It is designed to catch our eye and make us buy more!
WASTE IS SOMETHING YOU NO LONGER HAVE A USE FOR. WE WASTE A LOT. WHY?
Buying
things to feel good
Like new clothes or a toy to keep the kids quiet.
How often do you replace your phone, electronic devices, clothes, furniture?
Not knowing what else to do
Many things we throw away can be useful to others or recycled, but how?
Choosing easy options
Buying take away food when we have a full fridge because we’re too busy to cook.
This handy guide will help you: make choices to reduce waste and improve your world find services and programs to support waste reduction understand Council services and how to use them find more information
WHY CARE ABOUT WASTE?
save you money | create jobs | keep people safe | improve the environment. Reducing waste can:
Recycling: Collect 10c for every container returned through Containers for Change. Recycling creates more jobs than disposal of waste to landfill. Recycled materials use less water, energy and materials.
Hazardous materials: Do not put hazardous materials such as batteries in the bin, they can cause fires and hurt workers.
Food and garden waste: The average family could save more than $2,000 a year by reducing food waste. Food and garden waste can be made into compost and soil conditioner.
Other stuff: This is different for everyone but the less you dispose of, the less we are sending to landfills.
ASK WHY BEFORE YOU BUY
When you are planning to buy something, the following questions can save you money and reduce waste.
Why do I want to buy this?
Can I use something I already have?
Can I borrow it or swap it?
Can I rent it?
Can I repair what I already have?
Can I get it second hand?
Reduce waste by donating
Charitable organisations and social enterprises accept a wide range of preloved items. Please consider the quality of your donations; broken, unsafe or damaged goods can’t be resold. Givit is a platform helping match items with people who need them, including good quality secondhand items, visit givit.org.au
Where and how you shop matters too!
Borrow or swap: Sharing or borrowing items like books, magazines, clothes or homewares from friends saves money, as does borrowing tools from neighbours.
Rent: Tools, clothes and event supplies are just a few of the items you can now rent for far less than buying new.
Repair, Reuse or Upcycle: Consider if you can repair or reuse things yourself. There’s lots of practical and creative information available online.
Buy second hand: Online forums such as Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree make it easy to search for pre-loved items in your local area, and are a great way to sell and swap your good quality possessions. Thrift shops are also fun to browse and great for a bargain.
Buy local: Often local businesses use less packaging as they don’t need to protect their products from the rigours of long-distance transport.
Buy in bulk: Bulk products save on packaging and some stores allow you to bring your own containers.
Buy loose: Buy produce loose or using reusable produce bags when selecting items like fruits and vegetables.
CHOOSE ITEMS YOU CAN REUSE
Single use items are used once and thrown away. This wastes energy, materials and water, and many items end up as hard-to-manage litter.
In September 2023, the Queensland Government enforced further bands on many single-use plastic items like cotton buds with plastic stems, plastic micro-beads, and expanded polystyrene packaging.
You can choose reusable items in many situations and enjoy benefits like saving money, making healthy choices and expressing your own style!
Bring your own:
Water bottle: Tap water is safe to drink and easy to access.
Bottled water often costs more than 200 times the price. If you don’t like the taste of tap water, it’s cheaper to buy a filter than bottled water.
Lunch box: Bringing your lunch saves money and removes packaging waste. Choose fresh foods instead of processed, or bulk instead of individually packaged.
Reusable bags: Keep bags in your car or handbag to reduce the amount of plastic in circulation. If you forget bags when grocery shopping, choose paper over plastic for easier recycling.
Coffee cup: Take away coffee cups are used for minutes and are difficult to recycle. Your own cup can be used thousands of times.
HANDY TIPS FOR THE KITCHEN
Did you know that 40% of landfill waste is food?
This equates to one in every five bags of your groceries going straight into the bin, costing you $2,000 to $2,500 every year1.
Ways to reduce food waste:
Plan your shop and be realistic: Check the fridge and cupboard and write a list before you go.
Use an ‘Eat First’ box: Put a brightly coloured box at the front of the fridge for food that needs using first. Shift older foods into the box as you unpack new groceries.
Stew or bake: Make delicious dishes with older fruit and vegetables to save wasting them.
Freeze: Freezing excess food presses pause on its shelf life and gives you time to use it. Brown bananas are great in smoothies, cakes and frozen desserts.
Share or swap: If you have excess from your garden - preserve, freeze, dry or share it with friends or connect with a local swap group.
Keep the scraps: Get value for money from unavoidable food scraps like peelings by composting or worm farming to convert them into valuable soil conditioners.
1The Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre (FIAL), 2021. The National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study–Final Report.
