Reducing the amount of waste in the Bundaberg Region is the key focus of Bundaberg Regional Council’s draft Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan 2023-2030 which is now open to consultation.
Council resolved this week to consult the community on the draft plan which outlines a clear path forward on how the Bundaberg Region will move towards a zero-waste society.
The Queensland Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 requires all local governments to have a Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan
Council's Waste and Recycling portfolio spokesperson Cr Tanya McLoughlin said reducing waste to landfill was one of the biggest challenges the community faced and implementing simple, but important, practices and interventions would benefit the whole region.
“Council’s key focus is to encourage residents to use the right bin and ensure their waste is going to the correct area to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill,” Cr McLoughlin said.
“We know that half of what currently goes in the green or red lidded residual waste bins could be kept out of landfill.
“This could be achieved either through recycling in the yellow lidded bin or by using the proposed FOGO lime green lidded bin which is scheduled to start across the whole region in the future, subject to State Government funding support, a detailed business case and Council's approval of the initiative.”
Local residents are invited to have their say by completing a community survey.
Cr McLoughlin said, within the draft Waste and Recycling Reduction Plan waste avoidance was the first priority for the whole community when it comes to working toward zero waste.
“Currently every household in the Bundaberg Region generates 725 kg of waste that goes to landfill each year through their green or red lidded residual waste bin,” she said.
“The region’s current overall recycling rate from the yellow lidded household bin is only 15% of the materials collected.”
Council’s draft Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan 2023-2030 incorporates actions for short- and medium-term implementation to aim to achieve the 2030 aspirational waste targets set by the Queensland Government.
“We hope to reduce the amount of waste generated by resident by 15%,” Cr McLoughlin said.
“While increasing the number of materials recycled to 60% and increasing the amount of municipal solid waste diverted from landfill to 70%.”
The Queensland Waste Levy is paid to the State Government on household waste landfilled and it is forecast to cost Bundaberg homeowners an additional $27 million over the next nine years.
The Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan 2023-2030 aims to limit the financial burden for residents and ratepayers.
Several action items have been identified with these five themes:
1. Waste Avoidance and Education
2. Capturing Organics Plans for the Future
3. Use the Right Bin
4. Recovery of Resources
5. Sustainable Waste Services and Infrastructure
The Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan outlines how Council will support the community and work collaboratively with regional and domestic industry to create circular economy principals for resources by:
- reducing recyclables lost through the red lidded residual waste bin
- the provision of a food organics and garden organics (FOGO) lime green lidded bin to a large proportion of domestic households (subject to State funding and a final decision by Council)
- recovering more resources at their source or at waste and recycling facilities
The draft Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan 2023-2030 – Community Survey can be found here and is open for submissions between Wednesday 30 August and 5pm Friday 27 October 2023.
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Just wondering about the Soft Plastics from all food we buy , 3 meals a day, does it all get buried, because they keep selling it to us and we need food?
Thanks re the survey opportunity, but where can I actually read the draft waste management plan. I can’t answer survey questions about the plan if I haven’t read the plan.
not much can be done with the plastic film such as stretch wrap, cling wrap and plastic bags.
the big issue with all plastics is its cheaper to make it from new materials the reprocess the old stuff.
plastic pyrolysis is one of the few methods that can deal with all plastics and it turns them back into the oil and gas they were made from. this tech isnt exactly cheap and you still have some waste and ash to deal with much lees than you started but its still something.
comunity TO VOTE PER RATE NOTICES
I would like to know if the council is ever going to consider a rubbish collection service in the future from the 12 residences that are in the Isis River/Barretts Road as we are currently either taking our rubbish to the Childers Waste Facilities or have hired a skip bin. Are we going to be able to get the coloured lids as we don’t even have the red or yellow ones?
We may live in the bush but we too produce waste which we are having to remove ourselves.
Thank you for listening but we are in the 21st Century not 1980.
Walked past a green bin early Tuesday that was covered in maggots. Has there been any consideration for families with multiple small children with solid nappies being in a bit for 2weeks. It’s a bit gross.