Decision details

Moved by Councillor Worling, seconded by Councillor Chan –

It is resolved that:

(A)       Council note:

(i)         the City of Sydney collects and manages around 65,000 tonnes of waste each year from more than 115,000 households and around 11,000 tonnes from City-managed assets, parks and public places. By 2030, this waste is forecast to grow to more than 100,000 tonnes a year;

(ii)        currently, more than half of our household and commercial waste goes to landfill with no further opportunity for reuse or recycling, and limited recovery of energy;

(iii)       according to the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy’ published by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in 2021, there will be no capacity at existing landfill sites in NSW by 2036;

(iv)       the City’s current waste strategy, Leave nothing to waste: Waste strategy and action plan 2017-2030, was adopted by Council (following public exhibition) in October 2017. It set the target to divert 70 per cent of residential waste away from landfill (with a minimum of 35 per cent as source-separated recycling). The strategy is currently being reviewed and will be updated to reflect recent federal and state policy changes in waste and the circular economy;

(v)        in February 2023, Council resolved to develop additional ways to manage and monitor residential waste; and to encourage activities to reduce waste and improve recycling, including the development of a community education campaign, which is currently underway;

(vi)       as part of a long-term community strategic plan, the City has committed to support the development of a circular economy through business support programs, community workshops, library services and grants;

(vii)      in May 2023, the Lord Mayor hosted Greater Sydney and Metropolitan Councils, NSW Government agencies and other key stakeholders for the Metropolitan Sydney Mayoral Summit on Waste and has since written to the Premier and relevant NSW Ministers highlighting the urgency for all councils and other levels of government to work together to better manage waste; and

(viii)    since 2014, the City has provided more than $400,000 in kind grants for circular economy related projects; and

(B)       as part of the development of the community education campaign, the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         investigate how the City could support the development and creation of a digital information hub to promote businesses across the Local Government Area who are actively fighting the war on waste and championing a more circular economy;

(ii)        explore ways to further improve our communication with residents, tenants, real estate agents and other stakeholders across the City on how to dispose of unwanted items responsibly;

(iii)       investigate strategic partnerships with existing organisations to assist in the redistribution and rehoming of quality furniture and other household items that could otherwise go to landfill if left out for bulky waste pick-ups;

(iv)       explore opportunities for expanded waste and recycling drop-off services across the Local Government Area;

(v)        develop initiatives to improve recycling, reuse and repair within multi-unit dwellings and investigate incentivising the uptake of dedicated onsite reuse spaces or share rooms through partnerships with community groups and neighbourhood sharing services;

(vi)       explore and develop a dedicated circular economy grant scheme that prioritises supporting and promoting reduce, reuse, repair and recycle innovators and ideas; and

(vii)      facilitate discussions with key stakeholders and strategic partners about waste and the circular economy, and the need to work collaboratively to educate and change behaviours at a local and State level.

Amendment. Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Ellsmore –

That the motion be amended such that it read as follows –

It is resolved that:

(A)       Council note:

(i)         through the National Waste Policy, the Commonwealth Government has introduced the following targets:

(a)        reduce total waste generated by 10 per cent per person by 2030;

(b)        recover 80 per cent of all waste by 2030. Significantly increase the use of recycled content by governments and industry; and

(c)        phase out problematic and unnecessary plastics by 2025;

(ii)        in 2018/19, the Sydney metropolitan area councils sent 993,381 tonnes to landfill (51 per cent of the state);

(iii)       the largest volume of material was collected from the Sydney metropolitan region, although only 25 per cent was recycled. Conversely, the rest of the state collected the least weight, but recycled the greatest proportion of the material;

(iv)       in 2018/19, the Sydney metropolitan area generated 1.84 million tonnes of kerbside waste, of which 847,000 (46 per cent) was diverted from landfill. This was a decrease from 48.8 per cent in 2017/18;

(v)        the City of Sydney collects and manages around 65,000 tonnes of waste each year from more than 115,000 households and around 11,000 tonnes from City-managed assets, parks and public places. By 2030, this waste is forecast to grow to more than 100,000 tonnes a year;

(vi)       currently, more than half of our household and commercial waste goes to landfill with no further opportunity for reuse or recycling, and limited recovery of energy;

(vii)      according to the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy’ published by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in 2021, there will be no capacity at existing landfill sites in NSW by 2036;

(viii)    the City’s current waste strategy, Leave nothing to waste: Waste strategy and action plan 2017-2030, was adopted by Council (following public exhibition) in October 2017. It set the target to divert 70 per cent of residential waste away from landfill (with a minimum of 35 per cent as source-separated recycling). The strategy is currently being reviewed and will be updated to reflect recent federal and state policy changes in waste and the circular economy;

(ix)       in February 2023, Council resolved to develop additional ways to manage and monitor residential waste; and to encourage activities to reduce waste and improve recycling, including the development of a community education campaign, which is currently underway;

(x)        as part of a long-term community strategic plan, the City has committed to support the development of a circular economy through business support programs, community workshops, library services and grants;

(xi)       in May 2023, the Lord Mayor hosted Greater Sydney and Metropolitan Councils, NSW Government agencies and other key stakeholders for the Metropolitan Sydney Mayoral Summit on Waste and has since written to the Premier and relevant NSW Ministers highlighting the urgency for all councils and other levels of government to work together to better manage waste; and

(xii)      since 2014, the City has provided more than $400,000 in kind grants for circular economy related projects; and

(B)       as part of the development of the community education campaign, the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         investigate how the City could support the development and creation of a digital information hub to promote businesses across the Local Government Area who are actively fighting the war on waste and championing a more circular economy;

(ii)        explore ways to further improve our communication with residents, tenants, real estate agents and other stakeholders across the City on how to dispose of unwanted items responsibly;

(iii)       investigate strategic partnerships with existing organisations to assist in the redistribution and rehoming of quality furniture and other household items that could otherwise go to landfill if left out for bulky waste pick-ups;

(iv)       explore opportunities for expanded City-run waste and recycling drop-off services across the Local Government Area;

(v)        develop initiatives to improve recycling, reuse and repair within multi-unit dwellings and investigate incentivising the uptake of dedicated onsite reuse spaces or share rooms through partnerships with community groups and neighbourhood sharing services;

(vi)       explore and develop a dedicated circular economy grant scheme that prioritises supporting and promoting reduce, reuse, repair and recycle innovators and ideas; and

(viii)    facilitate discussions with key stakeholders and strategic partners about waste and the circular economy, and the need to work collaboratively to educate and change behaviours at a local and State level.

The amendment was carried unanimously.

The substantive motion was carried unanimously.

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