Sustainability Victoria

Congratulations to Melton City Council on the completion of the latest upgrades at the Melton Recycling Facility! Designed to meet our best practice principles for resource recovery centres, the facility demonstrates how reuse and recycling can be made easier for residents while promoting a circular economy. The facility’s drop-off points for reusable materials and the Resale Shop will play an important role in reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. Run by the social enterprise Outlook Australia, the Resale Shop not only offers affordable pre-loved items but also directs profits to support individuals facing challenges like long-term unemployment or disability. Sustainability Victoria is proud to have contributed to this project, which serves as an example of how resource recovery and reuse can build a more sustainable, circular future.

Have you heard about our community circular economy guides? 📚 If you’re part of a local group, social enterprise, or not-for-profit looking to start a sustainability initiative, these guides are packed with practical advice from those who’ve done it before. From repair cafes and food rescue to hard waste recovery, organics/composting, and textile waste initiatives, each guide takes you through the key steps to plan, launch, and grow your project. 🚀 Learn from real community experiences and get the tools you need to make an impact. Download the guides today! ⤵️

Global Recycling Day may have been yesterday, but the work to improve recycling and resource recovery continues every day – and local councils are leading the way! ♻️ Want to see how recycling is tracking in your area? Check out the Recycling Victoria Data Hub for insights: https://lnkd.in/gRvZhmFg

Ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it’s collected? ♻️ Take a behind-the-scenes look at how recyclables are sorted using manual, mechanical, and optical processes. 🔗 Use the link to explore inside a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) with the Visy virtual tour: https://lnkd.in/gDvywbBV

♻️ On Global Recycling Day, we recognise the importance that recycling plays in creating a more sustainable future. In Victoria, 83% of recycling is currently sent to reprocessing facilities to be turned into new products. The other 17% is either contaminated or too small to be processed. Contamination happens when items are placed in the wrong bin. This can prevent recycling from being processed and turned into new products. The Victorian Government is investing almost $100 million in improved recycling infrastructure to process more recycling locally than ever before. By putting the right thing in the right bin, you help transform your recycling into new products, protecting the environment, and supporting a circular economy. 🔄 Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action | Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) | Recycling Victoria

By rethinking waste and improving recycling, Kollab is making a real impact on sustainability – keeping valuable materials in use and out of landfill. With expert guidance under the Trim Your Bin program, they’ve streamlined waste processes, repurposed every cardboard box, and identified new ways to reduce waste across their operations – while driving momentum for a circular economy. 🔄 Trim Your Bin was funded by Sustainability Victoria as part of the Victorian Government’s circular economy policy. Run by Cool Planet, the program empowered businesses in City of Casey, Frankston City Council and Mornington Peninsula Shire to increase recycling, improve waste management and reduce costs.

We’re supporting Victorians to switch to electric and cut energy bills. Grants are available for community sustainability organisations to deliver information, education, and guidance to householders on making the switch – supporting them to take advantage of Victorian Government incentives like the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) Program and Solar Victoria rebates. Through these programs, Victorians can make significant savings on energy-efficient appliances, solar power, and electric heat pumps – helping to reduce costs while lowering emissions. Grants of up to $110,000 are available, with funding allocated to one successful applicant in each of the following regions: Barwon South West, Gippsland, Grampians, Hume, Loddon Mallee, and Melbourne. Community groups, registered charities, and not-for-profits can also apply – but must partner with a community energy group or network. Collaboration is key! 🤝 Applications are now open. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gZWtc39T

"Recycling is the last line of defence. If we are to truly reduce waste, we must make significant shifts further upstream in the waste management hierarchy," says Sustainability Victoria CEO Matt Genever. "We need to change our behaviour around consumption itself. The new focus must be on rethinking how we acquire, use and discard products – embracing practices such as reusing, repairing, reducing, and avoiding waste in the first place." Visit Waste Management Review to see why behaviour change may be the unsung hero in driving this fundamental shift: https://lnkd.in/gHvHjGBc

By streamlining waste processes and optimising recycling, Ed's Hastings is making a real impact on sustainability – cutting waste costs by up to 50%. Thanks to expert guidance and onsite waste assessments provided through the Trim Your Bin program, businesses across Melbourne’s south-east have improved waste management, increased recycling, and reduced costs – all while contributing to a circular economy.

Australia’s fashion and textile industry is embracing circular design with support from Victorian Government funding. 'Refashioning: Accelerating Circular Product Design at Scale' is a vital guide for brands looking to reshape the future of Australian fashion by designing out waste. Funded by Sustainability Victoria through the Victorian Government’s Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC), this research provides an essential resource for fashion designers and industry leaders seeking to embed circular design principles into their business models. 🔗 Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eRiiZ-zb