The City of Greater Dandenong takes its role as a sustainability champion seriously and staff members are leading the way.
Changes to staff behaviour at Council’s Civic Centre and Operations Centre have greatly reduced waste going to landfill and have set a good example for the wider community.
The proof is on display in the gardens at Dandenong’s historic Heritage Hill. The gardens, which have been maintained in their current form since the 1930s, are luscious, green and always in bloom.
In April 2015, composting buckets were introduced to all kitchen areas in the Civic Centre and the Operations Centre.
Fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags and coffee grounds are collected in the bins and turned into compost which is used to feed the garden beds at Heritage Hill, as well as the garden beds at Council’s Operations Centre.
So far the bins have helped divert about one tonne of food waste from landfill.
Recycling bins and paper and cardboard bins placed throughout the offices have also helped minimise waste to landfill.
Council has also established a working group of “green office champions”, who are responsible for promoting good environmental practices within their work areas. This Green Team plays a vital role in the success of these environmental programs.
Between the recycling bins and compost collections the City of Greater Dandenong estimates that 63 percent of waste from council’s offices is now being diverted from landfill.
The next step is the establishment of a recycling hub that will sit in the customer service area at the Dandenong Civic Centre. The hub will give staff and residents more options when it comes to disposing of household items that don’t belong in general waste.
The hub will take household batteries, light globes, CDs/DVDs, and mobile phones and accessories.
