Top tip for bargain hunters as facility opens

Karratha's biggest dump is now the hottest place in town for recyclers and bargain hunters.

A $3.4 million upgrade of the City of Karratha-run 7 Mile Tip will save more residents' waste from the landfill, with a new transfer station and tip shop which opened at the weekend.

City of Karratha Mayor Peter Long said residents would no longer even see the tip face.

"As part of the new facility, we'll be providing drop-off points for household recyclables such as glass and plastic bottles, paper and cardboard, steel and aluminium cans and green waste which will be mulched on site and reused," he said.

"Everything that's dropped off will be sorted by City staff, with items that can be reused or recycled separated from what goes to landfill."

The City decided last month not to pursue fortnightly kerbside recycling collections since it would result in a massive increase to rates.

Instead, green-minded residents will be able to bring their recyclables to the drop-off bins at the tip.

Waste company Toxfree will collect the mixed recycling bins and sort and bale the material at its local facility before transporting them to Perth.

Glass dropped off at the transfer station will be sent to Karratha Environmental for crushing and to be used as a substitute for sand.

The City aims to divert about 35 per cent of residential waste through the transfer station as well as the new tip shop.

If one man's trash is another's treasure, then the huge range of tossed items saved from the land- fill in Karratha is something like El Dorado and Aladdin's Cave rolled into one.

Industrial kitchen cabinets, furniture, about 100 bicycles, fans, a car, roadwork signs, musical instruments, electronics, clothes, bus seats and crockery are all on offer for low sums.

The tip site started in 1992 and has a life span of 31 years thanks to equipment like the $1 million Bomag machinery, which compacts rubbish under its 35-tonne frame.

About $8.5 million is generated annually by the tip for the City.

Mr Long said the upgrades to the tip had been a leap forward in the City's management of waste.

"The community is passionate about reducing landfill and improving recycling options around the City and we share that desire," he said.

"Now we have one of the most advanced waste operations in the North West."

The 7 Mile Tip shop is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 4pm.