THE snow may be low, but tourism numbers are still high in alpine areas like Mt Buller - driving up demand for waste services.
Supported by the Circular Economy Councils Fund, Mansfield Shire Council, Alpine Shire Council and Mt Hotham Alpine Resort have conducted research into waste behaviour during peak periods.
Mansfield Shire Council’s James Alcaniz said the audit provided a fascinating insight into how both tourists and locals use public bins.
“Of the almost 800 kilos of waste found in public general waste bins over a four-week period, around 400 kilos of that could have been recycled, and landfill could have been avoided,” he said.
“I was surprised by this, and it goes back to education and the need for behavioural change.”
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Armed with this knowledge, Mr Alcaniz says Mansfield Shire Council is planning to make a number of changes to their bin infrastructure and services, including adding more recycling bins, repairing existing bins, increasing the frequency of waste collections, and rolling out a new education program.
“We’re also looking to change the overall design of our bins,” he said.
“With open-air bins, someone can dispose of a 100-litre bag of rubbish, filling the bin quickly.
“Now we’re looking at lidded bin casings with a smaller opening which will limit those larger bags from being thrown away.”
Mansfield Shire promotes a “carry-in, carry-out” message during peak periods, encouraging visitors to take their trash home with them.
Following the audit, the council will now work more closely with Recycling Victoria and Parks Victoria to further address the large amount of waste being deposited in public bins in busy times.
Alpine Shire Council and Mt Hotham Alpine Resort have received grants to commission similar studies, with Alpine Shire conducting research into waste minimisation at major tourist events and Mt Hotham developing a business case for a compostable and reusable coffee cup program.
Mr Alcaniz said the grant has enabled Mansfield Shire Council to produce an invaluable resource for the waste and environment team.
“Our experience with this report has been fantastic,” he said.
“I haven’t heard of such a detailed report being provided to council on public waste bins across each of the main towns and all the satellite towns.
“This is a great resource for our team to work with other government agencies to drive improvement in waste management.”
