Rubbish collections could soon be fortnightly across Melbourne

RUBBISH collections across Melbourne could soon become fortnightly because of a push from a state government agency.

However, the bold bid to reduce food waste ending up in landfill has already been met with opposition.

The reaction stems from a recommendation from the Victoria government’s Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group which says food and garden waste should be collected in special bins weekly, and converted to compost.

And, as part of this, standard weekly rubbish collections would become fortnightly.

It looks as though the move is gaining traction too, as some councils across Melbourne are beginning to consult ratepayers about the controversial move.

In its report, called Introducing a Kerbside Food and Garden Organics Collection Service, the agency says strong action must be taken to reduce food scraps waste — after more than a third of the 878,000 tonnes of Melbourne rubbish sent to landfill last year.

“Decomposition produces odours, leachate and greenhouse gases which can adversely affect community amenity, the environment and public health,” the report states.

“Managing these issues at landfills is a long-term economic, social and environmental imposition on current and future generations.”

Looking at Glen Eira City Council in the city’s southeastern suburbs, the report showed that, last year, food waste was responsible for 79 per cent of the area’s greenhouse gas emissions from waste.

It shows that councils remove garden refuse from more than a million metropolitan homes. However, only five municipalities run a service to remove food waste: Nillumbik, Moonee Valley, Wyndham, Hume and Glen Eira.

The report said the best-performing waste systems used fortnightly garbage and weekly food and garden organics collection services.

“This responds to concerns about restricted garbage bin capacity and unsorted waste rotting in (an organics) bin for two weeks,” it said.

“If weekly garbage is maintained, then financial incentives can be considered to reduce the garbage bin size and place the garbage bin out less frequently.”

However, the move has not been welcomed by everyone.

Gideon Rozner from free-market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, told the Herald Sun councils should keep existing services.

However, Melbourne Deputy Mayor Arron Wood said the city council had no current plans to change its rubbish collection service.

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