Misplaced waste has cost the North West region more than $700,000 in the past year with a new system to make repeat offenders ineligible for kerbside bin pick-up.
From July one households in Burnie with kerbside bin collection will be part of a formalised four strike process and on the fourth strike could have their collection cut off.
A regional bin check program was delivered over 16 weeks during the 2025-26 financial year by The Cradle Coast Waste Services.
The report found a small portion of households -00.66% – repeatedly contaminated bins across the region.
During the bin check program 32 properties in the North West region received three strikes and 11 received four strikes as of May 2026.
13 households within the Burnie City municipality received 3 strikes and two households were on strike 4.
The data indicated that in most cases improvement in sorting occurred after the second tagging.
The report said Kerbside recycling and FOGO bin contamination presented “a significant risk and cost challenge for processors, from both a quality and safety perspective”.
Depending on the type and quantity of contamination, it can lead to whole truckloads of materials deemed for recycling ending up in landfill.
“This means the time and efforts of many households have been wasted because of the actions of a few,” the report said.
The new system is designed to “strengthen the existing program by providing a clear and consistent process to address ongoing contamination” the report says.
A motion passed unanimously at the Burnie City Council meeting on July 28 which noted the outcomes of the bin check program, and the implementation of the contamination strike system.
Councillor Ken Dorsey had a simple message: “Just get it right, it saves a lot of money,” he said in the meeting.
“Just sort your rubbish, it’s not hard.”
Councillor Trent Aitken questioned whether customers would still be charged after receiving the fourth strike, and whether that was legal.
Through the Mayor the general manager said yes, the customer would be charged, and he understood that it was legal.
Mr Aitken said he was still not on board with food and organic waste collection. The motion noting the implementation of the strike system passed unanimously.
Burnie Mayor Teeny Brumby took to social media following the vote and said Burnie wasn’t introducing its own rule, but acknowledging how existing systems are implemented.
She said contamination has “real consequences” including increasing processing costs and reducing the environmental benefits to the service.
Ms Brumby said using the FOGO and recycling service correctly saved the region approximately $737,000 in landfill levy costs, including around $128,000 for Burnie in just nine months.