The Brewster Street recycling area gates are likely to remain closed....permanently.

The recycling area was closed initially due to COVID-19 but Lismore City Council has confirmed that it is proposed to stay closed under the new draft Operational Plan currently being displayed on the councils 'Your Say Lismore' website ( https://yoursay.lismore.nsw.gov.au/budget1).

A LCC spokesperson said "the operation of the Brewster Street site has become increasingly risky due to the interaction of the public and the skip collection trucks. The site also suffers from significant levels of illegal dumping of waste".

By closing this facility council will save in the range of $50,000 to $75,000 per annum but "the largest benefit will be the reduced safety risk, which is currently significant" LCC said.

Free drop off for excess recycling (cardboard, bottles, cans, plastic containers and packing foam) will still be available at the Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre on Wyrallah Road and at the Nimbin Transfer Station on Blade Road. 

The infrastructure at the site will be removed and the area will likely become a carpark for the parkland.

Drop off centres were opened in the 1990s and were the only way residents had access to recycling.

These started as bottle banks and there were six operating across the Council area.

When kerbside recycling was introduced in 2006, the number of drop off centres were reduced to three as residents had access to recycling at home.

The three that remained in service were at the Recycling & Recovery facility, the Nimbin Transfer Station and the Brewster Street site.

These were retained for residents who had excess volumes for recycling and for those who did not have kerbside collection.