RE-USE RECYLE It’s too good - Sunshine Coast Council/media/Corporate/...Sunshine Coast Waste Discussion Paper Page 1 Discussion Paper Our Sunshine Coast It’s too good to waste

Sunshine Coast Waste Discussion Paper Page 1

Discussion Paper

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Waste

Reduction

for a

Sustainable

Sunshine

Coast

AVOID

REDUCE

RE-USE

RECYLE

WASTE TO ENERGY

DISPOSAL


Contents:

CONTENTS: .......................................................................................................................... 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 3

KEY POINTS: ........................................................................................................................ 3

MILESTONES ........................................................................................................................ 4

WHAT IS THIS DISCUSSION PAPER FOR?....................................................................................... 5

“THANK YOU” TO OUR TASKFORCE!! .......................................................................................... 5

WHAT DO YOU THINK?............................................................................................................ 5

THE CHALLENGES FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT ............................................................................... 6

POPULATION GROWTH = WASTE GROWTH................................................................................... 7

OBJECTIVES OF THE SUNSHINE COAST WASTE REDUCTION STRATEGY .................................................. 8

TARGETS ............................................................................................................................. 9

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ................................................................................................... 10

SO HOW CAN WE REDUCE THE WASTE OF RESOURCES? ................................................................... 11

WASTES AREN’T WASTES! ..................................................................................................... 13

ADVANCED WASTE TECHNOLOGIES .......................................................................................... 14

A MAJOR OPPORTUNITY – THE SUSTAINABILITY PARK ................................................................... 16

COUNCIL FACILITIES ............................................................................................................. 18

SERVICES AND PRICING ......................................................................................................... 20

NO “SILVER BULLET” ........................................................................................................... 24

IMPLEMENTATION : RECOMMENDED SEQUENCE......................................................................... 25

SUGGESTED SPECIFIC INITIATIVES ............................................................................................. 26

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ..................................................................... 26

AVOID, REDUCE & RE-USE .......................................................................................... 26

RECYCLING ............................................................................................................. 27

WASTE TO ENERGY ................................................................................................... 28

DISPOSAL ............................................................................................................... 29


Executive Summary

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council (Council) has embarked on a journey to becoming Australia’s

most sustainable region and reducing our wastes to landfill to zero by 2020. Minimising our wastes

and maximising the re-use of embodied resources is a major part of becoming sustainable. This

Discussion Paper sets out the general direction we need to head for improved waste management

and has been informed by the suggestions of the WASTE TASKFORCE made up of community

members, waste managers and producers in the private sector, and the Council’s staff. After

feedback on this document, Council and the Taskforce will develop a draft Strategy for consideration

by Councillors in November. The Strategy aims to divert 70% of waste by 2014.

Key Points:

Council’s landfills will be full by 2014 if we do nothing. However, if all the measures suggested

are successful, we will divert 70% of our “wastes” and our landfills will last for another 20 years.

Council must lead by example, educate and partner with the community and industry to be

successful in reaching its objectives.

Council will partner with State and Federal Governments to require waste avoidance by

manufacturers.

Waste is responsible for 2/3’s of Council’s greenhouse gases and we will be paying about $2m in

carbon taxes each year if we don’t reduce our land-filling and install methane capture.

Organics (paper, cardboard, garden waste and food) are the primary cause of greenhouse gases,

odours and leachate and are the highest priority for diverting from landfill.

Residents can reduce their water bills and improve their gardens by composting or worm-

farming their own organics and Council will assist residents to do this.

Council will assist local businesses to become more eco-efficient by reducing waste, water and

power use to improve both our competitiveness and sustainability.

Council will be seeking a private sector partner to recycle 70% of our construction waste.

Council will increase the role of community groups in managing our Resource Recovery Centres

and tip shops and partner with education and creative industries.

Council will review the Resource Recovery Centres to facilitate improved recycling.

Recycling organics into compost and /or energy will foster local employment and Council will

seek tenders for a composter by 2012.

Council will develop a “Sustainability Industrial Park” at Caloundra South to locate new “green”

industries to re-manufacture products from the recovered resources and create “green” jobs.

Council will seek approval to build a Resource Recovery Centre at Coolum, and extend some

landfills for the residuals not recycled.

Council will look at locating an Advanced Waste Treatment facility at the Sustainability Park to

synchronise with new collection system in 2014.

Council will trial new collection systems to cost-effectively remove food from the general waste

bins, including a three bin system of waste, recyclables and organics.

Council will set short term Key Performance Indicators to assess progress of the Strategy.


N.B. TIMINGS ARE APPROXIMATE

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Decide on

AWT, Waste to

Energy, re-

manufacturing

@ Sust. Park

Composter

@ Sust.

Park

opens

Major

domestic

waste

reduction

& recycling

program

Open Cal.

Sth

Sustain-

ability

Park

Anti-

plastic

bag

campaign

Report on

suitability

of

anaerobic

digestion

Major Waste Reduction Milestones

Eco-

efficiency

partnership

with

business

Zero

Green-

house

gases

from

l’fills

C&D

recycling

opens

Organic

waste

trials

Tender for

new

regional

collection

contract

New collection

system &

Advanced

Waste

Treatment


What is this Discussion Paper for?

