A recent kerbside waste audit reveals steady progress - and clear opportunities to improve.
Households across the Port Macquarie Hastings region are producing less waste, recycling better and keeping contamination low. Our region now diverts 75% of kerbside waste from landfill — one of the strongest results across the MidWaste area.
We’re Generating Less Waste
The average household now places 5.4kg per week in the red general waste bin — down from 7.8kg per week in 2011. Overall waste generation has also declined since 2017.
This steady reduction suggests household habits are shifting. While better bin sorting plays a role, the decline may also point to broader behaviour changes — including reducing what we buy, choosing reusable options and extending the life of items through repair.
Strong participation in the Return and Earn container deposit scheme has also reduced bottles and cans entering kerbside bins, contributing to lower recycling volumes.
FOGO Is Working
The green lid FOGO bin continues to perform strongly:
- Contamination is just 1%
- Food waste correctly placed in FOGO has increased from 19% in 2014 to 45% in 2025
When FOGO was first introduced, most eligible food waste still went to landfill. Today, almost half is recovered and turned into compost signifying a clear shift in household behaviour.
Recycling Is Cleaner
Recycling contamination is relatively low at 9% – our main contaminants being soiled paper, steel, rigid plastics and tetrapaks. However, the majority of material in the yellow bin is recyclable paper and cardboard, glass bottles and jars, plastic containers and metal cans – exactly what should be there.
Batteries and Other Hazardous Waste
The audit found small but important amounts of e-waste and hazardous items in the red bin — including batteries, vapes, electrical items and household chemicals.
While small by weight, these items carry significant fire and safety risks. Free drop-off options are available for batteries, e-waste and hazardous waste to help protect collection crews and waste facilities.
Room to Improve
The audit also points to a clear area where small changes could make a measurable difference.
Around 42% of what’s in the red general waste bin could go elsewhere:
- 32% should be in FOGO – loose food waste, or food still in packaging that could be removed from the container and placed in the FOGO bin
- 10% should be in recycling – paper, cardboard and plastic containers
That’s about 1.6kg per household per week still going to landfill unnecessarily.
If all accepted materials were placed in the correct bins, our diversion rate could increase from 75% to 83%.
What It Means - and What You Can Do
The data shows steady improvement over time. General waste generated per household is down. Recycling contamination is lower. Food waste recovery is increasing.
There is still room to improve — particularly when it comes to keeping food out of landfill and ensuring recyclables don’t end up in the red bin.
Small actions at home can make a measurable difference:
- Scrape all loose food into your FOGO bin
- Remove food from packaging and place scraps in the FOGO bin
- Keep paper, cardboard, bottles and containers in recycling
- Use free drop-off points for batteries and e-waste
Together, these steps could lift our diversion rate well beyond 80%.
“This is a win for our community. We want to thank our residents for their ongoing efforts and commitment to recycling and waste reduction. Simple, everyday actions can have a powerful impact and these outstanding results are proof of that. We all have a vital role to play in reducing waste and protecting our environment.”
Cameron Hawkins – PMHC Group Manager for Utilities Planning and Design
