Albury City Council and Halve Waste win Outstanding Local Government Award

By Virginia Brunton, MRA Consulting Group

Albury City Council and the Halve Waste Initiative won the SUEZ Outstanding Regional Local Government Award at the national inaugural Waste Management Association of Australia and Inside Waste Awards.

This category recognises excellence shown by a regional or rural council across Australia for achievements and programs that have benefitted the community and improved waste management and resource recovery.

The Halve Waste program was recognised for the success of the range of campaigns that change yearly and focus on topical issues such residential and commercial food waste, soft plastics and household clean-ups.

Halve Waste is an initiative of the combined Albury, Wodonga, Indigo, Greater Hume, Towong and Federation council areas. Collectively this campaign is working to achieve the target of a 50% reduction in waste to Albury landfill.

Halve Waste has directly educated over 13,000 school children, community groups, businesses and through the social media, TV commercials and paid advertising has reached over 50,000 people across the wider district.

This massive communication program has supported the significant investment in infrastructure at the Albury landfill, including the community recycling facility, the AWARE up-cycle shop, the garden organics, whitegoods and timber drop-off points and the push-pit. All designed to capture recyclables before they get to the landfill.

Congratulations to everyone involved.

For more information, visit the Halve Waste website halvewaste.com.au or email us at education@halvewaste.com.au.

MRA coordinates the design, management and delivery of Halve Waste initiatives on behalf of the Councils and Mike Ritchie was at Doltone House Parkview, Pyrmont, NSW on November 22 to receive the award on behalf of Halve Waste.

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