{"id":121620,"date":"2023-11-16T23:08:20","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T12:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/?p=121620"},"modified":"2023-11-16T23:08:20","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T12:08:20","slug":"committee-for-lorne-the-new-state-wide-recycling-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/committee-for-lorne-the-new-state-wide-recycling-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"Committee for Lorne: The New State-wide Recycling Scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s nice to have a new daily task – especially when gaps in my languid daily schedule open up.\u00a0 My bench, overcrowded with used containers awaiting a \u2018toss or recycle\u2019 decision, is looking quite arty \u2014 in a ‘retro’ kind of way.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I line everything up \u2026 tallest to the left, shortest to the right \u2026 or perhaps better, the glass to one side and liquid-proofed wax cartons to the other \u2026 or it should be bin bottles to the front, 10c returns to the back.\u00a0 Decisions, decisions!\u00a0 All those loose minutes fly by as I mix and match, change groupings, range by size, colour, and type \u2014 then rearrange.\u00a0 My goodness, it is nearly tea time!<\/span><\/p>\n

What of the poor, frazzled working mums and dads who must now add ‘sort and decide’ to their day before asking little Johnny to ‘put out the bottles’?\u00a0 What to put out in the purple bin?\u00a0 What still goes into the yellow?\u00a0 And most importantly for the family ‘kitty’, what should little Johnny lug to the supermarket return\/refund bin to claim his pocket money reward?\u00a0 Meanwhile, don\u2019t ignore the rest of the waste rainbow \u2014 the red and green.\u00a0 They still deserve our attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reward and refund are tantalising words!\u00a0 However, this reward may prove disappointing, being but a sliver of the inevitable broad-based price hike that will be tacked onto the retail price to offset any anticipated return to the customer.\u00a0 In addition, an extra car trip a week [or a day, for some] may be needed to claim the meagre recycling reward \u2014 after queueing, that is, for a ‘feed the bin’ turn.<\/span><\/p>\n

To aid me in my new daily game of ‘Decision’, I studied the signage on the new ‘returns bins’ and watched others chance their luck at getting it right.\u00a0 I observed that [a] the signage is somewhat opaque \u2014to me at least, while [b] the ‘others’ appeared as bemused as me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nostalgia paid a visit as I harkened back to the days when Mrs Baldry [‘Ivy’ to the grown-ups] \u2014 her hair curled in voluminous buns over each ear \u2014 would scoop, weigh, and package our weekly measure of sugar, flour, oats and other daily staples into paper bags \u2014 later to be reused.\u00a0 Mrs Baldry’s bags, Mr Challis’s butchers’ paper, the newspaper that wrapped our weekly fish and chips \u2014 none were ever wasted.\u00a0 They were essential components of my Gran’s efficient recycling system.\u00a0 Crumpled, they would light her wood stove, ignite her fire, or set a cheerful flame under the copper for her weekly washday.\u00a0 How simple life, then.\u00a0 How complex, now.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t get me wrong \u2026 I admire and support our efforts to recycle, redirect, and reuse our waste \u2014 much of it used packaging \u2014 but there is just so much more of it now.\u00a0 Weighing and bagging worked. It was even fun \u2026 especially when a small boy’s wetted finger managed to stray into the sugar bin while Ivy’s attention was distracted by weighing and bagging!\u00a0 And \u2014 the wondrous smells in her shop.\u00a0 The waft of unpackaged sweets, fruits, and spices, all augmented by the fresh scent of gumtree sawdust from the Babington and Armistead timber mills, spread daily on the grocery and butcher\u2019s shop floors!<\/span><\/p>\n

Gran would reuse her empty glass jars on jam-making, pickling, and fruit-bottling days.\u00a0 Milk, delivered daily, would be left in glass bottles at the door.\u00a0 Then, emptied and washed, they would be left out on the same doorstep for collection and reuse by \u2018the Milko\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Along the way \u2014 but in my remembered lifetime \u2014 we have become a throwaway society.\u00a0 The catch cries of ‘single-use’, ‘disposable’, ‘non-returnable’, and ‘packaged for your protection’ took hold \u2014 whether we wanted [or needed] protection or not.\u00a0 We became neglectful, unheeding, and careless.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, with laggard recognition of our wasteful habits, we have begun to play catch-up.\u00a0 Yet, having spent billions on developing materials that biodegrade and trillions on implementing clean-up practices, we are still soothed by the word ‘biodegradable’, smug in the thought it will all break down ‘soon enough’.\u00a0 But, to invoke the biodegradable timescale is another way of saying, ‘<\/span>… how long is a piece of string?’<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But, the stuff we are still required to pop into our purple bins [thank heavens I can still hide away those wine bottles] or now move about like a weird ‘which-do-I-dispose-and-to-where’ recycling jigsaw puzzle on our bench tops is <\/span>not<\/span> biodegradable.\u00a0 So, we must bite the bullet, do our sorting, and embrace the scheme as best we can.<\/span><\/p>\n

