The South Australian and Victorian waste and hospitality industries are getting a shot in the arm thanks to increased government funding.
The War on Waste has spurred Australia’s southern states into action on recycling and waste reduction, with the South Australian government offering $2.17m in grants to a range of local government and waste management organisations.
Overall 16 projects have received funding for a range of initiatives including a resource recovery centre in Elliston and baling/composting facilities on Kangaroo Island.
Their objectives are to encourage the implementation of:
- Balers and other equipment that make it easier to transport compacted materials
- Systems that reduce contamination of compost and fertiliser
- Sorting equipment and systems that boost material recovery
Meanwhile in Victoria, The City of Melbourne has announced $50,000 for retail and hospitality businesses to cut back on waste, in an initiative described as the Single-Use Waste Reduction Fund.
The fund offers up to $2000 for businesses looking for practical solutions to single-use waste items such as plastic water bottles, coffee cups and plastic bags. Solutions include purchasing reusable items or running information campaigns for customers on how to cut back on waste.
It comes with a push by the City of Melbourne for supermarkets to commit to cutting back on single-use waste, a timely choice considering the wave of plastic bag bans happening around Australia.
With National Recycling Week coming up in November, from the 13th to the 19th, Planet Ark is looking forward to seeing how councils and businesses alike reduce their waste and make the most of recycled products.
Positive Actions
- Visit Recycling Near You or call the National Recycling Hotline on 1300 733 712 to find out how to keep as much waste out of landfll as possible
- If you run or frequent a café in Sydney, find out about our upcoming coffee ground recovery project
- Organise a Big Aussie Swap event and swap unwanted clothes and bric-a-brac with friends rather than throwing them out
- If you’re a business owner in Melbourne, find out if your business is eligible for a grant
- Cut back on single use waste by using reusable drinking containers and utensils
Sources
Subscribe to Positive Environment News.
Positive Environment News has been compiled using publicly available information. Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.