Manly and Manly West are up for the next Kerbside Collection on Monday, the 13th of November. It’s the time of the year again to get rid of the big clutter, including big pieces of furniture and appliances, that will not fit the wheelie bins. Start packing and getting organise as early as possible to avoid inconveniences during the weekend before the collection.
Take note of the guidelines.
There are rules! Don’t ever think of haphazardly getting rid of all the clutter you’ll find. That is a big “NO”. Before packing and piling up the items, don’t forget to take a good look at the list of acceptable and unacceptable items. Aside from the furniture and appliances, you can also take out those carpets, rugs, electronic waste, and even your old bicycles.
There might be “tons” of unwanted items you need to get rid of, but there is a limit. The Council will only collect the piles that are not larger than two cubic metres, which is equivalent to a small trailer load. This is made possible to ensure that everyone in the neighbourhood will be able to use the Kerbside Collection service.
Start early in sorting out the items.
You still have few days to declutter. You better start sorting out all the items you would like to get rid off. You can start sorting out little by little everyday to avoid altering your daily schedule. Always start with small items and small clutter before starting to organise the big stuff. That way, you will be able to organise everything from Day 1 up to the big Collection Day.
Sort out everything you want to dispose. The Council only allows a certain limit but there are other places where you can take the unwanted items if you are beyond the limit.
Designate proper storage places.
You can use both trash bags and boxes. It really doesn’t matter. However, to keep everything organised and “damage-proof”, rugs, carpets, and the likes should be placed inside trash bags to allow more room as these items can be compressed. Items like electric waste and sporting waste can be properly sealed in boxes to prevent damages.
Don’t forget to place labels and properly stack the boxes and trash bags. The Council also obliges the residents to remove all doors of refrigerators and cupboards. You can remove the doors of usable furniture a day before the collection, to allow the scavengers to pick up something intact off your kerb.
Take the items out the weekend before the collection.
Take the items out the earliest possible time you are allowed to “market” the items to the scavengers. Neatly pile the items up, allowing room for the pathways and the roads. Always remember to properly seal and cover your pile in case of unwanted weather conditions. As a courtesy, arrange the items in a way that these can be easily lifted by two people.
Measure the pile again and get rid of the excess.
Check your pile for the very last time after the scavenger hunting. There might be a scavenger who found something off your kerb, so measure the pile again. If there is, take out some more items and properly stack it on the existing pile.
Remember that you packed everything? If there are excess items, consider recycling and donating. To recycle, drop these unwanted items to the Resource Recovery Centres and help the environment through reducing landfill.
You can also donate the items that are still usable. There are several organisations that accept donations. This includes National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations Inc. (NACRO), the peak organisation that holds several charities and tip shops all over Australia.
You can also GIVIT! It is a national non-profit virtual organisation that supports all agencies, services, and charities in Australia to store, sort out, and distribute the donations to specific individuals or communities who exactly need the items.
