The Southern Downs Regional Council Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan 2021-2024 (PDF 4MB) sets a clear path for the management of solid waste in the Southern Downs region towards 2024. Waste diversion, resource recovery and landfill security are the major themes and strategic objectives which lay the foundation for the actions articulated in the Waste Plan.

The Waste Hierarchy….Let’s Sort it Out!

Following the waste hierarchy is a fundamental step in decreasing waste production. It is important to deal with waste in the correct order of preference to ensure that every step is being taken to minimise waste and its effect on the environment.

Council supports an approach to resource recovery that aligns with the waste hierarchy, with the avoidance and reducing components addressed through our waste education actions. Reuse and recycling, with a focus on developing local re-use solutions, will support job creation in the region and extend the duration of the Warwick landfill.

How Can I Minimise Waste….Let’s Sort it Out!

We all have a responsibility to minimise the waste that we produce due to the ongoing long-term effects it has on our environment.  There are many ways we can minimise our waste - at home, shopping, at school and work to name a few:

At Home

Reuse glass jars and plastic containers to store leftovers and other household items
Compost or worm farm 
Sort your rubbish
Use your local recycling service or kerbside recycling collection
If you do use plastic bags, reuse these as bin liners 
Use both sides of the paper and reuse items such as envelopes
Recycle whenever and wherever possible. Donate unwanted furniture and clothes to charity stores such as the Endeavour Recycle Shop

At the Shops

Smart shopping means making smarter choices about the products you purchase, so you will avoid buying items that you will only throw away. You can also reduce your shopping bill at the same time. Don’t just Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – it’s important to RETHINK!
Decide if you actually need the product in the first place
Use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags  
Buy fresh food
Buy products in bulk
Buy recycled products and products with recycled packaging
Buy products with low or no packaging; avoid over-packaged products
Buy refills and refillable products
Buy long lasting products instead of disposable or single use items
Write out a list and stick to it

At School and Work

Teach students about the importance of waste minimisation
Use both sides of the paper and reuse items such as envelopes
Educate staff and students to be responsible consumers 
Promote recycling and litter control   
Carry lunch in a reusable container instead of wrapping in plastic 
Compost or worm farm 
Donate unwanted furniture and clothes to charity stores
Encourage students to take the message home to their families 

How Can I Recycle….Let’s Sort it Out!

Many items can be recycled to prevent them from being disposed into landfill.  Below are some recycling programs you can participate in.

• Use your yellow-lidded recycling bin to recycle many items generated within the household.
• Pack your load for your visit to a Council waste facility so it is easy to separate items for recycling. The following waste types can be recycled at some or all of Council’s waste facilities: general recyclables, green waste, scrap metal, vehicle batteries, engine oil, tyres, electronic waste, drumMUSTER (empty and clean agvet chemical containers) and clean concrete.
• Visit Cartridges 4 PlanetArk for the drop-off locations to recycle printer cartridges from participating manufacturers.
• Visit MobileMuster for drop-off locations to recycle mobile phones.
• Visit Eco Batt - Your Battery Recycler for information on recycling small batteries under 5kg.  All SDRC supervised waste facilities have clearly marked wheelie bins or white 10 litre buckets to accept small household batteries.
• Visit Big Bag Recovery for information on recycling bags that carry bulk products like fertiliser, seeds, animal feeds, flour, salt, sugar, sand, gravel, mulch, cement and more. You can now recycle your 'big bags' at Council's supervised Transfer Stations providing they are on the list of approved bags accepted by Big Bag Recovery.

Organic Waste.…Let’s Sort it Out!

Approximately half of the waste going into the household waste stream each week is organic compostable waste (food waste and garden waste), making worm farming and composting an effective and beneficial method of reducing waste going into landfill.
Worm farming and composting are easy ways to create good garden soil and fertiliser, and can be used as tools for decreasing our waste.

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