Recycling rules set to tighten

COMPOSTABLE plastic bags, used in many local government areas across Victoria to support and encourage the recycling of food waste, may soon be banned from organic waste bins.

The proposed ban is one of several changes being considered by the state government as it works to standardise the four-bin system being gradually rolled out across Victoria.

Certified corn-based composting bags can be used to collect food scraps and then disposed in green-lidded food and organic waste (FOGO) bins, with many households using them to line the benchtop caddies supplied as part of the recycling program.

While not all councils allow the use of caddy lines, several councils provide approved bags for free to assist households to maximise the FOGO program and help to divert food waste from landfill.

But concerns raised by processors about how the caddy liners are contributing to contamination may see compostable plastics excluded from the FOGO program.

Richard Tegoni, chief executive officer at SECOS, Australia’s leading producer of compostable packaging, has pushed back against the proposed ban,.

He warned it could lead to a drop in the number of households participating in the FOGO program and undermine the state’s circular economy goals.

“Compostable bags not only greatly improve organic waste programs, but they also replace all conventional plastic bags rendering potential programs like RedCycle completely unnecessary and if used, has the potential to remove millions of tonnes of plastics and microplastics from our environment,” he said.

He pointed to a nationwide study, undertaken by the MRA Consulting Group in 2019, that found the convenience and cleanliness of caddy liners, on average, contributed to 30 per cent more FOGO waste being diverted from landfill.

 

 

The Surf Coast Shire has been providing free compostable caddy liners to its residents since 2021.

Shire mayor Liz Pattison said the liners helped remove some of the potential barriers discouraging households from participating in the FOGO program.

“By using the FOGO, glass-only and recycling bins correctly, our community is reducing waste sent to landfill, making the most of valuable materials, extending the lifespan of the Anglesea landfill (currently scheduled to close in 2028) and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.

“The FOGO collected in kerbside bins is composted and reused by Victorian farmers to produce food, keeping the material in use – a great example of the circular economy in action.”

However, she said that while compostable bags “play a key role in helping to avoid food scraps going to landfill”, they are optional.

“Other ways to manage food scraps in caddies could including placing a sheet of paper towel in the bottom of the caddy or rinsing after emptying.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action said the government was consulting on the draft service standard.

“Feedback from this process will help determine what items can be sorted into each of the four bins.

“The new service standards will apply across every council in Victoria, removing confusion and reducing contamination so that we can maximise the amount of materials being recycled.”