The four-bin system is helping change the way Surf Coast Shire residents manage their waste, according to a recently released waste report card.
The report found that more than 70 per cent of all residential waste is being diverted from landfill through the four-bin system.
Councillor Adrian Schonfelder said it was important that waste was put in the correct bins to reduce the impact on landfill and the environment.
“Our community has made great progress in sorting their household rubbish and recycling to reduce the amount we are sending to landfill,” he said.
“We have some of the lowest contamination rates in the region, with one per cent contamination in our FOGO (food organics and garden organics) and glass-only bins.
“This means almost everyone is putting the correct items in these bins; however, regular audits show that more than half of what’s going into red bins could actually be recycled or composted.
“All food belongs in the FOGO bin and every peel, crumb and core counts…as it is turned into nutrient-rich compost, helping to grow more food and close the loop on waste.”
The report compiled data from the last 12 years and tracked the tonnes of waste collected from each bin type.
The report also identified key milestones in council’s journey toward a more sustainable waste system, including the Anglesea FOGO trial in 2019 and the introduction of the purple-lidded glass bin in 2021.
