The Queensland Government will provide Ipswich City Council with more than $9 million in funding to enhance waste services and address issues with waste management in the city.
Environment Minister Leanne Linard said more than $7 million will support the roll-out of food organic and garden organic (FOGO) waste collection, which was successfully trialled in the area in 2021/22.
The funding will allow for the delivery of 68,000 new lime-green organics kerbside bins as well as 96,000 kitchen caddies.
It will also support bin harmonisation, which will see dark green lids on existing residual waste bins replaced with red lids as part of a nation-wide push to make bin lid colours consistent. The government will also fund a community education program about FOGO collection.
Read more: Size does matter in city waste stakes
The remaining funding will support Ipswich City Council to transport the organic materials it collects to a facility that meets Queensland Government best practice guidelines for processing of the waste.
The funding is part of a total of $151 million funding commitment to help councils across Queensland implement FOGO waste collection services.
Implementing organics collection is a vital step in propelling Queensland towards state and national resource recovery targets and will substantially reduce waste going to landfill, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create jobs.
“I have no doubt that Ipswich residents will get right behind the full roll-out of FOGO waste collection,” said the Member for Ipswich West, Jim Madden. “Organic waste can be turned into high value compost, mulch, and soil products that can be used for a range of things, like tree planting, soil improvement, and revegetation projects.
“By recycling, food waste is put to good use the important nutrients and resources in food scraps are reused and put back into the environment as compost.”