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council resolved to ask a group of informed and community-minded

people to offer their advice on future waste management. This Waste Taskforce and Council have

developed this Discussion Paper to present their ideas and suggestions for future waste

management to prompt the wider community and industry to respond with their own ideas and

reactions. After that feedback has been considered, a draft Sunshine Coast Waste Reduction

Strategy will be presented to Council in November for their consideration and eventual adoption to

guide the waste management for the next 5 years.

“Thank You” to our Taskforce!!

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council wishes to acknowledge the community members of the Waste

Taskforce for the many, many hours of work and careful thought that they have contributed to this

Discussion Paper. They are Michael Powell, Dr. Pene Mitchell, Allen Jay, Rex Metcalfe, Narelle

McCarthy, Rick Ralph, Deena Murray, Belinda Hutchinson, Trish Cashin, Arthur Ziakas and Robert

Mrozowski. Thank you and the organisations you represent.

What do you think?

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council has developed a number of options for our future reduction

and management of waste. All of them involve the residents in some way. Initiatives may include

better sorting of recyclables, diverting garden waste or paying higher charges to ensure resources

are recovered. So your opinion and behaviour are vital parts of the equation. That is why Council

has published this Discussion Paper and wants to hear your feedback, ideas and suggestions.

The consultation program will have roving displays in our libraries, customer service centres and at

the University. On the Council’s website (www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.), there is an on-line survey

and Background Summaries on some of the issues raised in this Discussion Paper. Please send your

ideas and comments to the website or to ...

Waste Consultation

SCRC Caloundra (Emma O’Mara)

PO Box 117 Caloundra 4551.

We value your thoughts, and look forward to hearing your views on where we should be heading

with sustainable waste management on the Sunshine Coast.


The Challenges for Waste Management

The Sunshine Coast faces a number of significant

challenges. A growing volume of waste per person

multiplied by the growing number of people has seen

our total waste volumes soar to 412,532 tonnes per

annum.

The majority of the Coast’s waste management costs are

in collection. It makes sense to try to reduce those costs

by locating key infrastructure like sorting plants or

landfills near the sources of the waste. Fortunately, the

existing landfills in Noosa, Nambour and Caloundra can

help us reduce costs. They are strategic financial assets

and it is clearly in the region’s interests to preserve

those assets by slowing their consumption.

Even with a new Strategy, Council will need to assess its options for a new residuals landfill. By

reducing and recycling, we can delay that

expensive and divisive exercise for as long as

possible.

The good thing is that we can reduce our waste

to landfill by mimicking nature. We need to

“cycle” our products and waste instead of

sending them on a one way trip to disposal.

Landfilling waste is the cheapest option in

immediate financial terms so why would we

want to change our approach? Landfills leach

pollutants into our waterways, consume valuable land and smell. Currently, our landfills on the

Coast represent around 2/3s of the greenhouse gases emitted by the Sunshine Coast Regional

Council. This will cost us dearly (approx $2M EACH YEAR on current volumes and estimates) when

the Federal Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is introduced but, more importantly,

we would be irresponsible to not act to minimise this environmental harm.

GW=Self delivered garden waste,

MSW=Municipal Solid Waste,

C&D=Construction & Demolition, and

C&I=Commercial & Industrial


The Council, as part of our journey to a more sustainable region, is determined to reduce our climate

change impact and that means capturing and burning the methane already in landfill and keeping

organics (cardboard, paper, garden waste and food) out of new landfill. The Sunshine Coast is

particularly vulnerable to climate change. The increased storms, cyclones and sea level surges

threaten beach front and low areas. More severe bushfires will affect our rural population and

natural areas. Council will act to reduce our contribution to this risk.

Population Growth = Waste Growth

It is no secret that most of the Sunshine

Coast’s population growth will be in the

south. The Sunshine Coast’s population will

continue to grow in the future and the

majority (73%)of that Growth will occur in

the area located between the Maroochy

River and Caloundra South. New shops,

houses, building, businesses and institutions

like our long awaited hospital will all shift the

sources of waste to the south of our region.

The adjacent map provides a breakdown of

the future growth areas.

Just as important an issue for us as climate

change is the landfill capacity of our region. At our current and still increasing rates of population

expansion, waste generation and land-filling, we will need a new landfill by 2014. Locating and

gaining public and government approval for a new landfill is a very slow, expensive and socially

divisive exercise. If the Sunshine Coast invests in diverting its wastes into productive uses, it will off-

set some of those costs by delaying or avoiding the need to develop new landfills. This is in keeping

with the Council’s long term goal of zero waste and becoming carbon neutral.

The Sunshine Coast hosts an increasing number of tourists each year. While they bring a holiday

atmosphere, they often also come from different recycling systems or worse, forget their good

habits while they are on holiday. It will be a huge challenge to educate and engage with these

visitors to ensure they help us divert waste using simple, easy to follow systems during their stays.


Finally, an emerging opportunity is the chance to help our existing businesses become competitive

by reducing waste and to develop new businesses on the Coast by utilising what we currently waste.

If we are clever, we can create new jobs composting garden waste, even making tissue and toilet

paper from our “waste” paper and turning much of what’s left into renewable energy.

Objectives of the Sunshine Coast Waste Reduction Strategy

Educate, assist and empower the community to be active partners in waste

reduction.

