FAQs

All Queensland local governments are required to have a Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan under the Queensland Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (the Act). 

The Plan demonstrates good strategic planning by Council to achieve key objectives of the Act such as:

• Promoting waste avoidance, reduction and resource recovery actions. 
• Reducing the consumption of natural resources and minimising the disposal of waste by encouraging waste avoidance and the recovery, re-use and recycling of waste. 
• Minimising the overall impact of waste generation and disposal. 
• Ensuring shared responsibility for waste management and resource recovery by government, business, industry and the community. 

The Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan provides a framework for Council to reduce the impacts of waste and will lead Redlands Coast towards a zero waste future.  

The Plan sets a clear path forward on how the Redlands Coast community will move towards a vision of becoming a zero-waste society by 2050.Such as identifying ways to reduce waste that goes into landfill by getting organics out of the waste bin and getting more recyclables into recycling bins. Currently half of the rubbish that goes to landfill is a mixture of food and garden organics which could be recycled through a green waste bin or home composting. 

Council provides a good kerbside bin collection system, however community uptake and understanding of what should go in each bin needs improving. Council will support the community and work collaboratively to:

• Reduce recyclables, green waste and food waste lost through the red-lid bin.
• Halve recycling contamination in the yellow-lid bin.
• Increase the number of households with a green-lid waste bin.

Produce an organics transformation plan, building on a roadmap for growing green-lid bins and investigating options to divert food waste from going into landfill. 

The Plan is the foundation of a long term outlook to 2050 and is designed to help the Redlands Coast community in understanding and achieving the basics of waste reduction and recycling as an initial phase for developing a circular economy. 

The Plan aligns with the objectives set out in the Queensland Government’s Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy (2019), Organics Strategy and Action Plan (2022) and the Council of Mayors South East Queensland (CoMSEQ) Waste Plan (2021). Each of these strategic documents set out 2030 targets. Council has incorporated the relevant targets into our Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan to ensure that actions are driven by long term outcomes. The Plan will be reviewed every three years as required by legislation.

The Plan includes: 

• A long-term vision for a zero waste Redlands Coast by 2050
• Targets for 2030 that align with State Government targets for reducing household waste generation and increasing recycling rates
• Eight success measures to monitor and track progress
• Key statistics of the waste and recycling handled by Council
• Four themes for action:
  1. Lift the Right Lid
  2. Transforming Organics
  3. Creating a Zero Waste Society
  4. Providing Effective Services
• Considerations for delivering effective waste education to households
• An indicative roadmap for transforming organics
• Considerations for a food waste collection service
• An implementation plan with:
  1. Ten actions to support residents to use their yellow, green and red-lidded kerbside bins correctly (Lift the Right Lid)
  2. Five actions to reduce the loss of household food and green waste ending up in landfill.
  3. Four actions to reduce per capita waste generation through avoidance, reduction and reuse.
  4. Five actions to ensure waste and recycling services continue to be cost effective, fit for purpose and great to use. 
• Details of the strategic drivers that have influenced this Plan. 

A draft Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan was published to the community in early 2021. The draft Plan was developed taking into consideration information and policy available at the time. Feedback on the draft Plan and the industry changes and policy that emerged in 2021 and early 2022 has reshaped Council's Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Plan. The Plan has been developed to address community expectations, is achievable and provides a framework to keep Redlands Coast waste services aligned with industry policy and targets. It provides a thorough planning tool for Council to deliver on State Government waste reduction and recycling targets, and is aimed to future proof waste services against increasing landfill disposal costs.

The pace of external change in the waste industry is significant. New initiatives like RecycleMate and the launch of a national product stewardship scheme for batteries have occurred recently, and the Queensland Organics Strategy and Action Plan was published in 2022. In late 2021, the CoMSEQ SEQ Waste Management Plan was launched with endorsement by Redland City Mayor Karen Williams which commits all SEQ Councils to implement a Food Organics Garden Organics FOGO food waste collection service by 2030. Additionally, changes to the Queensland Government landfill levy was announced in December 2021 and will result in Council paying increasing amounts of landfill tax each year if we do not reduce household waste from ending up in landfill. 

These changes have driven a focus for this Plan to improve kerbside household bin use and keeping organic materials out of the red-lid bin. 

Yes. The draft Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan was published for community consultation in April 2021. Council received 190 submissions during the consultation period from 27 April to 28 May 2021. This valuable feedback was considered and has informed the published Plan.

Feedback from the Redlands Coast community was very supportive with 88% of 190 responses providing positive feedback.

There was strong and positive support for the draft Plan objective, “90% of community, recycling 90% of waste, 90% of time” and Council’s goal to “halve the amount of recyclable material being placed into general waste bins.” 

A key theme based on feedback from the community was the need for further education about recycling and reducing their waste. This has been thoroughly addressed through Theme 1: Lift the Right Lid which focuses on supporting residents to use their yellow, green and red-lid kerbside bins correctly. 

