Crack out the candles and cake…the award-winning Greater Toowoomba Waste Management Facility is celebrating a decade of positive community impact this week.
The O'Mara Road, Wellcamp facility celebrated its 10th birthday on Sunday 7 December and there is much for the Toowoomba Region to be pleased with the facility.
Toowoomba Regional Council Waste portfolio spokesperson Councillor Melissa Taylor said the facility was an important part of the Region's waste management framework.
"Since the Greater Toowoomba Waste Management Facility was officially opened some 10 years ago, it has helped divert about 120,000 tonnes of waste from landfill resulting in significant economic, environmental, and social benefits for our community.
"It is an award-winning place having won the Waste Management Association of Australia Landfill and Transfer Station Innovation Award in 2017 and Excellence Award in 2019," Cr Taylor said.
"It features dedicated areas for bulk recyclable wastes, recyclable and recoverable wastes and residual wastes which helps to increase the amount of material diverted from landfill.
"In fact, around 65 percent of all waste delivered to the facility is diverted from landfill which is twice the rate of other Council-owned waste management facilities," she said.
"Diverting waste from landfill has environmental benefits like a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, conservation of natural resources, reducing pollution and protecting land and ecosystems.
"Economic benefits for the community include lower disposal costs over time, extending the landfill lifespan and creating economic opportunities by employing people through our Recycle Markets. It also supports a circular economy, improves local amenity and builds community environmental awareness," she said.
