Queensland recycling targets are being reset as the state tries to slow landfill growth after waste volumes rose faster than population in the latest financial year.
The Queensland government will introduce a new waste strategy that sets a statewide recycling target of 65 percent by 2035. The plan also aims to cut waste sent to landfill by 65 percent over the next decade compared with the state’s 2019-20 baseline.
The strategy comes after Queensland generated almost 10.25 million tonnes of waste in the last financial year, up 4.5 percent from the year before. That increase outpaced population growth and highlighted the pressure on landfill capacity, recycling systems and local government waste services.
Environment Minister Andrew Powell is expected to unveil the plan on Wednesday. The government says the strategy will direct more money to councils, adjust targets by region and focus on difficult waste streams such as mattresses, batteries and tyres.
Queensland Recycling Plan Sets 2035 Goal
The new Queensland recycling plan replaces the former government’s waste strategy, which had aimed to divert 65 percent of waste from landfill by 2025 and lift recycling rates to 60 percent by the same year.
Queensland has fallen short of that earlier recycling target. The most recent waste survey for 2024-25 put the state’s resource recovery rate at about 58 percent.
The new plan pushes the main statewide recycling target to 65 percent by 2035. It also introduces a 60 percent household recycling target by the same year.
Household waste remains one of the hardest parts of the system to change. The plan says households currently recycle 28 percent of their rubbish and throw away nearly 690 kilograms of general waste in red bins each year.
That gap shows why the government is focusing on both infrastructure and behavior. Lifting household recovery from 28 percent to 60 percent would require better collection systems, stronger processing capacity and greater separation of reusable material before it reaches landfill.
Regional Targets Reflect Different Waste Pressures
The government’s strategy does not apply one target equally across the state. Instead, it sets different goals for south-east Queensland, major regional hubs and rural or remote areas.
In south-east Queensland, the government wants landfill volumes to fall by 70 percent over 10 years. That region carries the state’s largest population base and faces significant pressure from urban growth, housing development and commercial activity.
For major regional communities, including Cairns, Townsville and Mackay, the target is a 50 percent reduction in waste sent to landfill. The plan sets a less aggressive goal for the rest of the state, including rural and remote areas, where the aim is to maintain current landfill disposal levels.
Powell said the strategy recognizes that waste solutions suitable for south-east Queensland may not work the same way in regional areas. That distinction matters because remote communities often face higher transport costs, fewer recycling facilities and weaker supply chains for recovered materials.
The regional approach may help the government avoid imposing uniform targets that local councils cannot realistically meet. However, it also means progress will depend heavily on how funding, infrastructure and commercial recycling capacity are distributed across the state.
Councils Receive Funding as Levy Review Continues
The waste strategy comes alongside major funding commitments for local councils.
The government says it will provide councils with $488 million over five years to offset the cost of the waste levy. That support is designed to prevent levy costs from being passed on to households.
The state has reviewed the waste levy over the past year but has not yet announced what changes it may make. The strategy says the levy underpins a range of waste programs, making it a central tool in the government’s landfill reduction agenda.
Any increase in the levy could be politically sensitive, especially if councils or households fear higher waste charges. The government has said any increase will not flow through to households.
Separately, the plan includes $487 million over five years for a waste reduction and recycling activation fund. That money will also go to councils and will support projects designed to divert more material from landfill.
The first round of funding includes projects such as a new surge pit in Brisbane to separate dry and bulky waste and redirect more of it away from landfill.
Mattresses, Batteries and Tyres Targeted
The Queensland recycling strategy identifies several priority waste streams that require extra attention.
Mattresses are a major focus. The plan estimates that about 300,000 mattresses are dumped in Queensland landfills each year. They are bulky, slow to break down and difficult to manage, especially in regional areas where recycling supply chains are limited.
The government says it will look at measures such as a joint taskforce and more investment in mattress dismantling infrastructure. That could help recover materials and reduce the space mattresses take up in landfill.
Batteries and tyres are also listed as priority wastes. Both can create environmental and safety risks if they are not handled properly. They also require specialized collection and processing systems, which can be more difficult to build outside major urban centers.
By singling out these waste streams, the government is trying to move beyond broad recycling targets and address materials that create practical problems for landfill operators and councils.
Waste Growth Puts Pressure on Landfill Capacity
The latest waste figures show why the government is acting. A 4.5 percent annual increase in waste generation is a warning sign for a state trying to reduce landfill dependence.
If waste continues to grow faster than population, councils may face higher disposal costs and greater pressure to expand landfill capacity. That could also make recycling targets harder to achieve because the system would need to recover more material just to keep pace.
The new strategy seeks to slow that trend through funding, regional targets and a stronger focus on household and priority waste. However, the absence of long-term targets beyond 2035 marks a shift from the previous strategy, which had included goals to divert 90 percent of waste from landfill and lift recycling rates to 75 percent by 2050.
The next issue to watch is how the government changes the waste levy and how quickly councils can turn new funding into practical recycling capacity. Those decisions will show whether Queensland recycling targets can move from policy ambition to measurable landfill reduction.
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