MOYNE Shire councillors have backed a "progressive" plan to trial kerbside glass separation amid pressure again mounting on the council's recycling contractor.
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The Environmental Protection Authority has given SKM Services until July 3 to resolve stockpile issues at their Coolaroo and Laverton North sites, or the sites will be required to cease receiving material.
Fifty tonnes of Moyne Shire's kerbside recycling went to landfill in February when the EPA ordered deliveries to stop to the two sites, resulting in SKM choosing to close a Geelong site that receives the council's recycling.
However, EPA resource recovery facilities audit taskforce manager Danny Childs said this breach was "smaller".
Moyne Shire mayor Mick Wolfe said ongoing concerns about recycling in Australia were why councillors at this week's meeting had backed a glass separation trial in Koroit.
Residents will be provided with a fourth bin to prevent broken glass contaminating other material.
"It's a problem that is not going away," Cr Wolfe said.
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At the meeting Cr Jordan Lockett removed a six-month time frame for the trial to offer flexibility, while Cr Jill Parker requested data be collected from each bin type for the trial.
"We have seen China and other countries no longer accepting our rubbish, it's not a good outcome to send our rubbish overseas," Cr Lockett said.
"This is an example of Moyne Shire being progressive and trialing something, I think Moyne Shire is setting an example for the state and hopefully the country."
Cr Wolfe said after the meeting that the state government should release funds for a state or local government-owned recycling site.
"SKM are receiving massive volumes, so they stockpile it, the EPA comes in and shuts them down and each council is left to its own devices," Cr Wolfe said.
"A publicly owned facility would potentially help."
Council acting infrastructure and environment director Robert Gibson said he was aware of the SKM breach but believed the Geelong site would unlikely close. SKM Recycling failed to respond to The Standard's inquiries.
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