Each year, the Covenant has two funding rounds and the second round for 2009 finished in June.

Fourteen new exciting projects with a total cost of $8.4 million Covenant funding and total project value of $29.6 million have now been awarded.

For Covenant CEO Ed Cordner, the new projects will help divert significant tonnes of packaging waste from landfill.

“From litter reduction and prevention to new infrastructure to increase glass reprocessing – I am confident that in addition to the fantastic efforts by signatories, these new projects will make a significant increase to Australia’s recycling rate.”  Read more about the new projects click here 

How do you know which type of bin to use or where to put the bin to maximise recycling, reduce contamination and minimise costs?

To assist implement recycling bins and capture the ‘away from home’ waste stream, the Covenant funded a project investigating the best type and location for bin systems.

This resulted in a full report and following this, two tools were developed to help discover the best bin options available. For the full story please click here

When we buy a new TV or appliance – there is a feeling of excitement – a connection to make our life easier… Yet the white plastic foam the appliance comes packaged in, expanded polystyrene (EPS), doesn’t quite face the same thrilling fate – most is sent to landfill.

Thanks to Recycling Expanded Polystyrene Australia (REPSA*) there are EPS collection centres in Australia yet to complement their work, the Covenant has provided funding to increase regional EPS reprocessing in Geelong and Mildura in Victoria.  To find out more, click here 

In recycling, many of you may be aware, some materials fare better than others. Glass is one such material that has a bit of a journey to travel. As such it has been a priority focus for the Covenant since 2005.

Historically, the majority of glass recovered from our bins went back into making more glass packaging and still does. Yet, as the demands on glass quality have changed and specifications for packaging manufacturing became stricter – a certain proportion of collected glass (fines) is no longer suitable for remanufacture. The Covenant has been helping fund projects to find alternative markets for its use. To read more click here

The current Chair of the National Projects Group, Jenny Pickles, ended her 12 month tenure at the end of June.

The role of Chair for both NPG and Covenant Council rotates annually between state government, local government and industry.

The Covenant says a special thank you to all of Jenny’s hard work and enthusiasm in her role. We welcome new chair, Rebecca Brown, Manager of Waste and Recycling at the Western Australia Local Government Association who has been a representative on the NPG since 2008.

Read more click here