Victoria bin overhaul: Huge changes planned for millions of Australians’ household bins

A controversial plan to ban the use of compostable plastic bags in household food waste bins has been slammed by fiercest critics.

More than 2.6 million Victorian households could soon be banned from using plastic bags in their food bins and instead use paper alternatives, in a bold move by the state government to cut pollution as part of a major overhaul of waste and recycling laws.

The proposed change by the Jacinta Allan government follows warnings from local authorities about the high levels of contamination in green bins, including residents using the wrong type of bags.

Pollution has become an increasing problem since the organic food and gardening system was introduced in 27 of the state’s 79 municipal councils in recent years.

It is expected that the remaining councils in Victoria will follow suit by 2030.

There are serious concerns that plastic cups and other compostable products, such as coffee cups, break down too slowly and that it is difficult to remove other contaminants if they are tied shut.

Also, many households are said not to be using the correct certified compostable waste bags, which has led to massive plastic pollution.

James Newbury, the opposition’s environment spokesman, claimed the measure was driven by “ideology”.

“Only Prime Minister Allan and the Labour Party would have a plan to ban biodegradable bags and force people to put wet food scraps in brown paper bags, which will rip,” he told the Herald Sun.

Compost bags classified AS 4736 and AS 5810 are currently permitted in Victoria, but the Household Waste and Recycling Draft Service Standard – 2024 could mean that compostable bin bags will no longer be accepted in green bins in the future.

Richard Tegoni, director of waste management company SECOS, fears that households will be faced with the smell and mess of processing their food waste manually or with buckets.

The proposed changes will also affect other types of bins used in Victoria, with a ban on plastic meat trays, frozen food containers and all soft drink bottles being placed in the yellow bins.

Councils in Victoria could switch to a four-bin system (see image), including a new glass bin with a purple lid, from 1 July 2027 – three years earlier than the original 2030 plan.

There is also a proposal that Victorian councils will move to a four-bin system, including a new glass container with a purple lid, by 1 July 2027, three years earlier than the original plan of 2030.

A government spokesperson said citizens can have their say on the future of the state’s waste management system.

“We are currently discussing a draft service standard that will specify which items can be sorted into which of the four bins, to minimise contamination and maximise the amount of recycled materials that can be reused and reprocessed into new products,” the researchers said.

The deadline for submitting proposals for changes closes next week.