Deputy Mayor Bob Fairclough, left, with CEO of Metropolitan Waste Management Group Rob Millard. 73525 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI
By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM will soon be one of the first municipalities in the state to launch a new program that will take environmentally-friendly to a new level.
Last week the council launched a new polystyrene recycling program, which is part of the Local Government Polystyrene Resource Recovery Project run by the Metropolitan Waste Management Group, at Wyndham’s Refuse Disposal Facility.
As part of the project, nine Councils including Wyndham will soon be providing recycling infrastructure for expanded polystyrene (EPS) as part of the State Government’s Driving Investment for New Recycling Fund.
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Bob Fairclough, said the program would divert tonnes of polystyrene from landfill each year.
“As the fastest growing municipality in Victoria, this program will save much needed space at the RDF,” Cr Fairclough said.
“In 2008-2009 the National Plastics Recycling Survey found only 800 tonnes of EPS was collected and re-processed in Australia during that year and an estimated 19,473 tonnes of EPS landfilled. When translated into lost landfill airspace, this represented between $43 and $73 million in disposal costs for local government. Once recycled, EPS will be transformed into building materials and other items.
“Reducing the amount of polystyrene that is sent to landfill will complement a range of other re-use and recycle options currently available at the RDF, including the Resale Shed and the converting of green waste to mulch.”
The polystyrene recycling drop-off facility is now open at the Wyndham Refuse Disposal Facility and is the first of a number of locations across Melbourne as part the Local Government Polystyrene Resource Recovery Project, which is being co-ordinated by the Metropolitan Waste Management Group at Wyndham’s Refuse Disposal Facility.
For more information visit www.mwmg.vic.gov.au/polystyrene.
