Helping the region deal with organic waste is one of the recycling sector’s most important needs, with a rising population and councils which do not want to open new landfills.
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That is according to the Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Group board’s chairperson and Macedon Ranges mayor Jennifer Anderson.
Her comments come as the Victorian government this month appoints 25 directors to waste and resource recovery groups across the state.
Among them is Sutton Grange’s Natalie McCarthy, who begins her first four year term. She is joined on the board by Julie Green, who has been reappointed.
Ms McCarthy said it was an opportunity to help shape solutions as governments focus on recycling challenges, especially since China banned imports earlier this year.
Cr Anderson said Ms McCarthy and Ms Green were beginning their terms as the group tackled a myriad of recycling challenges.
The LMWRRG works across eight council areas covering 24 per cent of the state, advising and helping coordinate a range of recycling initiatives.
Cr Anderson said there was work to be done. She highlighted kerbside bins, saying they exemplified where the community had become very good at sorting some goods, including recyclables.
“But in terms of what goes in the normal bin, you’ll find often that across most council areas there is a lot of organic material in there.”
That could increase the amount of methane being produced in landfills.
Part of the challenge was helping come up with strategies to help people avoid purchasing more than they needed, or making products go further.
Because there were so many different communities across the region, every area would have unique needs.
“Looking at kerbside solutions for each particular area, some may be able to have kitchen organics collected. Some may be able to encourage community groups to have onsite composting, worm farms or chickens,” Cr Anderson said.
The group was working on a regional strategy in an attempt to make sure that everyone, from members of the community through to councils and industry, were not coming up with solutions in isolation.
“Trying to find a solution in isolation from what everybody else is doing is just not going to work. This is why the state government set up these waste and resource recovery groups, to try and get a more coordinated approach,” Cr Anderson said.
Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
