Kerbside services in Victoria

Garbage

• Approximately 1 million tonnes of garbage was collected through kerbside services in 2007-08.

• Over the last eight years, Victorian households have steadily reduced their garbage generation. In 2007-08 households generated 476 kg annually. This equates to 192 kg per person, 5 kg less than in the previous year.

• The total tonnage collected has increased by 0.7% or 6,871 tonnes over the past year.

• Local governments using smaller garbage bins generated less waste and had greater diversion rates for recycling than those using larger garbage bins. This has been the trend consistently since the benchmark survey of 2000-01.
  

       Garbage yield by collection system, Victoria 2007-08

Recycling

• For the first time, recyclables collected from kerbside have surpassed the 600,000 tonne mark, representing an 8.4% increase or 46,972 tonnes from the previous year. This represents more than double the increase reported in 2006-07. Now all 79 Victorian local governments have a kerbside recyclables service.
• The cost of providing a kerbside recyclables collection service at $118.73 per tonne is now lower than the cost of a kerbside garbage collection and disposal service at $131.10. These new figures indicate that recycling is worth the effort for collectors as the cost of recycling is less expensive than the cost of disposing of garbage to landfills.
• Collections averaged 291 kg per household per year representing an increase of 20 kg over 2006-07. This represents 116 kg of recyclables generated by every person in Victoria, 5 kg more than in the previous year.
• 76 of the 79 local governments (96%) now use a best practice 240L or 120L commingled bin for recyclables instead of a crate for containers and tied bundle for paper, which was traditionally the predominant system prior to 2002-03.\
• The best practice bin systems (a 240L commingled or a 240L split recyclables fortnightly or a weekly 120L commingled recyclables mobile bin) delivered the greatest yield per household and a higher diversion rate compared to other bin system combinations.

       Recyclables yield by collection system, Victoria 2007-08

    
 Green organics

• Of the 79 local governments, 53 different green organics collection services were offered across 45 councils. Of these, 24 were regular council provided collection (i.e. weekly, fortnightly or monthly) while 16 local governments also provided an optional user pays fortnightly collection.
• 250,650 tonnes of green organics were collected from kerbside services, an increase of nearly 4,500 tonnes, or 1.8% compared to 2006-07.
• On average, 166 kg of green organics were collected per household annually (48 kg per person).
•  Fortnightly services were the most common (70%); yielding on average 248 kg per household annually for a regular council service.

Top | Last updated 06/10/2009