The new landfill cell at Blaxland Resource Recovery and Waste Management Facility has officially finished construction and the first stage is open for business.
Council recently completed a multi-million-dollar development of the Blaxland landfill expanding the current landfill to support the management of our community’s non-recyclable waste in an environmentally responsible way.
Blue Mountains Mayor, Mark Greenhill said that hard work and ingenuity had driven the creation of this new cell which significantly extends the life of the city’s only and crucial landfill.
“This is the final extension of the Blaxland landfill site, and we expect it will provide enough capacity to manage waste locally for the next 15 years, and importantly to do that in an environmentally responsible and affordable way," he said.
“Of course, we want to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, and we are on track to do that. In fact, over the last 20 years we’ve already decreased the amount of material going to landfill by 60 per cent.
“But the reality is that we do still need a landfill, and having one in our LGA is the most financially and environmentally sustainable way to manage our landfill.
“If we had to ship our waste to another area, the cost and carbon footprint would be astonishing, so it’s important that we retain a local landfill while we work towards our zero-waste goal,” Mayor Greenhill said.
Council endorsed the Towards Zero Waste strategy 2022-2031 in 2022, which focusses on the work Council has already done to reduce waste and provides a detailed action plan presenting clear and practical strategies for continuing to reduce waste to landfill and transition to a zero-waste city.
Troy has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.