From the CEO

Dear subscriber, we are now drawing close to the end of a busy financial year and there is much to celebrate. 

In October, the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D'Ambrosio, launched our milestone Implementation Plan which sets out how we will meet Melbourne's waste and resource recovery needs for the next decade and going into the future.

Following on from the launch, in March the Minister announced the signing of contracts for the South Eastern Organics Processing Procurement and the two preferred tenderers for the Eastern Organics Procurement, meaning we are on track to exceed organics recovery targets outlined in the Plan. 

This year also brings to a close the final projects as part of the Metropolitan Local Government Waste and Resource Recovery Fund and the Litter Hotspots Program, the results of which we look forward to continuing to share.

Getting ready for the next year ahead, its been great to work with our newly appointed board members, MWRRG's new leadership team and staff to finalise our Business Plan and start looking forward to whats next!

Rob Millard

Environmental Protection Award

As you may know, entries are now open for the 2017 Premier’s Sustainability Awards. However, you may not be aware that within this framework, the EPA sponsors the Environmental Protection award, which recognises leadership and excellence by an organisation in the conservation and protection of the environment.

Small to medium enterprises, large businesses and state and local government organisations are welcome to enter the awards, which offer recognition and networking opportunities throughout the application process along with publicity for finalists.

EPA Chief Executive Officer Nial Finegan said the award category recognises projects that have delivered positive outcomes for conserving and protecting the environmental quality or health of a local Victorian environment.

“The Environment Protection category helps us to tell the story of Victorians who are doing something new, positive or creative for our environment,” Mr Finegan said.

“Protecting Victoria’s environment is a shared responsibility and we want to acknowledge and support businesses who are leading the way in environmental citizenship.”

Entries close at 5pm on Wednesday 21 June. For more information on the 2017 Premier's Sustainability Awards, visit www.sustainabilityawards.vic.gov.au.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement Guide

MWRRG has developed a Community and Stakeholder Engagement Guide to assist the waste and resource recovery sector to deliver meaningful and successful community and stakeholder engagement. Essentially a resource kit for the sector, the Guide, Summary Document and Fact Sheet are all available to download from the Engagement section of our website now. For more information, click here.

ASPIRE: an update

For several years now the ASPIRE program has helped to match businesses trying to dispose of waste materials with potential purchasers and recyclers to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and subsequently save disposal costs. A recent update meeting attended by MWRRG highlighted positive outcomes of the program, including:

• Since ASPIRE started over 1,100 tonnes of waste has been diverted from landfill, which equates to an estimated $207,000 savings for businesses in reduced  waste management costs over the past 12 months
• Data shows that exchanges have taken place for waste materials that otherwise would have gone to landfill
• Many innovative uses of waste materials are emerging such as glass being used in making new building panel materials.

Businesses wanting to take part must register through their council, which must be a member of ASPIRE. For more details, visit the website or read this information sheet. 

New MWRRG Director Strategy and Projects

We welcomed our new Director of Strategy and Projects, Wes Douglass, to MWRRG at the start of the month.

Wes has extensive experience in the government sector working in a variety of management roles, including managing trade wastes for City West Water and Sydney Water. Wes has also worked for EPA Victoria, the Victorian Building Authority, the Earth Resources section in DEDJTR and has experience working in the UK and India.

We wish Wes a warm welcome to the MWRRG team!

Save the date: Statewide Waste Education Conference

Following from the successful Statewide Waste Education Conference held in the Grampians Central West in August, MWRRG and Sustainability Victoria will be delivering this year's conference in the stunning Yarra Valley. Details will follow, but for now, please mark September 12 and 13 in your diaries.