Sydney’s carbon footprint will be significantly lighter with the announcement that 100,000 tonnes of household garbage will be saved from landfill as a result of an agreement made between seven councils in southern Sydney.
Instead of sending waste to landfill, Burwood, Ashfield, Kogarah, Leichhardt, Rockdale, Waverley and Woollahra councils will soon send household waste for processing at an advanced waste treatment facility operated by Veolia Environment Services.
The new facility will recover two-thirds of garbage generated by the community through recycling and producing compost, significantly reducing the city’s carbon footprint.
The seven councils, which represent more than 400,000 residents, are members of the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC), which facilitated the deal.
President of SSROC and Mayor of Burwood, Councillor John Faker said that the partnership would address increasing concerns over landfill and improve the efficiency of councils.
“We can’t keep doing this — landfill is an outdated practice. Not only are landfill sites filling up quickly, but they’re becoming more and more expensive to use, adding to ratepayer costs,” said Cr Faker.
“Rubbish tips produce a lot of methane, which is one of the most potent forms of carbon emissions. It seeps out of food and other organic material as it rots and keeps on [doing so] for decades.
“This initiative highlights the way in which local councils share resources, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of council services while still providing residents from diverse communities with their own voice.”
Councillor Sally Betts, Mayor of Waverley, Vice-President of SSROC and Chair of the region’s Program Delivery Committee, is also in support of the new agreement.
“This facility will help to conserve our resources, reduce our carbon emissions and contain our costs – it’s a win all round,” said Cr Betts.
SSROC is a non-profit association that supports councils in southern Sydney in collaborative projects.
