Recycling gets the go ahead for Greater Geelong

THE future of recycling in Geelong and the Surf Coast has seen a surprising turn following the reopening of a waste plant in South Geelong.

The SKM Recycling site was forced to shut down last month after it received an influx of recyclable products, with its closure sending approximately 1,600 tonnes of recycling to landfill at an estimated cost of $261,000.

Once SKM achieved compliance from Environment Protection Authority officials at their Laverton site last week, recycling in Greater Geelong was given the green light.

But the City of Greater Geelong has since warned the war against waste is far from over, with the city’s director city services Guy Wilson-Browne making clear the road ahead will require a united front.

“The compliance of the SKM Laverton site is positive news for Victoria. However, it is worth pointing out that this is not the solution to the nation’s continuing recycling crisis,” he said.

“It’s going to take a partnership approach between state, federal and local government alongside industry to find workable long-term solutions to this national problem.”

Mr Wilson-Browne said the waste hierarchy – reduce, reuse and recycle – needed to be adopted at an individual level, suggesting a reduction in waste will help tackle the state’s recycling flop.

Councils and the waste industry are in the process of developing new long-term strategies.