Four household bins possible in some council areas to address recycling crisis
The state government has revealed a new $11.3 million package to help councils struggling with recycling costs since the closure of processing facility SKM. It might involve another early morning dash to the nature strip. Will it work?
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Households soon could be putting out four bins on kerbside collection nights under a state plan to fix Victoria’s recycling woes.
The Andrews Government has revealed a new $11.3 million package to help councils struggling with recycling costs since the closure of processing facility SKM.
The money should avoid extra costs being passed on to ratepayers, and would also be used to improve the quality of material sent to processors.
As part of the plan, the government says it will “work with councils on a major overhaul of kerbside collection to improve the quality of recyclables being collected by councils”.
It says “this may include extra bins for households to improve the separation of waste”.
This means the current three-bin model used in many areas — one for recycling, one for waste, and one for garden material — could be increased to four or more.
Another option would be for separate sections to be installed in bins to keep some material from co-mingling.
At the moment, smashed glass and other contamination issues wreak havoc on recycling sorting.
The idea of increasing the number of bins at kerbside collections is likely to be controversial, but is likely to be done by councils that volunteer at first.
The Herald Sun revealed last month that at least one council was considering the option as part of the SKM crisis.
A new statewide waste policy is currently being developed, and a meeting of state and federal governments last week pledged to boost the re-use of materials.
New targets will “be considered to drive investment in end uses, such as glass for road base and railway sleepers made from plastics”.
Previously, material had been exported overseas of sent to landfill, with contamination of products contributing to other countries slapping export bans on our waste.
Victoria’s Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said “short-term financial relief supports councils immediately, while all levels of government work together on a longer-term solution that must include an overhaul of kerbside recycling”.
“We believe this financial assistance to councils will help them transition to meeting the real costs of recycling after decades of a failed business model from SKM,” she said.
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Ms D’Ambrosio said 33 councils were affected by the closure of SKM, with some currently paying double what they had paid to the waste giant to divert recycling to other providers.
The money will be provided over the next four months, and will be contingent on councils providing evidence they are diverting material from landfill, provide information on current contractual rates, and work on a longer-term waste plan.
Ms D’Ambrosio said the government would support workers affected by the closure of SKM.