Dear Business Manager,
From 1 July 2021, the State Government will increase the Victorian Municipal Industrial Landfill Levy. These increases are described on the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) website. There will be two levy increases, as summarised below.
Waste collection businesses are required by the Victorian Government to pay the levy when they deposit waste from both businesses and households to landfill. Materials sent to be recycled do not pay the levy. However, the contamination in recycling and residuals from recycling are subject to the levy.
Due to these new levies, businesses should expect the price of their waste disposal services to increase. Where recycling is highly contaminated, the price of recycling services may also increase.
The purpose of the landfill levy is to "provide additional and ongoing funding to support efforts by government, industry and the community to reduce waste. Landfill levies create an incentive for waste generators to investigate ways to reduce the amount of waste they generate and dispose of to landfill."
Income from the Municipal Landfill Levy are placed in the Sustainability Fund. The complete accounts for the Sustainability Fund are available from the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
The Victorian Waste Management Association (VWMA) is a not-for-profit association representing Victorian waste recycling businesses. The VWMA operates as a subsidiary of the Victorian Transport Association. The purpose of the not-for-profit association is to advance sanitation and recycling services for all Victorians.