Ipswich City Council continues to be a leader in recycling with residents being offered more opportunities to dispose of materials free of charge.
A report to council concerning recycling and refuse centre fees and charges recommended sweeping changes.
“The current scheduled waste disposal charges for the recycling and refuse centres do not provide residents with any financial incentive to sort their waste and use the recycling drop-off areas at the sites,” said Works, Parks and Recreation Chief Operating Officer Bryce Hines.
“There is a financial benefit to council if waste streams that do not incur removal charges are directed to the recycling drop-off areas at the recycling and refuse centres. This practice will reduce future waste levy costs and increase rebate revenue.”
Mr Hines said that at the Riverview and Rosewood centres, there are some waste streams that are removed by recycling contractors at no charge or, in some cases, the contractor even provides a rebate for the collected material.
“For this to occur, the material must be unloaded at the appropriate drop-off areas rather than placed into the disposal pit at the Riverview site or skips at Rosewood.”
There are two waste streams (glass and paint products) that are currently being accepted at the centres without charge.
Paint products are being accepted at Riverview under the provisions of the national Paintback scheme. The scheme allows the general public and commercial operators to bring in up to 100 litres of paint in containers of no more than 20 litres capacity at no charge.
Glass bottles and jars are also being accepted at both centres as an alternative to the previous arrangement of recycling the material through the yellow top collection service.
With the commencement of the Queensland Waste levy on 1 July 2019, council will incur an additional $75 per tonne waste levy to send the material that is placed in the disposal pit/skips to landfill.
Mr Hines said various materials would be accepted at the centres from Ipswich residents at no charge provided that the material is not mixed with other waste material that will be directed for landfill disposal – in other words, the load has to only include these products and be sorted.
They are:
Riverview and Rosewood Recycling and Refuse Centres
- Glass bottles and jars
- Scrap metal and aluminium
- Car batteries
- Cardboard
- Motor Oil (20L limit)
Riverview Recycling and Refuse Centre only
- E-Waste
- Paint and eligible products accepted through the Paintback scheme.
At Riverview, paint and eligible products accepted through the Paintback scheme would also continue to be accepted at no charge from commercial sources.
Charging would continue for recyclable materials that incur removal charges or additional handling costs such as tyres, dirt, concrete, chemical wastes and appliances containing refrigerant (degassing costs are incurred).
“There will be a financial benefit from a reduction in future waste levy costs if more material is diverted from landfill,” he said.
The changes take effect from 1 July, 2019.
