Greater Sydney on the brink of a waste crisis

The NSW Government has warned that Greater Sydney is on the brink of a waste crisis noting that if urgent action isn’t taken, the state will run out of landfill space by 2030.

The City of Sydney area produces more than 5,500 tonnes of waste every day from homes, workplaces, venues and events, construction and transport infrastructure. More than 2,000 tonnes goes to landfill each day, while the rest is recycled.

Landfills have traditionally been the primary destination for Sydney's waste. Major facilities like Lucas Heights, Eastern Creek, and Belrose serve this purpose. These landfills are engineered to safely contain waste and minimise environmental risks to surrounding areas.

While landfills have served their purpose, exploring alternative waste management strategies is crucial for Sydney's sustainable future.

Without new waste and recycling solutions, and some quick decisions and choices, Greater Sydney’s landfill capacity will be exhausted within the next decade - rubbish will need to go to regional areas or interstate for disposal.

The state of NSW’s waste and recycling was made public at the NSW Circular Economy Summit in Sydney, hosted by NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe and NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) CEO Tony Chappel.

The Summit brought together representatives from industry, environment groups, local government and state government to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the state.

Concerningly, recycling rates in NSW have stagnated at around 65% since 2015-16, so far well short of the 80% target by 2030.

However, the NSW Government is moving swiftly and taking action to address the looming waste management shortfall.

Four key pieces of work are underway to fix the waste challenge:

Plan and develop critical waste infrastructure

• Urgently develop NSW’s first ever Waste Infrastructure Plan, to support the development of the facilities we need

• Consultation with industry and councils has already begun.

Reduce waste going to landfill

• Finalise the waste levy review

• Legislate mandates to phase in source-separated FOGO waste (food organics and garden organics) for businesses and households

• Develop and roll out the first ever NSW Reuse and Repair Strategy to scale up the reuse sector

Grow recycling rates and opportunities

• Finalise the NSW Plastics Plan to take plastics out of circulation

Take action to prevent contamination

• Finalise our Australian-leading work on product stewardship for batteries

• Prevent FOGO contamination by taking action on chemicals in food packaging

• Work with Office of the Chief Scientist to review the settings around asbestos

The NSW Government is also exploring funding opportunities to support the sector and local government. Over the past decade, the NSW EPA has awarded over half a billion dollars through more than 3,300 grants to divert around four million tonnes of waste from landfill.

Summit feedback will help to further tackle the issue and shape government policies to ensure NSW has the capacity to manage waste safely now and into the future.

NSW Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe advised “Sydney is running out of landfill space and our recycling rates have stagnated. We are at a point that if we don’t take urgent action, our red bins won’t be able to be collected in a few years.

“Previous Governments were briefed on this issue, and there was no action for over a decade. Industry and councils have been crying out for support and leadership. We’re stepping up to the plate.

“Not all the decisions we need to make will be easy or even popular – but I’d rather make the hard decisions then have bins that can’t be collected.

“We know the public wants to see less waste in landfill, use less plastic and support recycling and we want to help them do their bit. Together we can fix the problem and create a more sustainable future.”

NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) CEO Tony Chappel added “Shifting to a circular economy requires a united approach, and that’s exactly what today’s Summit is about – bringing together key stakeholders to explore how we can accelerate this transition.

"As a state, we’re at a critical juncture. We must act now to ensure our infrastructure keeps pace with growing waste volumes, and to maximise recycling and recovery efforts. Through a mix of innovative projects, strategic investments, and collaboration, we can turn this challenge into an opportunity.

“By working together across government, industry and communities, we’re building a future where waste becomes a resource, not a burden.”

For more information, visit www.epa.nsw.gov.au/sydney-landfill-shortage

Image. Credit: Grima Recycling