Wyndham City has ambitious targets to both improve our community’s recycling and waste diversion.
To achieve this, Wyndham City provides and conducts several educational programs and offerings.
To read Waste & Litter Strategy 2016-2040 and our vision to shift the focus from waste management to resource recovery, creating a comprehensive roadmap in order to achieve the ultimate goal of 90% waste diversion from landfill.
Bin Inspection Program
Wyndham City has commenced a bin inspection program with the aim to improve our recycling.
These random inspections provide individual households with education around what can and can’t go into the recycling bin, with the aim to improve the recycling material provided to our processor Visy. This program also helps to formulate an education campaign around common recycling mistakes as well as geographic areas to target.
All bins inspected will receive either a ‘Top job’ tag for recycling correctly, or an ‘Oh no’ tag if the bin contains items that can’t be recycled.
With recent changes to global recycling, it’s more important than ever that we put the right things in our home recycling bin. Contamination not only causes issues when sorting materials, it can also pose a risk for collection and sorting staff as well as increasing the cost of service.
Common items incorrectly placed in the recycling bin include:
- recyclable items inside plastic bags
- soft plastics (such as plastic bags and food wrappers)
- polystyrene
- nappies
- food scraps or garden waste
Recycling bins will continue to be collected as normal, unless the bin is visually overflowing or our recycling collection company deems the bin to be too heavily contaminated.
Join a Local Litter Clean Up Group
Do you want to join a litter clean up group to make a difference? Here is a list of our local dedicated groups or you can contact wastewise@wyndham.vic.gov.au to get some help in starting your own movement:
Love our Street 3024 Manor Lakes
Litter clean-up group on the 1st Saturday of the month10.30am - 12noon - February to November.
Enquiries 3024@loveourstreet.com.au
Love our Street 3029 Hoppers Crossing/Tarneit
Litter clean-up group on the 3rd Sunday of the month 10.30am-12noon – February to November.
Contact 3029@loveourstreet.com.au
Love our Street 3030 – Werribee
Litter clean-up group on the 4th Sunday of the month 10.30am –12noon February to November.
Contact 3030@loveourstreet.com.au
Love Our Street 3030 Point Cook
Litter clean-up group on the 4th Saturday of the month 10.30am – 11.30 noon in different places around Point Cook
Contact: 3030pc@loveourstreet.com.au or https://www.facebook.com/loveourstreetptcook
Beach Patrol 3030 – Werribee
Litter clean-up group on the 2nd Sunday of the month, 11.30am –12.30pm, February to November.
Contact 3030@beachpatrol.com.au
Wyndham Litter Warriors – 6 locations across Wyndham
Regular litter clean up events across the year.
Litter & Illegal Dumping
The dumping of litter in Wyndham is an offence. Litter may not be thrown from a vehicle, dumped onto a public reserve, nature strip or on a road.
Across the municipality, signs have been installed, encouraging people to report illegal dumping, to secure their load of rubbish and warning people of the severe penalties which apply to people caught illegally dumping rubbish.
To report dumped litter:
- Reporters can make litter reports to EPA online using the EPA web form. Further information about reporting litter from vehicles can be found on the EPA website.
- Report dumped litter or rubbish
Single-use plastics ban
Plastic pollution harms our health, wildlife, and the environment. Victoria’s single-use plastics ban is a crucial step to protect Victoria’s rivers, waterways and oceans from plastic pollution.
From 1 February 2023 single-use plastic straws, cutlery, plates, drink-stirrers, cotton bud sticks and expanded polystyrene food and drink containers will be banned in Victoria. The ban includes items wholly or partly made of plastic, including biodegradable, degradable, renewable, and bio-based plastics.
Free information packs, posters, translated materials and online information sessions are available to help businesses. Businesses can also access a dedicated hotline (1800 844 946) and email (sustainability@nra.net.au).
Waste Education Games
Learn About Waste Game
Play our fun and interactive game to learn about Wyndham City’s bins and what goes where! Once the game begins, simply drag each item into the correct bin.
Remember:
- Yellow Bin – Recycling
- Red Bin – Rubbish and garbage
- Green Bin – Food and garden waste
You’ll have 40 seconds to sort as many items as you can. When the timer ends, you’ll be able to review any items you placed incorrectly and learn the correct bin for each one.
Have fun testing your waste-sorting skills!
Put a Grin on your Recycling Bin Online Game
Learn what can go in your household yellow lidded recycling bin.
Everyday household items are thrown onto the screen for users to swipe, sending them to the recycling bin if they are recyclable. For every correct swipe the user earns 10 points.
This game is a fun way to remind everyone that bagged recycling, soft plastics, batteries, and food waste are among common forms of contamination that shouldn’t go in household recycling bins.
If you swipe three times on items that can’t be recycled and you’re out!
The game is a fun and interactive reminder of what we can recycle at home.
Three levels to test your knowledge, Beginner, Intermediate and Expert. Enjoy and check your score at the end!
Waste Education Kinder and Early Learning Resources
Wyndham Kindergarten and Early Learning teachers can register to receive the Waste Education in Early Learning Teacher Pack straight into their email inbox. This resource will has been developed to support early childhood educators in Wyndham to develop waste conscious behaviours from the very beginning of a child’s learning journey. Due to the growing number of childcare centres in Wyndham and an increasing demand, we are unable to provide incursions to kindergartens and childcare centres.
Through play-based activities and hands-on learning this pack contains two modules to introduce the concepts of waste, recycling, and composting. Each module comprises of one video and follow up activities.
Waste Education Sessions for Schools and Community Groups
*Please note* Kindergartens and Childcare - Waste Education no longer offer in person incursions for childcare centres and kindergartens. Go to Waste Education Kinder and Early Learning Resources to receive waste education videos and teaching resources.
The Wyndham City Council Waste Education team offers engaging and informative sessions tailored for schools and community groups.
Schools: We offer engaging incursions on topics such as Organics: Food Waste to Compost and Worm Farms or Waste and Recycling. These sessions inspire students to adopt sustainable habits, reduce waste, and actively contribute to a healthier environment.
Community groups sessions: Connect with a Waste Education Officer for personalised guidance on recycling correctly and maximising Wyndham's waste services. Explore how to recycle right, make the most of food and garden waste collections, and minimise landfill through our services and program like hard waste collections and other recycling programs to help people manage their waste.
To learn more or book a session: https://www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/waste-education-incursion-booking-form