Good news, Queensland! A major new recycling strategy is set to help keep millions of tonnes of waste out of landfill while creating jobs, supporting local communities and making recycling easier for households across the state.

The Queensland Government has launched its new Less Landfill, More Recycling 2035 strategy, with a clear goal: achieve a statewide recycling rate of 65% by 2035 while significantly reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. 

And considering Queensland generated almost 10.25 million tonnes of waste in the last financial year, it's a timely step in the right direction. 

Turning Waste Into Opportunity

Behind the new strategy is a significant investment of more than $975 million over five years to improve recycling infrastructure, support innovation and help communities reduce waste.

The plan focuses on practical action, including making recycling easier for households and businesses, building stronger markets for recycled materials and tackling hard-to-manage waste streams such as batteries, mattresses, textiles, tyres and e-waste.

It's a reminder that rubbish isn't always rubbish. With the right systems in place, yesterday's waste can become tomorrow's resource. Talk about a bin-win situation!

More Green Bins, Less Landfill

One of the most exciting parts of the strategy is the expansion of organics recycling.

Through the GROW FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) program, more than 481,000 green-lid bins have already been rolled out across Queensland. These bins are expected to divert more than 100,000 tonnes of organic waste from landfill each year.

The strategy also highlights the huge impact households can have. Currently, household recycling rates sit at 28%, while Queensland households throw away nearly 690 kilograms of general waste in their red bins every year. By improving access to recycling services, providing clearer guidance on what belongs in each bin and expanding education programs, the government hopes to help Queenslanders recycle more with confidence.

Investing in Communities Across Queensland

What makes this strategy really encouraging is its recognition that different regions face different challenges. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, the plan includes tailored targets for South East Queensland, major regional centres and rural communities. 

Funding is already supporting projects across the state, from upgrades to recycling facilities and organics processing centres to new waste sorting infrastructure. The first round of funded projects is expected to divert more than 150,000 tonnes of waste from landfill.

Beyond the environmental benefits, the strategy is also expected to support jobs and economic growth. Queensland's recycling and resource recovery industries already support around 12,000 jobs and contribute approximately $1.5 billion to the state's economy each year.

A Cleaner Future Starts at Home!

While large-scale infrastructure and government investment play an important role, the strategy reinforces something we always talk about at Go For Zero: small actions add up.

Whether it's using your yellow-lid bin correctly, composting food scraps or returning eligible containers, every choice helps keep valuable resources in circulation. If you don't have access to a FOGO service, our Urban Composter is a simple way to keep food scraps out of landfill, while our recycling guide and take-back program help give hard-to-recycle items a second life.

Queensland's new recycling strategy shows that when communities, businesses and governments work together, waste doesn't have to be the end of the story. It can be the beginning of a cleaner, more circular future. And that's the kind of rubbish news we're happy to celebrate!

Ready for another feel-good story? Check out our blog here about Australia's best packing winner. It's a goodie, I promise!

With love,
Ellie xo