Brisbane City Council is set to expand its food waste recycling service to include more than 5,290 new households, including in West End, from 1 February next year to strengthen its commitment to environmental sustainability.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner revealed that this expansion is a pivotal component of the Council’s “Towards Zero Waste” strategy.
“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,” Cr Schrinner s
“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.”
The scheme has been successfully implemented in thousands of Brisbane households and is designed to reduce waste in landfills, transforming food scraps into valuable compost.
The newly added 5,290 households join the 7,000 households already benefiting from the service since its launch in March last year. The expansion covers neighbourhoods including Carina, Carina Heights, Norman Park, Westlake, New Farm, East Brisbane, and West End.
“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,” Cr Schrinner said.
To avoid the pitfalls experienced by other councils, Cr Schrinner said Council is taking a measured approach to the rollout. He stressed the importance of establishing the infrastructure to convert food waste into compost and ensuring residents are well-informed about recycling guidelines to minimise contamination.
West End Roll Out
The expansion of the food waste recycling scheme into West End will initially be along designated collection routes. Residents who live along these routes will be contacted directly to let them know that they have access to the service.
Caddies will be delivered to eligible households that already have a green waste recycling bin. Eligible households that do not already have a green waste recycling bin can contact Council to order one.
Residents who live in multi-unit dwellings can apply for a green waste recycling bin and eligibility will be assessed on a case by case basis. The development conditions of the property will dictate the type of service(s) provided.
A Council spokesperson said there have been no reported issues with unwanted odours and pests during trials.
Consultation
As part of the waste reduction strategy, Council will open public consultation on the draft “Towards Zero Waste Strategy” from 24 November to 24 December 24. The strategy also includes several key initiatives, such as rebates for insinkerators, increased support for compost bins and worm farms, the introduction of community-based recycling hubs, and the installation of new park recycling bins.
To incentivise residents further, Council plans to offer a $200 rebate for households installing insinkerators and waste dehydrators from 1 January 2024 and increase the rebate for compost bins and worm farms from $70 to $100. They will also investigate additional locations for advanced community compost hubs, explore waste reduction technologies in apartment buildings, and introduce smart bottle and can donation stations in Mall Precincts.
Cr Schrinner urged Brisbane residents to participate in the public consultation.
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.
Cover image istock.
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