Brisbane City Council is the latest organistion to outline plans to head Towards Zero Waste, although it is giving itself plenty of time to make the transition. While full details of the program are yet to emerge, a set of targets have been outlined on the council’s website, including for waste disposal to drop to 201,924 tonnes or 172kg per person, a 3% annual reduction by 2026.

The full plan is believed to focus on upstream waste reduction efforts, although it is the end of pipe details that seem to have somehow emerged online first.

The council wants waste generation to fall 3% per year, reaching 306kg/person by 2011. At the same time, Australia’s largest council wants to grow resource recovery 5% annually to 90kg/person. It then aims to keep this recovery growth rate up until 2026, eventually hitting 168kg/person.

Key to improved recovery will be reducing the volume of recyclables lost to the general waste stream. In 2006/07 it says 30% of recyclables were lost. It wants this cut to 15% by 2011 and 5% by 2026.

The plan also outlines plans to reduce contamination rates in yellow-lidded recycling bins from 9% in 2006/07 to 6% by 2011 and just 3% by 2026.

“In 2026, Brisbane residents and businesses will lead Australia in reducing industrial and domestic waste,” proclaims the council website. “Our waste will be a resource through waste mining, reusing and recycling.”

Click here to read the rest of today's news stories.