Big change coming to household bin collection
A new four-bin system is on the way for Victorian homes and the government is paying councils more than $100m to roll out the scheme.
Victoria
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Millions of households across Victoria will soon get purple-lid bins for glass material as the shift to a four-bin waste system gathers pace.
The Andrews government has handed over $127m to the state’s 79 councils so they can start to buy new bins and transform recycling to better separate materials.
It is part of a plan for every home in Victoria to have four waste disposal methods by the end of the decade.
In metropolitan areas four different coloured bins will be provided for kerbside collection, while in some regional areas glass disposal services may be different.
Several inner-city councils have already adopted purple-lid bins for glass, which has caused angst among many apartment owners due to a lack of storage space.
Greens-dominated Yarra Council has also raised the ire of some residents due to the timing of collections and suggestions they share rubbish with neighbours.
Some smaller councils are being given longer to introduce changes, while others can see out existing waste contracts to minimise costs.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said purple bins were about ensuring glass didn’t contaminate recycling processes by shattering in among other materials.
About $86m of the funding measures will go towards introducing four bins with “standardised bin-lid colours”.
At the moment some councils use yellow lids for recycling, while others use blue.
Under the standardised system green lids will signify food or garden waste, purple will be for glass, yellow for other recycling, and red for rubbish.
An additional $41m will “support councils, business and communities maximise recycling” which the Ms D’Ambrosio said would create new jobs and local manufacturing.
“Victoria’s local councils are on the frontline of these reforms.
“We are working hand-in-hand with councils to ensure they have the resources they need to roll out these reforms in every corner of the state,” she said.
“By collecting glass separately, we can make sure more of it is effectively recycled – with jars and bottles transformed multiple times into multiple products.
“We know all Victorians want to be able to do more to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and use resources wisely – this funding helps to do exactly that.”
Ms D’Ambrosio said the recycling sector creates 9.2 jobs for every 10,000 tonnes of waste recycled, compared to 2.8 jobs for the same volume sent to landfill.
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