By Goya Dmytryshchak
Privately-owned packaging and recycling company Visy will build a $35 million glass recycling centre at Laverton, paving the way for a Victorian container deposit scheme.
The upgrade to the Dohertys Road centre is expected to create 92 jobs during construction and six ongoing positions once built.
Visy’s centre currently sorts glass 10 millimetres in size or larger and the new facility will be able to sort glass as small as three millimetres.
Acting premier James Merlino said the upgrade would double the centre’s recycling capacity to 200,000 tonnes of glass each year.
“Investment like this paves the way for our container deposit scheme to completely transform how we recycle in Victoria, ensuring a glass bottle can become a glass bottle again and again and again,” he said.
The recycled glass will be used for jars, bottles, asphalt and other road-based works, the state government said.
The container deposit scheme is due to start in 2023.
People will be able to return drink cans, bottles and cartons to various locations, including shopping centres, drive-through collection depots and mobile drop-off points at events and community festivals.
Charities, and community and sports groups will also be able to have container collection points to raise funds.
The state government said it has invested more than $515 million to deliver the biggest ever transformation and reform of Victoria’s waste and recycling industry, encouraging investment and growth in the sector.
A separate glass recycling service is being introduced across Victoria to reduce contamination in the other recycling streams like paper, cardboard and plastic.
