By Renee Wood
During a council meeting on Tuesday 13 September, Yarra Ranges councillors voted unanimously to support the Draft Community Waste Resource Recovery Plan which will bring big changes to kerbside bin pick-ups next year.
The draft plan is now out for community consultation and lists changes such as a weekly green food organics and garden organic (FOGO) bins pick up and move waste bin and recycling pickups to fortnightly, to come into affect from October next year.
Its changes fall in line with the State Government’s circular waste policy to transform the rubbish sector, which will also introduce a purple lid glass bin.
Yarra Ranges plans to introduce the glass bin from 2025, as it awaits more information regarding the container deposit scheme roll out.
Cr Johanna Skelton put forward the motion at the Tuesday 13 September council meeting and said it’s a ‘huge deal’ for our region.
“It’s a really exciting point and I’m extremely glad that we’re going to get all these great outcomes like no food waste going into landfill… and of course much greater recycling rates with the glass being recycled,” Cr Skelton said.
Cr Andrew Fullagar said the plan shows leadership and highlights the urgency.
Cr Fullagar also highlighted that council had higher priorities and shorter timelines due to the closure of Hallam Landfill planned for 2025 or 2026.
“That’s just a few years away, which is just unbelievable,” Cr Fullagar said.
Residents have raised concerned over the changes, specifically the change from weekly to fortnightly pick up of waste bins and how this might promote overflowing smelly bins.
However, council is hoping that residents will come to understand that the new weekly pick ups of food and organic bins will appease this issue with food scraps and the likes to go into the FOGO green bin.
The new green organic system will allow for waste such as food scraps, seafood, meat bones and coffee grounds.
Free compostable bags will also be delivered to residents that can be used to dispose of food scraps into the FOGO bin.
Although, nappies and home sanitary and medical waste will still need to go in the waste bin, collected fortnightly.
Sustainable Victoria statistics show that by removing food and organic waste from the general waste to go to composting facilities will cut the waste bin’s deposits by 40 per cent, which is why the waste bin will be moving to a fortnightly pick up.
A further 10 per cent of waste bins content could be recycled such as plastics and paper.
It’s expected the increase in the service level and it’s affect on rates will be submitted into in the budget next year.
Extensive engagement and community consultation of the draft plan will be undertaken with pop ups at markets, shopping centres and engagement activities the community can be part of.
The plan is available for residents to read and submissions are now open and will close 9 November.
Previous waste surveys have seen an overwhelming response, with more than 7000 submissions received.
For more information visit https://shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/draft-community-waste-and-resource-recovery-plan
