Changes to Recycling and Waste Services in Mansfield Shire

Currently Mansfield Shire has a two-bin system. A mixed recycling bin with a yellow lid that is picked up fortnightly and a residual waste bin with a red lid that is picked up weekly.

Residual waste is also known as general waste and goes to landfill while mixed recycling is sorted into five different types of recyclables.

The two major changes in the new legislation are that all Victorian councils are required to separate glass from recycling by 2027 and separate garden and food organic waste from residual waste by 2030.

This will create four categories or streams of recycling and waste that will each have their own colour: glass (purple), other mixed recycling (yellow), garden and food organics (green) and residual waste (red).

The good news is that community members will help decide how these four recycling and waste streams will be delivered. This could be by kerbside pickup like what is currently done, drop off at a central community location or by a combination of these. Community members will also help decide if kerbside pickups happen weekly, fortnightly, or monthly and when they start.

Each of these options will benefit different community members in different ways. So to find the service solutions that best fit our community we need to hear from you.

The other consideration is that our Shire’s recycling and waste contract expires on 1 July 2024 but, because of the long times for rubbish trucks, recycling facilities and landfill sites, a new contract needs to be signed by December this year. To do this:

• in June, Council will begin to share general information about the upcoming changes and what they mean;
• in July, the community will be invited to forums where the project and changes will be discussed in more detail. Two forums will be face-to-face in Mansfield (July 8 and 9 booking link(External link)), and another will be online (July 13 booking link(External link));
• in August and September, a community Deliberative Panel(External link) will meet at least three times to review options for the new recycling and waste service model;
• in October, the Deliberative Panel and Council will agree the Shire’s new recycling and waste service model; and
• in November, the new recycling and waste contract will be signed by Council.

As the first step to finding these solutions, this page has information on the current recycling & waste services and their performance, the important parts of Victorian Government legislation(External link), and environmental & operational considerations for these new services.

This page then gives you the opportunity to ask questions, complete a survey, share your ideas, stay up to date with the project, and to nominate to be part of a deliberative panel(External link) that will help design future recycling and waste services in Mansfield Shire.

We look forward to hearing from you!