The City of Boroondara has completed a bin audit, inspecting more than 8,500 waste, recycling and FOGO bins for incorrect use. The audit found that while most residents are doing the right thing, bins from around 4% of households had materials that should not be there.
When a recycling bin contains non-recyclable materials, sometimes an entire bin needs to be taken to landfill. Each year over 1,500 tonnes of waste from Boroondara incorrectly ends up in recycling facilities, making recycling more challenging or reducing the quality of recycled products. This incorrect use of the recycling bin could result in significant financial penalties for Council.
Even a small amount of contamination in the FOGO bin, such as soft plastics, can have a serious impact. Just 0.5% plastic contamination in a compost bin can result in microplastics in our soil and food systems.
The Mayor of Boroondara, Councillor Sophie Torney, said that while the results showed strong community participation in sustainable waste practices, there’s still work to be done to ensure materials are disposed of correctly.
“We’re incredibly proud of the community’s commitment to reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill – 71% of materials collected across all of Boroondara’s kerbside services last year were diverted from landfill,” Mayor Torney said.
“People in Boroondara want to do the right thing. They care about the environment and want to recycle well. This audit is about helping us understand where the gaps are so we can make it easier for people to get it right. This is so important because when recyclable or compostable materials end up in landfill, we lose valuable resources that can’t be recovered and that’s a missed opportunity for all of us.”
Of particular concern is the number of dangerous items – particularly electronic waste (e-waste) such as disposable vapes or batteries – being placed in household bins.
“We’ve seen a big increase in bin truck fires linked to batteries and vapes, which can pose a serious safety risk to both our employees and the community. The message is clear: e-waste doesn’t belong in household bins.” Mayor Torney said.
Boroondara’s Climate Action Plan sets a target to reduce community emissions by 100% by 2040. A key supporting goal is to divert at least 80% of waste from landfill, an ambitious target that is only achievable with continued community effort.
Background
In the financial year 2023–24, Boroondara collected 71,457 tonnes of material from 66,343 households.
Beyond distributing educational materials, Boroondara’s waste crews are authorised to tape and leave behind any bins where significant contamination is identified, such as soft plastics, e-waste or non-recyclable materials in a yellow bin, or plastic bags in a FOGO bin.
More information
Residents cake advantage of our variety of waste collection services and education resources, including:
Find more information on how to reduce waste and recycle right in our Waste and recycling section.