The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) is seeking $120 million from the Federal Government over four years to standardise kerbside bins across Australia’s cities, towns and regions and implement a new national education campaign.
The Association says a national approach to kerbside recycling will help councils to reduce the five mega tonnes (MT) of waste sent to Australian landfills every year – equivalent to the weight of about 31 Sydney Opera Houses.
ALGA President, City of Sydney Councillor Linda Scott said confusion around which products can be recycled – and which kerbside bin should be used – remains a significant barrier to diverting waste from landfill.
“Australia’s councils are committed to reducing the waste we send to landfill, as well as recovering valuable resources that can be separated, processed and used to make new products,” President Scott said.
“Standardising bin lids across the entire country would allow us to run a national education campaign that would give Australians the information they need to make informed decisions about what they put in their bins.
“While NSW, Victoria and the ACT already have standardised kerbside bins, this new federal program would enable councils in other states and territories to accelerate the transition in a nationally consistent way.”
Local councils manage around 25% of Australia’s waste, collecting approximately 9.7 mega tonnes each year from kerbside bin services. This waste is sorted at material recovery facilities and dispatched to what can be recycled at reprocessing facilities in Australia and overseas.
President Scott said local government was also working closely with the Federal Government to strengthen product stewardship.
“Fundamental to improving kerbside recycling collection is the redesign of packaging so there is less waste, and it contains less mixed material and is more easily recycled,” President Scott said.