Addressing organic waste was another key theme in the community consultation. There was strong and positive support for the draft Plan goal to “double the number of households with green waste bins for garden organics.” Residents indicated that they are interested and supportive of composting. This includes worm farms, providing residents with a compost bin, education on composting and setting up gardens to promote composting. This has been addressed by Theme 2: Transforming Organics which includes a target of implementing a citywide food waste collection service by 2030, and actions to develop an Organics Transformation Plan (Action 2.1), continue to grow the Green bin service (Action 2.2) and evaluate the value of a compost bin rebate scheme (Compost Bin Rebate).

Through community consultation residents who live on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands (SMBI) noted limited options to engage in recycling and waste management and requested Council further engage with island communities Council will assess opportunities to engage and support island communities further  in the areas of kerbside bin use and green and food waste as the Education and Communications Plan (Action 1.1) and Organics Transformation Plan (Action 2.1) are developed in year one (1)  of the Plan. Additionally, Council will improve the diversion of waste at island Recycling and Waste Centres by enabling the separation of resaleable materials for island community groups (Action 3.3).

A refined vision provides direction for the long haul: Redlands Coast will become a zero waste community by 2050 where resources are valued and waste is avoided.

Specific targets on household waste recycling align with the Queensland waste strategy:

• Reduce the amount of waste generated by residents by 15% to 580kg. 
• 60% recycling rate for household waste across kerbside bins and Resource and Waste Centres.

Success measures will drive and track progress: 

• Reduce waste generation to 580kg per person per year.
• Increase the kerbside recycling rate from 27% to 50%. 
• Maintain the recycling rate at Recycling and Waste Centres.
• Reduce the percentage of mixed recyclables placed in the red-lid bin.
• Halve recycling contamination (the percentage of non-recyclables in the yellow-lid bin.) 
• Reduce the percentage of green waste placed in the red-lid bin.
• Reduce the percentage of food waste placed in the red-lid bin.
• Implementation of a citywide food waste collection service.

The themes for action were adjusted in recognition of the importance of improving kerbside bin use and reducing organic waste to landfill. 

1. Theme 1: Lift the Right Lid. Support residents to use their yellow, green and red kerbside bins correctly.
2. Theme 2: Transforming Organics. Reduce the loss of household food and green waste to landfill.
3. Theme 3: Creating a Zero Waste Society. Reduce per capita waste generation through avoidance, reduction and reuse.
4. Theme 4: Providing Effective Services. Waste and recycling services continue to be cost effective, fit-for-purpose and great to use.

The Implementation Plan details actions under each theme for implementation in year 1 and into the future. Future actions will be programmed at annual reviews in line with external opportunities. Catalyst projects were reframed as actions, for example, Action 2.1 Organics Transformation Plan was previously a Catalyst Project in the draft Plan.

Currently ratepayers are protected from paying the $85 per tonne landfill levy for household waste through an annual payment to Council from the State Government. This annual payment will reduce annually from covering 105% of the levy costs for household waste to 20% by 2030/31.

Additionally, the Queensland Government levy for Redland City Council household waste is set to increase annually from $85 per tonne to over $150 per tonne in 2030/31.

These changes to the waste levy and annual Council payment were announced in December 2021 and Council will need to pay increasing amounts of landfill tax each year from 23/24 if we do not reduce household waste ending up in landfill. Modelling has shown that without changes in how much waste is sent to landfill, Council could end up spending around $27 million in landfill tax for household waste to 2030. 

Residents will need to reduce the amount of recoverable materials they are placing in the red-lid general waste bin as all material in that bin incurs the waste levy. Almost half of red-lid bin waste is food or green waste and an additional 16% is recyclable material. The Plan focuses on actions to improve the way recyclables and organics are managed by residents to ensure that only 'true residuals' end up in the red-lid general waste bin and protect ratepayers from unnecessary costs.

Theme 1: Lift the Right Lid is Council's answer to the strong call for more education and transparency on recycling. By focusing on supporting residents to use their yellow, green and red-lid bins correctly, kerbside recycling performance can be dramatically improved to keep recyclables and organics out of landfill and reduce recycling contamination.  Pages 22-27 detail the various tools for behaviour change and education that Council can use to encourage better recycling by Redlands Coast residents and increased transparency about how Council manage these materials. 

Recycling is confusing to many Australians as recycling systems are complex and constantly evolving. In year 1, Council will develop a three year Education and Communication Plan (Action 1.1) to establish a coordinated approach for delivery of waste education that aligns with national and state messaging and local recycling systems. A planned approach to waste education will improve 'cut through' and reduce confusion to empower residents to lift the right lid more.

In addition, in year 1 Council will continue our existing waste education program (Action 1.2) and household bin feedback program (Action 1.4). Council will also implement regular community updates (Action 1.3) to provide greater transparency on progress against recycling targets.

Redlands Coast has six dedicated recycling trucks which collected more than 9700 tonnes of plastic, aluminum and steel, glass, paper and cardboard from kerbside recycling bins in 2021/22. All recyclable materials are transported to the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) at Murarrie, where it is manually screened for large contamination and waste items before being processed by advanced mechanical sorting technology. Once processed, your recycling material is then either used in re-manufacturing right here in Australia, or sold for recycling locally or overseas.

