New Food and Garden Scraps Bin Coming Soon
Published on 08 April 2024
From July 2024, a new green bin collection service will be introduced in Mansfield Shire.
Separately processing Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) waste allows it to be diverted from landfill and instead creates a compost product that can be reused for agriculture and landscaping.
Mansfield Shire residents will soon receive a letter advising how the service will be rolled out for their property and what actions they may need to take.
The existing red and yellow bin collection frequency will remain unchanged.
The new green bin will be collected fortnightly, alternating with the yellow bin. It can be used for items such as food scraps, bones, grass clippings, branches and other plant matter.
Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said the new service will help make the Shire cleaner, healthier and more environmentally friendly.
“The change we’re making now will have a big impact in the future,” he said.
“Caring for the environment is a priority for this Council, and we know that as our Shire grows the impact of our waste will grow too.
“We’re committed to managing waste responsibly to preserve the beautiful environment we proudly live in.
“We’re also grateful to everyone who engaged with us in planning for this new service. Your feedback has helped us understand and respond to our residents’ various needs.
“As a result, we’re now able to roll out a more cost-effective service that brings these benefits while saving ratepayers’ money,” he said.
Council conducted the GROW4Mansfield community engagement campaign in 2022, which included a total of 11 online and face-to-face workshops, and received around 300 survey submissions.
The campaign sought feedback on where the service was needed, bin size, collection frequency and start date in addition to other issues.
Feedback from temporary residents and visitors showed that they were less likely to require a regular collection service. As a result, the service is being offered as an option in townships with high numbers of temporary residents.
Feedback also showed that farms and larger rural properties have distinct waste management practices, with many already composting their FOGO waste independently. Because of this, collection services for properties in rural living zones will continue unchanged.
The collection zones and roll-out plan were finalised based on results from a follow-up engagement, which involved 2 deliberative panel workshops and an online survey.
For more information, visit mansfield.vic.gov.au/FOGO.