Towards Zero Waste
Brisbane City Council Waste Minimisation Strategy
2009-2026
Don’t throw it all away
Introduction
As Australia’s largest local government authority, Brisbane City Council faces a continual
challenge to manage the waste of a large and growing city in the most sustainable way. Our
Living in Brisbane 2026 vision for the future is to set the city on a course Towards Zero Waste.
Council has given high priority to implementing the sustainable policies and actions needed to
achieve this vision. The development of this Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy,
Towards Zero Waste, supports Council’s Green Heart initiatives and will assist Brisbane to
achieve a cleaner and greener future.
“What we throw away is governed by what we buy, how much we use
and how efficiently we use.”
How are we currently performing?
96% of Brisbane residents participate in residential recycling services. We recycle approximately
18% of paper, cardboard, glass, metal and plastics from our homes, however, there is still room
for improvement. Almost 32% of recyclable products still end up in landfill. Our landfill also
contains nearly 43% of organic resources which have potential use.
How can Brisbane move Towards Zero Waste?
This idea will require a significant behavioural shift within our community. Our present ‘throwaway’ or ‘disposable’ society mindset will need to be vastly altered in order to embrace the notion
of waste minimisation, beneficial reuse and resource recovery. If we don’t make considerable
culture changes within our community, a large portion of Brisbane’s financial wealth will continue
to be spent on addressing ever increasing waste management issues. Residents will need to buy
‘greener’, while industry will need to design and manufacture ‘cleaner’. Where waste generation
cannot be avoided, it needs to be recovered as a resource to be reused or recycled. By taking
these steps, our reliance on landfill will progressively reduce. Where a landfill is in operation,
landfill gas can be used as a source of energy. There are also social and economic realities to
consider when managing Brisbane’s waste.
“What we throw away is governed by what we buy, how much we use
and how efficiently we use it.”
Change of focus
Previously, waste management decisions have focused on minimising risk to the environment
and public health. Climate change issues are now driving the need for more sustainable practices
across all industry sectors, to address ever increasing waste issues. It is evident that reducing the
amount of waste we produce is the most effective thing we can do. However to do this, we must
take a different view of waste:
We must look at preventative measures to not have waste in the first place.
We should think of waste as a resource – a lot of the waste in landfill is something of
value, not something worthless.
“We should think of waste as a resource.”
Figure 1 Linear process diagram showing how the raw material moves to end of life
Rather than the linear ‘cradle to grave’ process above, where a product has no use at the end of
its life, we must think in cycles: ‘cradle to cradle’. At the end of the original life of a product, it
should be used to begin life as another product – just like our natural eco-systems.
“We must think in cycles: ‘cradle to cradle’ – just like our natural ecosystems.”
The cyclic process moves from raw material, through the same steps of the linear process, but
instead of going to waste after product use, it is reused and starts a new life cycle.
Rather than a waste disposal system (waste to landfill) we should consider a resource
management system, just like other products and manage as part of a normal supply chain.
Towards Zero Waste Strategy: Brisbane City Council
Council will need to:
Encourage the community to change their current purchasing practices to reduce waste
generation
Promote reuse as a waste prevention opportunity
Improve our collection and sorting processes for recyclable items to ensure we provide
quality products for manufacturers to use
Work with industry sectors to build strong markets to process waste resources into usable
end products
Promote industries that produce quality re-useable products
Continue providing and promoting our successful kerbside recycling program to residents;
and
Enhance recycling opportunities away from home, to ensure that our residents and
visitors to Brisbane can ‘recycle at work, school and play, just like it’s done at home’.
Recycle at work, school and play, just like it’s done at home.
Towards Zero Waste Strategy: Brisbane City Council
What are Council’s goals
The four overarching goals of the Toward Zero Waste Strategy align directly with the Living in
Brisbane 2026 Vision.
Increase awareness of waste avoidance, reuse, recycling and litter prevention.
Increase the recovery, reuse and recycling of resources.
Reduce the volume of waste disposed at landfill.
Provide world-class waste management and litter infrastructure and services.
To make sure we stay on track, we have set some targets and milestones.
Indicator
Total domestic
waste to landfill
(per annum)
Total domestic
waste recycled/
recovered (per
annum
Amount of
resources recycled
from
the domestic
waste stream
(MRF)
Amount of green
waste
recycled/recovered
Amount of
recyclables in the
general
waste bin
(domestic)
Amount of waste
(contamination)
in the recycling bin
(domestic)
Actual 2008
Statistics
378,409
tonnes
75%
128,236
tonnes
25%
Target (per
annum)
Initially
reduce by
4%
Increase by
4%
Goal 2013
(per annum)
55%
Goal 2020
(per annum)
27%
Goal 2026
(per annum)
10%
45%
73%
90%
74,915
tonnes
Initially
increase
by 6%
100,000
tonnes
150,000
tonnes
200,000
tonnes
46,540
tonnes
To be set
when new
service starts
Reduce by
2%
100,000
tonnes
150,000
tonnes
200,000
tonnes
20%
8%
5%
Reduce by
0.5%
6%
4%
2%
32%
9%
The targets quoted are for the period 2008-2013. Beyond this timeframe, the goals
set are considered to be stretch targets which will be continually re-evaluated in
line with population growth.
Our Consumer Society needs to change to a Conserver Society.
Our action plan
To assist in reaching our goals and targets we have developed an action plan.
In 2008, we commenced with 39 actions in spread across three categories:
residents
commercial and Industrial sector
Council activities.
The action plan is reviewed annually in line with Council’s budget process and amended as
necessary to remain aligned to the Living in Brisbane 2026 Vision.
Towards Zero Waste Strategy: Brisbane City Council
How can the community help?
The preferred option is to not have any waste at all. The best method of not having waste is to
control it with the way we buy things. Our Consumer Society needs to change to a Conserver
Society.
Applying the actions suggested in the hierarchy below will definitely help. Visit the Waste and
Recycling section on www.brisbane.qld.gov.au for more information and ways to help us achieve
our Towards Zero Waste goal.
Towards Zero Waste Strategy: Brisbane City Council