Wait continues for glass bins

By Lachlan Ellis

While glass recycling bins are beginning to roll out in some Victorian shires, Moorabool Shire will likely have to wait at least another four years for the service.

The State Government is diverting tonnes of waste from landfill by introducing the new purple-lidded bins, with the City of Merri-bek becoming the thirteenth ‘early-mover’ council to complete its rollout of the kerbside glass service.

Neighbouring Macedon Ranges Shire already has the purple bins, as do Ararat, Whittlesea, Colac Otway, Hobsons Bay, Horsham, Moyne, Pyrenees, Surf Coast, Warrnambool, the City of Yarra, and Yarriambiack.

The new glass recycling bin service will work alongside the new CDS Vic container deposit scheme, which commences on 1 November.

The four-stream recycling system is a key part of the State Government’s waste and recycling reforms, ensuring that Victoria meets the goal of diverting 80 per cent of all material away from landfill by 2030, including 20,000 tonnes of glass.

“The four-stream recycling system will work alongside our new Container Deposit Scheme to make it easier than ever for Victorians to recycle their glass, so that it can be turned into new products,” Acting Minister for the Environment, Lily D’Ambrosio, said.

“Our new household recycling services will maximise our recycling capacity, create new jobs and divert 80 per cent of waste from landfill by 2030, while helping to reduce emissions by 50 per cent.”

However, Moorabool Shire looks likely to have to wait another few years for access to the service, with a Council spokesperson telling the Moorabool News that current plans suggest a 2027 or 2028 adoption.

“Council has submitted a draft kerbside transition plan to Recycling Victoria to introduce glass by 2027/28. This will be dependent on engaging processors and the container deposit scheme – which will accept a broad range of glass items and is to be introduced in Victoria by November this year,” Council’s spokesperson said.

When fully implemented, the State Government’s recycling reforms are predicted to create nearly 4,000 new jobs for Victorians and boost the state’s economy by up to $6.7 billion by 2030 – backed by the Government’s $515 million investment to deliver the biggest ever transformation of the waste and recycling sector in Victoria’s history.