Changes coming to kerbside collections

BIG changes to the City of Greater Bendigo’s kerbside bin collections get underway from next week.

Monday 5 February will see organic waste picked up weekly, while general waste collection will change to fortnightly.

The change comes after an audit of general waste collection showed 31 per cent of bins contained food and garden green waste which could have been put in the green-lidded bins.

Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the switch in frequency of the red and green bin waste collection will likely prevent another 7000 tonnes of organic waste from going to landfill annually.

“Reducing the amount of organic material in the waste stream is important because the Eaglehawk Landfill has almost reached capacity, making it necessary for the City to transport all general waste to a landfill outside of Greater Bendigo,” she said.

“Transporting general waste outside of Greater Bendigo drives up costs, which are passed directly onto ratepayers via the waste charge on your rates notice, so making this change will help to minimise future cost increases.

“Food and garden waste are valuable resources that can be recycled into a high-quality compost for use by farms, parks, and gardens; while decomposing food in landfill emits methane, a damaging greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change.”

The switch aligns with the Victorian Government’s policy Recycling Victoria: A new economy, which has set a target for no organic waste going to landfill by 2030.

Information on when rubbish collection occurs and full details on the changes are available on the City’s website.