Follow the waste hierarchy by

greatly increasing the focus on

reducing and recycling waste to

avoid disposal.

Minimise the environmental

harm from waste.

Provide an efficient, convenient

and safe waste system for

residents and business.

Maximise the economic opportunities by assisting business to be more efficient and

to utilise the opportunities from any recovered resources or energy.

Minimise the costs by using proven technology, competitive tendering, partnering

with well established private companies and transferring commodity risks.

Avoidance

Reuse

Recycle

Waste to energy

Landfill

Most favoured option

Least favoured option

Avoidance

Reuse

Recycle

Waste to energy

Landfill

Most favoured option

Least favoured option


Targets

The Waste Management Strategy will contain targets but the final level will be determined by

feedback from the Discussion Paper and also Council’s response. The larger the investment in

minimisation, the higher the diversion and benefits. Broadly speaking, Council is aiming to divert

70% from landfill in the first five years of this Strategy (2014) as the next major step of its journey

towards zero waste by 2020. Council recognises that it may not be able to control all wastes and

looks to the State Government to assist to ensure these goals are met.

The draft waste reduction targets for wastes received by Council, at this stage, are

Construction & Demolition – 70% by 2012

Non-compostable plastic shopping bags – 100% by 2012

Municipal Solid Waste – 70% by 2014

Commercial & Industrial waste – 70% by 2014

The Strategy will also reflect other Corporate Plan goals of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council such

as encouraging renewable energy, minimising greenhouse gases, developing the local economy and

job growth and maintaining a transparent system that evolves with community expectations and

needs.

Council can set compulsory levels of waste diversion by using a Local Law which will create a level

playing field for Council and the private sector. This will become increasingly important as private

enterprise begins to handle more and more of the Sunshine Coast’s waste streams. It is important

that our goal of becoming a sustainable region is not undermined by someone seeking easy profits

from land-filling our resources.

The Waste Reduction Strategy will also have specific Key Performance Indicators and shorter term

milestones. Council will publicly report how we are going to enable everyone to measure the

progress.


Community Engagement

Community engagement, be that business or residents, is the key issue identified by the Taskforce

and the one where we have made the least effort to date. Council relies on the community to

present their bins correctly, sort their wastes into recycling and the rest and hopefully reduce the

volumes they present. The Council will widen its previous focus on educating school children to

reach into the wider community. Council has already increased its waste education budget for

business and intends to increase these efforts to

make this a major focus for the Strategy.

Council also recognises that the community and

business see things in a more integrated way. A

business sees waste management as just one

facet of commercial efficiency. Residents may

see composting, not as a waste reduction issue,

but as a gardening issue – improving their

garden, reducing water and chemical use and

growing healthier plants.

For Council to engage with the community, it will

need to better integrate waste management into

daily or business life. Waste will need to be

widened into a sustainability framework – looking

at reductions in energy and water use, capturing

resources to build employment, reducing waste

to make Sunshine Coast’s businesses more

competitive.

Council will maintain the community involvement with the progress of the waste reduction strategy

to ensure it stays on target. Regular reports back to the residents and more formal regular reviews

by the Taskforce or similar residents are planned.

Waste minimisation – its nothing new!!!


So how can we reduce the waste of resources?

Fortunately, waste management has moved on from the “hole in the ground” mentality of twenty

years ago. We need to reduce the volumes of waste but have very little assistance from the Federal

and State Governments who control issues like packaging. For a number of years, both industry and

the general public have been asking for programs to reduce plastic bags, recycle tyres and electronic

goods(“e-waste”) with little success. However, it appears from recent statements that we may

finally get some progress on these important issues from our National and State Governments.

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council is looking at

initiatives like a ban on thin plastic single use

shopping bags and will encourage re-usable bags or

replace them with compostable ones made from

organic plastic. While the compostables cost around

25c each, a few bags adds very little to our weekly

shopping bill and shoppers can always avoid any cost

by taking our own re-usable bags. It seems a small

price to pay to keep these deadly menaces out of our

waterways where they are estimated to kill 100,000

sea animals each year around our globe.

Household recycling is now a normal part of life and

many are now moving to recycle at work as well.

That’s great but it is not enough. Significant volumes

of resources that could add to our economy are still

being thrown away.

The Sunshine Coast’s economy has become

dangerously narrow. A downturn in building or tourism, as we face now, sends unemployment

skyrocketing. We clearly need to build a new local economy that expands beyond the current

industries.

The resources in our waste can be part of that new economy if we can recover specific resources

that “cycle”, as they do in nature, back around to help establish new businesses. Over 15% of our

landfill waste is paper and cardboard that isn’t being recycled and could add value to our wood fibre

industries. This is an “urban forest” that is worth money and could supply a tissue manufacturer or a

Why are we “waste”-ing

our recyclables?

Currently, 22.34% of domestic waste is

recyclable but we are putting it in the

wrong bin!!! That is roughly the same

amount of recyclables that we put in the

yellow top bin.

In other words, if we recycled correctly,

we would double the amount we recycle

from the home.

The wastage is even bigger in our work

bins where we could recycle over a

quarter of their contents.

We need to do more research to find out

why! What are the barriers...What will

motivate our residents to make that

little extra effort??


cat litter manufacturer. We don’t

have many mines on the Coast but

we can “mine” the metals out of

our waste.

