April 13th, 2024‘Closing the loop’ and getting noticed: Macedon Ranges makes the LGPro finals

Two Macedon Ranges Shire Council programs driving sustainable agriculture practices and waste reduction measures have been announced as finalists in the 2024 LGPro Awards for Excellence.

The Healthy Landscapes program and a suite of practical Resource Recovery initiatives have both
been nominated in the Sustainability Initiative category as part of the annual awards, which recognise
the outstanding work by individuals and teams working in local government in Victoria.

The Sustainability Initiative category recognises initiatives that demonstrate excellence in the delivery
of environmentally sustainable processes or projects, ensuring present needs are met without compromising future generations.

The council’s increased efforts to ‘close the loop’ in recent years have led to a range of initiatives being
implemented, all aimed at helping residents recycle more and waste less.

The council became one of the first Victorian councils to implement a shire-wide four-bin system.

It also partnered with the Australian Food and Grocery Council on a soft plastic recycling trial in Romsey.

It recently introducing polystyrene and textile recycling at resource recovery facilities.

These initiatives have resulted in, more than 5,700 tonnes of glass, 28,900 tonnes of green waste (FOGO) and 8,400 tonnes of recycling being diverted from landfill.

They’ve also resulted in two tonnes of soft plastic being collected and processed into reusable oil and 300m3 of polystyrene and 11 tonnes of textiles diverted from landfill.

The winner will be announced at the 2024 LGPro Annual Conference Awards Dinner, to be held on
Thursday 2 May at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.