Book now: Free waste minimisation workshop – avoid, reduce, reuse and recycle

Did you know Maroondah has one of the highest landfill diversion rates amongst Victoria’s 79 councils?

Despite our best efforts to recycle, however, there are certain items not suitable for recycling which are still finding their way into household recycling bins.

In Maroondah the current kerbside collection process sees 53.66% of waste diverted from landfill.

Council offers a range of free waste education initiatives including waste minimisation and recycling workshops, composting workshops, waste and recycling competitions and educational presentations for schools and community groups.

For tips on how to improve your recycling habits, residents are encouraged to come along to Council’s next free Waste minimisation workshop on Monday 16 March at Maroondah Federation Estate, Ringwood.

Council’s Waste Education Officer Sarah Frazer has been running workshops for the past two years and says no matter how big or small your recycling efforts, “every little bit helps”.

“Just doing one small thing is better than not doing anything at all,” she said.

Sarah has found that while people are motivated to recycle as much as they can, there is still confusion about what can and can’t be recycled.

And with so many options available on minimising your impact on the environment – composting, worm farms, e-waste drop-offs and chemical collections – that too can be overwhelming.

“There’s so much information out there and this can sometimes be a lot to take in. It’s not about doing everything all at once, but about people changing their behaviour over time,” she said.

Sarah says half of the rubbish generated by Maroondah households, by weight, comes from organic waste that could otherwise be composted. By composting, residents have the potential to cut their household waste stream by half, something that, when combined with returning soft plastics back to supermarkets for recycling, not only reduces the burden on landfill, but which could render waste bins as “obsolete”.

Her other piece of advice is to “not feel guilty” – no one’s expected to be a recycling aficionado!

“If people can come away from the workshops having learnt one thing, they can then turn that into a habit, and build on from that,” said Sarah.

During the workshop, Sarah will talk participants through what can/cannot be recycled in your blue-lidded bins, as well as the various Council and community waste services residents can access.

The workshop will also cover:

When: Monday 16 March 2020 Time: 10am to 11.30am Where: Maroondah Federation Estate, 32 Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood Bookings: Places are limited, and bookings are essential. To book your place, contact Council’s waste education provide EnviroCom on 9703 5288.

For further information on this event, contact Council on 130 88 22 33

For information on other waste-related workshops, visit our