The Sunshine Coast Regional

Council will lead from the front.

Already Council has adopted a

Sustainable Purchasing Policy to

favour recycled goods such as

crushed concrete for paths and

other non-structural jobs rather

than wasting good gravel and

exhausting our quarries. The Parks

staff already use their trimmings to

mulch our parks and some of our

administrative buildings now

recycle. Council will focus on its

own practices and “walk the talk”.

Council will be increasing its

program of assistance to help

Sunshine Coast businesses become

more sustainable and more

competitive. By reducing waste,

energy and water use, local

business has proven it can save

money.

It may take an initial capital

investment to become eco-

efficient but Council believes the

Sunshine Coast will be more

prosperous in the long term as a

sustainable region.

Business Efficiency

a more competitive economy = a more sustainable region

Council has worked with a number of forward-thinking

businesses to help them become more eco-efficient. This

helps their “bottom line” and helps grow jobs on the Coast.

The Sheraton in Noosa has a comprehensive program of

water and energy minimisation and their annual waste bill

has dropped by around $45k and 41% annually.

This works for small businesses as well as big institutions.

Queensland Complete Printing in Nambour have also put

huge efforts into becoming more sustainable, seeing it as

good for business but also good for where their employees

live and play, the Sunshine Coast. They now recycle 95% of

their waste, used energy savings to pay for 100% green

power and use rainwater for all their processing.

It is the employees that have made these businesses

exceptional performers and have got full support from the

management.


Wastes aren’t Wastes!

Most of the waste from our

households is termed “organic”.

This doesn’t mean fruit grown

without chemicals. It is the garden

waste, paper, cardboard and food

– basically anything that was once

alive and growing. It is these

materials that are both the major

source of our problems and a

major opportunity for a more

sustainable Sunshine Coast.

Organics degrade in a landfill into

methane and other gases. The

methane is the big issue as it is 21

times as powerful a contributor to

greenhouse gases as carbon

dioxide. Methane can and will be

captured and burnt to provide

power but you can never get it all.

A far better approach is to cycle organics BEFORE they get to the landfill. These organics can be

composted at home, in communities or at central facilities. As well as reducing greenhouse gases,

odour and leachate from the landfill, recycling organics prolongs the landfill’s life significantly.

Just as importantly, composting organics has a number of significant other benefits. Unlike many

recyclables which need to be shipped down south for re-smelting or sophisticated re-manufacture,

organics can be composted here on the Coast, employing locals. The composts can be used here as

well. Compost can help us reduce water and chemical use on our gardens, improve the soils for our

farmers and reduce run-off pollution in our streams and creeks.

As was reported at the Sunshine Coast’s recent organics conference, experience elsewhere is clear –

compost has to be a reliable quality-assured product if it is to be financially sustainable.

Worms and Compost

Turn waste food into great gardens

Over half of the waste that residents send to landfill

could be turned into compost to help you save water,

reduce fertiliser use and have healthier gardens and

lawns. With the recent State Government price hikes on

water, we could all do with a cheaper way to make our

homes look beautiful. Unless you are lucky enough to live

on the rich basalt soils of the Blackall Range, most

Sunshine Coast soils are old and lacking in nutrients and

carbon.

Council will be significantly increasing its efforts to teach

our home-owners how to use worm farming and compost

bins to make better gardens. For those who haven’t the

time, Council is also intending to turn the garden wastes

into high quality compost for sale.

Its not as much fun as running a worm ranch but you can

still have the benefits of that rich compost and Council

keeps those climate-changing gases out of landfill.

Don’t take our word for it – ask any good gardener and

they all say the same thing – “compost, compost,

compost”.


Another exciting emerging opportunity is to generate power with some of the organics, either

through burning the woody wastes as they do in Beenleigh or anaerobically digesting food wastes as

is being attempted in Sydney. All of these options are “on the table” and a combination is the likely

outcome. Much will depend on developing the markets for compost, the price premium paid for

renewable energy and the success of the new technologies elsewhere.

Advanced Waste Technologies

The Waste Taskforce has

examined the opportunities

from a range of new

technologies that offer greatly

increased recovery rates.

These are called Advanced

Waste Technologies or AWT’s.

Using sophisticated sorting

machines like those in the

mining industry, large plants

can now recover around

70~80% of the wastes back into

some usable commodity.

This advanced technology and

increased recovery of resources

comes at a cost. While

conventional land-filling is

around $50/tn, the likely

prospect of a carbon tax and a

State landfill levy would push that close to $100/tn, which is competitive with these new plants plus

you get usable products, not an environmental liability.

In Australia, these Advanced Waste Technologies have had varying success to date. Fortunately, the

Sunshine Coast can learn from other Councils’ experiences. The current consensus is to favour

simpler and cheaper technologies such as three bin systems, tunnel composting (which can be

expanded to meet demand and different feedstocks) and more advanced sorting of waste.

Tunnel composting: accelerated decomposition, can accept food and

bio-solids, modular = quality product + no odour


An emerging focus is on anaerobic

digestion which can produce bio-gas

for power or heat. This is still relatively

unproven but a number of Australian

and European facilities will provide a

definitive answer on these techniques

over the next few years. A big

advantage is that there is no “market

risk” in that there is a strong demand

for renewable energy.

