Recycling and waste in Queensland report

Information about waste recovery, recycling and disposal in Queensland is collected through an annual waste data survey and monthly waste data returns from landfill operators.

This data helps inform policy development and decision makers in the waste and resource recovery industry, local government and Queensland Government about the state’s recycling and waste management activities.

On this page

Key findings for 2023–24

A total of 9.81 million tonnes of headline wastes were generated, a 5.4% increase from 2022–23.

  • A total of 5,604,565 tonnes of headline wastes were recovered, an 11.6% increase from 2022–23.
  • The overall recovery rate for headline wastes increased by 3.2% from 2022–23 to 57.1%.
  • A total of 4.2 million tonnes of headline wastes were landfilled, an 80,300 tonne decrease from 2022-23.
  • Over 14,500 tonnes of disaster waste were landfilled.
  • 80.6% of materials recovered were recycled in Queensland.
  • Local governments sent 280,357 tonnes of paper and packaging for recovery.
  • Approximately 1.36 million tonnes of mixed domestic waste were picked up by weekly red lid bin council collections.
  • The waste levy raised $428.8 million.
  • Queensland received 2.2% less waste from interstate sources than 2022–23 (266,563 tonnes received) and 78% less than the 1.19 million tonnes received in 2018–19.

Progress towards Waste Strategy targets

  • Four out of nine targets are on track or have been surpassed.
  • Accelerated progress will be needed on the remaining targets, particularly the municipal solid waste targets which are significantly off track and are unlikely to be met.
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 metal, asphalt, and masonry.

Headline wastes

  • A total of 9.81 million tonnes of headline wastes (municipal, commercial and industrial, construction and demolition) were generated – an increase of 500,800 tonnes (5.4%) from 2022–23.
  • The 5.4% increase in headline waste is set against the backdrop of Queensland’s population growth of 2.6% and economic growth (state final demand) of 1.8% during the same period.

The overall waste diversion from landfill (recovery rate) increased by 3.2% from 53.9% in 2022–23 to 57.1% in 2023–24.

  • Waste diversion for the headline waste streams were:
    • 28.3% for municipal solid waste (the current target is 55% by 2025)
    • 54.6% for commercial and industrial waste (the current target is 65% by 2025)
    • 83.3% for construction and demolition waste (current target is 75% by 2025).

Show data

Waste diversion for the headline waste streams
Waste type Current percentage Target percentage
Municipal solid waste 28.3 55
Commercial and industrial waste 54.6 65
Construction and demolition waste 83.3 75

Local governments

  • Weekly red bin lid kerbside services collected approximately 1.36 million tonnes of domestic waste from 2,072,308 households.  This is a 31 kilogram (4.5%) decrease per bin service and a 14.2 kilogram (5.4%) decrease per capita from 2022–23.
  • Thirty-five councils provided a regular yellow bin lid kerbside collection service for paper and packaging materials to 1,931,277 households – a 1.9% increase from 2022–23.
  • Councils sent 280,357 tonnes of paper and packaging for recovery. This is 8,080 tonnes less than the amount sent in 2022–23, or 7.3% less per bin service and 4.5% less per capita compared to 2022–23.
  • Eleven councils provided 526,941 Queensland households with a regular green waste (green bin lid) kerbside collection service – an increase of 113,400 households from 2022–23.
  • Green bin lid services collected 143,751 tonnes of garden or food organic wastes, 28,400 tonnes greater than the amount collected in 2022–23. This is a 0.99% decrease per bin service and a 33.3% increase per capita from 2022–23.
  • Local councils diverted 1,377,852 tonnes of headline wastes from disposal – 547,870 tonnes were recycled by local governments, with the remainder sent to the private sector for recovery.
  • 18,462 tonnes of waste were diverted from landfill through the operation of ‘tip shops’.
  • 13,233 tonnes of litter and illegally dumped waste were cleaned up at an estimated cost of $23.7 million.
  • $172.2 million was paid under annual payments to local councils.

Show data

Household bin collection
Bin typeHouseholds
Red lid bin 2072308
Yellow lid bin 1931277
Green lid bin 526941

Private sector disposal

  • Private sector waste facilities (landfills, monofills and incinerators) handled 48.3% of the headline wastes sent for disposal. Of the waste sent to disposal, private sector facilities reported:
    • 27.7% of the municipal solid waste
    • 59.9% of the commercial and industrial waste
    • 86.9% of the construction and demolition waste.

Materials recovered

A total of 5,604,565 tonnes of headline wastes were recovered – an 11.6% increase from 2022–23.

