Convenient recycling solutions have never been easier, with new services introduced by RecycleSmart, the Uber for waste.
Local government is on the front line of Australia’s battle to manage its waste. Bin collection, recycling, waste education and litter management are all tasked to local councils. Now they’re trying to do the heavy lifting to meet increasing sustainability expectations, landfill diversion and recycling rates.
And while councils know there is a growing appetite to recycle, they often lack the resources, infrastructure, and finances to make it happen. Until now!
RecycleSmart has always been driven by an ambition to make recycling easier, offering on-demand pickup services for tricky to recycle items. It’s expanded its market offering, launching two new services for local government – drop-off events and collection services from recycling centres or hubs.
“The best way to recycle better is to offer more solutions,” says Eugenie Alonzo, RecycleSmart Chief Marketing Officer. “Now we’re offering a super easy solution to fit any budget, in any shape or form.”
RecycleSmart’s doorstep collection has built a solid following, with the service operating in more than 60 councils in Australia, offering the service to residents and businesses.
Eugenie says the new services are in response to feedback from councils that want to offer residents convenient recycling opportunities.
With the new services, councils can set up a recycling hub at a central location, nominate the types of waste residents can drop off, and then arrange a pickup by RecycleSmart when required.
Recycling events follow the same basis, with councils nominating a time and place for residents to drop off their recycling.
RecycleSmart’s digital dashboard gives councils full transparency on the type of items collected, how much and where they are recycled.
As part of the service, council staff are also offered training so they know exactly what items can be received and can answer resident questions.
Eugenie says that of the events and recycling centres held so far, councils are reporting greater diversion of recyclables from landfill, and better recycling behaviours.
“Convenience is key,” she says. “It feels like everyone wants to do the right thing and recycle more, but they’re not sure how. We’re trying to make it easier.
“We’re creating the bridge between peoples’ good intentions and getting them to do the right thing.”
Problematic plastics
RecycleSmart is currently collecting more than 100 different items and connecting them with recycling partners. Eugenie says most councils opt to provide solutions for soft plastics and e-waste that don’t fit the criteria for product stewardship.
Moira Shire in north-east Victoria has a population of more than 30,000 spread across more than 4000 square kilometres.
A 2021 kerbside waste audit by the shire identified soft plastics as the most problematic waste stream in landfill bins that could be avoided. This was before the collapse of instore collection service REDcycle.
Bethan McKay, the shire’s Environmental Services Technical Officer, estimates soft plastics now make up at least 90 per cent of contaminants because there is no other option available.
The shire is working with RecycleSmart to establish drop-off points at its four main resource recovery centres in Yarrawonga, Cobram, Numurkah and Nathalia. Soft plastics is a major focus.
Soft plastics can’t be compacted to the desired compacting rate of 0.9 tonnes per cubic metre at landfill sites, this means soft plastic takes up valuable air space (about four times the amount of space as standard landfilled material), which in turn reduces the life of landfill and has a direct cost to council.
Bethan says the council’s Cobram landfill is projected to have air space to cover the current waste streams until 2034-35. Diverting the hard to compact soft plastics will increase the site’s operational life.
Furthermore, as soft plastic is so lightweight, it is easily blown off site, causing an environmental hazard that must be managed by staff undertaking litter picks and regular patrols of the site.
And with the Victorian Government increasing the landfill levy annually, diverting soft plastics from landfill could also save the council thousands of dollars each year.
The additional resource recovery collection is an expansion of the council’s already existing resource recovery efforts for a variety of items. In February 2025 the council will also transition to a fortnightly collection for landfill kerbside services.
“We’re asking residents for a change in behaviour and assistance to help meet a target of 80 per cent reduction in landfill waste by 2030,” Bethan says. “It’s important we offer them alternatives.
“RecycleSmart’s collection service is convenient, but accountability and knowing where our recycling is going, is also important. The circular economy outcome is definitely a winner for us.”
RecycleSmart has entered a partnership with APR Plastics in Melbourne. All soft plastics collected will be used to create oil that will be on-sold to be turned into flexible plastics again.
Data-driven
Surf Coast Shire Council, also in Victoria, asked residents to collect their soft plastics during July and drop them off at the local transfer station in early August to help the council form a long-term strategy.
Neil Brewster, the council’s Waste Management Co-ordinator, says soft plastic by volume is the largest contaminant in the council’s kerbside collection. The community and council have sought a solution for some time. A project several years ago determined that kerbside collection wasn’t suitable because a majority of the shire is not urban, so household collections are also not feasible.
RecycleSmart offered a smart alternative. Council purchased a baler to compact any soft plastics collected throughout the trial. RecycleSmart will collect the bales as required. The intention is to have a permanent ongoing drop-off point.
“We’ve been wanting to do something for a long time,” Neil says. “We knew the majority of residents would jump on it; they’ve been asking for a service since supermarkets stopped taking soft plastics.
“This trial is all about data gathering to give us an idea of what to do moving forward.”
Neil says councillors and the executive management team are supportive of environmental initiatives and ways to improve resource recovery. Surf Coast Shire introduced a four-bin kerbside collection service in 2020, prior to the Victorian Government mandate.
Surf Coast Shire has one of the highest resource recovery rates across local government areas, about 73 to 74 per cent – and waste to landfill has decreased for several years, despite a growing population. Contamination rates of the council’s food organic, garden organic (FOGO) bins is also low – on average one per cent.
“A lot of people live here because they love the bush or the coast,” Neil says. “They are already environmentally conscious and are looking for options to reduce the waste they produce and recover as much as they can.
“If there’s a chance an initiative will make a difference, they’ll support it.”
Future focused
The council services are another string to RecycleSmart’s bow.
Since its inception five years ago the Sydney start-up has undergone exponential growth, expanded the range of items it collects and launched a successful CrowdFunding campaign.
In 2023, the on-demand service was offered directly to residents and businesses to unlock more recycling opportunities. And in August 2024 the service started in Hobart, completing a national rollout to major capital cities.
RecycleSmart now has an area manager in each state, as well as a team of local drivers. As more waste is collected it will invest in bigger collection points.
But it’s not stopping there with plans to introduce two new packages.
Watch this space.
For more information, visit: www.recyclesmart.com