Council will not be risking ratepayers’

funds and the Waste Taskforce

suggests that only relatively simple

composting of organics be progressed

immediately.

Anaerobic digestion and advanced

sorting will be watched closely to

make a decision that synchronises

with the expiry of the existing

collection contracts in 2014. Some of

these plants will sort food out and

others require that residents do that.

By linking the implementation to the

next round of collection contracts, it

will allow the Council to do the

research and trials to ensure an

efficient and cost-effective system.

S.A.W.T. Plant: tunnel composter, advanced sort = 70%

diversion

Line 2 Line 1

Water pre-sorting vat

Heavies Line Residual

Line 2 Line 1

Water pre-sorting vat

Heavies Line Residual

ArrowBio Plant: tunnel composter, waste sorter & anaerobic

digestion= 80% diversion


A Major Opportunity – the Sustainability Park

Council is fortunate to own a strategic parcel of appropriately zoned land at Caloundra South,

adjacent to the State Government’s new industrial estate, near to the majority of where waste will

be generated and with long buffer distances to any residents.

This block of old pine forest has the proximity to transport and other industry to become the heart

of an “industrial ecosystem”. Businesses can locate in the Sustainability Park to make compost,

produce power and heat for the neighbouring businesses and re-manufacture using resources from

our wastes so help the region into a new and more resilient economy. The site is big enough to

preserve the sensitive water and wildlife corridors as well as locating re-manufacturers or waste to

energy facilities.

Current Landfill

Corbould Pk Racecourse

Industrial Park


Council will be looking to locate the composter here initially. Other recycling industries will be

encouraged to make use of our waste streams to create a more diverse economy with “green” jobs.

Finally, this is the obvious site

for an Advanced Waste

Treatment facility to gather

even more resources from the

waste stream.

Energy generation, both

electricity and heat, could also

be targeted using processes

like anaerobic digesters and

fluidised bed furnaces to fully

utilise the renewable power

opportunities.

The buffer distances to new and existing housing will ensure no impact on residents and these

modern facilities are located in “negative pressure” buildings where air is drawn constantly into the

building and then cleaned in a “bio-filter” so there is no odour.

The transport connections to the site are excellent with close proximity to road and rail and no

impact on local roads or amenity.

The opportunity for the Sunshine Coast to create new green jobs, foster a more diverse and

resilient economy and make use of our previously wasted resources by utilising this site is obvious.

Waste products are sorted and “feed” co-located industries in our

Sustainability Park.


Council Facilities

Council operates 12 Resource

Recovery Facilities to receive large

volumes of waste for the

convenience of Sunshine Coast

residents. Council has inherited a

number of different management

arrangements from the former

Councils. Some are working better

than others at diverting materials

from landfill and different contracts

are in place that will have to run

their course.

Council has found that the

community-based “Not-for-Profit”

operators have brought a series of

value-adding services to the

operations. Tip shops, training

workshops, active intervention and

diversion, community bonuses and

employment schemes have created

a strong bond between local

communities and the operators

which has made waste education a

strong bonus for everyone.

However, these gains can only be

realised with adequate

infrastructure and this will require

some significant investment in up-

graded facilities. Just as

importantly, some of the facilities

Community-based Recycling

Sustainability with a social, economic and

environmental benefit

Noosa, Caloundra, Beerwah and Maleny all have very

successful community-based local not-for-profit groups

operating heavily patronised second hand shops, repair

workshops and training programs. These groups intercept

materials destined to waste space in our landfills and

recycle them as repaired goods or commodities like metal.

Not only does Council save valuable airspace but the

community gets low cost goods and even valuable

collectables. The groups work within their communities to

assist with juvenile offenders and other labour programs

to help locals get their lives back on track.

For example, over the last 4 years, the Beerwah

Community Recycling has donated $180,000 back into

their community, not including the in-kind work like worm

farms and vegetable gardens for schools, open days for

the community and hosting groups through the facility to

educate them on minimisation, re-use and load

segregation. Briteside & CADET are achieving similar

benefits in their locations.

Many don’t realise it but the charity bins also perform a

valuable recycling service for the Coast. You are not

simply helping a particular charity like Endeavour or

Lifeline when you donate – you are reducing our waste

problem as well.

Council will assist by starting a website for customers who

are after particular goods like timber or collectibles.

The community groups may also be able to assist with the

large item service to capture more goods for repair and re-

sale through the tip shops before the weather ruins them.


are in poor condition and service very few residents and may need to be reduced or rationalised.

The local communities will be consulted to determine the best mix of services for the future.

When contracts fall due, Council intends to encourage community organisations by giving them a

preference in tendering for the operation of gatehouses and tip shops or other local initiatives.

Incentives will be included to encourage greater recycling and contracts will give certainty by

running for a number of years with suitable extensions for good operators. However, sometimes

community groups will not be available or wish to tender so tenders will be open to the private

sector as well.

Council will also be examining whether to utilise community groups for large waste kerbside

collections as a way to increase recycling and re-use of discarded goods.

The landfills also need major investment. Our old “cheap” un-lined landfills leached pollutants into

our valuable waterways. These landfills aren’t as cheap as we used to like to believe. We now need

to spend millions of dollars to capture the greenhouse gases and reduce odour. Our old un-lined

landfills at Caloundra and Coolum will close next year. Caloundra and Nambour will have safe new

extensions and Eumundi Road will have its licence amended to accept 10 more trucks per day.

