This is the plain text web version of the 'Conversation Starter Kit'. To view the designed PDF version with images and tables, please click on the link below.

View PDF version of Conversation Starter Kit

What is the Conversation Starter Kit?

This conversation starter kit is part of our consultation on our waste service. It is designed to give you the information you need to join the conversation and have your say.

There are four topics that make up our conversation starter kit:

Food and garden organics (FOGO) and garbage bins
Recycling and glass bins
Hard waste
Waste charge.

Each topic explains the issues and outlines the options we have developed for our waste service. There are also key questions we would like your feedback on.

While we are comparing FOGO and garbage bins separately to recycling and glass bins in this Conversation Starter Kit, overall, they will be considered together to inform our four-bin waste service.

We are talking about FOGO and garbage bins together, because putting food waste in the green organics bin means there is much less waste in garbage bins. Similarly, we are talking about recycling and glass bins together because separating glass impacts the yellow-lidded recycling bin.

We hope shaping the conversation this way makes it easier for you to understand the issues and have your say.

What is happening to our waste service?

Our new Kerbside Waste Services and Charges Policy will define how often we pick up your bins and how much this costs you. We are looking at making changes that will impact how often we collect your bins, their size and cost.

The Victorian Government has announced that all councils need to move to a four-bin service. The four bins will separate:

Garbage (red lid)
Recycling (yellow lid)
Food and garden organics (FOGO) (light green lid)
Glass (purple lid).

We have set ambitious targets to act together to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030 and zero carbon emissions by 2040. A well designed four-bin waste service would be a significant step in working towards these goals.

To allow enough time for our community and Council to prepare, the change to a four-bin service will not begin until at least mid-2022. We have not finalised how this change will work or what it will look like yet. This is where you can help us design how the four-bin service will work best for our community.

What have we heard?

During July and August 2020, we asked the community how you felt about changing our waste service and how it might affect you. We took your feedback through an online survey, social media and a phone-in session.

We heard that our community like the food and garden organics bin and welcomes a better recycling system. We also heard that our waste service is reliable, easy to use and is appropriate for the amount of waste households currently generate. You also told us that you want more frequent collection of your food and garden organics bins.

What will we be talking to you about?

Using your feedback, we have created some options showing how our waste service could look and how we will support people with extra needs.

We now want to hear what you think of the options we have created for:

The size of your garbage and food and garden organics (FOGO) bins and how often they are picked up
The size of your recycling and glass bins and how often they are picked up
Other options for residents who do not have space for a glass bin
How we deliver hard waste collections
Potential subsidies for non-residential properties, such as schools and charities
How we support people with concessions or who have extra needs.

How can I have my say?

Complete our online survey by returning to the main page
Speak to us at a phone drop-in session
Email us at wasteprojects@moreland.vic.gov.au
If you require assistance with any of our information please call our customer service team on 9240 1111 or email wasteprojects@moreland.vic.gov.au

Food and garden organics (FOGO) and garbage bins

What are the current issues?

We waste too much food - Food waste typically makes up half of what is in household garbage bins. That is an estimated 15,318 tonnes of food waste thrown out by Moreland residents every year. That is equivalent to the weight of 3,800 elephants! Much of this could be avoided.
Food waste costs us - Sending food waste to landfill is costly, and the cost of sending waste to landfill (the landfill levy), which is set by the State Government, is rising over the next few years. If we create less food waste and divert more of it from landfill, it will cost Moreland residents less.
Environmental impacts - When food and garden waste breaks down in landfill it creates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Food waste, with garden waste, can be turned into compost to improve soils. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions, avoids sending a valuable resource to landfill and instead creates a useful product for Victorian farmers and local Moreland gardens.
Community feedback - We expanded the green waste service to include food waste in 2019, making it the food and garden organics (FOGO) service. We have heard from residents who have opted into the service that they love it. Many have seen less waste in their garbage bin and have asked for FOGO bins to be picked up weekly to help manage seasonal volumes, smell and pests.
FOGO for all households – the State Government has prioritised tackling food waste with a policy requiring councils across Victoria to provide a FOGO service to all households.Currently this service is provided via the green waste bin.

What change could we make to our FOGO and garbage service?

