The draft Plan continues Council's commitment to taking part in a process to set up an advanced waste processing facility to service the south eastern Melbourne region in partnership with neighbouring councils, the state government and industry.

Council's commitment to this process was supported by community engagement in 2022.

Advanced waste processing solutions take waste which cannot be composted or recycled, and allow heat, electricity, and other fuels to be generated from waste, reducing the need for traditional fossil fuel derived feedstock.

The FOGO bin system involves the separate collection and processing of organic waste, specifically food scraps and garden waste, for composting or other beneficial uses. FOGO programs aim to divert organic waste from landfills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and produce nutrient-rich compost for agricultural and horticultural purposes.

Currently, about 60 per cent of materials in red lidded kerbside bins could be recovered as recycling or FOGO. This goes a long way towards our target of diverting 80 per cent of waste from landfill by 2030.

As part of our plan, we’re looking to:

• Conduct feasibility study into options for a fortnightly waste collection service and weekly FOGO service.
• Increase the use compost and mulch, made from FOGO, that are used by Council.
• Investigate options for residents to access compost and mulch made from FOGO material.
• Explore options to provide FOGO services to multi-unit developments and commercial properties serviced by Council.

As part of a Victorian Government initiative, Council is introducing a new purple bin for glass recycling across Victoria through August and September 2023, to help reduce waste to landfill and improve the quality of recycled commodities.

Under the draft Plan, Council will deliver a reusable nappy and sanitary product rebate program trial in 2023-2024.

Council is committed to empowering individuals and communities to take action to reduce waste generation, increase resource efficient and be part of the circular economy.

As part of our plan, we’re looking to:

• Conduct a feasibility study about establishing a repair shop in Frankston.
• Deliver program and education tools that support and upskill the community to repair, repurpose and reuse, such as repair cafés and mending skills workshops.
• Investigate opportunities to establish new or grow existing sharing, repairing and reuse platforms and services, such as the Garage Sale Trail.

eing part of the circular economy means being more resourceful and less wasteful.

Waste circularity considers how goods are made, their lifespan and serviceability, and how they can be reused or recycled to create value at the end of their life.

For more information on waste circularity, see the state government's Recycling Victoria: A New Economy plan that all councils are implementing.

Following the REDcycle suspension of their collection and recycling service in November 2022 (due to a fire at the processing plant) alternative processors were not available to process soft plastics, leading to stockpiling and the subsequent collapse of the service.

The soft plastics recycling facility are actively progressing fire repairs to their facility and are expected to be fully operational towards mid-2023.

Currently there is only 1 small trial soft plastics facility in operation in Victoria. This facility has very limited capacity and is currently taking material for a number of small-scale soft plastics trials. Several companies have also recently announced their intensions to build new soft plastics recycling facilities, but these are some time away.

What is Councils position?

• As with many other Councils, we are awaiting guidance from a Federal taskforce (Media link) established to find solutions to stockpiles generated from the collapse of the REDcycle program,
• Council will also review feedback from the soft plastics collection trials as they progress.
• While waste avoidance is always the preferred approach, Councils are advising residents to either store soft plastics for future recycling or disposed of items to landfill.
• Council is focusing on reduction of generation of plastic waste through ongoing education and communications until such time as a viable recycling solution is available.
• Council is also prioritising the use of recycled materials in future infrastructure projects, e.g., Polyrok to support end markets.

Through this draft Waste Circularity Plan, Council proposes to advocate for a product stewardship scheme and packaging reform to be introduced by the state government, to mandate responsibility on producers to manage soft plastics, and take them back (similar for the former RedCycle scheme, but mandatory).

Yes. In July 2022, Council formed a Community Panel (from Mini Frankston City members) to seek our community’s advice on whether to take part in a project with other south-east councils to deliver a regional advanced waste processing facility.

The facility would process what’s left in your residential garbage bins after diverting as much waste as possible, rather than sending it to landfill.

Our Community Panel were educated on advanced waste processing, then undertook a poll. Poll results showed that 65% of panelists supported Council pursuing advanced waste processing as an option to resolve future landfill availability issues and reduce environmental impacts associated with landfills.

Council endorsed the independent engagement report published following the Community Panel and poll on 15 August 2022.

Council noted the value of this community engagement process, which has now supported Council’s continuing involvement in the South East Metropolitan Advanced Waste Processing project.