Remember - if nothing is done about reducing our waste, we will need new landfill(s) by 2014.

However, by aggressively

promoting reduction and

recycling of domestic,

commercial, construction

and demolition wastes

coupled with a possible

AWT at the Sustainability

Park, we will only be land-

filling a quarter of our

wastes and can extend the

life of the landfills by at

least another 20 years.


Services and Pricing

Council intends to provide flexibility of services to match the various needs of its residents and

businesses. Council will engage with the commercial sector to provide “value-added” services such

as daily food waste collections, recycling skips, and data and advice to empower business to

minimise their costs and wastes. Council believes that waste services must reflect the full costs of

the system. However, within that full cost framework and the necessary commercial flexibility,

Council will use a couple of principles to guide its pricing.

1. Council will follow “polluter pays” principles by encouraging adoption of smaller bins and

discourage larger bins through its pricing schedule;

2. Council will provide incentives for recycling and clean organic material, both in the bins

and at the Resource Recovery Stations

Council will be trialling various

options to recycle organics over

the next two years to be ready for

the next round of contracts or the

construction of a composting

facility at the Sustainability Park.

These may involve a third bin for

garden wastes plus compostable

kitchen bags for food.

Council will also participate in the

emerging programs coming from

the Federal Government on

electronic wastes and used tyres.

Household hazardous wastes like

pesticide containers will also be

targeted. While these wastes are

small in volume, they can be big on

environmental impact.

“Polluter pays” principle

(1) The “polluter pays” principle is the principle that all

costs associated with the management of waste

should, if practicable, be borne by the persons who

generated the waste.

(2) The costs associated with the management of waste

may include the costs of—

(a) minimising the amount of waste generated;

and

(b) containing, treating and disposing of waste;

and

(c) rectifying environmental harm caused by

waste.

QLD ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (WASTE MANAGEMENT)

POLICY 2000 - SECT 11


Council will also have to decide on the most appropriate model for setting policy and delivering

services. To some extent, this process is out of Council’s control and involves the State Government

through Treasury requiring a Public Benefit Test for any non-competitive “businesses” under

National Competition Policy (N.B. The Sunshine Coast Regional Council has an exclusivity on the

collection of domestic and commercial waste).

Any proposal is examined against the State’s goals of

“The Government’s Priority Outcomes for Queensland are—

• More jobs for Queenslanders.

• Building Queensland’s regions.

• Skilling Queensland.

• Safer and more supportive communities.

• Better quality of life.

• Valuing the environment.

• Strong government leadership.” Qld Treasury Guidelines on Public Benefit Test

Council’s waste business is charged with delivering a cost-effective system that complies with all

laws. Currently, waste generates significant profits for Council which, in turn, off-sets rates. Its long

term policy framework will be the Waste Strategy but there is no separate section of Council that

sets immediate policy questions (e.g. is it better to make more money or to subsidise garden waste

bins?) or co-ordinates a regulatory response to illegal dumping.

Other Councils have established a purely service delivery model which does not aim to make a profit.

Extra funds are raised through rates. Some still adopt a business model for service delivery but

nominate an appropriate section to set immediate policy and regulatory outcomes subject to

Council control. SCRC is required to review its governance after the adoption of its Waste Strategy.

Council will also be subject to any changes in State regulations on its exclusivity on commercial

wastes. The private waste industry strongly believes that the Sunshine Coast should open up

commercial waste collection to private companies and Council can choose whether to compete.

This would provide greater flexibility to business but may increase costs to Council as the private

sector only usually goes for the more profitable sectors of the market. This model does rely on

Council or the State Govt setting and enforcing recycling requirements if the diversion targets are to

be met.


Yes...it sounds great but what would it cost?

It is very difficult to put a precise cost on many of the major items in this Discussion Paper due to the

unknowns of Federal and State Government policies. Also, many of the infrastructure and collection

innovations will be subject to tender and thus the marketplace conditions and commodity trends in

three years time.

The Taskforce believes that recovering resources from the waste stream provides significant

environmental and economic benefits when compared to landfill. Then there are the social costs

and divisiveness of trying to find a new site for a landfill – Would you want one near your house?

There needs to be a “triple bottom line” approach that recognises that landfill seems cheap but

doesn’t deliver the social, economic or environmental benefits of better waste management.

Quantifying those benefits are difficult but they are very real and are part of the journey to a new

economy and a sustainable Sunshine Coast.

In summary...-

• The days of low cost waste disposal by landfill are coming to an abrupt end and all

indications are that the price will continue to rise over time.

• The improved landfill facilities at Noosa, Nambour and Caloundra for residual waste will be

significantly more expensive

than our old landfills.

• The Federal Government is

likely to introduce an

emissions trading scheme to

combat climate change.

Landfills are currently 2/3 of

Council’s total emissions. Our

best estimate is an average of

$25/tonne but some Councils

believe it will be closer to $50

per tonne.

• The State Government has

indicated that a waste levy

similar to the ones that exist in other States is possible. Again, figures vary but our estimate

for planning purposes is $20/tonne while remembering that NSW is $60 and going up.

