Frequently asked questions
What's in our Waste Management Strategy?
Our Waste Management Strategy (Rubbish to Resource) 2018-2028 identifies challenges and opportunities around waste and recycling in Whitehorse, pulling together data, industry trends and policy changes to determine priorities and actions.
Why is a new five-year action plan needed?
The 10-year Waste Management Strategy included a five-year action plan which guided Council's actions around waste from 2018-2023. A new action plan allows us to be more responsive to current challenges and changes in policy.
Why do we have to have Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) and separate glass services in the future?
In February 2020 the Victorian Government released Recycling Victoria: a new economy outlining Local Government requirements to provide four core waste and recycling services to all households.
1. Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) (green-lid bin)
2. Glass (purple-lid bin)
3. Recycling (yellow-lid bin)
4. Rubbish (red-lid bin)
A FOGO service must be supplied to all households by 2030 and a separate glass service by 2027. This is legislated in the Circular Economy (Waste and Recycling) Act 2021.
Why does glass need to be recycled separately?
When glass is placed in the yellow-lid bin it creates problems, as glass often breaks into small pieces and mixes in with other recyclable materials such as plastic and paper. This makes them harder to recycle.
Giving glass bottles and jars their own stream will add value to other recyclable materials, improving the materials recovered and recycled.
These changes will improve the value of materials Victorians recycle. For example, separating glass from other materials can increase the value of recycled glass, plastic, paper and cardboard by up to $210 million annually (Sustainability Victoria, 2019).
Will I get the opportunity to provide feedback on changes to waste services in future?
Yes, Council plans to consult with the community in more detail on future changes to waste services in early 2025. For the latest updates around the service Subscribe to News and Updates | Whitehorse City Council.