Results from the 2025 MidWaste Kerbside Waste Audit have revealed that households in Port Macquarie Hastings are outperforming state averages, achieving a 75% landfill diversion rate, with most of the household waste being successfully kept out of landfill through recycling and the Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service.
"This is a win for our community. We want to thank our residents for their ongoing efforts and commitment to recycling and waste reduction," Port Macquarie Hastings Council (PMHC) Group Manager for Utilities, Planning and Design Cameron Hawkins said. "Simple, everyday actions can have a powerful impact and these outstanding results are proof of that. We all have a vital role to play in reducing waste and protecting our environment."
Key results from the report include:
Strong participation and low contamination
98% of households present a general waste bin, with 83% presenting both recycling and FOGO bins, demonstrating high participation across all services.
Recycling contamination remains relatively low, at 9% of the recycling stream, while FOGO contamination is just 1%, highlighting good sorting habits and strong awareness of what belongs in each bin.
The overall recovery rate of recyclable materials through the kerbside system sits at a high 91%.
Leading food waste recovery
Residents are also outperforming the NSW average when it comes to food waste recovery.
45% of all household food waste is being correctly placed in the FOGO bin.
This is significantly higher than the NSW average for similar FOGO systems (29%) and reflects steady improvement following the introduction of FOGO. Garden organics recovery is particularly strong, with 99% captured through the FOGO service.
The results also highlighted opportunities to improve recycling and waste disposal habits and increase landfill diversion rate to 85%.
The report noted that over 30% of general waste consists of food, either loose or still in its packaging, that could be removed from its container and placed in the FOGO bin. Redirecting this material has the potential to reduce general waste by almost a third.
Recyclable materials, particularly paper, cardboard and plastic containers that belong in the yellow bin still account for about 10% of general waste collected. Hazardous waste like vapes, batteries, e-waste and household chemicals, which can be dropped off for free at Council's waste facilities, also continue to appear in household red bins.
To support the community, PMHC runs waste education programs throughout the year, as well as events like Repair Fair and Garage Sale Trail to bring people together and help make reuse and recycling opportunities more accessible.
Download the free WasteInfo App or visit pmhc.nsw.gov.au/waste to learn more about what goes in each bin and other waste information.