HANDY TIPS FOR THE GARDEN
Ways to reduce food waste:
Grow your own food: Give growing your own a go. It’s cheap and fun and reduces waste and other environmental impacts. There are plenty of easy plants to start with, like strawberries or cucumbers.
Compost and worm farms: Composting at home turns kitchen scraps into excellent fertiliser for your garden while reducing waste.
Compost bin and worm farm rebate program
Council offers Scenic Rim Residents a rebate towards the purchase of compost bins and worm farms. You can apply for the rebate on our website at www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/ waste-resource-recovery or call Council on 5540 5111.
HANDY TIPS FOR THE BATHROOM AND LAUNDRY
Consider your nappy choice: 3.75 million nappies go to landfill each day in Australia and New Zealand2 . Changing to modern cloth nappies is a great way to reduce your waste. While the upfront cost is higher, they are cheaper than disposable nappies over time and look great!
Use solid personal care products: Using solid soaps, hair and body care products like shampoo, conditioner, moisturisers and deodorant reduces plastic and overall packaging waste. While more expensive up front, they are concentrated and last longer, and are now available at major supermarkets.
Use refills: Buying in bulk and using refills for cleaning products reduces plastic and overall packaging waste.
Period underwear and menstrual cups: Reusable menstrual products, such as period underwear and menstrual cups, are a good replacement for single use products. Period underwear is like normal underwear but is designed to absorb menstrual flow. All reusable menstrual products reduce waste and are cheaper over time.
DIY CLEANING PRODUCTS
If you have bicarbonate of soda and vinegar you can clean most things, this saves packaging and is environmentally friendly.
KERBSIDE COLLECTION BINS
Residents in our waste collections service area are provided with:
GENERAL WASTE BIN
(Green or Red Lid)
Collected weekly
RECYCLE BIN
(Yellow Lid)
Collected fortnightly
Do the right thing, use the right bin
Knowing how to use your kerbside collection bins means that your rubbish is disposed of safely, easily and with limited impact on the environment.
The general waste bin is for household waste that can’t be reduced, recycled or recovered other ways.
About 15-20% of waste in Scenic Rim general waste bins could go in the co-mingled recycling bin.
Here are a few dos and don’ts.
Do place your bins
On the kerbside or within 1.5m of the road edge
With handles facing your property and the opening facing the street
Clear of parked vehicles, trees and other obstructions
Clear of pedestrian pathways and driveways
At least 50cm apart
To bag or not to bag?
When using your general waste bin, lightweight wastes should be bagged to stop them blowing around
Don’t put your recycling in plastic bags, they can’t be recycled and can jam the truck
Don’t overfill your bins
Bin lids must be closed because open bin lids create litter and allow animals to access your waste
Bins must not exceed 70 kilograms
Overfull or overweight bins will not be emptied because they cannot be safely lifted and can damage the collection truck
DO NOT BIN THESE ITEMS!
Do not put these items in either of your kerbside collection bins. Bins may not be collected if they contain these materials.
Items longer than 50cm
Green waste, including garden trimmings and tree stumps
Construction and demolition waste
Scrap metal
Hazardous materials — batteries, chemicals, explosives etc.
Break them up or take to Waste and Resource Recovery Facilities
Take to Waste and Resource Recovery Facilities
Take to Waste and Resource Recovery Facilities
Take to Waste and Resource Recovery Facilities
Take to Waste and Resource Recovery Facilities or specialist service.
If you are still unsure whether something can be disposed of in your kerbside collection, call Council on (07) 5540 5111.
LET’S TALK ABOUT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
DO NOT put hazardous materials in kerbside bins because they can injure people and cause fires or explosions.
Council’s Waste and Resource Recovery Facilities can accept hazardous materials including:
Paint
E-waste
Lead acid batteries
Empty gas bottles
Waste oil
Empty agricultural drums marked for DrumMuster
Asbestos
Green waste and other materials
(these may contain fire ants)
Scrap metal
Tyres
Chemicals
Household batteries are the most common cause of landfill and waste truck fires.
Major supermarkets and other retailers offer household battery recycling free of charge, to find your closest drop off point check bcycle.com.au/drop-off/
Expired flares can be dropped at a range of Maritime Safety Queensland flare disposal locations www.msq.qld.gov.au/ safety/distress-signals/flaredisposal-locations
Ammunition and other explosives can be surrendered without fear of prosecution or fines at your local police station or through other avenues. Contact the Explosives Inspectorate on 1300 739 868
FIRE CAN BREAK OUT!
