‘It’s finished’: Concerns raised over recycling bin use

Recycling bins as a concept appear are as good as dead.

That’s the view of Corio Waste Management Director Mat Dickens, who says too many materials found in yellow bins aren’t being recycled.

He told Neil Mitchell Victorians weren’t differentiating between recyclable and non-recyclable materials, which led to more waste being dumped in landfill.

“The current practice is finished,” he said.

“Too many of the materials that we’ve been told by the government to put in the bin have no value.”

“In the case of glass, once it’s compacted in the compression truck, it embeds itself in materials which do have value and destroys it.

“Until we have domestic markets for these recycled products, we’re in a catch-22.”

Mr Dickens said messaging from local government was “unclear”, which only magnified the problem.

“They’re saying to keep doing what you’re doing but that’s making the problem worse,” he said.

“I think they’ve got to establish what materials can be recycling and then advise their resident appropriately.”

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