Dates for the diary

• 25 March – Behaviour change workshop for food and green waste recycling collection (first of two) (online)

• 17 April – Back to Earth Initiative Victorian Garden Competition nominations close

• 22 April –  Monitoring and evaluation planning for circular economy programs workshop (online)

Metro News

MWRRG response to coronavirus (COVID-19)

In response to the WHO declaring coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic, MWRRG has activated its Pandemic Action Plan and changed the way we work to ensure the health and safety of our staff and stakeholders. 

We have postponed all face to face events scheduled until 30 April 2020.  

This decision has not been made lightly and we understand that people might be disappointed, but we are dealing with unprecedented circumstances that require us all to maintain the strictest social distancing practices.  

Event managers will email individual invitees with updates and in some cases, we may offer virtual events. 

MWRRG staff are working remotely. While this is not without its challenges, we are fortunate to have the technology to enable the activation of a virtual office.  

There are lots of ways you can talk, meet and collaborate with us. We will maintain regular office hours and our phones have been diverted. You can reach any staff member by: 

Email – first name.second name@mwrrg.vic.gov.au 

Mobile phone – if you don’t know someone’s mobile number check their email signature 

Teleconference – your service or ours 

Skype for business 

Zoom video conferencing  

If none of these options work for you please contact our office general number ph 8698 9800 or email metro.waste@mwrrg.vic.gov.au 

Please check our website www.mwrrg.vic.gov.au regularly for updates. 

Advanced waste processing procurement launched 

Last week we launched the Expression of Interest for the south east metropolitan advanced waste processing procurement. Working with 16 councils in Melbourne’s south east, this is the first collective tender for an alternative to landfill.

Advanced waste processing will play an important role in achieving the Victorian Government’s new target to divert 80 per cent of household rubbish from landfill by 2030.

Not only will this project provide a smarter solution to landfill, it’s also the largest tender for new waste management infrastructure ever undertaken in Melbourne.

To find out more about the advanced waste processing project visit www.mwrrg.vic.gov.au/smartersolution or stay up to date by subscribing to the advanced waste processing newsletter. 

The Expression of Interest is available at eprocure.com.au/mwrrg

Circular economy strategy signals major reforms in waste and resource recovery

In late February we welcomed the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio’s, announcement of a circular economy strategy to completely overhaul Victoria’s recycling sector.

We are pleased to have played a role in the development of the strategy by providing our expert advice and supporting the council and public consultation sessions held by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning last year.

Nomination period extended for Victorian Garden Competition

Could your school benefit from a worm farm, is your local kindergarten in need of a veggie patch or are you keen to kick off a community garden? 

Community groups, kindergartens and schools in participating councils now have until 4 pm Friday 17 April to nominate a garden or environmental project to win $5,000 to make it bloom.

Councils tour recycled roads

Forty five engineers from 21 metropolitan councils joined us on our ‘Recycled Roadtrip’ of processing facilities using innovative technologies to recycle plastic and aggregate into valuable road base construction materials.

Held on 2 March, the ‘Recycled Roadtrip’ participants heard from the City of Stonnington and Hume City Council about local roads they had resurfaced using recycled content. The Major Transport Infrastructure Authority also talked about how recycled materials have been successfully incorporated into major state government road projects including the City Tulla widening and the Western Roads Upgrade.

Thanks to all attendees, presenters and hosts for such an informative and successful day.

Successful litter reduction initiatives shared at network meeting

This month we brought together waste education, litter enforcement and program officers from local and state government, not for profit organisations and public transport providers to learn about new initiatives and share litter and illegal dumping issues and solutions.

Workshop sets councils up for successful FOGO monitoring and evaluation

We held the first of two training workshops on monitoring and evaluation of food and green waste recycling services in late February.

Fifteen councils sent staff to the workshop which taught participants how to develop a program logic map and a monitoring and evaluation plan to support their food and green waste recycling service delivery.

A similar workshop with a focus on the circular economy initiatives will be held online on Wednesday, 22 April. Contact Program Coordinator Gayle Seddon at Gayle.Seddon@mwrrg.vic.gov.au for more information.

MWRRG celebrates International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day—marked on 8 March—provided an excellent opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women working in waste and resource recovery at MWRRG and local government.

Council spotlight

Policy

Release of Victorian Government circular economy policy

The Victorian Government has announced sweeping changes to waste and resource recovery. Recycling Victoria, a new economy is a 10 year action plan to fundamentally transform Victoria’s recycling sector. The policy includes a container deposit scheme, fourth kerbside bin, and funding for the waste and recycling industry.

Be informed

• Congratulations to Yarra City Council for winning the Sustainable Communities and Environments Award at the IPAA Victoria Leadership in the Public Sector Awards last month for its kerbside waste and recycling trial. See the full list of winners here. 

Weird and wonderful waste news

Second hand roses demonstrate love without the waste

The re-purposed cut flower market is taking off in the USA, diverting large amounts of waste from landfill and creating new business opportunities.

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

Events and professional development

Behaviour change workshop with Les Robinson (online)

For local government

We are hosting two online tailored professional development training workshops for council officers on the use of behaviour change project planning and delivery for a FOGO collection service. Participants must be able to attend both sessions online on 25 March and 13 May 2020. Contact Program Coordinator Gayle Seddon at Gayle.Seddon@mwrrg.vic.gov.au for more information.

Monitoring and evaluation planning workshop (online)

For local government

We are holding an online training workshop for councils on planning the monitoring and evaluation of circular economy initiatives on Wednesday, 22 April. This training complements the workshop on monitoring and evaluating food and green waste recycling programs held last month. Contact Program Coordinator Gayle Seddon at Gayle.Seddon@mwrrg.vic.gov.au for more information.

Resource of the month

The Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Implementation Plan sets out four strategic objectives which underpin all of MWRRG’s activities:

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