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We are committed to actively encouraging, promoting and supporting best practice waste management in our communities.
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Cloth nappy rebates
East Gippsland Shire Council is committed to supporting best waste practices in our communities and is happy to be introducing a rebate on reusable cloth nappies, reusable sanitary products and composting products.
Every year, more than 8600 tonnes of general waste is collected from households across East Gippsland Shire and disposed of in landfill.
Disposable nappies and sanitary products take up valuable space in landfill and are estimated to take up to 500 years to break down.
The good news is that there is an abundance of reusable alternatives on the market including modern cloth nappies, cloth sanitary pads and leakproof underwear. These reusable options can help individuals divert waste from landfill, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money.
We are pleased to offer eligible East Gippsland Shire residents the chance to apply for a rebate of 50 per cent of the purchase price of eligible reusable sanitary products, cloth nappy products or composting products up to a maximum of $40.
Please read the Terms and Conditions on the application form.
You can apply at eastgippsland.vic.gov.au/forms/product-rebate-application-form.
Textile recycling program
Did you know that over 7% of general waste disposed from households comprises of textiles? This equates to an average of 1.2 kg of clothing or other textile materials per week per household ending up in Landfill.
With over 21,000 kerbside collection bins across East Gippsland Shire, approximately 1,300 tons of textile waste go into landfill each year, with charities that sell used clothing disposing of further 300 tons.
To reduce the volume of textiles going to landfill, we are working with UpCycle4Better at the Bairnsdale Landfill.
Depending on the take up of this service, we will explore the possible expansion of the program.
Residents can dispose of clean textile waste for FREE. Upcycle4Better collects unwanted textiles and sorts them for highest value. These priorities in order are:
- Reuse and re-wear
- Repair for reuse
- Repurposing
- Upcycling
- Recycling
- Waste to energy
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What can I do to manage green waste at home or on the farm?
Worm farm
Having a worm farm in the garden or backyard is a fun and easy way for anyone to participate in sustainable practices and help to reduce organic waste that would otherwise end up in landfill. Worm castings (a.k.a. worm poop) are rich in nutrients and serve as a natural fertiliser for plants, promoting healthy growth and increased yield.
Compost bin
Another great option is to start composing your kitchen organics in a compost bin. It’s easy to compost even if you have a limited outdoor space as they won’t take up much room in your courtyard or small garden. You can gather organic materials such as fruit and vegetable scraps and coffee grounds in a container in your home. Empty the container into the compost bin outdoors, layering the materials with dry materials like leaves or straw. Keep the compost moist and turn it regularly until it is ready to use.
Garden mulch
As the colder weather approaches and the time for garden pruning is near, it’s time to think about what to do with all your twigs and leaves. Why not try mulching your garden waste at home?
Just gather organic materials like leaves, grass clippings, and small twigs. Shred or chop the material into small pieces and spread it evenly over the soil. Allow it to decompose and nourish the soil.
Mulching will help improve soil health, retain moisture and reduce weed growth thereby reducing the need for chemical fertilisers while promoting healthy plant growth. Home mulching decreases the amount of waste that decomposes in landfills, which can produce methane gas and contribute to climate change. Mulching is an easy and sustainable way to minimise household waste.
Rebates available
We offer a reusable product rebate which includes compost bin and worm farms. See our online form for more information or to apply.
Home composting guide
To learn more about composting, see our Home Composting Guide.
Ban on Single Use Plastic from 1 February 2023
Banned items are:
• drinking straws
• cutlery including knives, forks, spoons, chopsticks, sporks, splades, food picks and sporks
• plates
• drink stirrers and sticks
• cotton bud sticks
• expanded polystyrene food service items and drink containers. This includes expanded polystyrene plates, cups, bowls, clam shells and any cover or lid that is also made from expanded polystyrene.
The ban applies to businesses and organisations including not-for-profits, government, sports clubs, schools, and others that are incorporated. Some exemptions apply.
It is the responsibility of all Victorian businesses and organisations to comply with the Regulations and not sell or supply certain single-use plastic items, including to patrons or customers.
Council contacted all registered food premises in East Gippsland to advise of the ban and provide some recommendations for alternate products. Council continues to research alternatives.
For more information refer to Reducing plastic pollution starts with us.
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School and Early Years Education
There are information kits available with everything you need to know to sort your waste to recycling. The guides have been tailored specifically for education purposes relating to recycling, waste to landfill, food and green waste and circular economy. The kits include an information guide, plus an activity for everyone to enjoy and are available to borrow from our Libraries.
Get Grubby Program – free sustainability resources for children’s centres and schools. All child-care, day care, family day care and primary schools in East Gippsland are eligible to subscribe to Get Grubby, Australia’s leading online sustainability resource for kids from the makers of ABC Kids series dirtgirlworld and Get Grubby TV.
Led by 50 videos not shown on TV, the program stars dirtgirl, scrapboy and Costa the Garden Gnome.