Your current service

Option 1

Weekly FOGO
Fortnightly garbage

Option 2

Fortnightly FOGO
Weekly garbage

Option 3

Weekly FOGO
Weekly garbage
(Fortnightly recycling*)

Food and garden organics bins (FOGO) (light green lid)

Households can choose to have a FOGO bin (‘opt-in’ at no extra cost)

FOGO bins are picked up every 2 weeks

Standard bin size is 120 litres, with option for a bigger bin

All households would have a FOGO bin (may be shared)

FOGO bins would be picked up every week

Standard bin size would be 120 litres, with option for a bigger bin

All households would have a FOGO bin (may be shared)

FOGO bins would continue to be picked up every 2 weeks

Standard bin size would be 120 litres, with option for a bigger bin

All households would have a FOGO bin (may be shared)

FOGO bins would be picked up every week

Standard bin size would be 120 litres, with option for a bigger bin

Garbage bins (red lid)

Garbage bins are picked up every week

Standard bin size is 80 litres, with options for a bigger bin (additional charges apply)

Garbage bins would be picked up every 2 weeks

Increase standard bin size to 120 litres, with option for a bigger bin (additional charges may apply) or a smaller 80 litre bin

Garbage bins would continue to be picked up every week

Standard bin size would be 80 litres, with options for a bigger bin (additional charges would apply)

Garbage bins would continue to be picked up every week

Standard bin size would be 80 litres, with options for a bigger bin (additional charges would apply)

*Option 3 is only feasible if Recycling (yellow lid) is collected fortnightly. We cannot collect three bins every week while maintaining a reasonable service level or cost for our community. Congested kerbsides also increase safety risks for drivers and pedestrians, and increases the risk of property damage to parked cars and bins when they cannot be spaced apart for collection.

How do the options compare?

To help us compare the options, we referred to indicative modelling data[1] to understand how each option impacts on cost and environmental performance, including our goals of zero waste to landfill and zero carbon emissions. The modelling was prepared for Council in November 2020 and provides indicative figures for assessment and comparison purposes. Final costs will vary depending on the final service option chosen, government funding and industry pricing.

The cost to send each tonne of waste to landfill (the landfill levy, charged by the State Government), is set to double over the next few years. This means costs of the service, and therefore costs to the community, will increase regardless of the final service option. Diverting waste from landfill helps to keep service costs down, meaning less cost to ratepayers.

The following table shows us, at a high level, how each option impacts the average cost of the service per household, and how they perform against our commitment to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030 and zero carbon emissions by 2040. It also shows the impact collection frequency has on the number of trucks on the road and bins on the street. The options are compared to each other and not the current service.

[1] Blue Environment 2021

Food and Garden Organics (FOGO) and Garbage Service Options	Option 1 Weekly FOGO Fortnightly garbage	Option 2 Fortnightly FOGO Weekly garbage	Option 3 Weekly FOGO Weekly garbage (Fortnightly recycling*)
Estimated yearly cost^ of FOGO and garbage service	Lowest cost ~$13.3m	Second lowest cost ~$13.7m	Highest cost ~$15.5m
Estimated average yearly cost^ per household** for FOGO and garbage service	Lowest cost $184 ~$30 increase^	Second lowest cost $189 ~$35 increase^	Highest cost $215 ~$61 increase^
Towards zero waste - Garbage sent to landfill each year (less is better)	Least garbage sent to landfill ~21,000 tonnes	Most garbage sent to landfill ~27,500 tonnes	Second most garbage sent to landfill ~24,500 tonnes
Towards zero waste - Food and garden waste diverted from landfill each year (more is better)	Most food and garden waste diverted from landfill ~20,000 tonnes	Least food and garden waste diverted from landfill ~14,000 tonnes	Second most food and garden waste diverted from landfill ~17,500 tonnes
Towards zero carbon - Greenhouse gas emissions saved each year (more is better)	Most greenhouse gas emissions saved ~11,000 tonnes	Least greenhouse gas emissions saved ~5,500 tonnes	Second most greenhouse gas emissions saved ~8,000 tonnes
FOGO and garbage bins on the street per household	Least bins on street 3 bins per fortnight	Least bins on street 3 bins per fortnight	Most bins on street 4 bins per fortnight
Trucks on the road collecting bins	Same as current service	Same as current service	More than current service
Change from current service for residents	Most change	Least change	Moderate change

*Option 3 is only possible if recycling is collected fortnightly as we cannot collect three bins every week while maintaining a reasonable service level or cost for our community.

