Ipswich residents called on to help ‘Get it Sorted’
11 April 2025
Ipswich residents are being asked to do their bit to help increase recycling rates and to get the city’s waste sorted as part of a campaign to reduce recycling bin contamination.
Ipswich City Council Environment and Sustainability Committee Chairperson Councillor Jim Madden said the Let’s Get it Sorted campaign aimed to increase awareness of recycling bin contamination rates and change habits.
“Ipswich is one of 26 councils who are sharing in over $13 million in funding from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation to support waste reduction, recycling and behaviour change under the Let’s Get it Sorted Partnership Program,” Cr Madden said.
“Ipswich has been awarded $717,928 to implement three key initiatives designed to improve how the community uses yellow lid recycling bins.
“In the months ahead, council will undertake a city-wide educational marketing campaign, targeted bin-tagging and a multi-unit dwelling recycling optimisation trial.
“The goal is to support the improvement of recycling behaviours in the community, ensuring that household items are disposed of in the correct bin to reduce contamination in yellow lid recycling bins and ultimately resource loss to landfill in red lid general waste bins.”
Cr Madden said residents could expect to see messaging across the city about what should and should not go in yellow lid bins.
“This is really about helping residents better understand what goes where when it comes to household bins,” Cr Madden said.
“An extension of this awareness campaign will be targeted inspections of bins in some areas and where common mistakes are identified, helpful feedback will be provided to households.
“The multi-unit dwelling recycling optimisation trial will explore ways to improve recycling in apartment complexes and other multi-unit dwellings.
“We know that recycling in these sorts of complexes is often more complicated and challenging.”
Cr Madden said council was committed to a sustainable future.
“As part of the Let’s Get it Sorted campaign, council is also seeking the community’s views on recycling,” Cr Madden said.
A survey is available at council’s community engagement website Shape Your Ipswich.
The survey is open until 9 May 2025 and is available here: https://www.shapeyouripswich.com.au/resource-recovery-experience
This initiative is supported by the Queensland Government’s Recycling and Jobs Fund.