Sustainability Victoria

This year, Sustainability Victoria celebrates 20 years of driving change across our state. From the moment our iconic 'Black Balloons' advert floated across TV screens in the mid-2000s, we’ve been helping Victorians see the invisible environmental impacts of everyday choices – and to take action. 🌏 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻, 𝘄𝗲’𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼: 🔌 Help households and businesses take control of their energy use with rebates and advice to boost uptake of energy-efficient appliances. ♻️ Invest millions in infrastructure to reshape Victoria’s recycling system and make it easier to recycle right. 💨 Support initiatives that have cut emissions equivalent to the energy use of 1.3 million homes. 🚯 Back projects that have diverted enough waste from landfill to fill 36,000 E-Class trams. From community wind farms to circular business models, we’ve always believed in the power of action – connecting people, ideas and investment to make sustainability the new normal. As we look to 2045 and a net zero Victoria, we’re proud to lead the shift to a circular economy. Explore our journey and find out what’s next: https://lnkd.in/g9EsSr49

Albury Wodonga Regional FoodShare is improving access to rescued food for communities and households across North East Victoria impacted by natural disasters or facing financial hardship. The Feed More Waste Less project rescues surplus food from supermarkets, farmers and local producers, then sorts and redistributes edible items through 110+ partner agencies and its Community Pantry. Non‑edible food is diverted to composters, farmers and even worm farms. With funding from Sustainability Victoria, FoodShare has been able to increase the number of food donors, expand sorting and redistribution, and add new diversion pathways that keep non‑edible food out of landfill. Local Victorian organisations like FoodShare are creating practical, scalable models for waste reduction and community wellbeing, and the results speak for themselves. ✅ 1,562,000 kg of non‑consumable food diverted from landfill. ✅ 102,303 kg composted, recycled or repurposed. ✅ Thousands of Victorians supported during tough times. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gvuhhasq

We joined EUGreenWeek and Circular Summit Fryslân this year to learn what’s working in Europe’s circular economy – and how it can work here in Victoria. From digital product passports for textiles to circular procurement and regional leadership, the playbook is getting clearer. We’re translating these insights into Victorian pilots across textiles, construction and local government procurement – building frameworks for agencies and councils to embed reuse, high‑recycled content and service‑based contracts. Read the full recap on what's working in Europe's circular economy and what's coming next: https://lnkd.in/grm4as4H

𝗜𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁: Melbourne Zoo’s gardens are thriving thanks to a clever circular solution – mixing nutrient‑rich coffee grounds with animal waste to produce high‑quality compost. Sustainability Victoria has backed Reground with funding and expert support so more Victorian cafes can keep their coffee grounds out of landfill and into productive use. That means lower methane emissions, healthier soils and a great example of systems change in action. It's the circular economy at work, and just one way that we're connecting partners, funding solutions and turning waste into value. ~ Video via Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Iskhandar Razak.

🔋♻️ Australia’s first dedicated Battery‑in‑Device Shredding (BIDS) plant has launched in Melbourne's north – supported by a $2 million grant from Sustainability Victoria, on behalf of the Victorian Government. Until now, everyday items with built‑in batteries – like electric toothbrushes, wireless headphones, toys, and yes, vapes – often ended up in kerbside bins or landfill. That created fire risks and wasted valuable materials that could have been recovered. This new facility changes that. Devices collected through existing drop‑off points will now be processed onshore in an enclosed, water‑based shredding system operated by EcoCycle (ANZ) that safely handles embedded batteries, and recovers over 90% of valuable materials for reuse. At full capacity, it will be able to process over 8,000 tonnes of devices each year. Victoria’s Minister for Environment, Steve Dimopoulos MP, officially opened the facility, joined by Sustainability Victoria CEO Matt Genever to mark this milestone for Victoria’s circular economy. Find out more via the link in comments. ⤵️ EcoBatt (ANZ) | Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd | Gloyd Recycling Solutions | Recycling Victoria

Building a thriving circular economy really does take a village – and we’re proud to be part of this one. Sustainability Victoria has supported Reground through funding, advice and collaboration to turn big ideas into practical action. From reducing waste to creating new circular solutions, our role is to make it easier for organisations and communities to lead the change. Partnerships like this show what’s possible when shared values, innovation and persistence come together – and yes, sometimes that village includes snow leopards and baby giraffes!

Many schools are already practising circularity – often without realising it. That was the standout insight from our recent Gippsland Teacher Environment Network gathering, where close to 20 educators came together to share what’s working and where they need support. Hosted by our ResourceSmart Schools program, the session sought to help teachers embed circular thinking across classrooms and school operations – making it easier to reduce waste, reuse materials and connect learning to real‑world resource recovery. The day included a visit to the Cowes Recycling Bank with Bass Coast Shire Council to see recovery in action, practical examples of circularity in practice from Victorian schools, plus perspectives on systems thinking from Compass Education and regeneration opportunities from Western Port Biosphere. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱:  🚩 Collaboration across the sector is essential for sharing resources effectively. 🚩 Educators want simpler ways to source quality second‑hand materials for teaching and learning. 🚩 When students feel less ownership over shared resources (e.g. stationery), care drops and waste rises due to factors like breakage.

The dog agility area at Ballam Park just received a circular upgrade. 🐶🔄 With benches, ramps and seating built from recycled plastic, Frankston City Council has turned what was once waste into something the whole community (and their four‑legged friends) can enjoy. A great example of how growing markets for recycled materials provides councils with more choice when it comes to circular products.

Since the Victorian Government introduced the e-waste landfill ban in 2019, Sustainability Victoria has supported upgrades to more than 140 e-waste collection sites across the state – ensuring 98% of Victorians are within a 30-minute drive of a drop-off point. At a recent webinar hosted by Boomerang Labs, our Infrastructure Partnerships Team Leader Caroline de Santi shared how infrastructure upgrades and behaviour change campaigns are helping drive increased recovery rates. Recording available at: https://lnkd.in/gDuddrp3 However, small e-waste items currently have the lowest recovery rate. To help address this, we’re delivering new funding to support local councils and registered charities to install more drop-off points for small e-waste items with embedded batteries – including vapes and e-cigarettes at convenient locations like community centres, public buildings, libraries, and op-shops.

Glass is infinitely recyclable – and a key player in Victoria’s circular economy. Our team visited Melbourne’s glass recycling facilities to see how collected bottles and jars are processed and recycled – closing the loop on valuable resources.