New approaches to living without landfill

Our vision for waste and recycling in Randwick

The overall vision of Randwick City Council is to manage our waste as a valuable resource. We aim to recover the maximum resources possible, while protecting the environment and making our city a healthy place to live.

The Australian waste and recycling environment

Australians are among the highest producers of waste in the world, and the majority of this waste ends up in landfill. Unfortunately, landfill generates highly polluted leachate and greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and climate change. That's why we need to find a better alternative.

Current waste generation

Currently, the Randwick City Council area produces 52,000 tonnes of waste per year. This consists of:

• Dry recycling: 14,000 tonnes per year
• Green waste recycling: 6,000 tonnes per year
• Landfill disposal: 32,000 tonnes per year.

Waste strategy

Randwick City Council's Waste Strategy PDF, 2551.95 KB provides a framework for planning and managing our waste both now and in the future. Furthermore, it sets out how we aim to reduce waste generation and, as a result, reduce our impact on the environment.

Our targets

In line with the New South Wales Government targets, Randwick City Council is aiming to:

• Divert at least 66% of our waste from landfills by 2014
• Ensure there is no untreated waste going to landfill by 2020.

We also aim to:

• Create awareness of the 'waste to resource' concept
• Promote the introduction of alternative waste technologies and environmentally sound collection methods
• Continue to improve collection systems to meet our customer needs and achieve resource recovery targets
• Design and implement programs to improve recovery from kerbside recycling
• Implement Alternative Waste Technology that will ensure we meet the 66% resource recovery target by 2014
• Review the performance of Alternative Waste Technology and implement ecologically sustainable improvements to achieve 'no untreated waste to landfill' by 2020
• Develop and implement community engagement programs aimed at reduction of contamination in recycling and garden organics bins
• Review and implement improved waste education programs to meet the needs of ecologically sustainable development.