Sustainability Victoria

30/06/2026

A final update from Sustainability Victoria.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱.

Sustainability Victoria closed on 30 June 2026 following the Victorian Government's response to the Independent Review of the Victorian Public Service.

Information about programs that have closed or transferred can be found at: https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/news/news-articles/transferring-and-closed-programs

For ongoing updates on Victoria's sustainability, energy and climate initiatives, follow the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

As we wind down after two decades of action, we’re farewelling teams and providing information about which initiatives will continue.

29/06/2026

It's time to say goodbye. 🥲

After more than 20 years, Sustainability Victoria has come to an end. And what a ride it's been!

𝗔𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂
To our staff – past and present – and the many, many talented individuals who have worked with Sustainability Victoria over the years. You've helped build something special. Since inception, more than 1,000 people have passed through our doors, bringing passion, ideas and a strong sense of purpose to our work. ✨

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲'𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱
Together with partners across industry, government, research and community, we've worked to boost recycling and helped process more materials locally in Victoria – reducing waste sent to landfill and laying the foundations for Victoria's transition to a circular economy. 🔄

We've also improved energy efficiency across homes, schools, organisations and businesses, supporting renewable energy initiatives and helping drive electrification as Victoria moves to a low emissions future. ⚡

𝗧𝗼 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 – 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂
And to Victorians – thank you for being part of it. For being curious, willing to try new things, and for playing your part in making change happen. 🙏🏼

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁
While Sustainability Victoria is closing, the work continues through the people and partnerships behind it – building on the momentum created over the past two decades and the thousands of projects delivered along the way.

Read a final reflection from our CEO: https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/news/news-articles/reflecting-on-sustainability-victorias-legacy

29/06/2026

Behind every great sustainability program is someone giving their time and passion. We want to acknowledge our 2026 ResourceSmart Schools Volunteer of the Year. 🏆

𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘀 – 𝗦𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

With over 120 hours in the school’s kitchen garden, David helped overhaul the compost system, cutting food waste and contamination. The result? Healthier gardens and no need to buy fertilisers or seeds. 👨‍🌾

Students are now harvesting seeds and selling them to fund new sustainability projects – with David’s work continuing to flow through the whole school. 🌱

His work has also strengthened connections between the school and the local retirement village, bringing generations together through shared activity and knowledge. 👏

28/06/2026

Recycling in Victoria hasn’t changed overnight. Over time, a once fragmented approach has evolved into a coordinated system that supports how materials are collected, processed and reused. ♻️

Over the past 20 years, Sustainability Victoria has played a key role in this transition – funding new recycling infrastructure on behalf of the Victorian Government, growing processing capability, and building local demand for recycled materials across industry and government.👷🏼‍♂️

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹‑𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

From helping fund projects like Visy’s drum pulper (pictured below) which increased Victoria’s paper and cardboard recycling capacity by 40%, or supporting Australia’s first asphalt made from recycled materials, our work has focused on ensuring materials can be recovered, processed and used again – not just collected. 🔄

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱

While Sustainability Victoria’s journey is coming to an end on 30 June 2026, what we leave behind reflects a collective effort – building systems, infrastructure and markets together with industry. 🤝

24/06/2026

Schools across Victoria are rethinking how their campuses are designed and used – embedding sustainability into infrastructure, operations and everyday learning.

Congratulations to this year’s Campus Infrastructure and Operations School of the Year winner, announced at the ResourceSmart Schools Awards earlier this month: Melbourne Indigenous Transition School 👏

Guided by the principles of Caring for Country, students and community members co‑designed campus upgrades, including native landscaping and building improvements. 🏫

Student voice is embedded throughout the campus – from the inclusion of the Eastern Kulin seasonal calendar using Woi‑wurrung language, to artworks and weavings that reflect the school community and ensure culture is visible in learning spaces.

This whole‑of‑school approach shows how infrastructure, culture and learning can come together to strengthen connection to Country and deliver lasting sustainability outcomes. 🌿

24/06/2026

For recycled products, meeting Australian safety standards is critical. Without certification, it can be difficult to enter retail markets or compete with imported alternatives made from virgin plastic.

Sustainability Victoria has provided funding on behalf of the Victorian Government to support Zero Plastics Australia to achieve product certification and commercial readiness for recycled‑plastic children’s toys.

This project focuses on testing, compliance and market readiness – helping turn single‑use plastics into durable, locally manufactured products that meet the expectations of retailers, institutions and families. ✅

23/06/2026

Despite only beginning their ResourceSmart Schools journey in 2024, Fitzroy North Primary is already delivering results, with sustainability now a central consideration across school life.

Awarded Emerging School of the Year earlier this month, the school’s 'Green Machine' student action team is helping drive measurable waste reduction and biodiversity improvements. 🏆

A major focus has been reducing waste at the school fete. The team worked with parents, local schools, bettercup. and Cirque Du Soil to plan a lower-waste event – and the results were impressive:

📉 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲
🌱 𝟭𝟵 𝗸𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱
♻️ 𝟱𝟴𝟮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme

Thanks to our awards sponsor, the Department of Education, Victoria, for supporting this category and helping recognise schools that are building strong foundations in sustainability. 👏

22/06/2026

More electric bikes in use = fewer ending up as e-waste. 🚲

As e-bike use grows, councils are seeing more discarded e-bikes entering transfer stations and hard rubbish streams. This creates a range of challenges – including battery safety risks, higher processing costs, and no clear pathway to recover valuable materials.

Sustainability Victoria has provided $37,500 through the Market Accelerator Fund on behalf of the Victorian Government to support Brainwave Bikes develop a business case for recycling, refurbishing and retailing e-bikes in Melbourne. 👨🏼‍🔧

This project will map out what it takes to scale a circular solution – from collecting used e-bikes through to repair, refurbishment and resale. Higher quality bikes can be returned to use, while batteries and components are safely managed through appropriate recycling pathways.

19/06/2026

Students across Victoria are finding practical ways to reduce waste and increase recycling – using Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme to achieve sustainability outcomes. Congratulations to this year’s CDS Vic Excellence Award winners, announced at last week’s ResourceSmart Schools Awards. 🏆

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 – 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹
Students have led campaigns to improve container collection, using audits to identify barriers and using targeted communications to encourage participation. Community events like Clean Up Australia Day have reduced litter in the community while raising funds for school sustainability initiatives.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 – 𝗟𝗶𝗹𝘆𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲
Students designed new container bins with easier side‑entry slots. Combined with creative campaigns and strategic bin placement, this approach increased the school’s capture rate from 1% to 50% in just one year. Students also painted endangered animal species on the bins to highlight that funds support Zoos Victoria’s Fighting Extinction program.

Thank you to our awards sponsor Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme for supporting this category and helping recognise excellence!