Waste management and resource recovery strategy
The Queensland Government released the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy (Waste Strategy) on 1 July 2019. The department has been tasked with updating the Waste Strategy to ensure that it remains fit for purpose.
It provides for Queensland’s transition to a zero-waste society, where waste is avoided, reused, and recycled to the greatest possible extent.
The strategy:
- focuses on deliver coordinated, long-term and sustained growth for the recycling and resource recovery sector
- promotes more sustainable practices for businesses, industries and households to help reduce the amount of waste produced and disposed
- will help to retain the value of material in the economy for as long as possible
The strategy sets the following ambitious stretch targets for 2050:
- 25% reduction in household waste
- 90% of waste recovered (diverted from landfill)
- 75% recycling rates across all waste types.
Providing an incentive to recover and recycle materials will help protect the natural environment and conserve natural resources that would otherwise require the input of virgin materials to manufacture new products.
Outcomes
In 2023, a statutory review of the strategy was undertaken, with the review report identifying that Queensland was on track to meet five of the nine 2025 interim targets based on the 2022-2023 data.
However, further analysis of the 2023-2024 data indicates that Queensland is on track to only achieve four of the nine interim targets:
- the construction and demolition waste targets have already been exceeded
- good progress is being made for commercial and industrial waste
- considerable work is required to achieve the municipal solid (household) waste recovery and diversion targets.
Reduction in household waste generation (% reduction from 2017-18 baseline)
| Waste stream | 2017-18 baseline | 2023-24 data | 2025 milestone | Progress status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal solid waste | 540kg | 7% | 10% | Unlikely to reach milestone targets |
Landfill diversion rate (amount diverted as percentage of total waste generated)
| Waste stream | 2017-18 baseline | 2023-24 data | 2025 milestone | Progress status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal solid waste | 32.4% | 28% | 55% | Unlikely to reach milestone targets |
| Commercial and industrial | 47.3% | 55%* | 65% | Possibly reach milestone targets |
| Construction and demolition | 50.9% | 83% | 75% | On track / surpassed milestone targets |
| Overall | 45.4% | 57%* | 65% | Possibly reach milestone targets |
*Accelerated progress would be needed to meet target
Recycling rate (amount recycled as percentage of total waste generated)
| Waste stream | 2017-18 baseline | 2023-24 data | 2025 milestone | Progress status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal solid waste | 31.1% | 28% | 50% | Unlikely to reach milestone targets |
| Commercial and industrial | 46.5% | 53% | 55% | On track / surpassed milestone targets |
| Construction and demolition | 50.9% | 83% | 75% | On track / surpassed milestone targets |
| Overall | 44.9% | 56% | 60% | On track / surpassed milestone targets |
Definitions:
- Municipal solid waste includes domestic waste and other wastes arising from
council activities such as the collection of waste from roads, parks and public
places, beaches, waterways, street sweeping, and the collection of litter and
illegally dumped waste. - Commercial and industrial waste includes scrap metal, paper and packaging
materials, sawmill residues and green waste. - Construction and demolition waste includes concrete, scrap met al, asphalt, and masonry.
Progress against the targets is published in the final review report of the strategy. Key findings for the 2023-24 Recycling and waste in Queensland report is published on the department’s website in December each year, providing access to open data.
