Waste Management Brisbane 2021 🚮 – What You Need To Know!

esWaste Management Brisbane 🚮: Is the rubbish removal in the Brisbane industry different north of the border in 2021 as most other things are? Or, is it better north of the border (as Queenslanders would say)? In this blog post, we aim to give you the low down on the key aspects of waste management and recycling for small and medium businesses in the Brisbane Metropolitan area.

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>>Download Now: Free PDF Business Owners Guide To General Waste Bin Services

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Table of contents for this article include: 

I. Managing waste in Brisbane
II. Brisbane waste collection
III. Commercial waste collection Brisbane 
IV. Waste disposal Brisbane
IV. Garbage collection Brisbane

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Waste management Brisbane

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Most Queenslanders know they are special, in general. At least they tell us they are! As such, we ask in today’s blog what you need to know about arranging waste collection services for your business. Every state in Australia has certain differences and this applies as much to waste and recycling as to anything else!

If you live on the Goldie, you can check out our guide to waste management Gold Coast here.

As the most demographically diverse state in Australia, Brisbane has all the major national waste industry players. They also have numerous smaller regional and rubbish collection in Brisbane – focused suppliers included.

Metro Brisbane is now spreading into a huge population area, stretching from the Gold Coast in the South up to the Sunshine Coast.

The metro region also covers such wide areas as Ipswich, Forest Lake, Redcliffe and Brendale.

Status of waste levy on dumping at landfill in Queensland

Queensland previously did not have a State Government mandated levy imposed on the disposal of waste at landfills prior to July 2019, when a levy of $50+GST was introduced. This makes a major difference to the economics of waste collection, disposal and recycling with the financial incentives for businesses to recycle greatly diminished.

However – a big update – the Queensland Government reintroduced a landfill levy on all waste dumped at Queensland landfills last July 2019. It started off at $50+GST per tonne disposed of. Moreover, it, of course, covers places like Brisbane, the Gold Coast and most of the state.

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“The levy zone includes 39 out of 77 local government areas. This covers around 90 per cent of Queensland’s population and is where the majority of waste is generated and disposed. Waste disposed of in the levy zone, or waste that originates in the levy zone or interstate and is disposed of in the non-levy zone will be liable for the levy.”

As per the link to the Queensland Government environmental authority (see the link provided from our Waste Resources page), the difference in cost of disposal will remain large in comparison to disposal in Sydney or Melbourne.

This difference in cost has created strange incentives with common stories of waste being shipped north from Sydney and other areas in New South Wales by rail, so as to avoid the higher disposal costs in NSW! The money saved on disposal apparently can more than makeup for the extra expense on shipping costs and effort. This story has, of course, been covered in the recent ABC expose of the waste industry and raised many questionable practices by waste industry companies.

Landfill facilities in Brisbane: waste dumping in Brisbane

Brisbane City Council provides landfill facilities and four transfer stations across the Brisbane Metropolitan region: four transfer stations are provided by the Council at Nudgee, Willawong, Ferny Grove and Chandler.

The disposal fees in Brisbane are also significantly lower than other state capitals throughout Australia. Even after the reintroduction of the Brisbane waste management levy in 2019, it will remain lower than most other capital cities. This still is true at the time of writing this blog in March 2021.

Impact on Brisbane recycling incentives

The lower cost of disposal at landfills in Brisbane has an impact on the purely financial rationale for a business to recycle. For example, commingled recycling can be roughly the same price as sending waste to landfill. Environmental awareness and focus are thus more important in Brisbane to reach good environmental outcomes.

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Waster provides waste management services across Brisbane

We offer complete coverage of the Brisbane metro region – with our pricing covering the following postcodes:  4000, 4005, 4006, 4007, 4008, 4009, 4010, 4011, 4012, 4013, 4014, 4017, 4018, 4019, 4020, 4021, 4022, 4029, 4030, 4031, 4032, 4034, 4035, 4036, 4037, 4051, 4053, 4054, 4055, 4059, 4060, 4061, 4064, 4065, 4066, 4067, 4068, 4069, 4070, 4072, 4073, 4074, 4075, 4076, 4077, 4078, 4101, 4102, 4103, 4104, 4105, 4106, 4107, 4108, 4109, 4110, 4111, 4112, 4113, 4114, 4115, 4116, 4117, 4118, 4119, 4120, 4121, 4122, 4123, 4124, 4125, 4127, 4128, 4129, 4130, 4131, 4132, 4133, 4151, 4152, 4153, 4154, 4155, 4156, 4157, 4158, 4159, 4160, 4161, 4163, 4164, 4165, 4169, 4170, 4171, 4172, 4173, 4174, 4178, 4179, 4205, 4207, 4300, 4301, 4303, 4304, 4305, 4500, 4501, 4502, 4503, 4504, 4505, 4506, 4507, 4508, 4509, 4510, 4511.

