From wrapping paper, cards and cardboard to plastic packaging and food scraps, the holiday season can see an increase to the amount of waste we produce as we celebrate with family and friends.

Many people live in and visit Bass Coast for the beautiful beaches, landscape and wildlife. You can help preserve our precious environment by reducing the amount of waste you generate, and by making the most of Council's three bin system to sort your waste and recycling appropriately.

In Bass Coast we have a green-lidded Organics bin which is collected weekly. This can take not only all your garden waste but all your food scraps including bones, seafood shells and coffee grounds, as well as tissues and paper towel.

Christmas celebrations can generate a lot of cardboard, so ensure it can be made into new cardboard and paper products by recycling it in your yellow-lidded Recycling bin.

In Bass Coast we have weekly recycling collections from December 27 until Australia Day (January 26). Your Recycling bin also accepts paper and cardboard including magazines and newspapers, aerosol cans, aluminium and tin cans, plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars.

For more information on what can and cannot go in your kerbside bins, contact Council's Waste Services team or head to Council's website: basscoast.vic.gov.au/whichbin.

Changes in waste - what's happening in Bass Coast?

In 2020, the State Government introduced its 10-year policy and action plan: Recycling Victoria: A new economy, which includes reforms that are going to continue to significantly impact Bass Coast's approach to recycling in the coming years.

The State Government's Circular Economy policy includes ambitious new targets around cutting waste generation rates and diverting waste from landfill.

A ban on the sale and supply of problematic single use plastic items including plastic cutlery, plastic plates and drinking came into effect in February 2023.

On November 1,  2023 Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme came into operation, meaning items such as soft drink bottles can now be returned to dedicated locations for a 10c refund.

As part of the State Government's waste reforms, bin lid colours will be standardised across Victoria, as well as what can go in each bin. This will make sorting waste much easier for all Victorians and is particularly helpful for tourist destinations such as Bass Coast.

Bass Coast's bin lid colours are already in line with the incoming standards, but the standard bin contents lists are yet to be finalised by the State.

Soft plastic recycling continues to be an issue of great concern for our community. The State Government's draft standard bin contents list proposed that soft plastics be accepted in the mixed recycling stream, noting that the timing of inclusion of soft plastics will take into consideration the availability and processing capacity of recycling facilities; and industry readiness to accept this material as an input for new products.

A number of councils, recycling facilities and the National Plastics Recycling Scheme are currently conducting trials which will inform how and when soft plastics will commence being collected. 

Council is eagerly awaiting both the results of these trials and the release of the final service standard and regulations for councils and alpine resorts, which will inform changes to Council's recycling services. The service standard will also influence whether or not Bass Coast introduces a separate kerbside bin for glass.

Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill is one of the many key actions noted in Bass Coast's Climate Change Action Plan. Council is currently developing a Circular Economy Strategy that will guide Council's approach to considering opportunities to further reduce landfill waste and boost recycling in Bass Coast. 

For more information contact Council's Waste Services Team on 1300 BCOAST (226 278) or (03) 5671 2211 or visit www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/waste.

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