Council resource recovery services

All NSW councils have a role in resource recovery. OEH provides research and tools that specifically address the needs of NSW councils.

• The Preferred Resource Recovery Practices by Local Councils guide is designed for local councils in metropolitan areas and regional centres and provides guidance on preferred minimum service levels for kerbside resource recovery and residual waste collection from single dwellings.
• The Handbook for the Design and Operation of Rural and Regional Transfer Stations helps rural councils understand the challenges, opportunities and unique issues of rural transfer station operations.
• The Environmental Risk Assessment and Mitigation Package (E-RAMP) is a tool to help rural and regional councils assess and manage the potential risks associated with small waste facilities and identify potential measures to improve the way they operate. 
• The Better Practice Guide for Waste Management in Multi-Unit Dwellings was developed to assist council staff, architects and developers address the essential points to be considered when designing a waste management system for medium or high-density residential developments.
• The Model Waste Not DCP Chapter provides guidance for councils on how resource recovery and waste minimisation can be incorporated into land use planning documents called consolidated development control plans.

To help councils make informed decisions about the social, environmental and economic aspects of domestic waste management system and service options, OEH commissioned a series of triple bottom line assessments. These studies also model the processing of residual waste for organic waste collection system using Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) technologies.

• Assessment of Domestic Waste and Recycling Systems analyses the environmental and economic benefits of kerbside recycling systems in NSW. It provides an up-to-date analysis of the estimated environmental costs and benefits of collection, transport, disposal and reprocessing for six recycling collection systems used in NSW
• Assessment of Garden Organics Collection Systems provides an up-to-date analysis of options for dealing with garden organics. The study includes estimates of the environmental costs and benefits of collection, transport, processing and beneficial use/disposal of garden waste for three common collection systems.
• Assessment of (Domestic) Food Organics Management will assist councils considering local and regional waste management and resource recovery options. The report analyses collection systems and processing/disposal options for both garden and food organics and includes estimates of the costs and benefits of collection, transport, processing and beneficial re-use.
• Co-collection of Domestic Food Waste and Garden Organics summarises and analyses the outcomes and lessons learned from domestic organics initiatives conducted by councils to date.

OEH has also developed a number of tools to assist councils in their waste and recycling work:

• The Alternative Waste Treatment technologies handbook and assessment tool will help councils assess proposals for alternate waste recovery and processing technologies that have become available.
• The Service Development Timeline is an easy-to-use project management tool that will help councils through the process of planning and introducing a quality waste and recycling collection service.
• The Model Waste and Recycling Collection Contract is a package of information that will help streamline the tendering and contracting processes and assist councils deliver a quality waste and recycling collection service.