Waste audit reveals $670,000 in unclaimed container refunds

LISMORE households recently threw away an estimated $670,000 in container refunds by putting eligible drink containers in their kerbside bins instead of cashing them in, while almost half of the material in general waste bins could have been recycled or composted, according to Lismore City Council’s latest kerbside waste audit.

The 2026 Kerbside Domestic Waste Audit found 43 per cent of material placed in red-lid general waste bins could have been diverted from landfill through existing recycling and Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) services.

Despite this, the audit also highlighted strong organic waste separation habits, with a 96 per cent compliance rate for green-lid FOGO bins and 81 per cent compliance for yellow-lid recycling bins.

Conducted by APC Waste Consultants in May, the audit examined the contents of general waste, recycling and FOGO bins collected from 316 randomly selected urban and rural households.

A total of 5,577 kilograms of material was sorted and analysed at the Lismore Resource & Recovery Centre.

Council’s director for water, waste and open spaces Matt Potter said the findings highlighted both the community’s successes and areas needing improvement.

“This audit tells us two stories,” Potter said.

“Lismore residents are showing they know how to recycle and compost, with outstanding FOGO results and strong recycling compliance. At the same time, we’re still sending too much to landfill.”

“Nearly half the material found in general waste bins could have been recovered, and households assessed as part of this audit have collectively thrown away around $670,000 by not claiming container refunds.”

The findings come as the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy targets an 80 per cent recovery rate for all waste streams by 2030.

The audit found large amounts of food waste continue to end up in landfill despite being suitable for FOGO collection.

“We’re still seeing a lot of food waste ending up in landfill where it breaks down without oxygen, producing methane, a greenhouse gas that’s about 26 times more powerful than carbon dioxide,” Potter said.

While recycling bin contamination was relatively low overall, the audit identified bagged and boxed recyclables, e-waste and lithium batteries as common problem items, along with treated timbers placed in FOGO bins.

Potter said hazardous materials continued to pose safety risks.

“We are seeing dangerous and hazardous materials showing up in the wrong places, even though it’s a small proportion of the overall waste stream it can have a big impact,” he said.

“In March this year, a fire broke out in the comingled recycling stockpile, believed to have been caused by a battery, highlighting the ongoing risk posed by batteries being placed in kerbside bins.”

Council’s manager capital and strategic works Michael Magalhaes said treated timber should not be placed in FOGO bins because it may contain harmful chemicals such as copper, chromium and arsenic.

“Small amounts of treated timber can go in general waste and larger quantities should be taken to the Lismore Facility or Nimbin Transfer Station, while e-waste, lithium batteries and vapes should be taken to designated drop-off points at major retailers or the Lismore Recovery & Recycling Centre for free recycling,” Magalhaes said.

“The more we use our recovery streams by putting the right materials in the right bins, the longer we can extend the life of our landfill space.”

For more information on waste and recycling and to see council’s A-Z guide on organics, recycling and general waste, visit lismore.nsw.gov.au/Households/Waste-and-recycling/Bin-guide-what-goes-in-which-bin