Central Coast Council said the purchase of the specialised materials handling excavator was another way the council was using innovative methods to reduce the amount of waste directed to landfill at Buttonderry Waste Management Facility.

Council waste services unit manager, Andrew Pearce, said that since it started operating in September last year a number of environmental, social and economic benefits had been realised.

“In the first five months of operation, the excavator has successfully recovered more than 1000 tonnes of scrap metal and 1400 mattresses,” Mr Pearce said.

“The mattresses are shredded to both recover the metal and to achieve improved compaction in the landfill until such time as we can find a market for this material.

“From this we are able to gain additional economic benefits from the sale of scrap metal, saving of valuable landfill space, as well as refund of the Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA) waste levy.”

The purchase of the excavator was made possible thanks to a $200,000 grant awarded through the EPA’s Resource Recovery Facility Expansion and Enhancement Grants Program.

Council matched the $200,000 funding to purchase the machine.

Mr Pearce said he hoped council would be successful in obtaining further grants under the EPA’s Waste Less Recycle More program.

“We have since conducted further trials on construction, demolition, commercial and industrial waste at our Buttonderry Waste Management Facility,” Mr Pearce said.

“These trials have recovered approximately 50 tonnes of cardboard, soft plastic, untreated timber and hard plastic.

“We are currently analysing the results from the latest trial to inform future business decisions and identify new markets for recoverable products.”

Each Central Coast household receives six free kerbside collections of general household or green waste every 12 months from February 1 that can be booked via 1coast.com.au

New garbage truck fleet rolls out