The course is delivered online and is being provided FREE by Council. It includes videos, music, outdoor and indoor activities; and encourages kids to explore the big world outside. Many of the topics are timed to coincide with key sustainability events such as World Environment Day and National Recycling Week.
With an emphasis on fun, this ‘edutaining’ program is sure to be a hit with our centres and primary schools as they join thousands of kids around Australia to become confident planet-dwellers with the confidence to create worm farms, grow food, recycle, reduce plastic and waste, and be water and energy wise.
Contact the Waste team at Council for our unique code and then go to our Get Grubby login page to get started in your Get Grubby Adventure!
Waste in the workplace
Reducing waste in the workplace is not only beneficial for the environment, it can also significantly reduce your overall costs. The war on waste toolkit has been designed by Planet Ark to take businesses step by step through the waste journey. You can audit your current waste generation, review process and make the necessary changes to save money and waste to landfill.
Waste-wise initiatives
Click on the links below to find out more about these great waste initiatives and how you can become more involved.
- Clean Up Australia Day is a national event that supports any individual, group, school or business in Australia to participate in collecting litter. Registered Clean Up Australia Day events can now occur all year round and Council will take any Clean Up Australia Day labelled bags for free at any Transfer Station within the shire.
- Boomerang Bags is a global movement, connecting and empowering local communities to tackle plastic pollution. Volunteers are donated second-hand material and create reusable shopping bags.
- Buy Nothing New Month is an Australian-born initiative that asks everyone to buy nothing new during the month of October. By doing this, you are reducing your consumption, reusing second-hand items and being a role model to the community.
- National Recycling Week - early November. Starting in 1996, National Recycling Week aims to expand our knowledge on recycling in Australia.
- Plastic Free July invites anyone to pledge to refuse single-use plastic for the month of July. When you choose to make a difference for one month, you can create lifestyle changes to reduce single-use plastics.
- Responsible Cafés is an initiative that promotes and supports waste-conscious cafés. Any café that offer discounts to customers who bring their own cup can register for free.
- Share Waste connects people within the community who would like to divert food waste away from landfill and those that have the facilities to compost, worm-farm or keep chickens.
- Take 3 for the Sea asks everyone to commit to taking three pieces of litter with them when they are near a waterway, lake or beach to create a healthier marine environment.
- Get Grubby Program – free sustainability resources for children’s centres and schools. All child-care, day care, family day care and primary schools in East Gippsland are eligible to subscribe to Get Grubby, Australia’s leading online sustainability resource for kids from the makers of ABC Kids series dirtgirlworld and Get Grubby TV.
Led by 50 videos not shown on TV, the program stars Dirtgirl, Scrapboy and Costa the Garden Gnome. The course is delivered online and is being provided FREE by Council. It includes videos, music, outdoor and indoor activities; and encourages kids to explore the big world outside. Many of the topics are timed to coincide with key sustainability events such as World Environment Day and National Recycling Week.
With an emphasis on fun, this ‘edutaining’ program is sure to be a hit with our centres and primary schools as they join thousands of kids around Australia to become confident planet-dwellers with the confidence to create worm farms, grow food, recycle, reduce plastic and waste, and be water and energy wise.
Contact the Waste team at Council for our unique code and then go to www.getgrubbyprogram.com/east-gippsland-shire-council-login to get started in your Get Grubby Adventure!
Detox Your Home Bairnsdale
Detox Your Home Bairnsdale
Cleaning out unwanted household chemicals from local sheds, cupboards and kitchen sinks is helping East Gippsland Shire residents safely dispose of everyday household chemicals, making homes safer and protecting our environment.
Running for more than 27 years, Sustainability Victoria’s Detox your Home events are a free and convenient service for East Gippsland residents to safely dispose of unwanted household chemicals. Common products such as weedkiller, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, cosmetics, and cooking oil are all materials harmful to the environment and should not be placed in kerbside bins or poured down sinks.
Each Detox your Home event collects around 4 tonnes of hazardous chemicals, keeping them out of landfill and waterways and making homes safer.
Common chemicals collected at Detox your Home events include:
· Fuels and flammable liquids – turpentine, methylated spirits, petrol, kerosene, diesel, paint thinners
· Garden – herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, pool chemicals, poisons
· Household –cleaners, bleach, ammonia, oven cleaner, solvents, cooking oil, cosmetics, fire extinguishers
· Car – wax, transmission fluid, body filler, brake fluid.
Detox your Home events are staffed by expert chemists who identify and sort the chemicals for safe transport back to a licensed facility in Melbourne where they are processed for reuse or safe disposal. Chemicals collected are processed and recovered or recycled wherever possible. If they cannot be reused in any way, they are safely disposed of.
With community safety in mind, Detox your Home events are drive-through and contactless, supported by a COVID Safe plan.
Registrations are essential.
Register for the upcoming Detox your Home municipality event at Sustainability Victoria’s website: www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/detoxyourhome
Detox Your Home Bairnsdale, Bairnsdale Livestock Exchange, 11 Saleyard Road Bairnsdale
9 December 2023
9.00 am – 12.00 pm