Residents may notice bright red and lime green bins dotted around Greater Geelong's streets in coming weeks, as the City begins its transition to Victorian bin standard colours.
The move will not change what residents can put in their bins for now, but will reduce the cost to ratepayers of the transition to the Victorian standard four-bin system, required by 2030.
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, and purple for glass.
The requirements are aimed at improving recycling outcomes and reducing confusion from different bin services and colours across the state.
All new City-issued bins and bin repairs for garden and rubbish bins will carry the bright red and lime green lids from late this year. Bins will also be made with up to 70 per cent recycled plastic content.
Greater Geelong will introduce a purple bin for glass by 2027. Until then, residents can continue to put glass in their yellow recycling bins.
Geelong's Garden bins will switch to a combined lime green food and garden organics service by 2030, after the completion of a new Barwon Water RegionalRenewable Organics Network facility in Black Rock, Connewarre. Upgrades to the City's Anakie Garden Organics Processing Facility will also be required to enable it to accept more food waste.
In the meantime, residents can compost their food waste at home through the City's subsidised home compost program, or put it in their red rubbish bin.
Mayor Trent Sullivan:
We encourage all residents to refresh their recycling knowledge, with the City spending hundreds of thousands of dollars removing contamination from bins every year.Putting the right thing in your bins will save you money through rates and waste charges, while also protecting our environment from the impacts of waste.
Recycling in particular has changed recently, so it's worth taking a few moments to check you're recycling correctly.
Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken:
The City's Lara Food Waste Trial has delivered important learnings, especially around bin liners and community education.We'd like to thank all the residents who participated in our trial.
The feedback and outcomes will help us in planning for a combined food and garden organics service by 2030.
