During March 2025, Council sought feedback on waste management needs for households, businesses and communities across the region. We had a high level of feedback, with more than 2,100 contributions across our three surveys. We asked about the waste you produce, how you manage it and the community's understanding about separating waste for recycling and landfill management.

This is important information to help us as we review our Waste Management Strategy, which helps Council work with the community to improve our methods of management and landfill diversion, helping to keep the growing costs associated with waste and landfill management down.

Thank you to all that took the time to participate. It is expected that a draft strategy for community comment and review will be available in the first half of 2026.

Toowoomba Regional Council is very committed to meeting targets for redirection of waste away from landfill, into recycling or other beneficial uses wherever possible. This program has been guided by the Toowoomba Region Waste Management Strategy adopted in 2021.

Council has a statutory obligation to review its Waste Management Strategy every five years and a review is currently underway.

There have been many changes in the waste and recycling industry in recent years, which include:

• Changing state and national policies which imposed higher targets for waste to be diverted away from landfill.
• Emphasis on a circular economy model (to return recovered material and energy back into the cycle of production and consumption).
• Bans on single-use-plastic bags, cutlery, crockery and straws.
• Introduction of a state landfill levy.
• Focus on maximising the value of organics and other wastes with a value rather than landfill disposal.

Challenges and opportunities identified for the Toowoomba Region include:

• Maximising recycling.
• Developing markets for recovered materials.
• Managing increasing costs.
• Meeting community expectations.