In 2021 the NSW Government released their Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy, which set five, 10 and 20-year targets for waste management.
The strategy not only focuses on waste reduction and recycling but also on environmental benefits and economic opportunities from how waste is managed across the state.
Under the strategy Councils in NSW are bound by the target of diverting 80% of all waste streams from landfill by 2030. Currently within Singleton each household disposes of an average of 22 kilograms of waste through their kerbside bins per week, which adds up to over 1 tonne of waste from each household every year in the 3 bins alone.
In addition to the kerbside collection Council receives 16,000 tonnes of waste at the Waste Management Facility through self-haul deliveries by both residential and commercial customers. Currently, Singleton is achieving 36% diversion from landfill from the kerbside bins and 15% landfill diversion for waste received at the Waste Management Facility. If we are going to meet the state target, we need to change the way we do waste in Singleton.
For Singleton to reach the target of 80% diversion of waste from landfill, we will need to consider major changes to our currently offered waste services which are delivering diversion rates well below the future target.
As a result, Council requires the feedback of our residents and commercial operators in the Singleton LGA to identify what landfill diversion opportunities, service changes and community engagement you want us to explore through a thorough community consultation process.
By developing a long-term Waste Management Strategy, Council will be able to make informed decisions to manage the waste produced in the Singleton local government area in a cost-effective way for customers, and in an environmentally sustainable manner.