"have an 80% average recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030"
Why New South Wales
Selling into NSW means selling into one regulated market.
On the Commonwealth's National Waste Report 2024, "NSW generated the most waste by tonnes at 27.5 Mt". The state that generates it has its own regulator, its own levy with a published boundary, its own targets with dates against them, and its own funded programmes. This page quotes the government's own documents on each.
The regulated area
Waste sent to landfill here carries a levy.
"The waste levy applies in the regulated area of NSW which comprises the Sydney metropolitan area, the Illawarra and Hunter regions, the central and north coast local government areas to the Queensland border as well as the Blue Mountains, Wingecarribee and Wollondilly local government areas."
From 1 July 2026 the NSW EPA's waste levy is $180.20 a tonne in the Metropolitan Levy Area and $103.80 in the Regional Levy Area. It is the nation's largest waste levy.
"The waste levy is a market-based instrument legislated under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. In operation for almost 50 years, the levy incentivises avoidance of waste and recycling over landfill disposal."
The state's own strategy
Four targets, one deadline, and money behind them.
WaSM 2041 is the NSW Government's Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy, and it puts dates against what the state is asking the sector to do. Its own wording:
"reduce total waste generated by 10% per person by 2030"
"halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030"
"reaffirm our commitment to the goal of net zero emissions from organic waste by 2030"
Where the contracts are going
Councils are being funded to buy together.
Step 1 of 3
The problem
"Councils that tender for waste services individually are often at a disadvantage because of their relatively small purchasing power."
Step 2 of 3
$16m
The fix
A "$16 million investment in a new joint procurement facilitation service", so councils can buy waste services together.
Step 3 of 3
The rollout
First "major waste contracts for the Greater Sydney region", then "regional councils".
The funding