Gold Coast Mayor and ARRC Gold Coast Chair Tom Tate today toured ARRC Organics, the first operational facility forming part of ARRC’s integrated waste and resource recovery precinct at Stapylton.
The visit gave the Mayor a first-hand look at how green waste collected from Gold Coast households is processed into compost, through a combination of processes including enclosed in-vessel composting and outdoor maturation.
Mayor Tate said the facility was proof that resource recovery infrastructure could deliver for both the environment and ratepayers.
“Instead of sending green waste to landfill, ARRC Organics is already turning it into a valuable resource,” Mayor Tate said. “It shows what’s possible when we invest in infrastructure that supports a more sustainable future for the Gold Coast.
“Our team of 700,000 Gold Coast residents all have a role to play. Putting the right material in their green waste bin helps improve the quality of compost we produce and cuts down on contamination in the system.”
Contamination remains one of the biggest challenges for green waste processing, with items such as plastic bags, hoses, garden tools, pet waste, batteries, even vapes, regularly turning up in green bins.
ARRC Gold Coast CEO Grant Gabriel said community participation was critical to getting the best outcomes from the city’s green waste program.
“The cleaner the material that arrives at our facility, the better the outcome for the environment and for ratepayers,” Mr Gabriel said.
“Our team works hard to remove contamination, but the best fix is making sure only appropriate garden waste goes into the green waste bin in the first place. ARRC Organics is an important first step in ARRC’s broader vision to extract greater value from materials that would otherwise be discarded.”
ARRC Organics is the first operational facility within the planned ARRC precinct, which aims to increase resource recovery, reduce landfill dependence and support a more circular economy for the Gold Coast.
Earlier this month ARRC Organics received an $8.6 million boost from the Queensland Government to help support a doubling of the facility’s 60,000 tonnes per annum processing capacity.
ARRC Organics reference sheet
| Green bin – incorrect items | Correct disposal |
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Only green organics like lawn clippings, leaves, branches and prunings go in the green bin.
Oversized green organics can be taken to a Green Organics Drop and Go.
Green organics are returned to the environment as mulch, compost and fertiliser. That’s why it’s important to keep inorganic items like plastic, steel, aluminium and glass out of the green bin.
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| Red bin – incorrect items | Correct disposal |
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Batteries are a major risk to our residents, staff, collection vehicles and recycling facilities. Batteries cause fires in collection vehicles and recycling facilities, putting residents and workers at risk.
Household batteries can be dropped to B-Cycle points at major supermarkets and hardware retailers. Larger batteries can be taken to one of five Recycle Streets. Our Recycle Streets also accept household chemicals, gas bottles, motor oil and more.
If you’re unsure of how to dispose of an item – search ‘Recycle Right’ online. |
| Yellow bin – incorrect items | Correct disposal |
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Bagged recycling is the most common contaminant in yellow-lid bins. The solution is easy – empty recycling from plastics bags into the yellow bin and put the plastic bag in the red bin.
Plastics, especially soft plastics, are another common contaminant.
If you’re unsure if an item can be recycled – search ‘Recycle Right’ online and use the City’s local recycling guide.
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