^Increase on 2019/20 costs. Includes increase to legislated landfill levy which is set by State Government. The landfill levy is expected to increase service costs by $24 per household from July 2021, even without any changes to our waste service.[2]

**This reflects the average service cost (to Council) per household per year over ten years and not the final charge per household, which will depend on a range of factors including the chosen service model, final waste charge policy, state government funding and industry pricing.

[2] Blue Environment 2021

In summary...

The table shows that:

Option 1 has the best environmental outcomes and best aligns with our goal to achieve zero waste to landfill and zero carbon emissions. This option also has the lowest cost per household compared with the other options but would be a bigger change for residents from the current service.
Option 2 has the least change for residents from the current service, however it has the poorest environmental outcomes and does least to help achieve our goals of zero waste to landfill and zero carbon emissions. There is also a slight increase in cost compared to Option 1 due to more garbage sent to landfill and the impact of the higher landfill levy.
Option 3 has a significantly higher costs, as well as increased road and kerbside congestion due to more trucks and bins on the street on collection days. This option has better environmental outcomes than Option 2, but poorer than Option 1.

Option 1 - Weekly FOGO and fortnightly garbage

All households have a FOGO bin (may be shared)
FOGO bins picked up every week
Garbage bins picked up every 2 weeks

Pros and Cons of Option 1

Less garbage - Community feedback, and experiences from other councils, has shown that households that put food waste in their FOGO bins do not have as much waste in their garbage bins. This is because half (by weight) of the average household garbage bin is food waste. If everyone puts food waste in a FOGO bin, then garbage bins will have less in them, no smelly food waste, and they won’t need to be picked up as often.
Meets demand for weekly FOGO - This option would satisfy residents who told us during the first stage of community consultation that they want their FOGO bins picked up more often, to avoid unwanted smells and pests. We know FOGO bins can create unpleasant smells and attract unwanted pests (e.g. fruit flies), particularly in hot weather when food waste breaks down more quickly. A weekly pick-up of FOGO bins would help manage this and also help households with fuller FOGO bins.
Lower costs – Picking up both FOGO and garbage bins every week is costly. It costs more to have extra trucks and truck drivers to pick up the bins every week. With the increasing State Government landfill levy, the more waste we send to landfill the more it costs our community, so the more food waste we keep out of landfill, the lower the costs will be.
More incentive to use FOGO bin – The best performing systems show that FOGO bins that are picked up weekly, coupled with garbage bins that are picked up every 2 weeks, encourages greater use of the FOGO bin and keeps more waste out of landfill, minimising landfill costs[3] and greenhouse gas emissions.
Most change – Option 1 would require the most change from residents, with the greatest impact on how people sort their waste.

[3] MWRRG 2018 and NSW EPA 2020

Why are we suggesting bin sizes change for Option 1?

The standard bin size needs to be set as part of setting the annual waste charge. Ratepayers pay this charge based on the size of their garbage bin.

Experience from other Councils[4] shows that 80 litres of garbage space over a fortnight would not be enough for most households, so under Option 1 we suggest increasing the standard garbage bin size to 120 litres. The larger 120 litre (standard) size garbage bin would mean a total reduction of 40 litres of garbage bin space across the fortnight, but once food waste, which makes up half (by weight) of what’s in the average Moreland garbage bin[5], is put in the FOGO bin there should be enough space for most households.

Residents would keep the option to get a bigger (240 litre) garbage bin if they need it, though additional charges would apply to some households. Households would also be able to get a smaller (80 litre) garbage bin at a lower cost.

[4] MWRRG 2018 and MRA Consulting 2019

[5] Moreland City Council bin audit 2015

How would I manage nappies and smell if garbage is collected fortnightly?

Unfortunately, most bins smell, but experience elsewhere shows that there is no difference in the smell of garbage bins after a fortnight when garbage, including nappies and other sanitary waste, was bagged or wrapped in plastic. That is, the odour of the garbage bin after two weeks was rated the same as after one week.[6]

Regardless of the final service option chosen, residents will continue to be able to choose from a select number of bin sizes to find the right size that suits their needs. For some residents, like those with lots of nappies, this will mean asking for a larger bin. Additional fees may apply for larger bins, however some households will be eligible for a concession.

