Kingston’s annual waste production (tonnes) 2012 - 2016
|
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
Garbage
|
28,696
|
28,032
|
29,169
|
29,653 |
29,967 |
|
Recycling
|
15,419
|
15,469
|
15,468
|
15,233 |
15,053 |
|
Garden Waste
|
14,917
|
13,992
|
14,447
|
13,169 |
14,023 |
| Total (tonnes) |
59,032 |
57,493 |
59,084 |
58,055 |
59,043 |
Recycling
In 2016, 15,053 tonnes of recyclable material was collected from kerbside recycling bins in Kingston. This is equivalent to collecting roughly 251 kg of recycling per household in 2016. Recycling not only reduces our reliance on landfill but it also saves natural resources such as energy and water. It's important that we also close the loop and, as consumers, buy materials made from our recycling such as packaging, clothing, carpet, glass tiles, cement, cutlery, worm farms, fridges and furniture. This helps to ensure there's a sustainable market for our recyclable packaging waste.
By recycling this amount of waste Kingston residents saved:
- 8,481 tonnes of CO2 emissions - the equivalent of 2,484 cars permanently removed from the road
- 109,808 gigajoules of energy - the equivalent of 30,417,771 days of watching a large TV
- 158 megalitres of water - the equivalent of 63 olympic sized swimming pools
Landfill waste
In 2016, a total of 29,967 tonnes of waste was collected from kerbside garbage bins in Kingston which ended up in landfill. You can do your bit to help Council reach its goal of achieving zero waste to landfill by:
- Using a compost bin, worm farm or Bokashi bucket to compost food scraps
- Using containers to store and carry food instead of plastic wrap
- Refusing plastics bags when shopping and bring your own reuseable bag
- Maximising your recycling by looking for recyclables in every room of the house
- Avoiding food waste by cooking with leftovers, using a shopping list and storing food correctly
- Collecting soft/fllexible plastics and taking them back to your local supermarket for recycling
If you have a waste-related enquiry, please call Council's Customer Care Team on 1300 653 356
Garden waste
In 2016, Kingston residents helped recover 14,023 tonnes of garden waste which would have otherwise been sent to landfill. This is equivalent to collecting approximately 234 kg of garden waste per household in 2016. Garden waste collected through Council's kerbside service is turned into compost which is used in schools, community gardens, parks and farms. It's important to make sure only garden waste is placed in these bins so the compost is of a high enough quality to be used within the community. Plastic bags and pots contaminate the compost and the food that's grown from it.
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