When green bins will roll out in your suburb

Brisbane’s citywide rollout of green waste bins has begun in 11 suburbs.

The Brisbane City Council announced a citywide green bin scheme in its budget this year, raising waste costs for all residents and replacing the former opt-in program that had come with a fee.

The council planned to send green bins to about a dozen suburbs each week – beginning with inner-city, western and southern areas – with up to 160,000 bins distributed in the next four months.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the council was “thrilled”, and the program would cut the council’s waste levy bills that it paid to the state government.

“Every green bin collected means less landfill, more mulch and compost for reuse, and big savings for residents thanks to lower waste levy costs,” Schrinner said.

“We’re proud to deliver on our commitment to keep Brisbane clean and sustainable while supporting households through cost-of-living pressures.”

Under the state government’s bin levy, introduced in 2019, councils are charged about $115 for every tonne of general waste sent to landfill, with that cost set to increase by $10 per year through to 2028.

Under the previous scheme, the council estimated about half of the eligible homes in the city had a green bin. It said that diverted 43,000 tonnes of green waste from landfill, saving the council an estimated $1.6 million in waste levy costs.

Through its new program, the council said between 65,000 and 80,000 tonnes of green waste could be diverted from landfill, saving between $2 million and $3 million in the first year, and up to $32 million over five years.

Apartment complexes and townhouses are not automatically eligible to receive a green bin, but residents can request a bin at no extra cost, while every house will automatically receive a bin unless the resident opts out.

Whether a home receives a bin or not, ratepayers are charged a universal waste fee of $512.96 a year – a $49.62 increase on the previous base cost for the waste program.

Residents of households who already have a green bin will not see any increase in their waste fees.

The scheme was supported through the Queensland government’s grow food organic and garden organic (FOGO) fund.

The fund awards councils in the south-east a one-time grant of $65 for each household participating in a green bin removal program – which could exceed $11 million for the Brisbane City Council.

The new green bins were not designed for FOGO waste, although the council expected to renew its compost rebate scheme, which offers grants of up to $100 for composting equipment, and $200 for food waste recycling equipment.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.