Placing hazardous materials such as batteries in your bin can cause unwanted explosions and fires in collection vehicles and landfill as the loads are compacted. To find your closet drop off point head to bcycle.com.au/drop-off/
BIN HEALTH CHECKS
To encourage better bin use habits
Council uses bin stickers and bin tags.
In recent audits, we discovered more than 16% of items in the general waste bin could have been recycled, and about 17% of items in the recycling bin couldn’t be recycled.
Some of these items should have been placed in the general waste bin, and others might not belong in any bin, requiring disposal or recovery at a waste facility for safety.
Let’s work together to make a positive impact on the environment by recycling and using bins correctly in our community!
It’s time to take a closer look at what we waste
Bin Stickers
Our waste truck drivers have on board CCTV cameras to watch as they empty each bin. This means they can spot if the wrong items are in the bin.
If they notice any issues,such as too many incorrect items in the bin, or the bin is too heavy to lift they’ll place a sticker on the bin lid.
Don’t worry, this is a good thing! It gives us all a chance to improve our bin habits. When you see the sticker, you’ll know what needs fixing. It’s an opportunity for us all to learn and make positive changes together.
Bin Tags
Our bin health check program also involves our team lifting the lid on a random selection of recycling bins before they are serviced by the waste collection truck.
This is a simple visual check, don’t worry, we won’t be poking through what’s in the bin.
After lifting the lid either a red or a green tag will be applied, giving you feedback on your recycling efforts.
HOW TO USE YOUR RECYCLING BIN
Most packaging from household items can go in the recycling bin (except soft scrunchy plastics).
Cardboard and paper
Hard plastics
Glass bottles and jars
Steel and aluminium cans
Remember: wash and squash, lids off and loose
Containers should be rinsed clean before going in the recycling bin to avoid contaminating the load.
Squash containers and break down cardboard packaging to fit more materials in your bin and make sure the lid can close.
Take lids off bottles, they can fall through processing belts so are best removed. Don’t put your recycling in plastic bags, they can’t be recycled and can jam the truck.
CHECK IT BEFORE YOU CHUCK IT
The Australasian Recycling Label on many products tells you exactly how to correctly dispose of packaging, and what can go in kerbside recycling.
Putting incorrect items in the recycling bin can contaminate the load so it can’t be recycled or cause jams in the truck, sorting and processing facilities.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR RECYCLING
When your recycling bin is collected
When your recycling bin is collected, the recyclables are transported to a Materials Recovery Facility, where they are sorted into the different material types using machines and manual sorting. Each material type is then baled and sent to a reprocessing plant to be recycled into new products.
These new products are sent to supermarkets or elsewhere for purchase.
What does your recycling become?
New cardboard/paper, newspaper, toilet paper, paper bags
New bottles & containers, road base
New cans, washing machines, car parts, fridges
New cans, aircraft skins, aluminium sheeting, house frames
New bottles and containers, wheelie bins, clothing, compost bins
This item can be placed in the recycling bin
OPTIONS TO RECYCLE MORE
There are many alternatives to landfill, so before throwing something away in general waste, consider these options.
Containers for change
A container rebate scheme helps reduce litter from beverage containers and is a great opportunity for some extra pocket money. A range of beverage containers can be collected and returned for a 10c refund per container.
Visit containersforchange.com.au for information on eligible containers and your closest collection point.
RecycleMate
RecycleMate is a free downloadable app to help you find the best local disposal option. Download the app today recyclemate.com.au/
Hard to recycle products
Terracycle offers a range of paid and free recycling programs for specific hard-to-recycle products found in households and workplaces. Visit TerraCycle.com.au for more information.
RESIDENTIAL WASTE COLLECTION REQUESTS
COMMUNITY WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES
To log a service request visit our website www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au or phone 07 5540 5111. Please contact Council on 07 5540 5111 if you would like to discuss in-kind provision of event bins, to report an issue with a deceased animal, or to report an issue with a public place bin.
Damaged, lost, missed, stray bins
Got a broken handle or a split bin? Was your bin still full after collection day? Do you have too many bins or maybe no bin at all? We will work to resolve these issues as soon as we can.
New collection service
If you wish to establish a new collection service please contact Council. Consider that inspections or approvals should be in place for new dwellings.
In some cases it is not safe or efficient to provide a kerbside collection service. To find out what other options may be available, please contact Council to discuss further.
Service changes
If you find the dual service does not provide enough bin space to meet your needs, please contact Council to discuss service options. Fees and charges can be found on our website.
Infirm service
If you are unable to place or collect bins from the kerbside due to medical reasons please contact Council to organise support. You will be required to provide a medical certificate.
