Yarra residents will soon be able to recycle a wide range of goods, including e-waste, on one Saturday per month, with Council extending the opening hours at its recycling drop off point.

Council’s Clifton Hill recycling centre will open between 8am and Midday on the first Saturday of each month to accept recyclable waste, starting September 4.

Yarra Mayor Jane Garrett said giving people more opportunities to recycle was just one of the ways Council was working to reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfill.

“On average Council collects about 9000 tonnes of recycling a year but we can certainly take more,” she said.

“Many people work Monday to Friday and it is inconvenient for them to go to the drop-off point during the week

“Council hopes that by opening the centre on Saturdays, residents will be encouraged to drop off those recyclable items that have been sitting around their home collecting dust.

“Yarra is already diverting 45% of waste from landfill.

“By increasing awareness of things like keeping plastic bags out of recycling bins which contaminates the contents of those bins and by organising recycling and chemical waste drop off days, we’re hoping we can raise that figure to 57% by 2014.”

The extra recycling day is one of a range of initiatives included in Council’s five-year Waste Management Plan for Yarra, which was adopted in December 2009.

The drop off point at the corner of Roseneath and Gray Streets, Clifton Hill (Melways Reference 2D B4) operates from Monday-Friday, 8.30am-3pm and on the first Saturday of the month, from 8am-midday.

The following materials can be dropped off for recycling:

* E–waste (desktops, laptops, computer mice, monitors, printers, disk and CD drives and other computer parts)
* Electrical equipment (televisions, stereo equipment, CD players, DVD and VCR recorders)
* Fluorescent tubes and light bulbs
* Paper and cardboard
* Engine Oil
* Car batteries
* Small batteries
* Mobile phones (which can also be recycled at the Richmond and Collingwood Town Halls and the Richmond and Collingwood leisure centres)
* Glass jars and bottles
* Polystyrene
* Steel and aluminium cans
* Plastics marked with the codes 1 to 7
* Clothing
* Cork

General or green waste is not accepted at the drop-off point

Council also offers residents a personalised collection service for green waste and for hard waste that includes items like white goods.

For more information or to book a hard or green waste collection, please contact Council on 9205 5555.