Introduced in March this year, the new system saw more than 55 per cent of household waste collected at the kerbside diverted from landfill.
This supports council’s Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 target to divert 80 per cent of waste from landfill by 2030.
The service includes separate bins for general rubbish and mixed recycling, both collected fortnightly, as well as glass, collected monthly, and food and garden organics, collected weekly.
Mitchell Shire Council’s chief executive Mary Agostino said the results showed the community’s efforts were making a real difference.
“This has been a big change for many households, but people are adapting well, and we’re seeing environmental benefits with the amount of waste being diverted from landfill,” she said.
“We know moving to fortnightly general rubbish collection has taken some getting used to, but it’s helping us to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill and to lower greenhouse gas emissions associated with landfilling.
“More than half of the material we collect at the kerbside is now being recovered and reused – that’s a significant step towards reaching our landfill diversion target.”
A recent audit found contamination in food and garden organics bins fell from 12.4 per cent in April to 3.5 per cent in October, showing that most residents are sorting their waste correctly.
Feedback also highlights that many households are more mindful about correctly sorting and recycling their household waste.
Since the rollout, council has processed more than 220 exemptions for medical or large family households, and launched a bin inspection program to help educate residents.
The MyMitchell app, now downloaded by more than 12,000 users, has become a popular tool for bin-day collection reminders and the A-Z waste and recycling guide.
Residents who need more bin capacity can upsize their general rubbish bin or food and garden organics bin, or add extra bins, for free.
Over the next six months, council will continue to deliver community education through schools, libraries and kindergartens, and explore further support programs such as reusable nappy initiatives.
The first six months of the rollout will be assessed at the November 24 council meeting, while a full 12-month review of the four-bin service will be presented to council in May, 2026.
For more information about what goes in each bin, visit www.mitchellshire.vic.gov.au/waste
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