Wollongong Council’s draft Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy aims to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
Gordon Bradbery has a simple message for Wollongong residents – rubbish is everybody’s business.
The outgoing Wollongong Lord Mayor said there had to be a concerted effort to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, otherwise “the planet won’t survive it”.
“Waste is everybody’s issue, from litter to food waste to recycling to living more simply,” he said.
“Managing waste is the largest item in our budget each year, and it will only get more challenging as the population grows.”
Cr Bradbery is urging residents to read through council’s draft Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy and offer feedback while it’s on exhibition until Tuesday 23 July.
The 10-year strategy contains a range of proposals such as a community repair hub, pursuing a solution for soft plastics and increasing FOGO opportunities for residents in multi-unit dwellings.
Another option which has already stirred debate in the community is an opt-in to fortnightly red-lid bin collections.
Cr Bradbery said the idea to offer a fortnightly rather than weekly red bin collection was a key theme of community consultation undertaken in preparation for the strategy.
He said the idea was in line with sending less waste to landfill as the community embraced recycling and increased its use of FOGO.
“We’ve heard some community debate about this idea to investigate moving to a fortnightly waste collection in the future,’’ he said.
“While there are no plans to make any changes to the household collection cycle at this time, having this as something to investigate in a 10-year strategy makes sense given our focus will be on seeking waste solutions that rely less on the red bin.
“The draft waste strategy is the beginning of a conversation about how we manage waste in our community. What we’re proposing is to explore how together we can reduce the amount of general waste to landfill that needs collecting.
“We know some in our community currently need a weekly red-lid bin service. We also know, from audit data, that 30 per cent of red-lid bin contents is organic matter which belongs in the green-lid bin. Others have their household waste management to a point where they may not need a weekly service.
“That’s why, as one part of the draft waste strategy, we will look at options for our domestic waste service.
“Whether the actions are opt-out, opt-in, introducing a rebate, or keeping the current weekly schedule, these are all ideas to explore with our community as we work towards extending the life of our only landfill facility, Whyte’s Gully.”
The draft strategy has four key goals – to reduce waste to landfill, transition to a circular economy, reduce waste-related emissions and improve waste management.
The circular economy is a sustainable and conscious alternative to the standard linear economy, which is based on the model of taking resources, making products, and discarding these products as waste.
In a circular economy, products are reused over and over for as long as possible to reduce the reliance on raw materials.
Cr Bradbery said landfill contributed massively to greenhouse gas emissions.
“Reducing the volume of waste going to landfill and increasing our gas capture at Whyte’s Gully are major ways this plan will support a net zero future for Wollongong,” he said.
To read the draft strategy or provide feedback, go to council’s website, or visit any Wollongong Council library.
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