The equivalent of 240 garbage trucks of waste collected from metropolitan railway stations will be diverted away from landfill under a new recycling project between the Victorian Coalition Government and Metro Trains.

Environment Minister Ryan Smith said the joint initiative with Metro Trains was designed to boost recycling in public places under the government’s $1.4 million Litter Grants Program.

Mr Smith was at Hawksburn Railway Station, one of 107 railway stations to have these bins installed, for the final rollout of the new bins.

“It means all stations across the network will have easy-to-use and consistently labelled bins, giving commuters the clear choice to throw consumables in the recycle or waste bin provided,” Mr Smith said.

“It also means the Coalition Government is investing in tangible ways to not only keep public places clean, but to also help our environment.”

Last year around 25 per cent – about 1945 tonnes – of the 7780 tonnes of waste collected from all Metro stations was recycled.

Mr Smith said with the additional bins and improved signage, Metro is aiming to recover 35 per cent of waste for recycling by December 2012, diverting another 880 tonnes from landfill.

“This one initiative from the government is diverting the equivalent of around 240 garbage trucks of waste away from landfill,” Mr Smith said.

“Commuters love their newspapers, particularly the MX on the way home, and with around 80,000 handed out at stations across Melbourne every afternoon, I urge passengers to use these new recycling options rather than send their papers to landfill,” Mr Smith said.

The recycling project was funded by a $297,643 Public Place Recycling Grant and $31,000 from the Packaging Stewardship Forum for the signage design used on the bins, with additional funding by Metro Trains.

For more information about the Victorian Government’s Litter Grants Program, visit www.sustainability.vic.gov.au