Hornsby Shire Council beat strong competition from five states to win the Steel Can Recycling Best Practice Awards for Local Government.

After a big influx of entries on the eve of the deadline, some difficult deliberations for the judges and a gala presentation in Alice Springs, Hornsby Shire Council (NSW) has emerged as the winner of the 2002 Best Practice Awards.

Extensive community consultation, householder education and an impressive steel can recycling rate were the foundations of Hornsby's award-winning steel can recycling service.

The three bin system has six variations of the service tailored to meet the different needs of river settlements, rural and urban households, medium- and high-density households and island dwellers.

The service has been a great success: operation began in early August 2002 and already a steel can recycling rate of 58% has been achieved. This represents a 35% improvement from the initial trials.

The other award-winning councils are as follows:

Highly Commended

Warringah Council (NSW) has seen the proportion of steel cans in its recyclate over double since 1998. Their system of wheelie bins for collection of domestic waste and recycling is based on user/polluter pays, and their promotion of steel can recycling has been wide and varied.

Wollongong City Council (NSW) currently recovers approximately 30% of steel cans from the residential waste collection service and promotes steel can recycling through advertising, school visits, its Glengarry Cottage and festival days.

The City of Whittlesea (VIC), through its annual waste and recycling audit, has seen the percentage of steel cans in recycling collections almost double since 1998, whilst contamination rates have also dropped significantly. Recycling bin inspections, festivals, school programs and media work have all elevated the importance of steel can recycling.

Finalists

Hurstville City Council (NSW) has achieved a steel can recovery rate of 37.4%, since commencement of steel can collections in 2001.

The City of Stirling's (WA) new single bin system has resulted in a 177% increase in steel cans recovered over its seven and a half months of operation.

Port Stephens Council's (NSW) annual recycling rate for steel cans of 56% has been achieved through the implementation of an integrated solid waste management strategy that combines the SCORR (Simultaneous Collection of Refuse and Recycling) bin system and the Bedminster Co-composting process.