Shire to introduce fourth recycling bin, trial fifth bin

EVERY household in the Surf Coast Shire will get a fourth bin for recyclables and some will get a fifth bin as part of initiatives worth nearly $3 million approved by the council.

At last week’s council meeting, councillors considered a report on the Anglesea Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) pilot, which a 22 per cent reduction in kerbside waste being sent to the Anglesea landfill.

The Surf Coast Shire is one of several Victorian councils now sending its recyclables to landfill following the forced closure of SKM.

“Recognition of the ongoing issues with Australia’s recycling and waste industry provides opportunity for Council to reform its kerbside service to one that is more local, transparent and sustainable, by introducing additional recycling bins and implementing a shire-wide FOGO service,” the report notes.

“In order to establish a more resilient kerbside waste and recycling service, officers are proposing the introduction of additional kerbside bins that require residents to separate recyclable materials at home.

“Separating out glass and/or paper and cardboard reduces the contamination of valuable materials and provides Council with more options of processors that will accept the materials.”

The resolution passed by councillors commits $1.29 million from the council’s waste reserve to set up a kerbside collection service for FOGO across the shire, and a further $1 million to introduce a fourth bin (most likely for glass) and kerbside collection service.

About 2,000 properties in an urban community somewhere within the shire will also receive a fifth bin (most likely for paper and cardboard) in a $180,000 pilot scheme, and the council has earmarked another $350,000 to update the lids kerbside bins in line with Australian standards.

Speaking at the meeting, Cr David Bell said he hoped it was the last time the council talked about “rubbish” and would henceforth talk about “resource recovery”.

“Change is not an easy thing to bring about and it often takes a crisis to be a catalyst for change to occur.

“The world opens up when you stop looking at what you put in bins as rubbish – they are a valuable resource.”

Cr McKiterick agreed. “We need to look at this council and this community as environmental leaders,” he said. “It’s time we declare a recyclable revolution.”