Our Waste for Events Factsheet identifies steps you can take from, planning to post event to support waste avoidance and minimise litter by adopting good waste management practices. For a copy of the Factsheet, please visit Council’s website www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/wasteresource-recovery
Temporary event bins
Applications for general waste and comingled recycling bins for events must be submitted to Council at least two weeks before the event date. Current fees and charges are available on Council’s website.
Council can also provide event bins free of charge for eligible not-for-profit groups and organisations as in kind support.
Deceased animals
Council organises removal of deceased animals from parks, roads and footpaths if they are a traffic hazard or causing offence or nuisance.
Public place bins
Bins are provided in high traffic areas. Containers for Change baskets allow users to deposit their 10c eligible beverage containers which can be picked up by others.
WASTE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITIES
Scenic Rim Regional Council operates seven Waste and Resource Recovery Facilities.
Residential customers can dispose of one cubic metre of general waste and three cubic metres of green waste per visit free of charge.
Our facilities accept a range of materials for recycling and recovery along with bulky and hazardous items that can’t be safely disposed of through general waste bins.
Visit our website www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/waste-resource-recovery or phone 07 5540 5111 for current fees and charges for other services or commercial rates.
Please note!
Last entry time for ALL waste facilities is 10 minutes before closing. Vehicles weighing over 4.5 tonnes must go to the Central (Bromelton) facility and be weighed upon entry.
Central (Bromelton)
Address 43 Waste Facility Road, Bromelton
Monday–Sunday 9am–5pm
Waste and Resource Recovery Facility
Waste and Resource Recovery Facility and Landfill
Canungra
Address 2036 Beaudesert- Nerang Road
Monday–Wednesday, Friday–Sunday 9am–5pm
CLOSED Thursday
Tamborine Mountain
Address 137 Knoll Road
Monday & Tuesday, Thursday–Sunday 9am–5pm
CLOSED Wednesday Boonah
Address 24 Evans Road, Dugandan
Monday & Tuesday, Thursday–Sunday 9am–5pm
CLOSED Wednesday
Rathdowney
Address 10290 Mt Lindesay Highway
Monday, Thursday, Saturday 9am–5pm
CLOSED Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday Council will provide waste receptacles from 7am-9am on Mondays to allow disposal of domestic household waste only.
Peak Crossing
Address 62 Faulkners Quarry Road, Harrisville
Wednesday 9am–12pm
Saturday and Sunday 1pm–5pm
CLOSED Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday Kalbar
Address 14 Muller Road, Fassifern
Wednesday 1pm–5pm
Saturday–Sunday 9am–12pm
CLOSED Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
Tamborine Mountain
Peak Crossing
Kalbar
Boonah
Bromelton (Central)
Rathdowney
Beaudesert
Canungra
WHAT WE ACCEPT
Non-chargeable services
(for Scenic Rim residents)
General waste
Co-mingled waste (paper/carboard, glass bottles & jars, hard plastic, cans)
Green waste*
Car batteries
Scrap metal
Engine oil (less than 25l)
E-waste
Agricultural chemical drums
(empty and triple rinsed)
Paint
Empty gas cylinders (up to 9 kg) and fire extinguishers
Mobile phones, smart watches and accessories
*Tree stumps and tree trunks larger than 40cm will be charged at the general waste fee and can only be delivered to the Central landfill at Bromelton.
Chargeable services
(for Scenic Rim residents)
Asbestos (must be booked in — call Council on 5540 5111)
Dead Animals (must be booked in — call Council on 5540 5111)
Fridges/freezers/aircons
Tyres
Clean Concrete
Clean Fill (must be booked in — call Council on 5540 5111)
Commercial waste
SPECIALISED RECOVERY AND DISPOSAL PROGRAMS
The following items can be disposed of at Council’s Waste and Resource Recovery Facilities.
Paint: Paintback takes unwanted paint and packaging and responsibly disposes of it, diverting it from landfill and waterways. Containers are recycled and waste paint is treated in a number of ways, including energy recovery for solvent and liquid/solid separation for water-based paint.
Paintback accepts up to 100 litres per visit, stowed in containers of 20 litres or less. Paintback cannot take industrial and specialist coatings and other tints and surface treatments.
Visit paintback.com.au for more information.
E-waste: E-waste covers discarded electronics and electrical components, that is, things that you can plug-in or that take batteries, for example, kitchen appliances, computers and toys.
E-waste contains toxic chemicals that can pollute, such as lead, mercury and arsenic, and valuable resources that can be extracted, such as precious metals.
Mobile Muster is a free mobile phone recycling service in Australia. Visit mobilemuster.com.au for more information.
Drummuster eligible chemical drums: Eligible containers are nonreturnable metal and plastic containers marked with the DrumMuster eligible container logo. This logo may be applied to the container either as a sticker, printed as part of the label, or embossed into the container material.
When you arrive, please advise the Waste Service Officer on site that you have a DrumMuster drum to be disposed of so they can make sure they are handled and stored appropriately.
All containers must be triple rinsed and have the lids removed before drop off. Failure to do this may result in your containers not being accepted.
Commercial disposal charges apply to returns in excess of 250 kilograms. Drums should be wrapped in manageable sizes as they will need to be unloaded by hand and placed in the designated DrumMuster area.
Visit drummuster.org.au for more information.
Chemclear Agvet chemical collection program: Council supports the ChemClear program for the collection of surplus agricultural and veterinary chemicals. Participation in the program requires registration through Chemclear.
Visit chemclear.org.au/register-your-chemical for more information.
RESTRICTED MATERIALS
The following materials have specific requirements for acceptance at our facilities due to health, safety and environmental impacts.
Asbestos
Asbestos is a building material that was extensively used in Australia from the 1940s until the 1980s, most commonly in cement sheeting, pipes, roofing and guttering.
Asbestos becomes a health hazard when fibres of breathable size become airborne and are then inhaled, causing asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Asbestos is a regulated waste that requires lawful transport. Council has strict policies and procedures guiding disposal of asbestos, including:
Asbestos quantities must be wetted down and double-wrapped in thick plastic in manageable sizes, as the customer will have to handle it themselves.
Disposal will generally be required prior to 3pm.
Disposal of commercial quantities of asbestos must be accompanied by a Waste Transport Certificate.
For your safety and the safety of the community:
Don’t store or reuse any asbestos materials.
Don’t dispose of asbestos waste in a domestic rubbish bin, skip or Council waste collections.
Don’t dump asbestos waste — fines apply.
Deceased animals
Deceased animals are only accepted at our Central Waste and Resource Recovery Facility located at Bromelton.
Animals that can be disposed of include:
Cattle
Sheep
Pigs
Horses
Donkeys
If you bring in a deceased horse or donkey, you must provide a certificate from a vet clearing it of Hendra virus.
BOOK AHEAD
Asbestos is a regulated waste needs to be lawfully transported. Council requires 24 hours notice prior to the disposal of asbestos and deceased animals, please call ahead on 5540 5111.
RESTRICTED MATERIALS
Moving
restricted biosecurity
matter; invasive plants and fire ants
Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, individuals and organisations have a general biosecurity obligation (GBO) to take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise risks associated with invasive plants and animals under their control, including risks associated with the movement of weeds and fire ants.
Weeds
There are more than 90 species of invasive plants recognised as prohibited or restricted invasive plants in Qld under the Biosecurity Act 2014. To minimise biosecurity risk, do not dump invasive plants and garden waste in bushland or parkland. Prohibited invasive plants must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland within 24 hours of the sighting. A person reporting the prohibited invasive plants must take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise the risk of it spreading or escaping until they receive advice from an authorised Biosecurity Queensland officer. If you suspect a restricted invasive plant, check with Biosecurity Queensland that you can safely transport the invasive plant to a facility for disposal.
Fire Ants
The greatest risk in the spread of fire ants is human-assisted movement.
Council’s Waste and Resource Recovery
Facilities have strict protocols about bringing soil and other items from a Fire Ant Restricted Zone.
Acceptance of soil and other items from a restricted zone must be managed in accordance with the following restricted items requirements.
Restricted items include:
Soil (fill, clay, scrapings, topsoil, potting media and any other material from the ground at a site where earthworks are being carried out).
Mulch, manure, bark, hay, pot plants, potting mix, turf, gravels, poultry litter and green waste that has been stockpiled before disposal.
NOTE: Freshly cut green waste (same day as disposal) is not a restricted item and can be disposed of at all sites.
The Biosecurity Regulation 2016 allows for a person to move soil from a place in fire ant biosecurity Zone 2 to a waste facility that is also located Zone 2.
The movement of soil from a place in Zone 2 to a waste facility in fire ant biosecurity Zone 1 is not permitted, as such a movement risks re-infecting areas with fire ants.
Individuals moving soil from a place located inside the fire ant biosecurity zones to a waste facility located outside of the fire ant biosecurity zones are required to obtain a biosecurity instrument permit before the movement can take place. Further information on current fire ants including current zones is available from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries ants.daf.qld.gov.au
MORE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
Scenic Rim Regional Council — www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/waste-resource-recovery