[6] Lake Macquarie City Council 2014

Option 2 - Fortnightly FOGO and weekly garbage

All households have a FOGO bin (may be shared)
FOGO bins picked up every 2 weeks
Garbage bins picked up every week

Pros and Cons of Option 2

Least change - Option 2 would require the least amount of change for residents. Collection frequencies and bin sizes would remain the same, but all households would have a FOGO bin (may be a shared bin).
Does not meet demand for weekly FOGO - This option would not satisfy residents who told us during the first stage of community consultation and recent social research that they want their FOGO bins picked up more often to avoid unwanted smells and pests.
More waste to landfill - Experience from other councils[7] shows that a weekly garbage collection, combined with picking up FOGO bins every 2 weeks, discourages people from using their FOGO bin, meaning Option 2 would result in more food waste in garbage bins and sent to landfill and more greenhouse gas emissions.
Higher costs – With more waste going to landfill, Option 2 has higher cost impacts than Option 1 due to the increasing landfill levy, which is charged per tonne of waste sent to landfill.

[7] MWRRG 2018 and NSW EPA 2020

Option 3 – Weekly FOGO and weekly garbage

All households have a FOGO bin (may be shared)
FOGO bins picked up every week
Garbage bins picked up every week
Recycling bins would be picked up every 2 weeks

Pros and Cons of Option 3

Moderate change - Option 3 would satisfy residents that want to have both their garbage and FOGO bins picked up weekly and would be a moderate change for residents.
Highest cost - This option is significantly more expensive overall (almost $2 million more) due to having a weekly service for both FOGO and garbage bins. It also results in more trucks on the road and more bins on the kerbside every week, which can cause congestion.
Less food waste diversion - Experience from other councils[8] shows that maintaining weekly garbage collections reduces the incentive for people to put food waste in their FOGO bin, meaning less food waste is diverted from landfill and relatively more cost for residents due to the increasing cost of sending waste to landfill.
Fortnightly recycling collection - This option would also mean that recycling bins (yellow lid) could not be collected weekly as we cannot collect three bins every week while maintaining a reasonable service level or cost for our community.

[8] MWRRG 2018 and NSW EPA 2020

We understand that not all households are the same

We know that households have different needs and preferences depending on who and how many people live there. For example:

Large households, households with small children in nappies, or people with some medical conditions might generate more waste than the average household.
Households that live in apartments using Council’s waste services may have different needs to manage shared bins.
Some businesses and organisations also use Council’s waste services and might need their bins picked up more often or need bigger bins.

To meet the needs of our community, all options would allow households to get smaller or larger bins, or an extra bin (up to a cap), however additional fees may apply to some households. Any concessions would continue to be subsidised by other households and businesses that pay the waste charge. For more information view the Waste Charge fact sheet.

We want to hear from you

Help us decide on a waste service that works for our community, while balancing the costs and benefits.

Understanding the pros and cons of the options (including costs, keeping waste out of landfill, greenhouse gas emissions, trucks on roads, bins on kerbside), how often do you think garbage and FOGO bins should be picked up?
Understanding that residents would have the option to change their bin size if they need to, have we got the standard bin sizes right?

Recycling and glass bins

What are the current issues?

The recycling industry is struggling – We produce more recycling than we have places for it to go. With overseas countries no longer taking as much of Australia’s recycling, we need to improve how we recycle to support more use of recycled materials and to create jobs in Australia.
New glass bin – In 2020, the State Government announced the policy to introduce a new glass bin for all Victorian households. Separating glass from other recycling improves the quality of our recycling because pieces of broken glass can stick to other materials, such as paper, cardboard and plastics reducing their ability to be recycled into high value products.
Contamination – Contamination is when the wrong items are placed in the recycling bin. This is a problem because it is difficult to remove and often ends up ruining the quality of other materials. 17% of what is put in the average Moreland recycling bin is not recyclable. This rate of contamination is 7% higher than the Victorian average.
Cost impacts – Introducing a fourth glass bin will cost more as it requires an additional service. Changes to our current waste service may be needed to help balance the cost of picking up the new glass bin. While Moreland collects recycling bins weekly, most Melbourne councils collect recycling bins fortnightly (with a bigger standard bin size) because it is more cost effective.
Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) is coming – the State Government will be introducing a CDS for beverage containers around mid-2023. Like ‘cash for cans’, a CDS works by people returning drink containers to a collection point to receive a cash refund. It aims to reduce litter and increase recycling of drink containers. The details are not clear yet but CDS will impact the amount and type of recyclables collected in household recycling bins.

