FROM REDLAND CITY COUNCIL
Redlands Coast, it’s time for all of us to rethink our waste.
The city’s long-term goal is to become a zero-waste society by 2050, but we can only achieve this by cutting down the amount of waste we are currently sending to landfill.
At the moment, about 16 per cent of what ends up in kerbside red-lid bins could be recycled in yellow-lid bins, with the most common culprits being paper, cardboard and hard plastics.
There are several reasons we need to improve our waste habits as a community, with one of the most important being a need to mitigate the rising costs of waste management.
The increasing Queensland waste disposal levy alone is expected to add an extra $8.6 million to Council’s annual waste bill by 2031.
Cutting down waste in your household and improving your recycling habits also has a range of environmental benefits for our community.
One of these is a stronger circular economy, which will reduce the reliance on our finite natural resources and unlock more jobs in recycling.
It pays to be mindful that landfill sites have a range of impacts on our environment, from emitting harmful greenhouse gasses to putting waste materials in the ground that take a significant amount of time to break down.
Our society is also quickly running out of land to accommodate these facilities and the cost of their long-term maintenance after they close comes at a significant cost to local governments, and therefore the community.
A range of resources are available online to help you rethink your waste. This includes an A-Z Recycling Guide on Council’s website, and the downloadable Recycle Mate app for your smartphone.
Council also has a flexible bin menu available that allows you to downsize your general waste bin or upgrade your recycling waste bin for a one-off establishment fee, helping you increase your recycling output.
Let’s make that extra effort to reduce our waste and everyone will benefit.
To find out more about waste and recycling on Redlands Coast, visit the Redland City Council website.
