At their next meeting, Mornington Peninsula Shire Councillors will vote on how to implement the State Government's waste reform legislation.
The state-wide reforms will standardise waste and recycling services across Victoria, introducing a four-bin system with consistent lid colours to reduce confusion and improve recycling rates.
Currently, waste services vary between councils. Under the proposed new system, Victorian households will have access to four bins: general waste, mixed recycling, food and garden organics (FOGO), and glass recycling.
Victorian councils have been given 1 July 2027 as the implementation deadline, however the State Government has not legislated this requirement yet, and there are still unknown details to the reform.
Some councils, like our neighbour Frankston, have already introduced the four-bin system. Other councils, including us, are advocating to the State Government to remove the requirement for a glass bin, noting that most glass containers are recycled through the Container Deposit Scheme. As a result, a separate glass bin is not needed and could add unnecessary costs for the community.
The options before Council are:
- Option 1: Full compliance – Roll out FOGO and glass services to all households in accordance with draft direction from state government.
- Option 2: Partial and delayed compliance (officer recommendation) – Roll out FOGO to all households. Delay the decision about introducing a glass bin to allow time for advocacy to State Government and community engagement.
- Option 3: Non-compliance – Maintain current services and risk state penalties. Not recommended by officers.
The council meeting will be held at Mount Eliza Community Hall on 17 March.