What changes could we make to our recycling service?

Recycling and Glass Service Options

Your current service

Option 1

Fortnightly recycling
Monthly glass

Option 2*

Weekly recycling
Monthly glass

(Not an option if both food and garden organics (FOGO) and garbage bins are collected every week)

Recycling (yellow lid)

Recycling bins picked up every week

Standard bin size 120 litres

Recycling bins would be picked up every 2 weeks

Standard bin size would increase to 240 litres

Recycling bins would continue to be picked up every week

Standard bin size would be 120 litres

Glass (purple lid)

No separate bin/service

Most households would be provided with a bin for glass, picked up every 4 weeks (monthly)

Standard bin size would be 120 litres, with option for an extra bin

Households without space for a glass bin would have access to an alternative glass service

Most households would be provided with a bin for glass, picked up every 4 weeks (monthly)

Standard bin size would be 120 litres, with option for an extra bin

Households without space for a glass bin would have access to an alternative glass service

*Option 2 is not possible if both food and garden organics (FOGO) and garbage bins are collected weekly as we cannot collect three bins every week while maintaining a reasonable service level or cost for our community.

How do the options compare?

To help us compare the options, we referred to indicative modelling data[9] to understand how each option impacts on cost and environmental performance, including our goals of zero waste to landfill and zero carbon emissions. The modelling was prepared for Council in November 2020 and provides indicative figures for assessment and comparison purposes. Final costs will vary depending on the final service option chosen, government funding and industry pricing.

The following table shows us, at a high level, how each option impacts the cost of the service and materials recovered. It also shows the impact collection frequency has on the number of trucks on the road and bins on the street.

Note that both shortlisted options include monthly collection of the glass bin because experience at other councils suggests this is adequate for most households and a more frequent service would add to costs, kerbside congestion on bin night and more truck on the road. The options are compared to each other and not the current service.

[9] Blue Environment 2021

Recycling and Glass Service Options	Option 1 Fortnightly recycling Monthly glass	Option 2* Weekly recycling Monthly glass (Not an option if both food and garden organics (FOGO) and garbage bins are collected every week)
Estimated yearly cost of recycling and glass service	Lowest cost ~$8.8m	Highest cost ~$10.9m
Estimated average yearly cost per household** for recycling and glass service	Lowest cost $122 ~$2 increase^	Highest cost $151 ~$30 increase^
Recycling and glass recovered each year	Same amount of recycling recovered as Option 2 ~17,000 tonnes	Same amount of recycling recovered as Option 1 ~17,000 tonnes
Quality of glass and recycling collected (less contamination of other recyclables due to broken glass)	Quality of recyclables the same as Option 2	Quality of recyclables the same as Option 1
Trucks on the road collecting bins	Least trucks on road	Most trucks on road
Recycling and glass bins on the street per household	Least bins on street 3 bins per month	Most bins on street 5 bins per month

^ Increase on 2019/20 costs.

**This reflects the average service cost (to Council) per household per year over ten years, and not the final charge per household, which will depend on a range of factors including the chosen service model, final waste charge policy, state government funding and industry pricing.

In summary…

The table shows that:

Option 1 has the lowest cost impact (due to switching to fortnightly recycling) with fewer trucks and bins on the streets causing congestion on collection day.
The introduction of the separate glass bin means both options improve the quality and tonnes of recycling collected compared to our current service.
Option 2 has significantly higher costs because it maintains weekly recycling collection and is only an option if either garbage or food and garden organics (FOGO) is collected fortnightly as we cannot collect three bins every week.

