Waste management is an essential service provided by Council, and critical to the health of the community, protecting the local environment and conserving resources.

The Strategy aims to provide the long-term strategic direction for Dubbo Regional Council’s waste services, highlights past achievements and sets out how the waste and resource recovery needs of the Dubbo region will be met over the next decade.

Generating a Local Government Waste Strategy is an Action in the 2024/2025 Delivery Program and Operational Plan

Circular economy aims to:

• sustainably reuse materials through reuse, repurposing, recycling and remanufacturing.
• 'Close the loop on waste' by minimising what we through away, using and reusing our resources efficiently, making them as productive as possible.

The NSW State Government's ambition and approach to a circular economy utilises seven principles to maximise the use and value of resources including:

1. Sustainable management of all resources
2. Valuing resource productivity
3. Design out waste and pollution
4. Maintain the value of products and materials
5. Innovate innovative solutions for resource efficiency
6. Create new circular economy jobs
7. Foster behaviour change through education and engagement

The NSW strategy includes a range of ambitions targets and actions, including:

• mandatory collection of food and garden organics from all NSW households by 2030
• reduce total waste generated by 10% per person by 2030
• 80% average recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030
• overall litter reduction target of 60% by 2030
• halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill, and net zero emissions from organics to landfill, by 2030.

Waste Strategy key focus areas are:

1. Natural and Built Environment
2. Home
3. Business and Industry
4. Future - Children and Youth
5. Council - Staff and Councillors
6. Council - Waste Operations

Currently on average, a total of 101,000 tonnes of waste per year is collected and managed by Council of this:

- 28% is collected from households (domestic in origin)

- 72% is not from households (non-domestic in origin)

What I can do in my daily life to make a positive impact:

• Remember your reusable keep cup and shopping bags to help phase out unnecessary plastics
• Separate your recycling and organics at home and correctly use Council's domestic waste and recycling service
• Try to reduce food waste by planning your meals, shopping to a list, and use up your leftovers. Home | Love Food Hate Waste (nsw.gov.au) provides useful tips and resources to help you reduce food waste.
• Repair and mend items, rather than replacing with new
• Rehome unwanted household item by giving them away to friends, family or online
• Look at Council's A-Z Recycling - Dubbo Regional Council (nsw.gov.au) to re-use, re-cycle, and properly dispose of items, and find out how you can recycle more from your home
• Sort your loads and utilise the resource recovery drop off areas when attending Council's Waste Facilities (textiles, cardboards, tyres, steel etc)