Golden Plains Shire Council is gearing up to introduce a new household waste and recycling system that will improve the way residents recycle at home.
Under Victorian Government legislation, all Councils must move to a standard four-bin system: red for general rubbish, yellow for mixed recycling, lime green for combined food and garden organics (no later than by 2030), and purple for glass (no later than by 2027).
In line with the changes, Council is commencing with the introduction of a new separate purple glass bin in 2024. At the same time of the introduction of the new purple bin, the frequency of collection for the yellow recycling bin will change from weekly to fortnightly.
Golden Plains Shire residents will soon need to separate their waste and recycling into three streams:
- Glass
- Mixed recyclables
- General waste
Council’s waste data shows that around 15 per cent of the community’s mixed recycling is made up of glass bottles and jars. By putting glass bottles and jars in a separate bin, more of them can be recycled into new items and the quality of other recyclables will be improved.
From October 2024, residents from Golden Plains Shire Council will start using their new glass purple bin for glass only. Until then, households should keep using the current waste and recycling system as normal.
Golden Plains Shire Council Mayor Cr Brett Cunningham said the introduction of the new glass purple bin would help improve recycling outcomes and divert waste from landfill.
"Council is committed to improving and enhancing its waste practices and keeping glass separate has been shown to improve the quality of other recyclable materials. This helps create a more environmentally responsible collection service for our Golden Plains Shire community,” Cr Cunningham said.
Council is in the early stages of planning and in the coming months will provide more information to residents on how to use their new purple bin at the time of the rollout.
For more information and to complete a short survey to help inform Council’s waste transition planning, click here.