  • Approximately 1.6 million tonnes of concrete were recycled, which made up 28.8% of the headline wastes and 56.7% of construction and demolition waste recovered.
  • Other substantial components of the construction and demolition waste stream included asphalt (approximately 235,000 tonnes), concrete washout (approximately 230,000 tonnes), bricks and pavers (approximately 85,000 tonnes) and fibre cement (approximately 46,000 tonnes).
  • Over a million tonnes of metal were recovered, including approximately 928,000 tonnes of ferrous metal, approximately 45,000 tonnes of aluminium and approximately 70,000 tonnes of other non-ferrous metal.
  • Close to 761,670 tonnes of segregated green waste were recovered, of which 59% was from domestic sources and the remainder from commercial sources.
  • Other organic materials processed included approximately 277,000 tonnes of timber, approximately 294,000 tonnes of sawmill residuals, approximately 187,000 tonnes of manure, approximately 118,000 tonnes of abattoir waste, approximately 101,000 tonnes of biosolids and approximately 93,000 tonnes of grease trap waste.
  • Approximately 1.1 million tonnes of ash (20.9% of the 5.3 million tonnes reported) were recovered.
  • Approximately 709,000 tonnes of paper and packaging materials were recovered. The main components included approximately 337,000 tonnes of cardboard, approximately 200,000 tonnes of paper, approximately 114,000 tonnes of packaging glass, approximately 30,000 tonnes of packaging plastic, approximately 21,000 tonnes of aluminium cans, approximately 5,700 tonnes of steel cans and approximately 1,000 tonnes of liquid paperboard.
  • Approximately 96,000 tonnes of waste (including timber, green waste, food waste, sawmill residuals, tyres, paint, solvents, chemicals, mineral oil and oily water) were sent to energy recovery.

Movement of wastes

266,563 tonnes of waste were received from interstate sources by reporting entities in Queensland – a 2.2% decrease in incoming interstate waste from 2022–23 and a 78% decrease from the 1.19 million tonnes received in 2018–19.

  • Of the materials recovered in 2023–24:
    • 80.6% were processed in Queensland
    • 4.9% of diverted materials were sent interstate for further processing
    • 14.5% of diverted materials were sent overseas for further processing.
  • Materials that were predominantly recovered in Queensland include paper, glass, HDPE, PP and PS plastics, concrete, concrete washout, asphalt, bricks and pavers, tiles and ceramics, aggregate, plasterboard, fibre cement, timber, green waste, sawmill residuals, agricultural residuals, manure, abattoir waste, cotton gin trash, waste food, food processing waste, vegetable oil, mineral oil, biosolids, grease trap waste & sludges, other putrescible waste, oily water, fly ash, bottom/other ash, drilling mud, foundry sand, paint solvents and chemicals, and other rubber.
  • Other materials that were diverted from landfill and predominately exported from Queensland include cardboard, PET and LDPE plastics, steel and aluminium cans, other ferrous metal, other aluminium, other nonferrous metals, and tyres.

Waste levy

The waste levy raised $428.8 million.

As of 30 June 2024, there were 51 active landfill operators with a total of 95 sites within the levy zone. This included 78 landfills operated by 35 councils and 17 landfills run by 16 private operators.

The total revenue received from the waste disposal levy in 2023–24 was $428.8 million.

For 2023–24, the total amount of annual payments made to local councils was $172.2 million.

Types and amounts of waste on which the levy was paid to the state
Waste type Amount (tonnes)
Municipal solid waste 1,870,187
Commercial and industrial waste 1,281,202
Construction and demolition waste 557,920
Earth contaminated with a hazardous contaminant from land recorded on the Environmental Management Register (EMR) or Contaminated Land Register (CLR) 55,227
Recycling activity residue waste with an approved waste levy discount 173,377
Category 1 regulated waste, other than:
  • earth contaminated with a hazardous contaminant from land recorded on the EMR or CLR
  • treated timber sawdust and shavings
98,888
Category 2 regulated waste, other than:
  • earth contaminated with a hazardous contaminant from land recorded on the EMR or CLR
  • treated timber sawdust and shavings
160,550

Show data

Types and amounts of waste on which the levy was paid to the state
Waste typeTonnes
Municipal solid waste 1870187
Commercial and industrial waste 1281202
Construction and demolition waste 557920
Earth contaminated with a hazardous contaminant from land recorded on the EMR or CLR 55227
Recycling activity residue waste with an approved waste levy discount 173377
Category 1 regulated waste 98888
Category 2 regulated waste 160550

Show data

Amount of waste on which the levy would have been paid if it were not exempt waste
Waste classificationTonnes
Waste with a general levy exemption 210589
Waste with an approved levy exemption 1754676

Note: The general levy exemption for Clean Earth no longer applied after 30 June 2023.  From 1 July 2023, Clean Earth was levyable except if used under an approved levy exemption.

Other matters

  • 44 councils indicated that they had waste reduction and recycling plans.
  • Under the Queensland Government’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011, State Entities are required to prepare three-year Waste Reduction and Recycling Plans (WRRPs) and report on progress on an annual basis to the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. 25 state entities reported against their waste reduction and recycling plan.
  • There is 1 accredited product stewardship scheme in Queensland (Paintback – for unwanted paint and packaging).

Annual waste data survey

The Recycling and Waste in Queensland report is largely informed by the Annual Waste Data Survey.

The survey captures data about waste generation, resource recovery, treatment and disposal in Queensland. This year’s data was derived from surveys submitted by 445 reporting entities, including local governments, state government departments, private landfill operators, recyclers, organic processors, waste transporters, operators of transfer stations, incinerators, industrial and mining monofils.

It also provides a range of government and industry stakeholders across the entire state with access to high quality, accurate waste data, while protecting survey respondent privacy and commercial confidentiality. Such data is critical to stakeholder planning and decision making at both the micro and macro level and ensures better productivity, with more likelihood of opportunities being identified and leveraged, and challenges managed.

See the glossary of terms used in recycling and waste report for further clarification.

Previous reports

Last updated:
20 December 2024
Share this page: