The City of Casey will join other south-eastern Councils to seek proposals from industry for a smarter way to tackle household rubbish.
Since 2018, Casey has partnered with 14 other Councils to explore a solution called advanced waste processing. Advanced waste processing solutions are proven technologies that put household rubbish to good use. Different technologies have been used successfully and safely overseas to recover the valuable materials in household rubbish (such as metals) or to produce energy from rubbish.
Advanced waste processing can reduce the amount of household rubbish sent to landfill by at least 85 per cent, which will lower greenhouse gas emissions and fewer trips of shorter distances will be needed to transport rubbish.
City of Casey Mayor Cr Amanda Stapledon said we can no longer rely on landfill as our default setting.
"As a sitting member on the Metropolitan Local Government Waste Forum I am hearing firsthand how we need to be looking for smarter solutions for our waste. The cost of landfill has increased dramatically in recent years, from $18 per tonne in 1998 to $120 per tonne in 2018/19," she said.
"There is a growing need to move away from landfill and look for smarter solutions to dispose of our rubbish. We need a smarter solution that will do more with the valuable resources that are being buried in the ground.
"Many waste materials currently being sent to landfill could be recovered for recycling or conversion to energy. An increasing list of products are also being banned from landfill disposal including mattresses, tyres and e-waste.
"Increasing amounts of household rubbish, rising landfill costs and the likely closure of our local landfill in the future all mean that Council needs a more cost-effective, local solution to manage the household rubbish we collect.
"Advanced waste processing can transform how Casey manages household rubbish, and achieve better financial, environmental and social outcomes. It has great potential to help manage the household rubbish we collect from residents, but we still need to keep recycling and finding ways to avoid creating rubbish in the first place. Advanced waste processing is just one part of the solution."
In mid-2019, a group of Councils will seek proposals from industry for proven advanced waste processing solutions. The process will be led by the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group and it will take a couple of years to rigorously explore all the alternatives in detail.
Councils have not selected a technology or site yet. These will be identified during the procurement process.
