What is Sustainable Waste Management?
Sustainable development is ‘development
that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs’
(Brundtland Report). A growing population
and development in the region will
inevitably increase pressures on the
environment with growing waste generation
and disposal rates. Sustainable waste
management aims to address these long
term pressures through the recovery,
recycling, and reuse of resources, and the
minimisation of waste streams. This
includes the management of resources in
an environmentally sound and economically
effective manner.
Most Australian States have Environmental
Protection Acts that recommend the use of the
Waste Hierarchy to steer local authority waste
management options. The Waste Hierarchy
below list the approaches to dealing with waste
in order of preference. The least preferred
option for managing waste, disposal, is located
at the bottom, while the most preferred option,
avoidance, is located at the top. However,
waste minimisation is not just a government
issue – it is also an individual, community and
business responsibility.
How is Council planning for
Sustainable Waste Management?
The quest for waste minimisation across the
region is guided by Council’s Waste
Minimisation Strategy and outlines the following
priorities:

Engaging and educating the community
about opportunities for organics recycling at
home, better recycling systems for homes
and businesses, and awareness of the
services Council provides.

Recovering organic waste from domestic
residences that can’t be utilised at home.

Setting an example by minimising Council’s
waste.

Facilitating local value-adding to recycling
by re-manufacturing and purchase of
recyclable products here on the Sunshine
Coast.

Utilising opportunities to generate
renewable energy.

Improving the Resource Recovery Centres
and Landfills up to best practice standards
How can you help with Sustainable Waste Management?
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Sustainable Waste Management fact sheet
How can organic waste contribute to
Greenhouse Gases and Climate
Change?
How can you use organics as a
resource and help fight climate
change?
Organic waste can be materials such as food,
garden waste, paper, cardboard, timber,
textiles, rubber and sludge (solids from the
sewage treatment process). Burying organic
waste in a landfill is of concern and not just
because of the resource we lose. Organic
waste in a landfill will begin to decompose
aerobically (with oxygen).
The following suggestions will help make a
difference and assist in diverting organic waste
materials from landfill:
Once this oxygen is depleted, the process
changes to anaerobic (without oxygen)
decomposition. Anaerobic decomposition
produces carbon dioxide and methane gases
(both greenhouse gases), which enter the
atmosphere and increase the greenhouse
effect, contributing to global warming and
climate change.
Methane gas emitted globally from landfilled
waste has been estimated at approx. 40 million
tonnes per year. Waste currently occupies 66%
of the Sunshine Coast Council’s carbon
footprint.
In 2006-2007 Australia generated an estimated
20.06 million tonnes of organic waste. Of that
organic waste, only 32% was diverted to landfill
(Nation Waste Overview 2009). Through
improving and increasing this diversion rate, we
can make a positive contribution towards the
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and
abate the threat and long term impact of climate
change. These actions will also contributing to
the Sunshine Coast Council’s vision of
becoming Australia’s most sustainable region.
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Sustainable Waste Management fact sheet


Utilise composting, worm farming and
mulching tools and techniques to recycle
fruit and vegetable scraps, garden waste,
tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells,
shredded paper, cotton textiles, etc.
Attend one of Council’s free Compost and
Worm Farming Workshops. For more
information contact Customer Service on
(07) 5475 7272.

Chickens are another wonderful recycling
tool and will help with the above organic
waste and more, e.g. they can be fed bread,
meat and dairy scraps that cannot go in a
compost bin or worm farm. Please check
Council’s regulations regarding how many
chickens you can keep.

Acquire a Garden Waste Bin and participate
in the Council’s Garden Waste Collection
Service, where separated garden waste is
delivered to Council’s Resource Recovery
facilities. and mulched on-site

When you go to the tip, sort and separate
your garden waste, paper, cardboard, and
timber materials before you go. This
ensures the materials can be recovered,
mulched, and recycled on-site, or at a
further reprocessing facility. You will also be
charged less for a sorted and separated
load.

Apply the waste hierarchy principle when
clearing out and disposing of organic
materials; for example, many textiles can be
handed down to be reused by someone
else, or as rags, drop sheets, cover, etc.,
and always consider the ‘end of line’
outcome when purchasing items to make
sustainable and responsible choices.