The way you recycle at home is changing for the better – a small act makes a big impact.
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 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 things and quality of other recyclables will be improved.
Council plans to commence the new glass purple bin service for glass only in late 2024. 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.
Have Your Say Survey
To support this transition, Council sought feedback from community, focused on glass and mixed recycling initially, to help inform our transition planning and ensure our service model and communications best meets community needs.
The survey was open from Friday 9 February to Friday 1 March 2024.
More information about waste collection
Some containers are also eligible for a 10c refund at participating Container Deposit Scheme locations, to find out the eligibility and refund points please visit: Container Deposit Scheme - Victoria | Golden Plains Shire Council.
Council is also planning for the introduction of the new lime green Food Organics Green Organics (FOGO) bin to align with timings for the Barwon Water Regional Renewable Organics Network (RRON) facility expected to become operational in 2026.
For more information, please visit: The Regional Renewable Organics Network at Black Rock | Your Say Barwon Water.