New landfill Per tonne

Compost Per tonne

Advanced WasteTech.

Current costs

$45.00 $90.00 $100 - 130

+ Fed. Carbon tax

$25.00?

+ State tax? $20.00?

Total $90.00?? $90.00 $100-130


It can be seen from this that the costs of waste management will rise, no matter what the Council

does. By diverting waste from landfill, we avoid any future State and Federal taxes plus the costs of

transport and landfill. Thus, the costs of some of the new technologies are comparable to new

landfills and avoid the problems of siting new facilities and generate new jobs and businesses.

These figures don’t help much with seeing how it would affect the householder though.

It is possible to put some indicative figures around the improvements. The improvements to our

waste reduction system come in three main tranches or phases, the immediate and obvious items

such as eco-efficiency for business , plastic bag campaign and home composting, then there is the

sensible but more expensive such as the development of Sustainability Park with a tunnel composter

and some recycling industries. Finally, there is the “ambitious” phase which involves Advanced

Waste Treatment, waste to energy plant and possibly Anaerobic Digestion of our food waste.

The costs are further complicated by issues of whether two or three bins are used, whether food is

included in an organics bin and how we manage the growing problem of disposable nappies and

other personal products.

Scenarios Total additional cost

per household per week

Business as usual: better landfill, new Fed. & State taxes $1-50+

1. Eco-efficiency, home compost, better recycling 10c

2. Centralised composting, local recycling jobs $2

3. High tech solutions, power from waste $3

N.B. These costs are very approximate based on benchmarking with other Councils. The costs are

not cumulative. In other words, $3 per week is the total cost for the 3 phases of implementation.


Again, with diligent waste reduction and service costs that reward those that minimise their wastes

through composting at home and recycling well, these figures could be reduced for households that

“do the right thing”. For households or businesses that can’t be bothered separating their wastes,

the costs may be higher.

It must be remembered that these costs are very much guesstimates and the Council intends to

consult its ratepayers with the full costs and benefits before deciding to move to the more ambitious

and costly Phase 3 of an Advanced Waste Technology.

No single “Silver Bullet” answer

While there is no single or simple “solution” or answer for our waste management issues, the

Taskforce is mapping a clear way forward. The Strategy will involve a multiplicity of initiatives

spread across the various waste streams, from avoidance to disposal of what’s left after our best

efforts to minimise.

There are a few isolated opportunities to make money from products like aluminium cans, but

almost all other elements cost more than just dumping it in a hole in the ground, particularly when

we don’t put the long term environmental costs into the equation. The Sunshine Coast Regional

Council wants minimal risk to its investments and will evaluate and ensure performance is proven

before committing to a particular technology.

The Council will also have to find ways of accommodating local solutions to its waste management in

line with the need to reduce carbon and foster local enterprise in the manner suggested by the

Transition Towns localisation paradigm. This is more difficult than it sounds as collection contracts

tend to preclude changes or they come at significant costs to Council. Fortunately, it is three years

until the next round of collection contracts in 2014 and communities and Council will need to

develop local initiatives to a point where the implications are clear and the Council can decide on its

level of support.


Implementation : Recommended Sequence

Council has a series of waste collection contracts that do not finish until 2014. Some changes can be

made immediately but others will have to wait. 2014 seems like a long time away but planning has

begun on what a new system needs to look like. Council intends to take sensible measured steps

that match the contractual opportunities and the documented performance of recently installed

technologies in Sydney and Western Australia. It is a case of hasten cautiously and efficiently.

In very broad terms, the sequence of decisions is.....

2009: Partner with business and community on becoming more sustainable and waste

aware.

Increase the volumes of organic wastes managed at home by providing advice on

composting and worm farming.

Provide a garden waste bin to capture more organics before landfill.

Tender for mattress recycler to save 9000 m3 of landfill per annum.

2010: Assist business and community to reduce waste through targeted sustainability

and eco-efficiency programs like Eco-Biz and Living Smart.

Secure extensions to existing landfills & establish Sustainability Park at Caloundra

Sth for resource recovery industries e.g. composter & mattress recyclers.

Anti-plastic bag campaign commences

2011: Partner with a proven compost manufacturer to turn our garden wastes into a

saleable product and begin market development.

Partner with proven recycler to divert 70+% of construction and demolition waste.

Investigate types of organic waste collection from residents & commercial outlets.

Assess emerging technologies like anaerobic digestion for Sunshine Coast.

2012: Seek proposals for proven technologies to recycle the remaining wastes as power,

composts or re-manufactured products.

Open new compost plant at Caloundra Sth Sustainability Park

2013: Assess proposals, cost & decide on waste minimisation technology (AWT).

Award appropriate collection tender to match chosen technology.

2014: Open new Resource Recovery Plant (AWT) at Caloundra South Sustainability Park.

Commence new collection system.


Suggested Specific Initiatives

Education & Community Engagement

The Taskforce believes that community engagement is key to success in every step of waste

management and at every level of the waste hierarchy. Whether it is reminding shoppers to avoid

single use plastic bags, ensuring all recyclables go in the yellow top or segregating their rubbish

before they take it to the tip, community engagement is absolutely vital and needs far more

emphasis than it has received in previous years. Community engagement needs to be integrated

into all levels of the proposed Strategy and has been included throughout each list of initiatives.

