Victorian Waste Education Strategy released

A 10 year Victorian Waste Education Strategy has been developed by Sustainability Victoria in partnership with communities, councils and the waste industry.

It acknowledges the need for shared responsibility and to increase the effectiveness of education by using the best techniques and behavioural insights.

For more information and to download a copy of the strategy visit Sustainability Victoria’s Waste Education Strategy webpage

Better Apartment Guidelines to improve waste and recycling

The Victorian Government’s draft Better Apartment Guidelines to improve standards for new apartment developments is currently open for public consultation.

The draft addresses issues such as adequate daylight, storage, ventilation, energy and noise as well as waste efficiency for the increasing number of high density, multi-unit developments in Melbourne.

Current planning requirements for recycling facilities in apartments could be strengthened so this is a great step forward. Compared to single dwellings, recycling rates in multi-unit developments (MUDs) are much lower, with around 42% of recyclable material not being recovered compared to only around 10% not recovered from single dwellings. Contamination rates of recycling bins are also around 12% higher in MUDs than at single dwellings.

The guidelines propose that new developments must provide dedicated areas for easy collection, separation and storage of general waste and recyclables, including opportunities for on-site management of food waste through composting, where appropriate.

To view the draft Better Apartment Guidelines or to provide feedback on the draft visit DELWP’s Have Your Say website. The consultation period closes at 5pm, 19 September 2016.

Litter prevention funding announced

Applications for Round 2 of the Victorian Litter Innovation Fund are now open.

The fund provides support for the Victorian community, including government, business, not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises and schools, to fund innovative approaches that prevent and reduce the impact of litter and illegal dumping.

Applications close Friday 30 September 2016.

Litter report card released

Results from the Keep Australia Beautiful National Litter Index Report show that Victoria’s total litter count continues to decline, with a 27 per cent drop compared to last year. Victoria’s total litter count is now 47 per cent lower than the national average.

To ensure this positive trend continues, the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio  launched the Victoria's Litter Report Card 2016 last month – one of four programs in the Victorian Litter Plan. The Report Card identifies five priority litter issues that will inform future investment and proposes new interventions across Victoria over the next two years.

Actions for 2016-17 will focus on coastal areas and waterways, addressing illegal dumping, and reducing plastics and micro-plastic litter.

ASPIRE’s new film clip promotes business recycling

The Advisory System for Processing, Innovation & Resource Exchange, known as ASPIRE, has recently released a video clip to promote their innovative business recycling program.

The online program matches Melbourne businesses with potential purchasers or recyclers of waste materials. Businesses can reduce their waste management costs while diverting by-products of their manufacturing processes and commercial activities from landfills to other alternate uses.

This fantastic program has been developed by the City of Kingston and implemented over the past two years in partnership with CSIRO and three other councils (Hume, Knox, Greater Dandenong).

MWRRG, through the strategic component of the Metropolitan Local Government Waste and Resource Recovery Fund, is supporting the development of a Councils’ Business Facilitator’s Kit to assist other councils to introduce and promote the ASPIRE program to businesses in their municipalities. This kit is expected to be finalised later this year.

Working group tackles illegal dumping

At the August meeting of the Metropolitan Local Government Waste Forum (MLGW Forum) a discussion paper was presented to tackle the issues of illegal dumping in metropolitan council areas. A recent survey of 23 councils had found a need for more understanding about the issues and costs associated with illegal dumping.

It was agreed that TARG (the Technical Advisory Reference Group to the MLGW Forum) investigate the causes and effective management approaches to illegal dumping. The TARG Illegal Dumping Working Group will further investigate illegal dumping problems and identify opportunities for councils to leverage existing services, resources and tools to apply locally.

The group will also review the roles and functions of the peak litter groups to see how they might support council prevention and management activities.

2016 Premier's Sustainability Awards finalists announced

The 30 finalists for the Premier's Sustainability Awards 2016 have been announced.

See the contenders for each award category here.

The winners of each category will be announced at the award ceremony on the 20 October.

Victorian Biomass Survey

If your organisation produces biomass residues (e.g: food waste, paper and cardboard waste, agricultural, forestry and sawmill waste, waste-water biosolids or other organic manufacturing waste) then Sustainability Victoria are calling for you to take part in a survey for the Australian biomass for bioenergy assessment project.

The Victorian Biomass Survey 2016 aims to identify biomass waste streams and gather information to attract investment in the renewable energy sector, particularly for bioenergy.

To take the 10 minute survey please click here.

The survey closes on 27 September 2016.

Connect with us via LinkedIn

MWRRG is now on LinkedIn.

Follow us for regular updates and connect with your colleagues and other organisations in the waste and resource recovery industry.

To find us just click the link in the footer or type ‘Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group’ into the LinkedIn search field.