The draft Plan commits to further exploration of advanced waste processing.

In the recent 2022 Community Satisfaction Survey, the Hard Rubbish Collection Service rated in the top 5 Council services for overall satisfaction.

The draft Plan proposes a review of this service in 2024 to ensure it is still meeting community expectations.

Food Organic and Garden Organics (FOGO)

FOGO is considered any food waste including fruit and vegetable scraps, processed food and leftovers from meals such as meat, fish, chicken, bread, egg, egg shells, dairy products, coffee grounds and tea bags. Garden waste can include grass clippings, flowers and herbs, small branches and leaves. Paper towel, compostable plates, and compostable bags can also be disposed of through a FOGO service.

When food waste is placed into the kerbside garbage bin, it goes to landfill, creating harmful greenhouse gas emissions. In Frankston, over 40% of the garbage bin still contains food waste.

By removing food waste from the garbage bin and placing it into your FOGO bin, this will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it will be used to create compost for use on farms, parks and gardens.

At this point in time, Council is looking at addressing users of the Kerbside Collection Service and businesses who utilise FRRRC. As some businesses use one or both of these services, we would love to hear from you.

Businesses that generate commercial or industrial waste will be engaged as part of Council's next phase, in the development of a City Circularity Strategy.

To register your business to be part of this engagement, please email WasteCircularity@frankston.vic.gov.au

When glass is collected in commingled recycling bins, it can become a major contaminant as it breaks and glass fragments stick to other materials, particularly in paper and cardboard.

It is very difficult to separate glass from other materials, limiting the recyclability of both the glass and the other materials.

By collecting glass separately, we can make sure more of it is effectively recycled – with jars and bottles transformed into multiple different products, including new roads and footpaths.

Separating glass will also reduce contamination in commingled recycling bins, and make sure that paper and plastics can be recovered effectively.

An 80 Litre glass bin will be the standard size delivered to residential households.

A 120 Litre glass service will be available for properties upon request.

Council will collect your glass recycling bin every four weeks. Collection of the glass bin will be on the same day of the week as your existing collections.

You will still receive a weekly garbage collection, fortnightly recycling collection and fortnightly food and garden waste collection (if you have opted into this service).

What will be accepted:

• Glass bottles such as wine, beer, spirits, olive oil, etc.
• Glass jars and containers such as jam, pasta sauce, condiments etc.
• Metal/plastic rings do not need to be removed, just the lids.

What cannot be accepted:

• Lids, bottle caps and corks
• General waste
• Light globes, mirrors, perfume bottles, drinking glasses and window glass
• Ceramics such as plates, cups and bowls
• Pyrex and baking dishes
• Plastic bags

These glass items have a higher melting point and cannot be used to make new products.

All lids should be removed from bottles or jars before placing it in your glass recycling bin. Plastic and metal lids should be placed in your yellow recycling bin. All other lids and corks should be placed in your general waste bin.

It is not necessary to remove labels before placing into the separate glass service. Please ensure all items are empty.

Your glass recycling bin will be collected every four weeks on the same day of the week as your current regular kerbside bin collection. 

No, there is no option to opt out. The new four-bin service complies with the Victorian Government's 2020 Recycling Victoria: A New Economy, which will see a standardised 4-bin waste and recycling system for residential households across the state by 2030. This vital step will reduce waste going to landfills. Frankston City Council is one of only a few councils currently leading the state in achieving the policy's kerbside reform objectives.

Each property with a recycling bin (yellow lid) must have a glass-only bin on the premises to ensure no glass is placed in a recycling bin, as glass will then be considered contamination in the recycling bin.

Glass is a valuable material that can be recycled repeatedly, providing a sustainable product packaging option.

All glass collected from Frankston City Council residential households will be taken to Regroup Dandenong to be processed into new glass bottles and jars. Other markets are road aggregate and insulation.

Multi-unit developments are included in the initial rollout of the glass recycling bins. Some multi-unit developments will need assessing to find the most suitable solution for the property.

A list of the properties not included in the initial rollout will be placed on our website before the glass recycling bin rollout commences.

The Victorian Government will introduce the Container Deposit Scheme in 2023 to further assist Victorians in recycling their beverage containers. It is important to note that only certain glass containers will be accepted under this scheme.

You will still require your Council kerbside collection service to recycle the remaining glass items. Drop-off sites for the Container Deposit Scheme are yet to be announced by the Victorian Government.