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Metro newsForum briefed on proposed container deposit scheme modelOver 100 people attended an online update on the Victorian Government’s discussion paper on a new container deposit scheme (CDS) for Victoria on 20 November 2020. Hosted by MWRRG on behalf of the Metropolitan Local Government Waste Forum, the event gave councillors and council waste officers an opportunity to be briefed on the discussion paper to help councils prepare submissions to the public consultation on proposed design for Victoria’s CDS and how it should operate. Forum Chair elected Mayor of DarebinCongratulations to Metropolitan Local Government Waste Forum (Forum) Chair Cr Lina Messina on being elected Mayor of the City of Darebin, and to all returning Forum councillors. Councils assess infrastructure options for statewide recycling procurementCouncils have used strategic objectives to evaluate infrastructure options that may come from a statewide recycling procurement. Developed by Victoria’s seven waste and resource recovery groups based on council feedback, the objectives will ensure the procurement delivers the best possible outcome for Victoria by prioritising sustainability and sector resilience. Portfolio newsHave your say on Victoria’s container deposit schemeThe Victorian Government has committed to delivering a container deposit scheme (CDS) by 2023 under the Recycling Victoria policy. A discussion paper featuring a proposed design and governance model has been released. Feedback is being sought from individuals and organisations on the proposed model for the scheme and how it can be adapted to best serve Victorians. Public consultation on the proposed model will run until 11:59 pm Monday 30 November. Access the discussion paper, complete a survey or make a submission on the Engage Victoria website. Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre brings business into the foldMinister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio has launched the $7 million Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC) to support businesses to invest in circular economy solutions. CEBIC was developed under the Recycling Victoria commitment to improve business productivity, reduce commercial and industrial waste and accelerate innovation.
Find out more on the CEBIC website. Read the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change’s announcement here. Creating sustainable solutions to tackle packaging wasteSeventeen organisations will share over $560,000 in funding through the Victorian Government’s Investment Support Grants – Packaging program. The grants will support small to medium sized businesses and not for profits to invest in solutions to reduce, reuse and recover packaging materials. $1.7 million in funding has also been invested in 12 projects to make the collection, storage and reprocessing of e-waste safer and more efficient in Victoria. The grants will create 79 jobs and divert 12,100 tonnes of recyclable material from landfill annually. Read Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio’s announcement here. Detox your Home resumes across VictoriaDetox your Home chemical collection events have resumed with additional safety measures in place. Drive through, contactless events across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria will allow community members to dispose of household chemicals safely and responsibly. A full list of locations, dates and safety instructions is available on the Sustainability Victoria website. Council spotlightTaking a circular approach to urban design in StonningtonFinding innovative uses for recycled products is a sustainability priority for City of Stonnington. The council just installed five sets of recycled plastic seats in King Street Prahran, a busy pedestrian area that runs off Chapel Street. Stonnington sees incorporating recycled products into public works as a key responsibility of council. From installing recycled plastic bollards, posts and screens in parks, to using recycled soft plastic and crumb rubber in local roads, the council takes a decidedly circular approach to urban design. Waste warriorsPassionate people make the world of waste go around. Each month, we’ll profile a Waste Warrior — someone whose dedication to minimising waste and maximising resource recovery is helping make Melbourne a more sustainable and liveable place. Misty Johannsen is our November Waste Warrior, she’s Knox City Council’s Waste Co-ordinator and former chair of the Metropolitan Local Government Waste Forum’s Technical Advisory Reference Group (TARG). We talk to Misty about her unexpected start in the sector, how things have changed since people watched the War on Waste, and her dream to have everyone buying less. Be informed
Weird and wonderful waste newsPlastic eating super bug may offer the solution to mixed material fabricScientists have developed a super enzyme, that can degrade plastic bottles six times faster, from bacteria that have naturally evolved to eat plastic. Researchers hope that when combined with an enzyme that breaks down natural fibres, it might even allow fabrics made from a blend of cotton and polyester to be fully recycled. If you have a weird or wonderful waste news story to share, please email web.editor@mwrrg.vic.gov.au. Events and professional developmentLocal Government Waste Education Network and Sustainability Victoria campaign labsFor local government Local Government Waste Education Network members will participate in a campaign lab with Sustainability Victoria (SV) on Wednesday 2 December. SV will share how insights from its Know your Recycling campaign can be used to inform council behaviour change programs. The session aims to support councils to get the most out of the Know your Recycling campaign, including how campaign collateral can be used to help councils reduce contamination this summer. If you have not yet received an invitation, but would like to attend the session, please contact Senior Program Co-ordinator Gayle Seddon gayle.seddon@mwrrg.vic.gov.au. Update for transfer station operators on Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018For local government Environment Protection Authority Victoria will update members of MWRRG’s transfer station network on the Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018 on Tuesday 8 December. The update will include information on the proposed regulations and environmental reference standards set to come into effect on 1 July 2021. Network members will also be given the opportunity to share new technologies, systems and initiatives. Please contact Senior Program Co-ordinator Gayle Seddon for more information gayle.seddon@mwrrg.vic.gov.au. Resource of the monthCompost in Action mapWith people getting their gardens summer ready, it’s an important time to make sure residents are using their green bins correctly. The Back to Earth Initiative Compost in Action map shows residents where compost made from food and green waste is being used to help farms and community gardens thrive, in Melbourne and beyond. The map helps to draw a clear connection between the contents of kerbside green bins and the quality of the compost that is produced. The Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Implementation Plan sets out four strategic objectives which underpin all of MWRRG’s activities: Reduce waste sent to landfill Deliver community environmental & economic benefits Increase organic waste recovered Plan for Melbourne’s growing population Copyright © 2020 Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group. All rights reserved. If you want to join our mailing lists, you can subscribe to any or all of our bulletins. If you are already on our mailing lists, you can also update your subscription preferences. This email was sent to [email address suppressed] |