From news about plastic pollution in oceans to the ABC TV War on Waste - there is growing awareness of the need to reduce waste.

It is widely acknowledged that due to the state of our environment and climate change that we all need to;

• reduce the amount of waste we produce – especially single-use products
• find new ways to reuse and recycle more waste
• find new ways to treat and dispose of the waste that we can’t avoid

Landfill is the process of collecting waste in an area, often a large hole in the ground, and covering it with soil.

Municipal landfills began in the mid-late 20^th Century to provide a more sanitary alternative to backyard incineration and open dumping.

More recently, we have become more aware of the impact landfill has on the environment and nearby communities. Once filled, landfill sites continue to emit dangerous gases and liquid runoff, making them expensive to manage for many decades. Odour and litter issues are also a significant concern to communities living near landfill sites.

Sending waste to landfill is becoming increasingly expensive. Levies are charged for each tonne of waste disposed in landfill. The cost of these levies has more than doubled over the past decade, as an incentive to reduce waste.

Space for new landfill sites are also becoming scarce. Rubbish from Yarra Ranges collections is currently taken to the Hallam South landfill. This site is expected to close in approximately 2025. Other landfill sites are located much farther from Yarra Ranges, increasing transport costs that would need to be passed on to residents.