These green bins have everyone talking—but only a few know the full story

Queensland’s approach to waste management took a bold new turn with a plan that promised to transform the state’s green waste habits.

Nearly half a million new green bins were set to hit kerbs across the Sunshine State, aiming to keep 100,000 tonnes of garden waste out of landfill.

But how exactly would this rollout reshape communities and the environment?


The Queensland Government had secured funding to support four local government areas (LGAs) in expanding their green waste programs.

These LGAs—Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Gold Coast and Brisbane City councils—were given the green light to upgrade their kerbside organic bin services.

This included distributing new bins, replacing ageing bins and lids, and launching community education campaigns to raise awareness about recycling benefits.


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Four councils receive funding for green bin upgrades. Image source: Facebook/City Of Port Phillip


A government spokeswoman said green waste bins offered 'a genuine win-win for the environment by diverting organic waste from landfill and reducing methane gas emissions'.

With more than $41 million approved to date for seven councils across South East Queensland, Central and Far North Queensland, the scheme was gaining momentum.

Reducing landfill waste also eased pressure on councils, who could avoid costly waste levies while opening up greenfield housing sites for development.

Queensland’s Environment and Tourism minister Andrew Powell reiterated the government’s dedication to this goal, stating they were 'committed to reducing waste in landfill while increasing Queensland’s recycling rate'.

He added, 'Every time a Queenslander puts items like grass clippings and tree branches in a green bin, they are helping us boost recycling rate.'


Moreton Bay mayor Peter Flannery highlighted the success of the scheme in his area, reporting the diversion of 'more than 20,000 tonnes of garden organics from landfill' since December 2024.

He welcomed the ongoing funding, saying, 'This continued funding helps to support our commitment to going green and making it easy for residents to recycle garden waste at home.

The government also encouraged councils beyond the initial four LGAs to apply for grants.

These grants could cover replacing dark green bin lids with bright green ones, rolling out new bins, and running recycling education campaigns to strengthen community engagement.


Green bin waste is doing more than just reducing landfill—it’s becoming a powerful resource for clean energy.

If you’re curious about how garden scraps could help fuel the future, there’s an exciting breakthrough underway.

This next story explains how green waste is being transformed into a new source of renewable energy.

Read more: Green bin waste holds key to next big energy breakthrough

Key Takeaways
  • Queensland rolled out nearly 500,000 new green bins to reduce landfill waste.
  • Funding initially targeted four LGAs: Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Gold Coast and Brisbane City.
  • The scheme reduced methane emissions by diverting organic waste and eased waste levy costs for councils.
  • Community education and bin upgrades formed a core part of the government’s $151 million project.

What more could communities do if everyone fully embraced recycling garden waste in their green bins?
 

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