Indicative pricing is as follows for Waste management Brisbane:

1.5m cubed FEL General Waste Service – varying between $27.00 and $60.00 (per bin collected) dependent on your required pickup schedule and industry type. See our blog on the density of general waste for more detail on pricing.

Note that these rates have significantly increased for waste management in Brisbane from 1st July 2019. Also, take note that continues to increase yearly – due to the introduction of the landfill levy. Also, rates have increased by c. $80+GST per tonne.

As always, give us a call on 1300 WASTER or email us at [email protected] if you have any queries on commercial waste management in Brisbane and one of our friendly customer service agents will help you arrange a flexible, 30-day contract that best meets your needs.

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Brisbane waste collection

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If you have been watching the very interesting program on the ABC called War On Waste, you will likely be aware that huge amounts of waste and rubbish are being shipped to Queensland. They are shipped via road and rail for dumping at landfills in the Sunshine State. Not even counting the rubbish from Gold Coast and Brisbane waste collection services, this practice is leading to increased traffic, road accidents and, of course, emissions in Queensland.

In an era where Australia experiences a rapid population growth – which results in tonnage from Brisbane waste collection – both private residents and commercial, landfills became increasingly scarce and valuable facilities. So we ask the question, ‘should we be filling the Queensland landfill space with millions of tonnes of rubbish from south of the border?’

It is not just waste collection in Brisbane that is ending up in Queensland landfills!

Due to a large difference in the cost of disposing of general waste in landfills in the Sydney metro region versus costs in Queensland, waste industry operators have been shipping large volumes of waste the long distance from Sydney to Queensland.

This, of course, results in traffic jams, delays to drivers, accidents and carbon emissions from the trucks and trains.

According to news.com.au :

“Last year, approaching a million tonnes of NSW waste ended up in the sunshine state. Much of it is reburied around the Brisbane fringe city of Ipswich whose outskirts are pockmarked with landfill sites.

“Tony Khoury, the Executive Director of the Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association, which represents the waste industry in NSW, told news.com.au that, “Queensland has become NSW’s dumping ground.”

The financial rationale for NSW companies in dumping north of the border is due to the huge cost difference caused by the landfill levy of $138.80 (in 2018/18) in NSW vs zero in Queensland. This differential is so large that news.com.au reported that companies are taking waste already in landfills in Sydney and shipping it to Queensland.

The financial impact on Queensland can only be considered when the sheer volume and number of trucks involved are analysed:

“Last month, the EPA told the committee they had underestimated how much waste was heading north — it now amounts to 830,000 tonnes annually.

“That equals $114 million of lost levy for the NSW Government and, potentially, up to 27,000 truck movements a year or 75 a day.”

27,000 truck movements are huge when you consider that each truck can weigh between 20 and 30 tonnes. This has a real cost to commuters and other road users. There have also been numerous incidents of trucks toppling over when overloaded.

Conclusion

Shipping waste to Queensland benefits no one in Queensland. It just results in more emissions, traffic and accidents. Waste collection customers based in Brisbane will also be impacted in future years by the decreasing availability of landfill space.

Contact us if you are a small or medium business seeking reliable Gold Coast or Brisbane waste collection services.

See our recent blog on reducing general waste bins via container deposit schemes.

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Commercial waste collection Brisbane

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Commercial waste collection Brisbane: Shopping around and choosing a qualified and competent provider for any service is very important. This holds true with anything related to business or in life, But, you need to know at least a little bit about the service or product you intend to purchase.

Our Brisbane waste management and collection services will save your business money in the long term (and growing every year due to the reintroduction of waste levies a couple of years ago) and also help the environment.

Introducing Waster

Waster offers a revolution in waste management and recycling in Australia for small and medium business customers. Check out our Brisbane commercial waste management and collection services and prices by accessing our online portal below:

Waste collection Brisbane: beware, unscrupulous operators!

Like any industry, the waste industry has plenty of unscrupulous operators. They do not all have to look like or sound like Tony Soprano. And of course, they are best avoided.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on a Queensland Government crackdown on unlicensed operators in early 2017. We quote from the article below:

“Authorities have cracked down on rogue waste management operators in Queensland, including the unlicensed transport of asbestos, chemicals and waste oil.

“A special compliance operation – named Operation TORA – targeted unlicensed waste management operators across Queensland.

“So far, the operation has led to 54 enforcement actions against 46 unlicensed operators.

“While most businesses do the right thing, it’s important to have good compliance programs to ensure there is a level playing field and appropriate environmental protection,” Dr Miles said.

“Rogue operators who seek to avoid licensing and regulated requirements aren’t engaged in fair competition with other employers and they’re putting the community at risk.

“This can have a serious consequence, for example, if an operator doesn’t store or dispose of regulated waste with the proper controls in place it could lead to spills or leakage resulting in serious damage to our environment.