So … I visited <\/span>https:\/\/www.vic.gov.au\/container-deposit-scheme<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 This website <\/span>does<\/span> help, though the wording ‘Eligible’ and ‘Exempt’ might have been a little clearer.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘Eligible’<\/b> means <\/span>pop them in the new bins<\/b> \u2014 in Lorne, these are at the supermarket \u2014 and you will get a [small] reward.\u00a0 <\/span>Eligible containers include <\/b>non-concentrated fruit or vegetable juice<\/span>, <\/b>flavoured milk<\/span>, <\/b>beer<\/span>, <\/b>soft drink, and mixed spirits.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘Exempt’<\/b> means <\/span>don’t pop them in the new bins<\/b> \u2014 they must still go into our purple bins at home, and you get no reward!\u00a0 <\/span>Exempt containers include <\/b>glass wine bottles,<\/span> glass spirit bottles,<\/span> juice bottles [1 litre and over],<\/span> cordial bottles,<\/span> milk [other than flavoured milk], concentrated fruit or vegetable juice, and health tonics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, it all gets a little murky, for how and why some containers are designated ‘acceptable’ and others \u2018non-acceptable’ seems <\/span>somewhat arbitrary and may be easily confused.\u00a0 Nevertheless, we must all try to learn and recognise these categories \u2014 though this author will apply no test!<\/span><\/p>\n

The Victorian Government media release notes that <\/span>\u201c…\u00a0 the scheme will provide 600 jobs, and will provide refunds in the form of cash, retail vouchers, or electronic funds transfers via reverse vending machines, at over-the-counter sites, depots, and \u2018pop-up\u2019 refund sites with a further choice to \u2018donate to charity or community organisations\u201d.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>Regarding the latter, perhaps we might collectively nominate our CFA or hospital.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cPrivate operators [Return-It, TOMRA Cleanaway, and Visy] will establish and oversee the refund points and ensure proper recycling of the containers\u201d<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 Pertinent to Lorne,<\/span> \u201c… the Zone Operators must provide at least one collection point for a regional town of 750 people\u201d. <\/span><\/i>That said, and in my view, Lorne deserves at least three, given our weekend and summer crowds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hmm … how could any of that go wrong?\u00a0 Do we prepare for even more bins and mess, or will this solve and not worsen our woes?<\/span><\/p>\n

For now, though, it’s back to ‘sort and rank’ on my kitchen bench, though it is a little sobering to see that the purple bin is getting the bulk of the workout.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe it’s time I switched to beer!\u00a0 Though the disqualification from a refund for those of us with a penchant for wine seems unfair, at least I\u2019d get a refund!<\/span><\/p>\n

John Agar<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Feature Writer<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A word from the Chairman<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Hello<\/span><\/p>\n

This week communication has been very much \u201cfront-of-mind\u201d following a major outage by one of our largest telecom providers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCommunication\u201d is a wonderful word and means so many things, from telephone, computer, television, radio, newspapers, letters (remember them!) and conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is only when we lose some form of communication that we realise how dependent we are.\u00a0 When we have no coverage on our mobile phone or when our battery goes flat, do we go into panic over our sudden isolation, or do we breathe a sigh of relief to know we are \u201cdisconnected\u201d and that our \u201dcurrent-state\u201d is not going to be disturbed by a ping or a ring, at least for a short while.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, a sudden outage is not to be trivialised as it can put people\u2019s health and safety at risk and impact businesses operations, but what about the serenity!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

******<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0It is great to see the latest bin-lid mechanisms being rolled out.\u00a0 Crews are busily working their way through our town installing the new locks on all bins except the bottle bins.\u00a0 Our clever cockies have not yet discovered the joy of smashing bottles.\u00a0 Give them time!<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Lorne Men\u2019s Shed has been heavily involved in the development and trial of various mechanisms, and Councillor Gary Allen recently expressed appreciation to them, on behalf of the Council and the community, for their ingenuity and commitment to the project over many years.\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait for bin day to see how the cockies try to beat the new mechanisms, hopefully not!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Surf Coast Shire has also increased its efforts to educate the public through signage and materials placed in rental properties and on social media, encouraging people not to feed the cockatoos, advising the correct time to place bins out for collection, and the proper separation of materials into the appropriate bins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Council has also employed enforcement officers to check that bins are not being placed on the street for prolonged periods or in the wrong week, again a measure to restrict the cockatoos\u2019 access to the bins.\u00a0 The appointment has been successful, albeit unpopular for those who have been fined.<\/span><\/p>\n

******<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking of bins, the new hotspot in town is the recycling machine at the supermarket.\u00a0 It has been a hive of activity as our enterprising youngsters and environmentally conscious not-so-young line up to save the planet (and collect their bounty).\u00a0 Our youngsters have quickly worked out that cans are the preferred currency (much lighter to carry than bottles).\u00a0 Just wait until wine bottles join the recycling program.\u00a0 You will hear the noise in South Lorne!<\/span><\/p>\n

******<\/span><\/p>\n

Congratulations to our Surf Club on being awarded the opportunity to conduct the Australian Surf Boat Rowing League Open National Championships from 15-18 February 2024.\u00a0 The event will attract competitors from around Australia.\u00a0 It is sure to be a weekend of excitement and another boost for the Lorne economy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cheers for now<\/span><\/p>\n

John Higgins – Chairman<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Lorne Ward Events Calendar – <\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

November<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n