Farewell to CEO Rob Millard

On behalf of everyone at MWRRG, we’d like to thank Rob Millard for his outstanding leadership of our group over the last 13 years. Rob has been central to building MWRRG into the organisation it is today. Under his leadership, MWRRG has grown in size and capability to deliver services and support to local government and provide a strong voice as a portfolio executive. Read more here

State government provides funding to help clean up sites and resume recycling

The Victorian Government is providing a $10 million loan to SKM’s receivers KordaMentha to help clear waste stockpiles and fund essential maintenance at SKM sites. The loan will help get the plants back up and running, while meeting strict environmental and safety standards.

Education essential to reducing green waste contamination

Contamination is a major challenge for the organics processing industry, and community education is critical to addressing it. The Metropolitan Local Government Waste Management Forum (Forum) held recently explored this issue and preventative solutions.

New Back to Earth Initiative videos released

We are delighted to launch two new Farmers’ Stories videos this month as part of the Back to Earth Initiative. The videos are designed to raise community awareness about what happens to green waste after it’s picked up from the kerb and to encourage residents to use their green waste bins correctly. Read more and watch the videos

Stonnington installs innovative e-waste storage facility

The City of Stonnington has installed an innovative new e-waste storage facility. Designed and built in partnership with a local manufacturer, the weatherproof skip has a hydraulic lid opening, a door that opens at one end and can store up to 12 tonnes of e-waste.  Well done Stonnington for a clever e-waste collection and storage solution.

Man ate ‘expired’ food for a year to combat food waste

A man in the United States has documented his year of eating expired food in order to challenge the concept of ‘Best Before’ dates and reduce food waste.

If you have a weird or wonderful waste news story to share, please email web.editor@mwrrg.vic.gov.au. 

2019 Victorian Waste Education Conference

Tickets are now available for the 2019 Victorian Waste Education Conference, to be held in Geelong from 15-16 October. ‘Reinventing Waste Education: Turning challenges into opportunities’ aims to inspire and support Victoria’s waste educators across two days of thoughtful, innovative, interactive and strategic discussion on ways to engage communities on waste. Find out more and purchase tickets here. 

Waste Education Network meeting – 12 September

The next Local Government Waste Education Network (Ed Net) meeting will be held on 12 September and will focus on reducing plastic pollution and recovering plastics for recycling and reuse. Attendees will be updated on the Victorian Government’s plastic bag ban and supporting education campaign and hear from councils trialling innovative plastic recovery solutions. Ed Net members will receive an invitation to this event shortly.

• 27 new projects have received close to $830,000 in funding to protect the health of Port Phillip Bay and the wider bay catchment area in round 3 of the Port Phillip Bay Fund. Read more here.  

• City of Greater Dandenong have released a short animated video that highlights the importance of keeping raingardens healthy and litter free. ‘Rain Garden Man’ explains that raingardens protect our waterways by capturing stormwater, they are not bins. Watch the video here. 

• Environment Protection Authority Victoria has developed a useful web page to provide guidance to assist those storing e-waste. Access the web page here. 

• Nominations are now open for the 2019 Waste and Resource Recovery (WARR) Awards, held by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia and Inside Waste magazine. If you have an outstanding waste and resource recovery project, innovation, or community engagement success we encourage you to nominate by 30 September. See all the categories and find out how to enter here. 

Hard waste services leading practice guide (hard waste guide)

The hard waste guide was developed to help councils harness opportunities to maximise the reuse and recycling of hard waste. The guide sets out five steps that councils can use to improve hard waste services. These services can better meet the needs of residents in an efficient and cost-effective way, while reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill. Read the guide here