Brisbane’s food waste recycling service will expand to include more than 5,290 new households from February 1 next year.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the expansion of the food waste recycling service was a key proposal of Council’s landmark new Towards Zero Waste strategy.
“Brisbane is renowned as a clean, green and sustainable destination and our Council team is determined to maintain and enhance that reputation,” Cr Schrinner said.
“Our Towards Zero Waste strategy is all about helping residents recycle more while also reducing the impost from the State Government’s waste levy which continues to increase year-on-year.
“We’ve already introduced food waste recycling to thousands of Brisbane households and as part of the strategy we committed to expanding this service citywide over the next four years.”
Cr Schrinner said food waste recycling helped households reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill while also turning food scraps into valuable compost
“Food waste makes up about 23 per cent of the average household general waste bin but this can be reduced by putting waste such as fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells and old breads and cereal into the green waste bin,” he said.
The additional 5290 households with access to Brisbane’s food waste recycling service through their green-top bin collection adds to the 7,000 households who have been using the service since March last year.
The latest expansion of the service includes households in Carina, Carina Heights, Norman Park, Westlake, New Farm, East Brisbane and West End.
Cr Schrinner said his Council was taking a measured approach to rolling out food waste recycling.
“Councils who have rushed the rollout of food waste recycling have caused a huge stink with their residents and we’re determined not to do that,” he said.
“Brisbane is the biggest council in Australia and it is critical that the essential infrastructure to convert food waste into compost is in place before we undertake a citywide rollout.
“We also have to ensure residents are properly informed about what food waste can and cannot be recycled in green-top bins because contamination can be a significant issue.”
Public consultation on the draft Towards Zero Waste Strategy will be open from 24 November to 24 December.
Under the strategy Council will also:
- Offer a new $200 rebate for households that install insinkerators and waste dehydrators from January 1 2024.
- Increase the rebate for compost bins and worm farms from $70 to $100 from January 1 2024.
- Investigate more locations for advanced community compost hubs to service apartments. (ie similar to New Farm).
- Create 50 convenient community-based recycling hubs over five years for items such as batteries, CDs, glasses and tablet blister packs.
- Install 1,500 new park recycling bins across Brisbane.
- Work with industry to establish a household soft plastics recycling trial.
- Digitise waste vouchers.
- Staged roll out of a citywide household food waste recycling service over the next four years.
- Investigate incentivising anaerobic digestion and other technologies in apartment buildings.
- Install three smart bottle and can donation station machines in Mall Precincts.
- Introduce bottle and can donation bins for event organisers with funds going to the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust and grassroots charities.
“Over the next four weeks Brisbane residents have a chance to have their say on Council’s significant measures to reduce waste and boost sustainability across our suburbs,” Cr Schrinner said.
“The strategy includes new and increased rebates for residents and more recycling opportunities in public places.
“We’re taking this action because the State Government’s decision to increase the waste levy and reduce rebates to councils will cost Brisbane an estimated $338 million – or about $590 per household – cumulatively over the next ten years.”
For more information on the Towards Zero Waste Strategy and to have your say during the consultation period visit brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
