Victorian govt urged to support councils on FOGO collections

Victorian councils should get state government support to increase food organics and garden organics (FOGO) kerbside collection services, a new report has recommended.

Infrastructure Victoria (IV) says the state government should also “establish a minimum service standard for local government waste services to promote greater consistency in collections” and “require and support all local governments to standardise bins for household collections and establish a minimum standard service for LG waste services to promote great consistency in collections across the state”.

They are among 13 recommendations contained in “Advice on recycling and resource recovery infrastructure – April 2020” which IV prepared after the Victorian Government asked it in April 2019 to examine sectoral issues, infrastructure requirements, and the role for government in improving recycling and resource recovery.

In the report’s executive summary, IV says Victoria’s recycling and resource recovery sector is under increasing pressure.

“The amount of waste being generated is growing while resource recovery rates have stagnated. Simultaneously, changes in international markets, combined with weak end markets in Victoria, have led to large amounts of recyclables being stockpiled or sent to landfill.”

IV estimates about $1.21 billion worth of resources was recovered in Victoria in 2018-19.

“While highly dependent on commodity prices, this figure demonstrates the potential that higher rates of resource recovery could deliver to the state every year, particularly if these materials are processed and used in Victoria.”

In related news,  the West Australian State Government has announced it will spend $20 million over six years to support the transition to three-bin FOGO kerbside collection services, with local councils invited to apply for funding under the Better Bins Plus: Go FOGO initiative.