Ararat Rural City Council’s waste contractors have stopped accepting recycling, forcing some western Victorian municipalities to stockpile cans, boxes and bottles.
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The recycling industry has warned that curbside recycling may not be viable for much longer, after China banned imports of Australian paper and plastic waste from January 1.
It is understood that Visy told at least two council contractors last week it would stop accepting recyclable material from February 9 because it could no longer find anyone to sell it to.
One of the contractors, Wheelie Waste, services 11 councils in Victoria’s west. The councils, including Greater Shepparton, Macedon Ranges, Horsham and Ararat, are now scrambling to find somewhere to dump their recycling.
An Ararat Rural City Council statement said it would be ‘business as usual’ for waste collection while it worked with other municipalities to find a solution.
"This issue is a contractual matter, however, we would support the Waste Management Group or state government taking a lead on the broader issue of recycling,” the statement said.
"Ararat Rural City Council will work with other councils and the Grampians Central West Waste & Resource Recovery Group to find an acceptable solution.
"This will not affect any of Ararat Rural City's waste collection services, it is currently business as usual."
Meanwhile Horsham Rural City Council plans to begin stockpiling the recycling it collects, in the hope that China "changes its mind", Mayor Pam Clarke said.
She said the council was looking to find a site to store the material for the time being.
Australia’s recycling industry, including Visy, relies on China as a major market for recycled paper and plastics. About 30 per cent of all our recycling is sent there, the industry estimates.
But the Chinese government has recently banned the import of recycled materials in an effort to prop up the domestic recycling system.
The local industry has been warning for some time that this move would have a devastating impact.
It leaves recyclers such as Visy with nowhere to send waste, even as homeowners keep doing the right thing and filling up their yellow bins.
Victorian Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio will be meeting with Visy later this week.
“I have asked for a meeting with these businesses to seek an explanation into what’s happened and will be discussing these matters with local government,” she said in a statement.
“I will be seeking assurances from all relevant parties to ensure this will have no impact on Victorians.”
- with The Age
