The business overseeing kerbside recycling in the West Wimmera, Hindmarsh, Yarriambiack shires is reassuring residents it will be business as usual, as its current sorting provider faces an uncertain future.
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The Environment Protection Authority last week banned SKM Recycling from accepting any new waste at its northern Melbourne storage facility for six days, rescinding this ban on Saturday.
It marked the second time in five months the plant was shut. The EPA claimed SKM failed to comply with the Victorian Waste Management Policy, which seeks to ensure the safety of workers and the public.
Wimmera-Mallee Waste director Mick Parry said the Rainbow-based organisation spoke to another provider, VISY, three weeks ago about receiving the region's recycling.
He said the company had discussed charging the same amount as SKM for its services, meaning no increased cost for ratepayers.
"VISY would entertain the idea of receiving our product and it would be stupid not to consider the best way forward for us, but they would only want our product for the remaining terms of our contract," he said.
Wimmera-Mallee Waste stores the recyclables it collects at sheds either in Horsham and Portland, before trucks take it to be sorted at SKM. Mr Parry stressed there would be no situation in which Wimmera residents' recycling would be sent to landfill.
"By and large we've found SKM a pretty good bunch to deal with," he said.
"Having said that the last six months has been particularly frustrating: They would be aware of their obligations from an EPA and fire point of view but they continue to disrupt us by not being able to meet their expectations."
Mr Parry said the company used SKM because its location was west of Melbourne, and therefore most convenient transport-wise.
"When we began paying to get our products sorted the three large recycling providers - SKM, VISY and Polytrade - all had the same price. It's more cost-effective, but that's to do with location rather than them being cheaper," he said.
Horsham Rural City Council mayor Mark Radford said VISY sorted residents' recycling after Wheelie Waste Collection completed its kerbside collection.
"While (SKM's difficulties) don't directly affect us, the closing of such a facility puts stress of everybody through the effect on other companies," he said.
Cr Radford also endorsed the idea of a recycling sorting facility based in the Wimmera.
Horsham private recycling collection company Wastebusters operated such a facility, employing 12 people, before it was decommissioned in 2016.
Director Mick Morris said he could not afford the infrastructure upgrades necessary to continue sorting.
"We take the recycling we can't on-sell to Wimmera-Mallee Waste," he said. "You'd need about $3 million to set up a facility in regional Victoria now."