Council opts to send recyclables straight to landfill
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Waste from yellow recycling bins in Ipswich is headed straight for landfill after a controversial decision by council. Ipswich Mayor Andrew Antoniolli said Australia's recycling system
had broken sooner than expected and council was backed into a corner. "Ipswich was the latest domino to be affected by a nation-wide issue," the mayor said in a statement.
China's ban on certain foreign materials has led to a sharp rise in the cost of domestic recycling. Council claims the decision was inevitable after a rise in costs that would translate
to a 1.5-2 percent rate rise for residents. More than half the contents of yellow household recycling bins are contaminated and unable to be recycled, according to council. The city plans
to move toward converting waste to energy. The Local Government Association of Queensland said other councils may be forced to follow suit with the increasing costs of recycling untenable
for many local government areas.