Option 1 – Fortnightly recycling and monthly glass

Recycling bins picked up every 2 weeks
Introduce glass bins to be picked up every 4 weeks (monthly)
Alternative glass recycling service for some properties

Pros and Cons of Option 1

Lower costs - As we introduce a new glass recycling service, we need to balance the cost of collecting bins, the number of trucks on the road and bins on the kerbside. Option 1, having recycling bins picked up every 2 weeks, helps to manage these impacts over time. Most other councils in Melbourne pick up recycling bins every 2 weeks. This would be a more cost effective service. Modelling suggests that switching from weekly to fortnightly recycling could save Moreland ratepayers more than $2 million each year[10].
Same recycling capacity - Although the recycling bin would be picked up less often under Option 1, the standard recycling bin size would double to 240 litres. Households would continue to have the same amount of recycling space (120 litres per week) as they currently do (for hard plastic, metals, paper and cardboard), as well as an additional bin for glass recycling which will free up space in the recycling bin. This means the bigger recycling bin should not get too heavy because it won’t have glass in it and even more materials could be collected for recycling each year.
Less road and kerbside congestion – Compared to Option 2, fortnightly recycling collection means fewer trucks on the road, less bins collected every fortnight and less bins on the street on bin night causing congestion.
Space for bigger bin – some households may not have space on their property for a bigger 240 litre recycling bin or a fourth bin for glass.

[10] Blue Environment 2021

Option 2 – Weekly recycling and monthly glass

Recycling bins picked up every week
Introduce glass bins to be picked up every 4 weeks (monthly)
Alternative glass recycling service for some properties

Pros and Cons of Option 2

Higher costs - Option 2, keeping weekly recycling, is more expensive in the long term. Switching to fortnightly collections helps balance the cost of the new glass service.
More road and kerbside congestion – Compared to Option 1, weekly recycling collection means more trucks on the road, more bins collected every fortnight and more bins on the street on bin night adding to congestion.
Weekly FOGO and weekly garbage no longer an option - This option would also mean that having both weekly FOGO and weekly garbage collection is no longer an option as we cannot collect three bins every week while maintaining a reasonable service level or cost for our community.
Least change – Recycling bin collection frequencies and bin sizes would remain the same, but all households would have a new glass bin or access to an alternative glass recycling service.

What are my options if I cannot fit a new bin on my property?

We understand that some properties, including apartments and higher density developments, do not have room for another bin. These households will need access to a shared bin or an alternative glass recycling point.

Council will determine which properties this applies to and is investigating other options for these households. We are seeking community feedback on using other glass recycling options, such as communal glass drop-off points, as part of this consultation.

We understand that not all households are the same

We know that households have different needs and preferences depending on who and how many people live there. For example:

Large households might generate more recycling.
Households that live in apartments using Council’s waste services may have different needs to manage shared bins.
Some businesses and organisations also use Council’s waste services and might need their recycling bins picked up more often.
Some households in high density areas or apartment buildings may not have room for a new glass recycling bin.

To meet the needs of our community, households can get larger bins or an extra bin (up to a cap), however additional fees may apply to some households. Any concessions would continue to be subsidised by other households and businesses that pay the waste charge. For more information view the Waste Charge fact sheet.

We want to hear from you

Help us decide on a waste service that works for our community, while balancing the costs and benefits.

Understanding the pros and cons of the options (including costs, trucks on roads, bins on kerbside), which option for recycling and glass bin collections do you prefer?
Understanding that residents would have the option to change their bin size if they need to, have we got the standard bin sizes right?
For households that do not have space for a new glass recycling bin, what alternative works best for you?

Hard waste

What are the current issues?

Hard waste (or hard rubbish) is unwanted items or rubbish that is too large to put in your regular household bins.
Dumped rubbish – We have heard from our community that you want less dumped rubbish in the streets. This includes during hard waste collections and outside of collection times, when people have hard waste to dispose of and cannot get their items picked up.
Low recycling rates – The amount of hard waste recycled in Moreland is low. Only 14% of hard waste collected last Autumn was recycled, and most of this was metal. The large volumes of hard waste and number of daily collections reduces the opportunity for separating items by material to enable better recycling, which means more waste is sent to landfill.
Scavenging – We know some people in our community like being able to reuse and repurpose items by putting them out on the kerbside during hard waste collections (or any time of year). Reusing items is a much better outcome than sending them to landfill, or even being recycled. Unfortunately, scavenging can result in many items that could have been reused getting damaged or not being picked up and going to landfill. It can also create additional mess on the streets as people rummage through the items. Instead, we encourage community re-use through household networks, online share/swap platforms and charity donations.

What change could we make to our hard waste service?