As sophisticated as the machinery is, it still can’t remove all contaminants, so it’s vital that soft plastics (bags/wrapping etc.), polystyrene and other general waste be kept out of your yellow-lid recycling bin.

Household food waste collection presents an opportunity for Council to significantly reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. It will require residents to separate out their food waste effectively to be successful. 

Establishing a food waste collection service will require good planning and considerable resources. Council is committed to understanding the affordability of food waste management systems and protecting Redlands Coast residents from unnecessary costs. Council will assess the business case for food waste collection options when more information is available from the existing trials to ensure the approach is financially viable and that there are markets for this material.

Council will develop a staged Organics Transformation Plan for Redlands Coast that aligns with the Queensland Government’s Organic Waste Action Plan (Action 2.1). The Plan includes details of Council's approach to transforming the way organics (food and green waste) are managed.. See pages 29 to 33 for more detail on the key considerations for food waste collection, and page 37 for Council's actions for year one (1) and into the future.

Council has previously investigated the options of a larger green-lid waste bin. Unfortunately, the additional collection cost of a larger green-lid waste bin is prohibitive compared to getting two green bins if residents need more capacity.

The green-lid waste bin service is currently an opt-in service offered to residents who produce green waste at their home or business and can’t or don’t want to take it to the Recycling and Waste Centres. 

Recycling creates jobs, and there is an additional cost to collect green-lid bins by using extra trucks and employing drivers for those trucks. There are also costs involved in the processing and composting of the green waste. 

Council offers a flexible ‘bin menu’ where residents can save money on their annual waste and recycling charges and reduce their waste ending up in  landfill by getting a green-lid waste bin while downsizing their general waste and upsizing their recycling bins with our sustainable bin set (140L general waste, 240L green waste & 340L recycling). Contact Council to find out more or complete a new bin request.

Council is committed to investigating all options to divert green and food waste from landfill. 

The Queensland Government published its Organics Strategy and Action Plan in early 2022 and the CoMSEQ SEQ Waste Plan 2021 sets a '2030 FOGO target’ for city-wide food waste collection in all South East Queensland Councils. Council will develop an Organics Transformation Plan (Action 2.1) in year one (1) which will layout an approach for improving diversion of food and green waste across the mainland and islands. 

There are some things you can easily implement to reduce your waste.

• Go green and get a green-lid waste bin, if you don’t already have one. Using a green-lid waste bin is an easy and convenient way to ensure your garden waste is recycled and doesn’t end up in your general waste bin and eventually landfill.
• Don’t stop recycling! Did you know that the bathroom is the second most wasteful room in the house? Have a look around your bathroom – no doubt you have shampoo and conditioner bottles, hairspray and other aerosol tins, and liquid soap containers. These can all be recycled! So too can metal tins and cans (yes including that tin of dog food), glass bottles and jars (from that 'spag bol' you made the other night) and paper and cardboard from Friday night’s pizza night! 
• Knowing what goes in each bin is crucial – if you’re not sure check out Council’s Household Waste and Recycling Quick Guide (External link). It contains a detailed list of regular household items and how to dispose of them.
• Smart Shopping – stop the rot! Planning your weekly meals and being mindful about your grocery shop can help avoid food waste and save money. Setting a realistic meal plan allows you to buy only what you need.   Before you go shopping, take a look in your fridge and cupboards to see what you already have. Avoid unnecessary promotions on fresh foods. Read up on food storage and preparation to make sure all that hard work and money doesn’t go to waste. Check out the new Stop Food Waste Australia (External link) website for more helpful hints and ideas.
• Composting - can you dig it? For families who generate a little more food waste, composting is a great way to help create or improve existing garden beds. You can purchase a compost bin from your local hardware store or you can make your own.  For smart tips on how to maintain your compost visit Council’s Create your own compost (External link) page.
• Have you got worms? A worm farm reduces your environmental footprint because you are removing organic waste from landfill. Worm farms are suitable for smaller families or individuals and they love most fruit and vegetable food scraps – they even like tea/coffee, egg shells and hair! Most hardware stores stock worms and worm farms and are happy to give advice around setting up your worm farm. There’s also a wealth of knowledge on what to feed the worms and how to keep them happy - visit Council’s Create your own worm farm page.

There are a number of reasons for the name change. Over two thirds of materials managed at these facilities are recyclables that are temporarily stored until they are sent to various recycling facilities in South East Queensland. The renaming also aligns more closely with Council and the Queensland Government’s 30-year target of zero waste to landfill and also brings us more closely in line with the naming conventions used by other local government areas.  

The easiest way to reduce waste going to landfill is to sort your load before your visit the Recycling and Waste Centre. Before loading your vehicle, think about what you’re dropping off. Segregate your landfill waste and your recyclables so that when you arrive at the RaWC’s, it will be much easier to dispose of your items. Get familiar with the site layout and where each recyclable material should be placed in addition to the general waste bins.