Fewer pizza boxes in landfill thanks to recycling boost

Victoria's ability to recycle mixed paper and cardboard has been boosted 40 per cent through new technology, leading to fewer used pizza boxes ending up in landfill.

Premier Daniel Andrews and federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek on Thursday visited recycling giant Visy's Coolaroo facility in Melbourne's outer north to unveil a paper drum pulper.

The drum pulper will recycle an additional 95,000 tonnes of mixed paper and cardboard in the state every year, keeping it from ending up in landfill.

"This machine alone increases our recycling capacity by 40 per cent as a state," Mr Andrews told reporters.

Ms Plibersek said the technology would end a frequent Sunday night debate in her household over whether pizza boxes could go in the recycling.

"The answer today is a resounding yes when you've got equipment like this," she said.

Some local councils in Victoria don't allow pizza boxes to be recycled but the Andrews government will soon embark on developing a set of statewide curbside waste standards.

Recycled mixed and contaminated paper can make new products, including takeaway food packaging and boxes for the agricultural sector.

Visy executive chairman Anthony Pratt said the drum pulper was an Australian first and represented the most advanced paper recycling technology globally.

"It will double Visy's kerbside recycling capability in Victoria, diverting up to 180,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard annually from Victoria's landfills or exports - the equivalent of approximately 400 Olympic swimming pools," he said.

An extra 11,600 tonnes of plastics will also be diverted from Victorian landfill each year under another two new recycling projects announced on Thursday.

Victoria is set to roll out its long-awaited container deposit scheme in November, with a 10 cent refund for every empty can, small bottle and carton dropped off at a collection point.

It is the final state or territory to introduce a container deposit scheme.