Option 1 (Your current service)

Two municipal-wide collections

Option 2

Booked hard waste collections

Hard waste

Two municipal-wide collections each year at designated times

Households could book two collections each year (cost is included in waste charge) with a fee-for-service option for additional collections

How does a booked hard waste service work?

All households that pay the waste charge would continue to have access to two hard waste collections each year. When residents have hard waste to be picked up, they could contact Council (or our contractor) to organise a collection. We would then book a date for pick-up to take place. In the days prior to your pick-up, waste would be neatly piled on the kerbside as you would do for a municipal-wide collection. You would not need to be home for the collection. Most metropolitan councils in Melbourne provide a booked hard waste collection.

As part of this consultation, we are also seeking feedback from building managers, body corporates and residents living in apartments on how a booked hard waste service might work for your apartment building, while maintaining convenience and equity in the service.

How do the options compare?

To help us compare the options, we referred to the Metropolitan Waste Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) Hard Waste Leading Practice Guide to understand how each option impacts on cost, resident satisfaction and environmental performance.

The following table shows us, at a high level, how each option impacts the cost of the service, household convenience and participation, and how the options perform against our commitment to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030. It also shows the impact the service has on keeping our streets clean. The options are compared to each other.

Hard Waste Service Options

Option 1 (Your current service)

Two municipal-wide collections

Option 2

Booked hard waste collections

Cost of service

Costs more

Costs less

Convenience and flexibility for residents

Less convenient/flexible

More convenient/flexible

Cleaner streets and less dumped rubbish

More dumped rubbish

Less dumped rubbish

Hard waste items recycled/recovered

Less items recycled

More items recycled

Participation in hard waste collections

High participation

Lower participation

In summary…

The table shows that:

Option 1 (the current service) has higher participation but is less flexible, contributes to more dumped rubbish, has a lower recycling rate and costs more overall.
Option 2 (booked service) has lower participation, but is more flexible, helps manage dumped rubbish, has a higher recycling rate and costs less overall.

Option 1 – Municipal-wide collections (no change to current service)

Keep two municipal-wide collections each year

Pros and Cons of Option 1

High participation - Option 1 has higher participation because residents are reminded to put hard waste out when they see neighbours doing it.
Dumped rubbish - This option does not address community concerns about dumped rubbish outside of scheduled hard waste collection times and messy streets during collections.
Less convenience -Option 1 is less flexible and convenient for residents who may need a hard waste collection outside of the scheduled times.
Higher costs - Evidence from other councils show that municipal-wide hard waste collections also cost more to run and result in more waste ending up in landfill.[11]

[11] MWRRG 2016

Option 2 – Booked hard waste collections

Households could book up to two collections each year (cost is included in waste charge) when they have items to be picked up, with a fee-for-service option for additional collections

Pros and Cons of Option 2

Cleaner streets – We have heard that some people like having two hard waste collections each year, but that there was a lot of rubbish and mess on the streets during pick-up times. Research shows that booking hard waste collections means that there is less rubbish on the street awaiting collection and less dumped rubbish[12], so the streets are cleaner and safer for everybody.
More convenience - A booked hard waste service means that residents can arrange for their hard waste to be picked up at a time that suits them, like when they are moving house or renovating. Research shows that residents appreciate a booked hard waste collection over a municipal-wide collection[13].
More recycling – Booked collections enable greater separation of materials, meaning more hard waste can be recycled and kept out of landfill. Less material is recycled from municipal-wide hard waste collections due to the large amount of waste collected on a daily basis. With a booked hard waste service, more hard-to-recycle materials could also be included in the list of accepted items for recycling.
Less cost to residents – Experience from other councils shows that a booked hard waste service costs less to provide than municipal-wide hard waste collections. Most councils in Melbourne provide a booked hard waste collection, with only 7 out of 31 metropolitan councils offering municipal-wide collections[14].
Lower participation - There may be less households participating in the service as residents need to request a collection.

[12] MWRRG (unpublished)

[13] MWRRG (unpublished)

[14] MWRRG 2016

We understand that not all households are the same

We know that households have different needs and preferences depending on who and how many people live there. For example:

Rental households tend to have a higher rate of changeover and may need a more flexible hard waste service such as a booked service
High density areas and apartments buildings have less space on the street for each household to put out their hard waste at the same time
Some households may not be aware of Council services and may rely on seeing their neighbours putting out hard waste for collections
Some privately managed apartment buildings or community organisations such as gardens, kindergartens or neighbourhood houses might require this service from time to time but cannot book a collection because they do not pay the waste charge.

