Veolia Environmental has been awarded a five-year contract for the collection of kerbside waste and recycling material by the Mount Alexander Shire Council.
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The council’s acting director sustainable development Ben Grounds said the new contract was issued based on cost, quality of service and environmental responsibility.
“The tender process was very competitive and attracted interest from very competent contractors,” Mr Grounds explained.
“One of the strengths of Veolia as the new provider is that they operate a materials recovery facility not too far away at Echuca.
“The centre processes paper, cardboard, plastic, metals and glass, which means the majority of recyclables from the shire will be processed in Australia.
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“This will help reduce the impact from China’s recent decision to limit the intake of foreign recyclables.”
The council will pay Veolia Environmental according to a per tonne cost, which is expected to be approximately $1.3 million including maintenance, repairs and delivery of bins for the first year of the contract.
“It’s important we all make a concerted effort to reduce the amount of waste, and do what we can to divert waste from landfill,” Mr Grounds said.
“Composting food scraps, reducing single-use plastics and making sure that only recyclables go in your yellow-lidded bin are just a few ways you can make a big difference.”
According to the council, Mount Alexander Shire’s food scraps and organic material make up 40 per cent of most of the rubbish, so residents have been encouraged to use compost bins.
“We want to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill so we’ll continue to look at creative ways that we can achieve this,” Mr Grounds said.