The last thing your business needs is to have a damaged reputation from your waste ending up in the wrong place. Reputation damage becomes very costly to any business, whether big or small.

Avoid problems by choosing a fully licensed, insured and reputable provider

Waster believes in providing customers and potential customers with the right information to make the best decision for their business, whether choosing Waster or another licensed and high-quality waste provider. At the end of the day, a little bit of consideration at the beginning when looking at waste and recycling contracts or changing waste suppliers can be very beneficial in the long term.

There are many questions to ask any Brisbane waste company prior to services:

Waste collection Brisbane Christmas – always ask which days the company will provide services on over Christmas or other public holidays such as ANZAC Day, Australia Day. You do not want to be stuck at your busiest time (say if you are a cafe or restaurant) with no services!

You should also ask if you will be hit by a surcharge for waste collection services in Brisbane. Note: Waster never charges surcharges for holidays, etc.

Is your waste collection Brisbane company fully insured? At the end of the day, trucks and commercial metal waste bins are very heavy. Sometimes, accidents can happen.

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Most accidents are things like damage to fences, walls, etc. Truly, it is good to know the business is fully insured.

Where does your waste go? If you are handling hazardous waste such as asbestos, it can be a good idea to know where the asbestos is disposed of just so you can rest easy while everything is being treated correctly.

See our blog on skip bin hire Brisbane.

Conclusion on waste collection Brisbane

Asking a few questions and knowing what to ask before you sign up for any contract– whether long or short term – is always a sensible idea.

It is best to avoid any issues from the get-go. Save yourself the stress!

Please check out our other blogs or chat with our friendly customer service team if you have any questions.

The advice can be from well-meaning friends or relatives. Or, it can, of course, also be from waste companies trying to sell you their services.

Worst advice No.1: recycling will just cost you more and is not worth the hassle

We have heard it many times; putting effort into recycling is not worth it. The view sometimes is that separating your waste streams is lots of hard, and time-consuming effort and in a busy company. Moreover, they say that time would be better spent on other things.

We have also heard that recycling is simply more expensive as the materials have to be separated.

One of the biggest issues in recent years has been the lack of a landfill levy in QLD, which has encouraged cross border shipment of waste from NSW for cheap waste disposal in Brisbane landfills. As a result, this process has saved NSW millions in levies.

However, a levy was introduced in July 2019 which more than doubled waste disposal and management costs for many Brisbane and Qld based companies.

This means that recycling is more important than ever. And, it is the best way to lower your costs for industrial bins in Brisbane.

Our advice is that recycling should help you minimise your costs as recycling is usually cheaper than general waste (such as cardboard recycling). It also ensures you will not be subject to any levies imposed on general waste in the future. This has certainly been true from July 2019; many businesses will get a nasty shock when looking at their waste bins Brisbane invoice.

We have argued in other blogs on Brisbane waste disposal topics that the levy is an unfair tax on businesses – particularly food-based businesses like cafes and restaurants. But, there is very little we can do about it.

The effort required is also very minimal. Separating out cardboard can reduce the need for general waste bins, as cardboard does not smell and so bins do not need to be collected as often.

Worst advice No.2: signing a long term contract for waste disposal Brisbane services is smarter

Many people think that signing a long term contract will mean your prices for waste disposal in Brisbane will stay the same throughout the life of the contract.

In general, it can mean quite the opposite. The small print in many contracts lets the supplier alter prices pretty much for any reason.

This will be very important for you once the levy is introduced in July 2019. Nearly all waste disposal customers in Brisbane will see a big price jump for their services

Check out our blog posts on long term waste contracts and whether you can exit a waste contract early.

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We always recommend thinking long and hard about whether a long term waste bins Brisbane contract is best for your business. Check out our recent blog on wheelie bins Sydney.

Conclusion on rubbish bin collection and waste management Brisbane

In the last few years, the financial incentive to boost recycling was reduced by the lack of a levy. This has come back with a bang! It is important to think now about whether you can boost recycling and keep your costs as flat as possible.

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Garbage collection Brisbane

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We compare commercial waste services to those provided by the Brisbane City Council.

Of course, which is better will depend on your personal circumstance. But in many cases, commercial garbage collection in Brisbane can work out cheaper. It can also work out more flexible from a commercial provider.

Waster provides low cost and reliable rubbish collections and recycling services throughout Brisbane. We provide them with flexible 30-day agreements. Additionally, we do it without any hidden fees.

Check out our services in our online waste shop below:

Garbage collection Brisbane: can the council provide your waste and recycling services?

Basically, Brisbane metro region is unusual in Australian waste management for a couple of reasons. The first is that there was no government levy on dumping general waste at landfill until 2019. Hence, the cost of garbage collection services in Brisbane was lower than in cities such as Sydney or Melbourne.

