The Back to Earth Initiative has been working with councils in Melbourne’s north and west and in the Goulburn Valley to successfully promote the benefits of kerbside organics recycling.
To celebrate the expansion of the Back to Earth Initiative into Melbourne's south east, early learning centres, schools and community groups in the participating councils nominated garden or environmental projects to win the South East Garden Prize! We received 69 inspiring and worthy entries who are vying for the grand prize of $5000 or a runner up category winner prize of $1000 to help get their garden or environmental project blooming.
Visit the competition website to vote for your favourites. You can vote on multiple projects but only once per day. Voting closes at midnight on Sunday 22 May. The four projects with the most votes in each of the four categories (community groups, early learning centres, primary schools and secondary schools) will become the 16 finalists, with the winners chosen by a judging panel. Good luck to all nominees!
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Melton resale centre opens
On Wednesday 11 May, MWRRG CEO Rob Millard and staff attended the opening of a new and improved resale centre at the council operated Melton Recycling Centre. The $500,000 redevelopment was made possible with $200,000 in funding from the Victorian Government’s Metropolitan Local Government Waste and Resource Recovery Fund
and a $300,000 contribution from Melton City Council. This is one of the last projects to be completed as part of the Metro Fund which has delivered a total of $3.84 million in funding to local councils as an allocation from the Victorian Government’s broader Sustainability Fund.
It is hoped the upgrade will boost the popularity of the resale centre and enable a wider range of goods to be diverted away from landfill, sold and rehomed.
City of Melton Councillor Bob Turner said development had also opened opportunities to enter partnerships with organisations like the Men’s Shed and employ a new staff member as part of a social enterprise employment agreement.
Information about the resale centre including opening hours are available here.
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Improving business precinct recycling in the City of Yarra
The City of Yarra have just wrapped up an education project targeting the improvement of recycling practices across six business and shopping precincts within their municipality. The project engaged with over 1000 businesses across the six precincts to understand what barriers were preventing them from recycling. Educational resources were then developed to help them overcome those barriers.
The project has been a great success. Recycling practices were improved with businesses sharing waste services, and many of those previously using only general waste bins introducing recycling bins. The precincts became cleaner and more inviting, with incidences of litter, dumped rubbish and cardboard packaging piles decreasing. Overall, 1107 tonnes of waste were diverted from landfill across the six precincts.
This project was made possible due to funding from the Metropolitan Local Government Waste and Resource Recovery Fund.
Case studies are available on our website highlighting the positive outcomes achieved by this project in collaborative recycling, cardboard recycling, and
recycling at hairdressing salons. For more information please contact Kirsty Richards, City of Yarra on 9205 5555.
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Tangaroa Blue Foundation launches Operation Clean Sweep
Operation Clean Sweep is a Tangaroa Blue Foundation
initiative, supported by the Litter Hotspots Program, that will target plastic pellet spillages to reduce the impact of plastic pollution on our waterways. Plastic pellets are the building blocks of all plastic products, but when spilled they are easily washed into waterways and oceans where they can be ingested by sea life.
The program is completely free and offers simple suggestions for manufacturing facilities to reduce pellet spills. As well as the clear environmental benefits reduced pellet spills means also reducing occupational health and safety hazards, as well as reducing the volume of product lost as waste. The advice is provided within a concise manual that has been reviewed by the Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association
to make sure it meets the needs of the Australian plastics industry.
To take action and complete a company pledge to reduce pellet loss, click here.
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ResourceSmart Schools Awards - entries open now
Entries are now open for the ResourceSmart Schools Awards, Victoria's largest sustainability awards program celebrating the achievements of schools and early childhood services.
One of the award categories is for the Waste School of the Year which will be awarded to the school that best demonstrates a commitment to waste reduction. There’s cash and prizes up for grabs, along with a fantastic opportunity to share achievements and play a role in inspiring others.
To find out more and to enter, visit ResourceSmart Schools Awards 2016.
Entries close Monday 15 August 2016.
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New paint product stewardship scheme launches
Paintback, a new nation-wide paint product stewardship scheme, launched on Monday 2 May. The scheme is supported by key members of the paint industry and funded by a 15 cent per litre waste levy on the wholesale price of their products.
Paintback is the first paint product stewardship scheme to accept waste paint products from commercial as well as DIY painters. Waste paint packaging is also accepted. Paint collected will be turned into an alternative fuel source or recycled.
For more information, visit the Paintback website.
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In brief - snapshot news from our Victorian Government waste portfolio partners
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The value of many fees and fines charged by the Victorian Government, including the landfill levy, are based on the value of a fee unit. Due to indexation, on 1 July 2016 the value of a fee unit will increase. For more information on fee indexation, click here. Visit the EPA Victoria website
for more information on the landfill levy.
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EPA Victoria has updated its financial assurance guidelines. Financial assurances are required for selected scheduled activities such as industrial waste management and landfills. To find out what has changed, visit EPA Victoria’s website.
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