Resource Recovery 2040 (RR2040)

In Cairns, the contents from household red and green-lid waste bins are collected and delivered to the Portsmith Residual Waste Transfer Facility, where materials are consolidated and transported to landfill on the Atherton Tablelands.

Contents from yellow-lid recycling bins are delivered to Council’s state-of-the-art Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Portsmith.

For the 24/25 financial year the overall domestic recovery rate (diversion from landfill) for Cairns was 47%.

About the former Advanced Resource Recovery Facility (ARRF):

Until early 2025, Cairns’ general and green-lid waste was processed through the Advanced Resource Recovery Facility (ARRF) at Portsmith.  The ARRF recovered a significant portion of the region’s waste and played an important role in reducing landfill for many years. Following a fire linked to hazardous materials, operations transitioned to a bulk waste transfer process.

This change provides Council with an opportunity to review and plan for future waste management and resource recovery solutions that continue to support sustainable outcomes for the Cairns region.

Council manages approximately 100,000 tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) collected through our kerbside collection (48,000 tonne from general waste bins, 12,000 tonne from recycling bins) and at Transfer Stations (40,000 tonne).

Council audits show that red and green lid general waste bins contain approximately:

• 60% food and garden organics
• 25% non-recoverable waste, and
• 15% comingled recyclables.

These figures show that there is room to improve our recovery rates in the future.