To meet the needs of our community, under Option 2, households could request additional booked hard waste collections for a fee. We would also work with building managers, body corporates and residents to streamline booked hard waste collections for people living in apartment blocks.

We want to hear from you

Help us decide on a waste service that works for our community, while balancing the costs and benefits.

What are your thoughts on the current hard waste service?
Understanding the pros and cons of each option, would you prefer a booked hard waste service or a municipal-wide collection? Why?
For people living in apartment buildings, how could a booked hard waste service work for your apartment block?

Waste Charge

What is the waste charge?

The waste charge covers the full cost of providing our kerbside waste service, including:

collection of bins, including running and maintaining garbage trucks
disposal and processing fees (charged by landfill and recycling operators)
the Landfill Levy charged by the State Government
labour
the cost of bins
hard waste collection (contracted service)
waste education programs to reduce waste to landfill and increase resource recovery
customer service and administration.

The overall 2019/20 waste charge for providing Council’s kerbside waste service was $16.5 million dollars. This will increase significantly from July 2021, even without changes to our waste service, due to the increasing landfill levy set by the State Government.

The waste charge is collected by Council via the annual rates notice. It currently entitles all properties that pay the waste charge to the following services:

Weekly garbage (red lid bin)
Weekly recycling (yellow lid bin)
Optional fortnightly food and garden organics (FOGO) (light-green lid bin) for residential properties
Two hard waste collections each year for residential properties.

Who pays the waste charge?

The waste charge is paid by the ratepayer. Most properties that pay the waste charge are residential properties, but businesses, schools and community groups can also pay the charge to access the standard Council waste service.

Our Commercial Plus fee-for-service is available for residential and non-residential users when the standard service does not meet their needs.

Some businesses and residential properties, like apartment buildings, use a private waste contractor to manage their waste. These properties do not pay the waste charge and as a result do not get access to Council waste services, including hard waste collections.

You can find out more information in the Waste Charge fact sheet.

Why would the waste charge change?

The waste charge changes almost every year, as it reflects the annual cost to deliver the kerbside waste service. Legislated landfill levy increases will increase service costs regardless of any changes to our waste service. The landfill levy is charged per tonne of waste sent to landfill and is set by the State Government. It provides a price incentive to reduce waste and is set to increase significantly over the next three years.

The introduction of a four-bin service, including a new glass bin and food and garden organics (FOGO) for every household, would also increase the cost to deliver our waste service, however increases would be modest compared to the landfill levy.[15]

The final service design will have a direct impact on the waste charge paid by ratepayers. Regardless of the option chosen, the more we divert from landfill, the lower the costs will be.

A new 4-bin service gives us the opportunity to review how the waste charge works, including what groups are entitled to use the service and who is eligible for concessions. Importantly, it gives us an opportunity to address the cost to the community and work towards zero waste to landfill.

[15] Blue Environment 2021

Subsidies and Concessions

As the waste charge must cover the total cost of delivering Council’s waste services, any concessions are subsidised by other ratepayers. As part of this consultation, we are reviewing those eligible for concessions.

Under the current waste policy, some households are eligible for a concession, including families with six or more children or residents with medical conditions that generate excess waste. Concessions allow eligible households to receive an additional bin at a reduced cost.

We are also exploring what non-residential properties should be able to use our service and at what cost. If supported by the community, some not-for-profit groups could be eligible to use our waste service and apply for a concession. This could include:

Public schools
Not-for-profit childcare centres or kindergartens
Volunteer led community groups such as community sporting clubs or community gardens
Other community groups
Other not-for-profit or charity organisations such as faith groups.

We want to hear from you

We want to make sure that our waste services meet the needs of our community. Our investigations need to carefully consider which special circumstances and non-residential uses should be eligible for concessions to the waste charge.

This is a complex conversation that will need to consider trade-offs and a range of different scenarios. We will focus on this issue in targeted workshop discussions, but also want to hear from the broader community. To help Council make these decisions, we need to hear from our community about what they value.

In particular, we want to know: