Queensland's Waste Crisis: Generation Outpaces Growth, Diversion Stagnates

Queensland's waste generation has increased at a rate exceeding its population growth, with hundreds of thousands of additional tonnes of rubbish produced in the past year.

A new report from the state government revealed that the proportion of municipal waste diverted from landfill has remained largely stagnant.

Rising Waste Generation

In the 2024-25 financial year, Queensland generated 10.25 million tonnes of waste, marking a 4.5 percent increase from the previous year. This amounted to an additional 440,000 tonnes of rubbish, significantly surpassing the state's 2.3 percent population growth during the same period.

Diversion Rates from Landfill

Approximately 57.8 percent of all waste was recovered and diverted from landfill, a minor improvement from 57.1 percent in 2023-24. This increase was primarily driven by enhanced recovery in the commercial, industrial, construction, and demolition waste sectors, rather than municipal waste.

Specific diversion rates include:

• 55.8 percent of commercial and industrial waste was diverted from landfill.
• 85 percent of construction and demolition rubbish was diverted.
• For municipal solid waste, which includes household rubbish, the recovery rate was 28.2 percent, a slight decrease from 28.3 percent the preceding year. This rate has remained below 30 percent since 2019-20.

Unmet Recovery Targets

Several waste recovery targets set by the former state Labor government in 2019 have not been achieved:

• The interim target to recover 55 percent of municipal solid waste by 2025 was not met.
• The target to divert 65 percent of commercial and industrial waste by 2025 was also not met.
• However, the goal to divert 75 percent of construction and demolition waste was successfully achieved.

Government and Industry Response

The current LNP government is reviewing Queensland's waste strategy, including its existing targets and the waste levy. Environment Minister Andrew Powell stated that the government is focused on reversing the trend of waste going to landfill. He emphasized collaboration with local councils and industry to enhance recycling efforts, with a new waste strategy expected to be released shortly.

Alison Price, chief executive of the Waste and Recycling Industry of Queensland, highlighted that relatively low landfill costs in the state contribute to a lack of change in waste disposal behavior among residents.

Ms. Price emphasized that the upcoming waste strategy is crucial and called for the government to make decisive actions.