What’s going to waste?

People queue to take rubbish to our tips

In 2020, the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council developed a bold plan to prevent any municipal waste going directly to landfill by 2030 by encouraging a circular economy in which waste would become a valuable resource rather than rubbish.

In the Beyond Zero Waste Strategy the Shire targeted organic and food waste, single-use plastic, textiles and soft plastics, as well as electronic waste by offering free green waste bins and local drop-off points which would see waste turn into something useful, and by banning single-use plastic in Shire offices, community halls, sporting clubs and any events hosted on council-managed land.

The strategy also suggested Shire rebates on reusable cloth nappies and discounts on home composting systems.

An evaluation of the Shire’s progress was meant to take place in 2025 “to assess achievements and develop a new five-year plan that will include community feedback and take into account any significant changes to the waste sector”.

In August, we requested information about how the Shire had performed.

Turns out it has been impacted by significant changes in the waste market that have been outside the Shire’s jurisdiction, as the then MPSC Circular Economy coordinator, Maarten De Beurs explained: “The development of the strategy was interrupted by the recycling crisis of 2017 and its flow on effects: the new Environment Protection Act in 2017 and regulations between 2019 and 2021, and the Recycling Victoria policy in 2020.”

Mr De Beurs noted further developments since that time including:

·         The incorporation of Recycling Victoria into the EPA  

·         The recent dissolution of Sustainability Victoria

·         The removal of regional Waste and Resource Recovery Groups, statutory bodies in Victoria that had been responsible for local and regional waste planning, infrastructure scheduling, and helping local councils manage waste and recycling

·         Kerbside waste service reform

·         The boom, bust and re-emergence of soft plastics recycling

·         The introduction of a Container Deposit Scheme

·         Huge increases in the landfill levy

So, this has been a complicated time to navigate change.

But there have been wins, some of which affect Shoreham. These include:

• The Shire’s single use plastics policy that is aimed at phasing out single-use plastic at meetings and events in Shire controlled sites.
  Note: the SCA uses its own cutlery and crockery at events.

• The Wash Against Waste trailer that tackles single-use packaging at events such as the Shoreham Community Market by encouraging the use of quality cutlery and crockery that is then washed at the trailer.

• The roll out of food and garden waste bins knowns as FOGOs that 56% of households across the Peninsula now have, including in Shoreham.

• A Mobile Recycling Trailer for recycling textiles and E-waste which the SCA booked over February 2026 and intends to have in place again this summer.

• The introduction of four Container Deposit Scheme baskets in public places: Rosebud, Dromana, Mornington and Hastings. Flinders Golf Club will install a facility at the old BBQ area behind the Pro Shop in the coming weeks. This means you can collect eligible containers (those with a 10 cent mark on them), locate a convenient basket, deposit your wares and earn a refund.

According to the Shire evaluation: “These initiatives are a snapshot of what we have done over the last 5-6 years and are supported by ongoing waste education campaigns, contamination audits and more. We have drafted a new 5-year action plan for the Beyond Zero Waste Strategy to take us to 2030. The strategy and direction to 2030 are robust and we will continue to pursue the goals in the Beyond Zero Waste Strategy.”

The SCA looks forward to continuing to monitor progress on the community’s behalf.