Sydney has a growing problem – it will run out of landfill space by 2030 if nothing is done about it, according to the state government.
Government says it is acting after a decade of neglect by former governments has left Greater Sydney on the brink of a waste crisis.
The state of the city’s, and the state’s, waste and recycling industry was made public at a NSW Circular Economy Summit just held in Sydney.
The government says that without new waste and recycling solutions, Greater Sydney’s landfill capacity will be exhausted in the next 10 years resulting in much greater waste management costs up for households and businesses.
A failure to act means residents would pay for their waste to be taken to regional areas or interstate, and demolition waste costs would rise.
Government says recycling rates in NSW have stagnated at around 65% since 2015-16 compared to an 80% target by 2030.
State Environment Minister Penny Sharpe says red bins may become a thing of the past if there is no action.
“Sydney is running out of landfill space and our recycling rates have stagnated,” she says.
“We are at a point that if we don’t take urgent action, our red bins won’t be able to be collected in a few years.”
Sharpe blames former governments for the problem, saying they were briefed about this issue.
“Not all the decisions we need to make will be easy or even popular but I’d rather make the hard decisions than have bins that can’t be collected.
“We know the public wants to see less waste in landfill, use less plastic and support recycling and we want to help them do their bit.”
NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) CEO Tony Chappel says a united approach is needed hence the summit.
“As a state, we’re at a critical juncture. We must act now to ensure our infrastructure keeps pace with growing waste volumes, and to maximise recycling and recovery efforts,” he says.
“Through a mix of innovative projects, strategic investments, and collaboration, we can turn this challenge into an opportunity.”
The government says it has identified four strategies:
- Plan and develop critical waste infrastructure: Draw up an inaugural waste infrastructure plan to build new facilities;
- Reduce waste going to landfill: Finalise the waste levy review, enforce the phase-in of source-separated food and garden organic waste for businesses and homes, and roll out the first ever NSW Reuse and Repair Strategy;
- Grow recycling rates and opportunities: Finalise the NSW Plastics Plan to take plastics out of circulation;
- prevent organic waste contamination: Finalise work on product stewardship for batteries, act on chemicals in food packaging and review settings around asbestos.
For more information, visit: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/sydney-landfill-shortage