A levy was introduced in 2019 – expected to increase each year. This levy has significantly increased the cost of dumping at landfills for general waste.

The government has launched a program offering rebates on drinks containers. See recycling Brisbane.

The other difference is that the majority of the city is covered by a single council region – Brisbane City Council – which provides the landfill and also provide basic waste and recycling services to businesses in the metro region.

You should check if these services are suitable and sufficient for your business. Note: the services tend to be only suitable for smaller businesses that require wheelie bin collections once per week.

As per the BCC website, if you sign up for rubbish removal in Brisbane, you can utilise a bin from 240 litres up to 4.5m.

“There is no start-up fee to join the recycling service. The weekly fee entitles the customer to one collection per week for each bin.”

Types of recycling bins	Service fees inclusive of GST
240 litre	$6.30 per service
340 litre	$8.70 per service
Bulk bins 660 litres to 4.5 cubic metres	$19.60 per cubic metre per service

“Invoices will be sent on a quarterly basis.

“You have to commit to the service for a minimum of 12 months, after which time you can cancel the service. ”

Commercial costs can be considerably cheaper than council services

Waster offers rubbish bin services on flexible 30-day terms. This means that you do not need to commit to an annual contract. Our pricing can also work out considerably cheaper than the pricing from the council.

We provide all required services from general rubbish, recycling green waste, one-off household rubbish removals and all recycling services.

For example, Waster provides cardboard collections in bins. The sizes range from 1.5 – 4.5 m at a rate of less than $15.33+GST per metre. So, it is considerably lower than the council price.

Conclusion

Save money whenever and wherever you can. Businesses in Brisbane should carefully include waste management in their cost calculations. Remember that costs increase year after year for small businesses.

Waster can help small businesses save money and have flexibility as we provide all services on flexible 30-day agreements.

Thus, you would not find yourself locked into a waste management contract that does not suit your needs.

Brisbane Garbage Collection: at Waster, we always try to keep abreast of the latest developments in waste services and recycling. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have described Waster as the Uber of Waste. This is due to our innovative approach to Brisbane garbage collection.

So, to keep you in the loop, we will cover an interesting development in metro Brisbane that could see waste being sucked underground through a huge scale garbage chute system rather than being collected by bins at all – a fine waste management innovation.

The current garbage collection system processes commonly use garbage chute systems in high rise blocks. But this one is very different to anything we have seen in Australia before.

Brisbane garbage collection: Brisbane looks to the future with high tech solution for the CBD

In our recent blog on Melbourne waste management, we looked at ongoing trends to improving the sustainability of major Australian cities.

According to Brisbanetimes.com.au, “Brisbane’s Queens Wharf resort along George St and the South Brisbane peninsula could go wheelie-bin free. Envac, the Swedish company soon to build an automatic, underground recycling system on 52 hectares in Maroochydore, said its system “would revolutionise” old fashioned waste collection in Australia.”

This system will replace the need for collections of literally thousands of underground waste bins.

“In Australia, it is rather strange that the waste collection has remained “conventional” for so many years.

“Mr Ha said his company had been in discussions with private developers in southern cities. But, the Maroochydore project was the first big-scale project in Australia.

He said the system involved sensors that automatically empty waste tubes during the day and vary the speed of the waste drawn by vacuum through the network, to fix blockages.

“Brisbane should quickly test the underground waste bins, pneumatic tube waste system – replacing wheelie bins – being installed in the new Maroochydore project, Greens councillor Jonathan Sri said.

“When you think how much petrol is burned and how energy is wasted with our current approach to collecting waste, it is clear we should be doing something more sustainable,” Cr Sri said.

“I think this solution looks really cool and I would really like to see it trialled as part of redevelopment somewhere in the inner-city,” he said.

More info

The ABC reports that this huge garbage chute system will be a key part of the new 53 hectares of Maroochydore CBD. It will see the city become one of the greenest and cleanest in the world.

Amazingly, “waste would be transported from commercial buildings through waste chute systems and apartments at up to 70 kilometres per hour through a six-and-a-half-kilometre system of underground vacuum pipes.”

In a warm climate such as Queensland, it prevents odours and other issues such as vermin.

Conclusion on future Brisbane garbage collection

It certainly is an interesting concept. We keep you up to date with it. Also, check out other topics such as waste management in Brisbane. Or, you can check out rubbish removal in Brisbane for other related info.

Whilst integrated waste systems of this type may seem like science fiction, they use tested and proven systems. We think it is a great waste management innovation.

For a great way to see recycling and Brisbane garbage collection in action, you can take your kids to see Reverse Garbage Brisbane. There, they collect high quality discarded items. They sell them at great rates to the public. As they say, “one man’s trash is another’s treasure”, etc. You can see the website here.

See our blog on the future of landfill Sydney.