Resource Recovery 2040 (RR2040)

In Cairns, the contents from household red and green lid waste bins are collected and delivered to the Advanced Resource Recovery Facility (ARRF) while contents from yellow lid recycling bins are delivered to Council's state-of-the-art Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

About the ARRF

The ARRF is a more sustainable alternative to traditional waste disposal methods. It separates waste while producing compost for use in agriculture, from our food scraps and small garden waste.

63% of Cairns' household waste is currently recovered at the ARRF. Council's contract for the ARRF comes to end in 2026, and without it, our recovery rate drops to 38%.

The ARRF has done a good job in managing our region's needs to this point. The approaching expiry of the contract provides Council with an opportunity to review and plan for our future resource recovery needs.

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.