The State Government's 10-year policy and action plan: Recycling Victoria: A new economy, includes reforms that are going to significantly impact Bass Coast's approach to waste in the coming years.
In 2020, the State Government announced its pathway to helping Victorians waste less and recycle more. More than $300 million is being invested to ensure that Victorians have a reliable recycling system. The State Government's Circular Economy policy includes ambitious new targets around cutting waste generation rates and diverting waste from landfill. Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill is one of the many key actions noted in Bass Coast Shire Council's Climate Change Action Plan.
Single use plastic bags have long been a focus, with a ban coming into place in November 2019. Single use plastic straws, cutlery, plates, drink stirrers and cotton bud sticks as well as expanded polystyrene food and drink containers are next to be phased out and will be banned from sale or supply in Victoria by 2023.
"Many Bass Coast businesses are leading the way in reducing our reliance on single use plastics and are working on phasing these nasties out already," Bass Coast Shire Mayor, Cr Michael Whelan said.
Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme will be operational from2023. These schemes reduce litter and increase recycling rates and they produce really clean and high quality recycling streams, that can be easily manufactured into new products.
"This Scheme is certainly going to impact the types and volumes of waste that we put into our kerbside bins," Cr Whelan said.
As part of the State Government's waste reforms, bin lid colours will be standardised across Victoria, as well as what can go in each bin.
"This will make sorting waste much easier for all Victorians and is particularly helpful for tourist destinations such as Bass Coast," Cr Whelan said.
"In great news, our bin lid colours are in line with the incoming standards, so we won't need to change any of our bins or lids.
"Bass Coast is regarded as a leader in the waste space by many other councils, due to our early introduction of the kerbside food and garden organics bins - and now all councils must catch up.
"Councils that do not already have household food and garden organics recovery services must introduce them by 2026."
By 2027, all Victorians will have access to services for glass recycling.
"We haven't made any decisions around introducing a separate glass bin yet," Cr Whelan said.
"Bass Coast is in the enviable position of being able to observe how the Container Deposit Scheme impacts glass volumes, watch what happens with glass markets, and learn from other councils about what works well, before we will need to make decision on what our separate glass stream will look like," Cr Whelan concluded.
