Local waste management innovators receive top award beating big national players in sustainable practices
Owner and Managing Director of Coastal Skip Bin Hire Mr Robbie Snell and his team are paving the way for the future of waste management. On Friday July 19, 2019 Coastal Skip Bin Hire was awarded the top prize in the Collaborative Achievement in Resource Recovery category at the Queensland WRIQ Industry Awards Gala Dinner in front of a crowd of more than 200 industry peers.
It is especially impressive for this small family owned and run business, which started only five years ago when Mr Snell identified a need for better waste management solutions and set about a diversification strategy for his earthmoving business, now 30 years old.
“We are trying to do the best we can for the environment. We are a very wasteful society. We took a lot of things to the tips that shouldn’t go there so we started separating things,” Mr Snell said.
The award is a huge achievement which acknowledges the passion, dedication and commitment to sustainability practices acknowledged by the industry and government which sees Coastal Skip Bin Hire eclipse some big industry guns in Australia’s waste management services.
The Hon. Minister Leeanne Enoch said that the awards are important in acknowledging the collaborative efforts of businesses in the sector.
“Waste, Recycling Industry Association Qld (WRIQ) Industry Awards recognise the valuable contribution individuals and teams have made as we improve waste management in Queensland.”
On July 1 the Queensland Government introduced a waste management levy designed to encourage business and industry to reduce, reuse and recycle more.
“Ongoing efforts are contributing to the recovery and recycling targets that are outlined in Queensland’s Waste Management and Recourse Recovery Strategy which is putting us on the right path to a cleaner future,” Ms Enoch said.
From day one Mr Snell said that he was passionate about recycling, reducing waste, saving the environment and developing a positive future all with forward-thinking, long-lasting programs and initiatives to solve waste issues.
“We saw an opportunity to separate waste at the source, so we developed, initiated and implemented a more productive strategy to commercial and development waste collection and separation. We are passionate about the new waste levy coming in, so we have implemented a system of separating. The award was a huge credit for a small business in Hervey Bay and the government is looking at doing a case study on how we do things,” Mr Snell said.
Operations Manager Roger Franks along with some fifteen employees, including Mr Snell’s wife Sue, daughter Taylor, and his two sons Tyson and Levi all work closely with builders and other clients to ensure a program of education and open communication on sustainable waste management solutions is delivered.
“Education is ongoing with all concerned. Once there used to be just one bin but now we provide four or five to separate the materials such as bricks, plaster, metals and plastics. We work with the builders. We are constantly sending out paraphernalia in relation to working with the builder and the trade.
“Our philosophy is nothing gets wasted with our recycling solutions. A lot of businesses have perceived waste problems that we have solutions for. We will reinvent it by adding or subtracting or turning it into a different format like composting soils, crushing concrete used for road base or other forms.
“We are trying to do the best we can for the environment. The investment into machines can be up to a million dollars.”
“There are lots of positives, as the business grows, we will employ more locals. There is more potential to recycle waste and we are talking to other councils in other areas. We don’t just see waste, we use it in other forms.” Mr Snell said.
With waste industry targets of no landfills by 2050 Coastal Skip Bin Hire continues to fight the war on waste and is paving the way for a brighter more sustainable future for all.