• SECOS files formal response opposing Victoria’s draft Household Waste and Recycling Service Standard 2024
  • Company says certified compostable caddy liners are superior to paper alternatives
  • Engagement continuing with state government and opposition to advocate for use of compostable liners

 

Special Report: SECOS has filed its formal opposition to the draft Victorian Household Waste and Recycling Service Standard 2024, which excludes certified compostable caddy bin liners despite their widespread use by over 80% of Australian FOGO councils.  

In its formal response, SECOS Group (ASX:SES) said that certified compostable liners have a vital role to play in the success of Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) programs as evidence indicates that a ban on these liners would lead to a significant reduction in FOGO capture rates.

This would in turn undermine Victoria’s Circular Economy goals by increasing landfill waste and emissions.

SECOS pushed for the inclusion of certified compostable caddy liners in the list of accepted items for FOGO, or at minimum, granting councils the discretion to decide their use.

And it emphasised that the certified compostable caddy liners could not be adequately replaced with paper caddy bags, newspaper or paper towels, which would force households to deal with wet food waste spilling, leaking, and creating a highly unhygienic process when separating food waste into the green bin.

The company also claimed that paper alternatives are less environmentally friendly as they would require trees to be cut down while certified compostable caddy bin liners are made with corn.

Victoria’s draft standard, developed under the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021, has classified certified compostable caddy bin liners (including caddy liners certified to AS 4736 and AS 5810) as non-accepted materials within Victoria’s proposed new household waste and recycling system.

This has yet to be formally endorsed or legally enforced.

The consultation period for the Draft Service Standard officially closed on August 14, 2024 with the Victorian government indicating it will review the feedback over the coming months and the final version expected to be published by the end of 2024.

 

Supporting sustainable waste management

SES says it remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting sustainable waste management practices and urges a reconsideration of the proposed legislation to better align with environmental objectives and industry standards.

In addition to its formal response, the company continues to actively engage with the Victorian state government, as well as Members of Parliament from the opposition and cross bench, to advocate for the continued use of certified compostable bags in council green bin programs.

As part of its response, the company has executed a comprehensive public relations campaign, securing significant exposure across mainstream television, newspapers, radio, and online media, achieving more than 80 pieces of coverage to date.

It has also carried out a marketing campaign to mobilise public opposition to the proposal through an online petition, which has achieved significant engagement and expressions of support across social media channels, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

For the formal SECOS submission please click here.

This article was developed in collaboration with SECOS Group, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.