Boosting businesses and busting waste

The Andrews Labor Government is helping businesses across the state to avoid waste and create new commercial opportunities for recycled products, creating new local jobs and industries.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas today congratulated the Melbourne Water Corporation and the Blampied Kooroocherang Land Care Group for their success in being two of 45 projects across Victoria chosen to accelerate the state’s nation-leading transformation toward a circular economy.

Melbourne Water Corporation was given a grant of $15,019 and the Blampied Kooroocherang Land Care Group was given a grant of $46,500 as part of Circular Economy Markets Fund (Organics).

The Labor Government are supporting Melbourne Water Corporation’s project in Romsey, an onfarm trial to demonstrate the use composted urban green waste undervine in the Macedon Ranges Shire and the Blampied Kooroocherang Land Care Group in the establishment of on-farm trials, in Eganstown, to demonstrate the benefits of compost application in broad-acre grazing and cropping systems.

Some of the 22 successful projects by research institutes and businesses announced today as part of the Labor Government’s Circular Economy Markets Fund (Materials) fund include a new process to reuse glass from solar panels in construction and a recycled plastic solution for construction structures that significantly reduces the amount of concrete required.

A further nine projects will receive over $1.5 million to avoid waste and increase materials efficiency through the Circular Economy Business Support Fund, with one recipient introducing a new reusable wine keg service for events to replace wine bottles, significantly reducing waste.

The Circular Economy Markets Fund (Organics) will provide $1.87 million to 14 projects that remove barriers and accelerate the adoption of recycled organic products, including developing a market for compost suitable for use on sporting fields that can be blended with turf to nourish Melbourne’s sporting grounds and public open spaces.

These grants are part of the Government’s landmark $515 million investment to deliver the biggest transformation and reform of Victoria’s waste and recycling system in the state’s history, with the goal of diverting 80 per cent of waste from landfill by 2030. For more information about the funded projects visit sustainability.vic.gov.au/news/news-articles/funding-victo-rias-transition-to-a-circulareconomy

Quote attributable to Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas
"Congratulations to the Melbourne Water Corporation and the Blampied Kooroocherang Land Care Group whose projects in the Macedon Ranges and Hepburn Shire are boosting Victoria’s circular economy and creating local jobs."

Quotes attributable to Minister for the Environment and Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio
"These grants will help support innovative ways to use recycled materials, getting value from our waste and helping to achieve our goal of diverting 80 per cent of waste from landfill by 2030."

"Building a circular economy isn’t only about recycling. We’re supporting new business models that avoid waste, making products that last while creating new jobs and industries."