The state of Victoria, Australia, will soon be the first state to roll out a four wheelie bin system in every household and is the first to include soft plastics and pizza boxes in those bins!
Image: 7 News Adelaide / Sustainability Victoria
All Victorian Households Will Soon Have Four Wheelie Bins At Home
There will soon be a framework for a four-bin system in the state of Victoria! Victorian Environment Minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, also announced there will be $14.3m in shared Federal funding to kick off recycling projects across the state.
The four-wheelie bin system includes: green for food organics and garden organics, purple for glass recycling, yellow for mixed recyclables and red for rubbish. All 79 local councils will have access to services for glass recycling by 2027 and to food organics and garden organics by 2030! How exciting is that?
This new system is a part of recycling reforms initiated in 2020, which also include a container deposit scheme, and a commitment to divert 80% of waste from landfill.
Image: Canva
Victorian Households Currently Send Four Million Tonnes Of Waste To Landfill Each Year
Lily D’Ambrosio stated, “We’re the first state in Australia to roll out the same bins to every household, and the first to include soft plastics and pizza boxes in those bins.”
She said by 2030 both items will be able to go into the yellow bin as well as plastic bags, wrappers and soiled food containers, while glass would go into a new purple bin to avoid contamination. We love this addition of a new purple bin!
An Infrastructure Victoria report found broken glass was among the the biggest contaminants in the recycling stream, while food waste made up to 35% of the rubbish sent to the tip, calling for better separation of waste.
Image: Canva
The Pizza Box Debate: What Bin Should They Go In?
Across Australia, there’s varying advice as to whether pizza boxes can actually be recycled, mostly due to the greasy residue on the bottom that can contaminate the cardboard. In the State of Victoria, a few councils recommend tearing the top lid off the pizza boxes for recycling, while placing the dirty bottom part in the general waste bin. Others advice putting it in the food and garden waste bin…
However, The Zero Waste Victoria president, Kirsty Bishop-Fox, said this array of opinions is a result of councils using different waste companies that have different recycling facilities and technologies. She has emphasised that Victorians should continue to follow their local council’s rules until told otherwise.
Kirsty Bishop-Fox also mentioned the importance of trying to avoid recycling in the first place, and see if objects can instead be reused for another purpose. How fantastic is that?
If you love hearing about sustainable initiatives happening all around Australia, check out our Eco News category for more stories and check out the blogs below!
Woolworths Swaps To Compostable Produce Bags In South Australia!
South Australian Study Reveals New Way To Keep Streets Cooler & Greener!
This Repair Cafe In Lake Macquarie Is Diverting Waste Away From Landfill
