Council maps out 10-year strategy for waste management and resource recovery

Ipswich City Council has set out a 10-year road map detailing how it will deliver on the city’s vision for waste management and resource recovery. 

In alignment with council’s Resource Recovery Strategy, the Resource Recovery Implementation Plan (RRIP) outlines the city’s resource recovery strategic priorities and details specifically how they will be actioned and delivered over the next decade in consultation with the community. 

Its focus is on reducing waste generation and landfill disposal, maximising resource recovery opportunities in line with circular economy principles, providing excellence in customer service, and achieving continuous improvement and development of people, processes, infrastructure and technology. 

Mayor Teresa Harding said that council is committed to taking further steps forward for the community on waste and resource recovery. 

“Waste disposal issues in our city are long-running and well known to our stakeholders. At the same time, the evidence base is building for the economic and environmental benefits of the circular economy model,” Mayor Harding said.

“Our new Resource Recovery Implementation Plan provides a roadmap for council to lead by example and deliver best practice waste and resource recovery solutions in line with ratepayers’ expectations.

“It is council’s priority to listen to the diverse voices in our community in moving our city towards a brighter future on waste and resource recovery.” 

Council adopted the innovative Waste and Circular Economy Transformation Directive in December 2020, taking leadership for the city on waste and resource recovery challenges and opportunities. 

The Resource Recovery Strategy is founded upon four key pillars through which the city plans to deliver on its vision for waste management and resource recovery, including:

1. Kerbside food organics and garden organics collection

2. Optimising the city co-mingled recycling service

3. Providing a new on demand large item kerbside collection service; and

4. Having fit-for-purpose waste and resource recovery infrastructure, including building a new recycling and refuse centre   

The plan’s name has been updated from Materials Recovery Plan to Resource Recovery Strategy to reflect Ipswich’s direction towards a circular economy by reducing waste and valuing resources. 

The proposed Resource Recovery Strategy is shaped around community feedback, legislative requirements and best practice resource recovery. 

In 2020 council engaged with the community about its plan to manage the city’s waste moving forward. You can read the results here. 

Council is now seeking feedback on the draft Resource Recovery Strategy from the community. Have your say here:

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