Waste and Materials performance

Did you know that organic waste is a significant amount of what makes up of our landfill waste and often contaminates our recycling, causing it to go to landfill where it creates methane gas which has 25 times greater impact on the environment.

At the Melbourne and Bendigo Campuses, we collect organic waste from our cafes, kitchens and public spaces. Our green organic waste bins are located in various places at each of the Campuses for you to dispose of your organic waste, which is then processed in an industrial dehydrator which converts it into a nutrient-rich organic soil enhancer for our campus gardens! We are currently assessing a correct tracking method to record the dehydrated soil enhancer to be included in our future waste reporting.

Help us recycle better by disposing of your organic waste in the green bins. Find out more about our organic waste recycling.

These are the top three problematic items we find in our Commingled bins:

Brown paper bag

• If it has food on it, it can go in the into green organics bins.
• If clean, it can go into the yellow commingled recycling bins.

Foil

• Remove food scraps and tear off any dirty or oily sections that cannot be cleaned easily.
• Collect and roll foil into a ball the size of a golf ball or bigger - recycling sorting machines cannot process very small pieces of foil.

Single-use plastic containers

• Empty any remaining food or liquid before placing in the yellow commingled recycling bin.

These are the top two problematic items we find in our General waste bins.

Coffee cups (including lids)

• If the coffee was purchased from a food and beverage provider at La Trobe campuses, it will be made of compostable packaging and can be disposed of via the green organic waste bins on campus.
• Other coffee cups should be disposed of via the red general waste bins

Brown paper bag

• If it has food on it, it can go in the into the green organic waste bin.
• If clean it can go into the yellow commingled recycling bins.

What you can and can't recycle varies depending on where you live. It's best to contact your local council to find out how you can recycle better.

Follow the waste management hierarchy as a way of tackling waste:

Avoid

• Purchase food and cleaning products in bulk using reusable containers or cloth bags.
• Use water bottles and keep cups.

Reuse

• Repair items such as clothes or donate them to a second-hand shop where can also purchase clothes.

Recycling

• Ensure you are recycling correctly to avoid contamination.

Recovery

• Food and garden (green lidded bins) collections are being rolled out across the state to every council. Ask your local council if you can get a green bin today!

You can also visit Sustainability Victoria’s page to find our council and their recycling and waste services, as they differ council to council on what you can and can’t out into your bin.

• Plantation paper - Used for specific printing needs such as cards and brochures
• 100% recycled paper - used for all basic office and student printing

• Think before you print
• Read from a second monitor or tablet
• Write on scrap paper

• Read from a tablet or purchase second-hand books
• Use eco-friendly toilet paper
• Use a microfibre towel instead of paper towels
• Avoid using paper plates
• Purchase bulk foods using reusable containers instead of boxed goods