The Back to Earth Initiative is your chance to be a part of something that benefits everyone. By using your council’s green waste collection service correctly, you can help to create useful compost products and reduce the amount of organic waste dumped in landfill.

The Back to Earth Initiative was developed by the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) and runs in partnership with 19 metropolitan councils in Melbourne’s north, west and south east, and four regional councils in northern Victoria, to support the successful operation of new organics processing facilities. The Back to Earth Initiative shows us how what we put into our green waste bins can become a useful product that nourishes gardens and farms.  

North and west

In 2013, the first step in creating a sustainable network of organics processing facilities that service metropolitan Melbourne took place. As part of an organics processing contract with 11 northern and western metropolitan councils, a state-of-the-art, large-capacity green waste processing facility was built at Bulla in the City of Hume by Veolia Environmental Services. This facility uses in-vessel composting technology to process organic waste. At capacity, the Bulla facility can process 85,000 tonnes of organic waste a year, making it the largest of its kind in Victoria. Once the Bulla facility reaches capacity another site at Werribee in the City of Wyndham will be developed into a similar facility. The site, which is currently being used as a green waste transfer station, will be capable of processing a further 35,000 tonnes of organic waste a year.

Northern Victoria

Residents in northern Victoria have now joined metro councils in the Back to Earth Initiative, as new and improved organics services are introduced in Moira and Strathbogie Shires, the City of a Greater Shepparton and Benalla Rural City. 

Material from these councils is being composted at Western Composting - another  state-of-the-art, technology-leading organics processing facility located in Greater Shepparton City Council.

South east

Eight south eastern metropolitan councils joined the Back to Earth Initiative in 2016, entering into an organics processing contract that will see Melbourne’s network of organics processing facilities grow. 

Media

For Metropolitan media enquiries, please contact Shelley Markham (03 8698 9828) at the Metropolitan Waste  and Resource Recovery Group.

For media enquiries relating to the Goulburn Valley please contact the media officer at the relevant participating council.

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Why is reducing waste to landfill so important?

If green waste is added to your household rubbish bin, it is dumped in landfill. In landfill organic material decomposes without oxygen (anaerobically). This process produces odorous gases and methane, which has a global warming potential 25 times greater than carbon dioxide.

Organic waste in landfill also produces leachate, a liquid that’s created as material decomposes. This leachate must be carefully managed as it contains harmful substances that can pollute groundwater and waterways if not contained.

By recycling your green waste you prevent it going to landfill, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and odour and leachate production.

But that’s not the only benefit.

Composting is better for the environment

If green waste is put in your green waste bin, it is composted. Composting is a natural process of decomposition using oxygen (aerobically) that is better for the environment. It produces useful materials that can be put back into the earth to improve soil. 

Composting turns green waste into a range of high quality, natural soil conditioning products such as mulches, composts, blended soils and potting mixes used in landscaping, horticulture and agriculture. These products take green waste back to earth, enriching the soil and helping to grow healthy crops and pastures that produce food for everyone. Today’s green waste can grow tomorrow’s lunch!

Everyone benefits, including the earth!

Whichever way you look at it, when you recycle your green waste correctly everyone wins.

Benefits                   

• Creation of high quality natural soil conditioners

• Reduced waste in landfill

• Reduced greenhouse gases and leachate generation

• Reduced odours

Compost is a natural soil conditioner that can:                     

• Improve the structure of soil and its water and nutrient retaining properties

• Improve crop yields and pastures

• Encourage plants to develop deeper root systems.

• Reduce the potential for soil borne diseases to develop in plants 

• Reduce pesticide and synthetic fertiliser usage.

Compost can support beneficial organisms that live in the soil. These organisms help to improve the availability of nutrients to plants and reduce plant diseases. Improved soil structure is also important for retaining nutrients. To grow healthy plants you need healthy soil! 

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