Savings in fees and care for the environment motivate people to use the Eaglehawk Recycle Shop’s Recovery Centre rather than the Eaglehawk landfill.

The Centre, which has been operating for 23 years at the entrance of the landfill, also provides jobs and a cheap location for second hand materials and products to be purchased.

The Eaglehawk Recycle Shop’s Manager Peter Buck said today “People have a choice of paying $165 a tonne to dump in the landfill or they can sort their load and drop it off at the Recovery Centre for free. Building materials, plants and garden products, furniture, whitegoods, bicycles and toys, plumbing supplies, electrical items, paints, pavers, car parts and many other products can all be recycled for free. Two products attract a fee.

Refrigeration units ($15) so they can be degased and mattresses ($10) so they can be dismantled for recycling. Now that is an impressive list.”

“Customers are saving over $1.4 million in landfill fees each year and you can double that because council has the life of the landfill extended and those products are not being transported through regional Victoria to be dumped somewhere else. It’s common sense to support the centre and people know it is good for the environment because these products are not rotting in the ground creating greenhouse gases.” He said.

“The Recycle Shop Board and workers offer this service at no charge to council so long as the council offers accommodation and utilities at no charge. It’s a win for Council, the community, the staff at the Centre and most importantly the environment and when you think about the savings over

23 years it is very rewarding for everybody. All operating costs come out of sales just like any other enterprise.”

Mr Buck said “The model is challenging as decisions have to be made every hour of each day on what can be reused. It costs us about $15,000 a year in landfill fees because we take a gamble on some product. Market prices vary all the time and we have to pay out many hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages. We are currently working on a process to manage gas bottles which is a problem Australia wide and hope to introduce it in the coming months. Our business is always changing and we welcome new product which will save customers fees with a process that is friendly to the environment.”

People wanting further information on sorting their load can contact the Recycle Shop on 54463467

Further comment and photo opportunity. Peter Buck 0434 769 800