Reducing waste for community clubs

Discuss with Brisbane City Council what recycling services are available to your club. You may even be eligible for a free recycling bin service so you can stop paying a private contractor. Brisbane City Council can also offer clubs signage and assistance to help with improving recycling behaviours for club visitors. To ask any questions about waste management or enquire about complimentary recycling services, community organisations can email Council’s waste team with any questions at BusinessRecyclingcc@brisbane.qld.gov.au or they can call Brisbane City Council on 07 3403 8888 and request to speak to the Waste Smart Community Team.

Increasing recycling will not only reduce the amount waste sent to landfill, but may also minimise your clubs waste levy fees.

Cost: Free

Brisbane City Council offer green waste recycling bins, this service is an easy, affordable way to dispose of garden waste.

Green waste bins are collected fortnightly and disposed of at the green waste recycling facility. The green waste is composted and mulched ready for reuse.

Cost: Free

When organic waste such as food and garden waste sits in landfill, it releases methane which is a greenhouse gas emission that has a 28 times greater global warming potential than carbon emissions.

By composting your food and garden waste your club’s organic waste breaks down in a naturally beneficial way that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and also lowers the amount of waste your club is sending to landfill. You can use the nutrient-rich soil on your grounds or take it to your closest community garden.

Cost: Anywhere from $30 to $500 depending on the scale of composting operation you want to run. Brisbane City Council offer a $70 rebate for compost solutions.

Brisbane City Council can visit your club to help understand what waste management solutions would best suit your operations. They can also provide advice, support and free resources like posters and stickers to improve patron waste behaviours. If your organisation would like any of the posters or stickers listed, you can email Council’s waste team at BusinessRecyclingcc@brisbane.qld.gov.au or call Brisbane City Council on 07 3403 8888 and request to speak to the Waste Smart Community Team. Brisbane City Council will post these items directly to your organisation’s address.

Cost: Free

Brisbane City Council has partnered with a number of community gardens around Brisbane to help residents turn food scraps into nutrients for soil. Residents living near community composting hubs can regularly contribute their food scraps to a community garden compost bin.

Cost: Free

Visit a Resource Recovery Centre  to help recycle more and reduce your landfill waste. Brisbane City Council has four resource recovery centres at Chandler, Ferny Grove, Nudgee and Willawong with recycling and waste facilities. Recyclables can be dropped off for free, and you can use waste vouchers or pay a fee for the disposal of general and green waste.

Cost: To dispose of general waste or green waste, fees apply, or you can use your waste vouchers. Recycling for vehicles under 4.5 tonnes Combined Gross Vehicle Mass (CGVM) is free.

Creating a community garden is a fantastic way to use your composted soil while also providing another gathering place for your patrons. Encourage club members and visitors to water and contribute to the garden. Have mum and dad teach their youngest about where their food comes from and growing produce while their oldest plays footy.

Cost: Set up costs may vary

This will include a central location where community members can dispose of their recyclable containers. Containers for Change will take them off you for a price-per-container.

There are many different ways you can engage with Container Exchange to become a drop-off location and raise funds for your Club for every container returned.

Read the Containers for Change fundraising toolkit and contact Containers for Change to get in touch with your service provider and organise if you can become a donation location.

Cost: Free, with potential to generate revenue

When residents donate bottles with Containers for Change, they can choose to take the cash for themselves or give the 10c rebate per bottle to a charity. As a community group, you are entitled to sign up as a registered charity so residents can donate to your club.

Promote your Containers for Exchange scheme ID number to club members and family as a fundraising activity. When they drop off containers at a Container for Change collection point, they can nominate the funds to go into the club’s account.

Read the Containers for Change fundraising toolkit and contact Containers for Change to get in touch with your service provider and organise if you can become a donation location.

Cost: Free, with potential to generate revenue

Start using reusable crockery such as reusable (hard plastic) plates, cups, mugs and cutlery where possible. Create a plate drop-off destination for your club and encourage visitors to return their used crockery when they have finished eating.

Reduce your landfill levy fees and ongoing costs for new cups, plates and cutlery by introducing reusable goods. Using reusable products that have a longer life cycle reduces the emissions and resource-use involved in producing new goods from paper and plastic that are only going to be used once. Avoid being fined for using single-use plastic in light of recent and upcoming Queensland Government bans and laws.

Cost: $0 to $500 depending on scale

ASPIRE is a waste trading website for Brisbane businesses. ASPIRE is a BCorp certified business tool that offers an online marketplace for businesses (any organisation with an ABN) to exchange waste and unwanted resources and materials. Brisbane City Council has invested in an enterprise license so that any organisation with an ABN and less than 100 FTE can register and use the platform for free.

Learn more about this fantastic and easy-to-use platform here.

Cost: Free