Waste and Recycling
At Local Government NSW, we help councils achieve improved waste and recycling outcomes through advocacy on key issues and representation on various state and national waste and recycling policy committees and working groups. We also work with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment as well as the NSW Environment Protection Authority on improved outcomes from the Waste Less Recycle More grant program and on the transition to the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041.
Local government waste and recycling management
NSW councils provide essential waste, recycling and resource recovery services to the community, keeping an estimated 1.54 million tonnes of waste from landfill each year.
According to the Environment Protection Authority’s Local Government Waste and Resource Recovery Data (2019-20), 43.6% of domestic waste created in NSW was diverted from landfill.
As well as educating residents, businesses and schools on waste avoidance and recycling, some councils also manage collection trucks, and own and operate waste, recycling and resource recovery facilities.
The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001 provides councils with powers to integrate waste and resource management planning, programs and service delivery.
LGNSW continues to advocate for producers to be required to take greater responsibility for their products, so there will be less waste to deal with and the environmental impacts from waste will be reduced. This is often called Extended Producer Responsibility.
Please select from the below options to learn more about waste and recycling policy support we provide.