By 2024 approximately 55 per cent of household waste will either be recycled or reused under Redland City Council’s new waste strategy, to be tabled at tomorrow’s General Meeting.
Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said the Redland City Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan 2015 – 2020 looked at Council’s last five years of waste performance and set targets for the future to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
“We know that our current domestic resource recovery rate of 47 per cent outperforms the regional average of 37 per cent, but we also know there are opportunities to improve this recovery rate,” she said.
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“This plan shows some great wins but also that there is work left to do to reduce waste going to landfill.
“In the last five years our achievements have included removing tip gate fees, introducing greenwaste bins and larger recycling bins, increasing public place recycling bins and expanding waste recovery options to include items such as e-waste and a permanent hazardous waste collection.
“There are great initiatives underway, but the reality is that Council can only do so much – we need the community to take up all the recycling and reuse options available to them.
“We will continue to educate our community, as our waste targets require everyone make changes in their behavior and practice better recycling and waste reduction at home.
“Small steps in every household, when multiplied by our population, can substantially reduce the 108,000 tonnes of waste currently managed by our City each year.
“A great example of this is making easy changes at Christmas time – taking reusable bags when shopping, looking for items with less packaging and making sure paper wrapping and cardboard make it to the recycling bin.”
Redland’s waste spokesperson Paul Gleeson said the City faced unique waste management challenges in the future.
“Redland City hasn’t operated our own landfill site since 2011, and with our existing landfill agreement with Brisbane City Council expiring in 2020, finding service efficiencies and infrastructure sharing opportunities will be critical for Redlands,” he said.
“Regional collaboration with all levels of government is needed to gain better business efficiencies, and we will be activity seeking out opportunities to work smarter and do more with less.”
“Council is planning for the future, but we also need community action.
“The reality is the more we can recycle, reuse and recover as a community, the less waste needs to go to landfill – this not only helps the environment but will also save our City and all our ratepayers money.”
Visit our website to learn more about waste management in the Redlands.
