Dates for the diary

• 5 June — World Environment Day
• 5 June — Detox your Home – Clifton Hill
• 8 June — Environment Protection Authority Victoria webinar: Waste framework overview
• 10 June — Metropolitan Local Government Waste Forum: Product stewardship for our planet

Metro news

Alternatives to landfill—knowledge building in the north west

A seminar series for councils in the north west of Melbourne is helping to build knowledge about alternative solutions to landfill, within the context of Recycling Victoria: a new economy. Featuring industry and government experts, the seminars—delivered by MWRRG—will assist councils to make informed, locally appropriate decisions about waste and recycling options for their communities. 

Celebrating International Compost Awareness Week

This year we celebrated International Compost Awareness Week (2-8 May) by showcasing some of the ways our staff recycle their food scraps. From installing a green cone in a communal garden to keeping a bokashi bin under the sink, they highlighted how we can all put our food and green waste to good use, even if we don’t yet have a council food waste recycling service—or even a garden!

Read more about how MWRRG is increasing food and green waste recycling.

Photo: Zandy Powell, our Manager Partnerships and Networks, has been composting in her backyard for 20 years because she likes putting her food waste to good use.

Portfolio news

World’s first recycled plastic noise walls installed on Mordialloc Freeway

Noise walls made from 75 per cent recycled plastic have been installed along the new Mordialloc Freeway. The panels are made using 570 tonnes of plastic waste—around the same amount collected kerbside from 25,000 Victorian households in a year.

Hear more about the walls from Alexis Davison, Director Program Services and Engineering at Major Road Projects Victoria.

Be informed

Recycling Victoria Household Education and Behaviour Change Fund now open

Funding is now available to help Victorian councils and alpine resort management boards to locally implement the Recycling Victoria Household Education and Behaviour Change Program. Councils and alpine resort management boards should apply for this funding if they are introducing new household recycling services before June 2023 or have already delivered a four stream household recycling service. Find out more about the funding. 

Applications close Friday 18 June.

Waste warriors

Council spotlight

Events and professional development

Professional training for council planners – waste and resource recovery in multi-unit developments

This Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) accredited half day online course on 16 June will ensure planners understand current best practice for waste management and recycling in multi-unit, apartment and mixed use developments. Covering relevant state government policies and guidelines, the training—which attracts 3.0 professional development (PD) points—will be delivered by Glossop Town Planning via the PIA PLANET 2021 PD Program. The session will also include waste management planning perspectives from the City of Monash with time for discussion.

Help us promote this event by notifying your statutory planners and waste management planners and the consultants who regularly prepare the waste management plans for developers. Find out more and register here. 

Webinar: what you need to know about waste

Join the Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) webinar on 8 June to learn more about your responsibilities under the Environment Protection Act 2017, which will commence on 1 July 2021. This session will cover:

• how EPA regulates waste
• requirements for businesses that generate, transport or receive waste
• how to classify waste and the new Waste Tracker system permissions for waste receivers.

Find out more and register here.

Weird and wonderful waste news

‘Infinite’ plastic recycling processes for a circular economy

Scientists are trialling chemical recycling techniques to turn plastic back into oil—processing previously unrecyclable plastic waste and allowing plastics to be recycled over and over.

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

Resource of the month

Zero Waste Event Guide

A new Zero Waste Event Guide will help event organisers eliminate waste and prevent litter at Victorian events. Developed by the Barwon South West Waste and Resource Recovery Group in collaboration with Bellarine Catchment Network Caring for our Bays, the guide uses a simple step by step process to help during the planning, delivery, and evaluation phases of events to eliminate waste. 

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

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