Sustainability

Environmental responsibilities
SMCT is committed to sustainability. We have extensive recycling, renewable and green technology programs in place, across the many sites we manage.
We actively foster a culture of sustainability and look for improvements across all areas of our operations. We regularly monitor our performance and adopt new technologies and processes to reduce our footprint.
SMCT views environmental responsibility as part of good governance, always seeking improvements for the long-term benefit of the communities we serve.
SMCT aims to:
Provide ongoing education to encourage behavioural change
Incorporate environmental objectives into our everyday practices
Measure and report publicly on our environmental impact
Demonstrate organisational leadership in the area of sustainability and environmental best practices.
About waste management at SMCT
As part of our 2022–25 Environmental Strategy, SMCT aims to divert 25% of waste from landfill by 2025.
Our 2023 waste audits revealed that 38% of general waste was garden organics that could be recycled. SMCT trialed a successful two-bin system at Springvale Botanical Cemetery to separate garden organics from landfill waste. Visitors will now see red-lid bins for general waste and green-lid bins for organics across many sites.
Recommended

Award-winning Project Cultivate levels up with City of Melbourne partnership
- 11 February 2025
The Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT) is excited to announce our partnership with the City of Melbourne to deliver the final phase of Project Cultivate. The funding will help complete our successful initiative to enhance and restore a more biodiverse, natural and sustainable environment at Melbourne General Cemetery (MGC).
- Project

Promoting plastic-free floristry at SMCT
- 28 June 2024
Our florists at SMCT are dedicated to reducing plastic waste and understand the detrimental impact the industry has on our environment. We have this at the forefront of our minds.
- Sustainability
Tackling plastic, one container at a time
- 20 June 2022
At SMCT, we understand that big impact starts with small steps, which is why we are eager to do our bit in reducing our use of disposables.
- Sustainability