Avoid, Reduce & Re-use

Reducing the waste going into the bins is by far the most sustainable and efficient strategy for the

residents and businesses. Council has a number of planned interventions to encourage reduction.

Initiative When

Home garden & worm composting program as part of domestic sustainability 2009 >>

Anti - Plastic bag campaign 2009/10

Eco-efficiency partnership program with festivals, institutions, tourism, business

& builders using Eco-Biz style program

2009 >>

Sustainable Procurement Policy for Council to reduce waste & purchase recycled

products and favour local “sustainability champions”

2009>>

Encourage local “farmers’ markets” to reduce packaging waste 2009>>

Council to systematically address waste minimisation in all departments 2009>>

Lobby State & Federal Govts to require producers and packagers to be legally

responsible for reducing or recycling the wastes they create.

2009>>

Lobby State Govt for fair, sensible and equitable regulations to ensure targets

are met, facilities are operating legally, and illegal operators are prosecuted.

2009>>


Recycling

Recycling is the recovery of resources destined for disposal. These resources can add significant

value to the Sunshine Coast’s economy and sustainability as well as reducing the environmental

harm of our landfills. Currently, we are losing significant volumes to landfill. Domestically, 22% of

our waste bin should be in the yellow top. Another 50% of the waste bin is garden or food waste

that should be recycled as compost. The Council is determined to capture the value of these

recyclables and use them, when possible, to support businesses and jobs here on the Coast.

Initiative When

Strongly discourage cardboard and other recyclables from commercial disposal

bins

2010 >>

Campaign to encourage residents to recycle through education and

encouraging smaller bins and pre-sorting through pricing

2009/10

Better provision of recycling services for multi-unit dwellings, tourist

accommodation, food outlets and general businesses

2009 >>

Partner with private sector to recycle >70% of waste

Construction & Demolition

Organics

Domestic

Commercial & Industrial

2010>>

2012>>

2014>>

2014>>

Develop “Sustainability Park” at Caloundra South to encourage recycling

industries using Coast’s recovered resources

2009/10

Require waste plans for construction and operation of multi-unit dwellings and

larger buildings into new Town Planning documents and enforce compliance

2010>>

Encourage better recycling at Resource Recovery Centres using local groups,

web page for timber and collectables, and improving or rationalising on-

ground infrastructure, and partnering with artists

2010/12

Investigate public place recycling and kerbside large item collection using

community groups

2010>>>


Waste to Energy

Waste to energy plants can provide renewable energy as did the Nambour Mill for decades.

Fortunately the technology has improved and no one would locate a major burner near residences

anymore. Council is exploring how best to meet our region’s energy needs sustainably. Currently,

our unusable timber is chipped and sent to the waste to energy plant at Rocky Point, Beenleigh.

While it is an unproven technology so far, anaerobic digestion producing a biogas is a likely option

for the future.

Finally, methane escaping from the existing landfills is the cause of over 60% of Council’s greenhouse

gases. This will be captured and used for power generation or heat energy if viable.

Initiative When

Install gas capture at Nambour, Caloundra and Eumundi Rd landfills & explore

energy use options

2010 >>

Monitor anaerobic plant performance in Australia & Europe with view to decision

in 2012 to allow possible opening in 2014

2010/12

Viability study for woody waste to energy plant at Caloundra South Sustainability

Park with a view for tender in 2011

2010

Begin research and community consultation about the acceptability of including

residual plastics and textiles in a fuel for waste to energy

2010


Disposal

Disposal of residual waste will be with us for many years. While the goal is “zero waste”, only

incineration and using the ash in road works can currently offer that level of performance and the

Taskforce believes that incineration is an undesirable and expensive technology for the Sunshine

Coast as it would require fixed volumes for 15-20 years, leaving no incentive to minimise waste.

That means the Coast will require landfills for the ~30% of residual waste remaining after all

reduction, re-use, recycling and waste to energy. If we are successful at removing 70% of our

wastes, our landfills will last over 20 years.

The most important thing is that those landfills do not further exacerbate our climate change so

systems to capture the methane gas and reduce any odour will be installed as soon as practical (see

Waste to Energy section).

The Sunshine Coast has about 20 years of landfill if the investment in diversion delivers the expected

70% and landfill extensions are granted. Eumundi Road will increase its daily tonnage, Nambour

being extended and Caloundra is extending into the old Gun Club contaminated site for inert C&D

residuals.

Beyond then, a facility for Moreton and the Sunshine Coast Councils would be sensible and it may

even capture wastes from Northern Brisbane. An obvious site would be in an expired coal mine but

detailed investigations will be necessary to decide where any future regional landfill should be.

Initiative When

Obtain approvals for Caloundra, Nambour landfill extensions and Eumundi Rd

daily traffic increase

2009 /10

Close old landfill at Coolum & build Resource Recovery Centre at Coolum and

Transfer Station at Caloundra

2009/10

Begin investigation for new regional site for 2030 2010>>

Partner with DERM to prosecute illegal dumping 2009>>

Documents

RE-USE RECYLE It’s too good - Sunshine Coast Council/media/Corporate/...Sunshine Coast Waste Discussion Paper Page 1 Discussion Paper Our Sunshine Coast It’s too good to waste