FAQs

A Waste Strategy shows a pathway to sustainable waste management for us and the community. It holds us accountable for our promise to the community, but also outlines our expectations in the community to manage waste in a sustainable and effective way.

We have a diverse community across our region that we service waste for every single week:

Waste management is important to us, and we know the community cares too. All members of our community have an interaction with waste in their day-to-day life, so we need to make it an effective and sustainable system of management. 

In the Household Kerbside Bin Audit 2023, we learnt more about the material compositions of our bins:

Our new strategy outlines the ways we plan to maximise the use of FOGO in the community, reduce instances of contaminated bins and ultimately lead less waste to landfill.

However, our waste service is not only residential. Over 40 percent of waste received at the Wollongong Waste and Resource Recovery Park is commercial waste. We have to consider the needs and complexities of our community in our waste management for the next 10 years, especially as we have an increasing population.

Our Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2024-2034 has been built using feedback from experts in the waste space, but also feedback from the everyday residents in our community. 

In early May, we opened up a conversation with the community called Talking Waste for 2024-2034. We gathered feedback from over 130 people through in-person conversations, workshops and surveys with the Aboriginal community, Neighbourhood Forums, Resident Action Groups, waste and circular economy leaders, and our broader community who represented Wollongong’s diverse population. 

Throughout our engagement process to create this document, there were several themes that arose from the feedback we gathered, and we have incorporated them into the priorities and actions of this strategy. You can read the Engagement Report of the first conversation we had with the community in May.

We have an internal team who have been working to design this strategic document. Many areas of Council are involved with the development of this Draft Strategy so that it is feasible and achievable. People from our teams in Waste, Environment, Communications, Procurement, Open Spaces, Customer Service and Engagement have been consulted throughout this project.

Our last strategy helped pave the way for some important achievements in our waste management. We thought it would be important to show what we achieved in our last 10 year strategy:

• Introduction of a weekly green bin FOGO service
• Increased Landfill gas capture at Whytes Gully
• The construction and opening of the Community Recycling Centre
• Community Recycling Stations
• Introduction of Australia’s first hydrogen powered waste collection truck
• Improved Environmental performance at our waste facility
• Waste education including a one stop waste service app.
• Sustainable waste management at public/special events
• Improvement of the Household Cleanup Service
• Enhanced Christmas recycling service and Greenwaste drop off services

A circular economy is an approach to managing resources where everything is reused and recycled for as long as possible. This model seeks to replace the traditional 'take, make, dispose' system by designing waste out of the picture. Products are made to last longer, and when they reach the end of their life, their materials are kept within the economy, being reused or recycled into new products. This reduces the need for new raw materials and helps protect the environment. 

FOGO is a successful circular economy example that Council has adopted and has resulted in hundreds of tonnes of organic food waste being diverted from landfill. 

Waste fees are complicated and change often. However, we have created a visual that can help the community understand how domestic waste fees are broken down:

For every tonne of landfill that goes to our Whytes Gully Tip, the NSW State Government applies a waste levy. From the 1 July 2024, the levy is $170.10 per tonne. Reducing waste sent to landfill is a priority for us as the levies are expensive and add up in the cost for domestic waste services.

Some steps people can take to help keep waste costs down include:

• Downsizing the red bin to a smaller size.
• Embrace FOGO, as processing FOGO is more cost effective than sending food waste to landfill.
• Keep recycling materials out of the red lid bin and use the community recycling facility and centres.

Following the adoption of the Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2034, an implementation plan will be developed which will outline timeframes and budgets for the completion of the actions outlined in this strategy.

The Draft Strategy went before Council on the 24 June 2024 and has been endorsed for exhibition. You can read the minutes of the Council meeting or view the live recording.

The project team may make amendments to the draft strategy based on the feedback received. The revised strategy is then presented to Council to be endorsed.

At the end of this engagement period, the feedback will be collated and fed back to the officer responsible for the draft strategy. They will amend the Draft Strategy if needed, before submitting the final version before Councillors to be endorsed.