Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Centre website

Metro Waste News

Rob Millard, MWRRG CEO

From the CEO

Dear subscriber,

The end of the financial year is always a busy period, and this year it's been no different. The MWRRG offices have been abuzz as we work to put the finishing touches on the past year's work, and plan for the coming year. Our 2016- 17 business plan will be strongly focused on aligning our programs with the draft Metropolitan Implementation Plan and the Statewide Infrastructure Plan. We've also begun work on our annual report, which we will share with you later in the year.

The 2016-17 financial year is set to be an eventful period. We look forward to working with Sustainability Victoria to implement the Infrastructure Fund. The fund, recently announced in the state budget, will leverage private investment in the waste and resource recovery sector, and help create jobs.

Rob Millard, MWRRG CEO

In this issue

Dates for your diary

Month of July

Plastic Free July

Friday 15 July

Consultation closes on MRL Ravenhall expansion application

Friday 5 August

Applications close for Sustainability Victoria's resource assessment grants

Submissions close on Protecting the Yarra discussion paper

Wednesday 31 August

Nominations close for the WMAA Women in the Environment Award

 

Resource assessment grants available

Sustainability Victoria’s materials efficiency assessment grants for small and medium sized businesses are open for applications until 5 August 2016.

Evaluation of the previous round of grants found that businesses could save on average $158,000 each year by minimising waste and improving how they use materials on site.

Further information can be found here.

Plastic Free July - take the challenge!

This year Plastic Free July celebrates it's sixth year. The initiative began in in 2011 as a way for Perth's Western Metropolitan Regional Council to engage their residents about single use plastic and the importance of re-use. The campaign has now gone global with people from more than 60 countries participating in the challenge.

Plastic Free July encourages us to reduce waste to landfill and help the planet by taking the challenge to refuse single use plastic. You can sign up for a day, a week or the whole month, and choose to refuse all single use plastics or just the top 4: plastic bags, coffee cups, water bottles and straws.

Register to take the challenge here.

Know where your construction and demolition waste goes: EPA

Know where your waste is going - that’s EPA’s message in a video targeting anyone producing or transporting construction and demolition (C&D) waste in Victoria.

Released as part of EPA’s Illegal Dumping Strikeforce Program, EPA’s video urges building contractors and site managers to check their C&D waste has been taken to an appropriate recycler or landfill. Each year, approximately 350,000 tonnes of C&D waste is illegally dumped in Victoria - that’s enough concrete, asbestos, timber and brick waste to fill 140 Olympic size swimming pools.  

Illegal dumping of industrial waste (including C&D waste) is a criminal offence under the Environment Protection Act 1970. Illegal dumpers, including those who accept industrial waste without the proper licence, face fines ranging from $7,500 to $758,000.

To watch Know where your construction and demolition waste goes, visit epa.vic.gov.au/illegaldumping or YouTube.

For more information on EPA’s Illegal Dumping Strikeforce Program, visit epa.vic.gov.au/strikeforce.

Take2 on Climate Change Action

In June Sustainability Victoria launched TAKE2, a voluntary pledge program for Victorians to commit to act on climate change. The program is being delivered as part of a wider Victorian Government commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

TAKE2 will be used to track actions and commitments to reduce the harmful impacts of climate change between now and 2020. Local and state government, businesses, communities, educational organisations and individuals are all encouraged to use TAKE2 to commit to act on climate change and help Victoria reach its net zero target.

Make your pledge today.

Community resource recovery hubs a success for City of Yarra

The City of Yarra is making it easier for their community to recycle clothing, small household goods and electrical items with their Community Resource Recovery Hubs. The Hubs, which were established at five sites during a recent trial period, fill the gap between the council's kerbside recycling and hard waste collection services. Each Hub consists of a secure bin with bin stickers clearly advertising which items can be accepted, with information about City of Yarra's hard waste collection service. The style of the artwork, which reflects the local Yarra culture, has attracted residents and deterred graffiti.

The Hubs have proven very popular with 50 tonnes of goods collected by SCR Group over the course of the ten month trial, 95 per cent of which were either re-used or recycled. Site selection contributed to the success of the trial (sites were clean, well-lit and exposed to foot traffic), as did a communications campaign that promoted the Hubs through direct mail, social media and on the City of Yarra website.

The City of Yarra are now keen to establish more sites and are exploring accepting new materials.

This project was made possible due to funding from the Metropolitan Local Government Waste and Resource Recovery Fund.

For more information, visit the City of Yarra website.

Wader Beach for birds not litter

Friends of Williamstown Wetlands (FoWW) are working to protect Wader Beach from litter with their Litter Hotspots project 'Wader Beach for Birds not Litter'. Wader Beach is an environmentally significant area supporting salt marsh and local and migratory wader birds.

FoWW take an innovative approach to marine litter prevention, using observations and knowledge of Port Phillip Bay, local waterways and drainage systems to identify the major sources of litter at Wader Beach.

A highlight of their program is their creative and enthusiastic community engagement practices. Examples include a discussion group on single use plastic at the recent Willy Lit Fest, and a trivia night to kick off Plastic Free July.

Through Litter Hotspots they have developed partnerships with many litter and environmental groups in their area. This has led to the formation of the North Western Shorelines network that meets regularly to share knowledge, ideas and experiences.

For more information on the Wader Beach project, click here.

Protecting the Yarra River

The Victorian Government has committed to protecting the amenity and significance of the Yarra River, one of Victoria's most iconic waterways. In December 2015 the Yarra River Protection Ministerial Advisory Committee (Yarra MAC) was appointed to provide independent advice on how best to preserve the river for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. The Yarra MAC are now seeking input from the community on key issues and opportunities for the river, and a discussion paper has been developed to start the conversation.

To read the discussion paper, make a submission or share an idea, click here. Submissions are open until 5pm Friday 5 August.