. More than 15,400 empty chemical containers were delivered by 323 growers, which is the best return rate that has ever been achieved locally.
“Mackay Regional Council and CANEGROWERS Mackay are to be congratulated on the improved service and promotion that have no doubt been instrumental in the record returns,” said drumMUSTER regional consultant Colin Hoey.
Collection sites at Paget, Sarina and Gargett all changed their retrieval methods this year, implementing ongoing collections.
“We wanted to improve our service to the community and make the drumMUSTER program as accessible as possible by scrapping the need to make an appointment,” said Waste, Health and Regulatory portfolio councillor Laurence Bonaventura.
That accessibility resulted in a 63 per cent increase in the number of drums delivered to council collection sites compared to previous years.
“In the last five years, an average of 9495 drums were returned annually,” said Cr Bonaventura. “In 2013/14 that figure jumped to over 15 thousand drums – a fantastic result for the region.”
CANEGROWERS Mackay Chairman Kevin Borg congratulated the region’s growers on achieving a record return rate.
“Growers are very aware of their responsibilities to the land and greater environment, and this achievement is testament to their proactive participation in the drumMUSTER program,” said Mr Borg.
“drumMUSTER plays an integral role in the industry-developed and driven SmartCane Best Management Practice (BMP) Program, giving growers the opportunity to dispose of their plastic containers in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner.
“At the same time, this provides growers with the evidence they need to progress within the BMP Program. I encourage all growers to continue to utilise the drumMUSTER program with the aim of achieving an even higher grower response rate next year,” said Mr Borg.
Whether you have one drum or 100 drums, take them to a collection site and join the program. A receipt is issued on delivery which is proof of participation.
“The new operations have made it easy to deliver drums,” said Mr Hoey. “The challenge ahead is to build on the result and encourage every grower to choose drumMUSTER as their first choice for empty drum disposal.”
All containers presented at the collection must meet the program’s cleanliness standards. Containers must be free of any chemical residue to ensure the safety of handlers.
Since 1999, drumMUSTER has collected more than 24 million drums nationwide. That represents more than 29,000 tonnes of waste avoiding landfill and being recycled into new and useful things again, like plastic cable covers, wheelie bins, road signs and bollards.
For further information on the drumMUSTER program, call 1800 008 707. Information on the opening hours of council’s waste facilities can be found here.