Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy

As a society, we are generating more waste than ever before. We are purchasing and disposing of products and materials daily, and the types of waste we are producing have diversified. This process of consume and dispose is not sustainable, and is having increasingly negative impacts.

Council’s Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2019–2023 (WARR) has key directions and priorities to:

• Avoid and reduce waste
• Improve reuse and recycling
• Manage problem waste better
• Reduce litter
• Reduce illegal dumping. 

The WARR Strategy follows the principles of the waste hierarchy with the goal of firstly avoiding and reducing waste, whilst moving towards a more circular economy which values resources by keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible. 

Through developing the WARR Strategy, our community showed that they are highly concerned about waste and litter issues, and they place a high level of importance on waste and recycling services.

They also value a clean and sustainable environment that can be enjoyed and protected for future generations.

In implementing the WARR Strategy, Council will work to encourage and assist our residents to:

• Reduce waste where they can, particularly food wastes, single use plastics, and packaging
• Re-use or re-home items rather than disposing of them
• ‘Recycle right’ by understanding what can and can’t go in the yellow lidded bin
• Make use of the different recycling services available
• Not leave waste on the street without booking in a bulky waste collection
• Keep our City clean

As a key player in the delivery of waste and resource management services in the local area, and a business with significant operations, Council has a unique opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the management of our own waste and the delivery of quality waste services.

To work towards achieving our targets and objectives Council will:

• Continue to engage with our community to help them avoid, reduce, reuse and recycle
• Seek out waste and recycling solutions that assist us in meeting our targets
• Improve the way we manage wastes from our own operations
• Improve our procurement activities to assist in the achievement of our waste targets
• Work with industry partners to find solutions for common issues
• Introduce smart city initiatives to improve data collection, analysis and decision making to meet waste targets

Contact the Sustainability & Waste Team on 9806 8292 or enviroed@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au