A MRF operator operates one or more lawful material recovery facilities that receive suitable eligible containers from a permitted material source in Victoria. At this current stage, this does not include MRF operators that are a bottle crushing service operator or an alternative waste treatment (AWT) plant operator.
The definition of a material recovery facility as included in the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021 Div 2 (1) is:
(a) a mixed-stream material recovery facility that sorts—
(i) mixed recycling from municipal residual waste into separate paper, plastic, metal and glass streams or other prescribed material; and
(ii) industrial waste; or
(b) a single-stream material recovery facility that—
(i) sorts material that has been sorted at a mixed-stream material recovery facility; or
(ii) takes single streams of waste and separates the component grades of the material;
The requirements and obligations for MRF operators are being finalised and more information will be available soon (including the relevant protocols).
