From recycling approximately 80-100 tonne of post consumable recycling per month they now move more than 300 tonne per month.

This has required an increase in the employee base to 25 workers.

VicWest Recyclers receive product to process from the Northern Grampians Shire, Ararat Rural City, Pyrenees Shire and Yarriambiack Shire.

With commercial recycling collections throughout two shires and coverage of approximately 18 rural transfer stations, they are kept busy.

All workers at VicWest understand the importance of saving natural resources through recycling, but they also understand the damage that is caused to the recycling through inconsiderate or lazy people placing the wrong items in their recycling bins.

By placing non-recyclables in your recycling bin, you can contaminate the recyclable items, thus ensuring that a full load of recycling may need to then be placed in landfill.

VicWest Recyclers manually sort all residential recycling and the sheer disrespect that some residents have for this process is clearly shown in some of the items we see on a regular basis.

These include disposable nappies (used), personal hygiene products, food scraps, dead animals, animal faeces, green waste, clothing and timber.

They have even received a dead python, a prosthetic leg, a full dead sheep, a porcelain toilet, not to mention many other strange items.

VicWest Recyclers are happy to offer tours through its facility to better equip residents with the knowledge required to `Recycle Smart'.

It also gives the community an opportunity to see what becomes of your recycling once it leaves your premises.

VicWest Recyclers are located at 11 Haughton Street, Stawell and can be contacted on 53582490.

Operational hours are Monday to Thursday 7.30am to 4pm and Friday 7.30am to 2pm.