Household food scraps collection by 2030, services for hard to recycle items like soft plastics and textiles, and more support for businesses moving towards a circular economy are all part of the City of Sydney's plan to reduce the amount of items being sent to landfill over the next decade.
The new waste reduction and circular materials strategy 2025–2035 is now on public exhibition, and it sets an ambitious vision to position Sydney as a leader in the circular economy.
"We are in a crisis where every effort must be stepped up so we can move away from being a wasteful nation to one where all of our materials are in use for as long as possible," Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said.
"We need more innovation to tackle this problem which is why we'll invest in new ideas and systems over the next decade and expand our services and education programs so our communities are better informed.
"We're already thinking outside the box with our NSW-first trial that uses insects to process food scraps locally. These food scraps used to rot in landfill, emitting methane. Now, they're being made into protein-rich animal feed and fertiliser to grow more food.
"Reducing waste must be a priority for all levels of government. We want state and federal governments to invest more in recycling infrastructure and create laws to encourage manufacturers to design goods for a circular world.
"Governments can't do this work alone – everyone has a role in reducing waste. Meeting our ambitious targets will take active participation by residents and businesses, which is why the new strategy emphasises community partnerships."
Up to 70% of the items that end up in red lid bins could be recycled using existing services and those that are coming in the next 10 years.
The City of Sydney will continue promoting its services and educating residents and businesses to improve understanding of responsible consumption, waste avoidance and the principles of a circular economy.
The strategy champions waste avoidance and positions Sydney as a leader in the circular economy, with ambitious targets including:
- 90% diversion from landfill of residential waste by 2035
- 40% source-separated recycling of household waste
- 15% reduction in residential waste generation.
It also builds on popular services like Recycle It Saturday and outlines 39 new actions to reduce, reuse and recycle materials across the local area.
To have your say on the new waste reduction and circular materials strategy 2025–2035, visit Sydney Your Say.
