THE City of Greater Geelong has agreed it will endorse the Municipal Association of Victoria\u2019s (MAV) recycling action plan to tackle the waste crisis gripping the region.<\/p>\n
The decision comes less than a month after Geelong\u2019s primary recycling facility, SKM Recycling, resumed taking recyclable goods at its South Geelong site.<\/p>\n
Councillor Sarah Mansfield, who chairs the environment and sustainability portfolio and moved the motion to adopt the plan, said the local government must implement a range of short, medium and long-term strategies to prevent further disrupt to the city\u2019s faltering recycling system.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we\u2019ve been delivered some relief in terms of the resumption of recycling collections in the City of Greater Geelong, we shouldn\u2019t sit too comfortably in that relief,\u201d she said in a council meeting last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe system is still very vulnerable and there\u2019s certainly a risk of the same thing happening again in the future without urgent and comprehensive reform.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is due to a range of market failures in the recycling industry and historical reliance on exporting our recyclable material.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Mansfield noted \u201cchronic underinvestment\u201d by all three tiers of government in the industry as a significant barrier in formulating cohesive waste solutions.<\/p>\n
Councillor Jim Mason AM was quick to agree, stating the government has been \u201clagging\u201d and \u201cnot leading\u201d in the waste sector for a long time.<\/p>\n
Under MAV\u2019s \u201cReuse our Recycling\u201d action plan, the city will use an educational focus and conduct \u201cbin audits\u201d to reduce contamination in kerbside recycling.<\/p>\n
It will also work with the state government, support market development through the acquisition of recycled content and adopt measures to separate glass from other recyclable materials.<\/p>\n
Ms Mansfield said council is looking into developing a game changing food organics processing facility to reduce the \u201chuge\u201d amount of food waste being diverted to landfill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE City of Greater Geelong has agreed it will endorse the Municipal Association of Victoria\u2019s (MAV) recycling action plan to tackle the waste crisis gripping the region. The decision comes less than a month after Geelong\u2019s primary recycling facility, SKM Recycling, resumed taking recyclable goods at its South Geelong site. Councillor Sarah Mansfield, who chairs […]<\/p>\n