Is this the solution to our pollution?

Is this the solution to our pollution?

ALL recyclable rubbish collected by one southeast Queensland council will now be sent to landfill, with the local government body saying it’s too expensive to continue.

Ipswich City Council confirmed on Wednesday it had been informed by contractors it would have to pay an extra $2 million a year for recycling services. Mayor Andrew Antoniolli said that would mean an increase to rates of up to 2 per cent to cover costs.

“I have spoken personally to the minister on this issue, and made it clear that we’ve been backed into a corner on recycling,” Mr Antoniolli said in a statement.

The price hikes are due to China’s new ban on importing recycling waste, with the country previously accepting up to one million tonnes from Australia annually.

Queensland Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said she was disappointed by Ipswich’s decision, but understood councils were under financial pressure.

“Councils are stuck without an opportunity to recycle this waste, which is a terrible outcome for the environment,” Ms Enoch said in a statement.

“China’s decision is a national issue for our waste and recycling industry and the federal government needs to show leadership to deliver a national solution.”

Ms Enoch said the issue would be discussed at a meeting of state and territory environment ministers next week.

It’s not known if any other Queensland councils are considering stopping recycling programs.

Ipswich Council will move by mid-year to implement a waste-to-energy scheme to offset the impact of recyclable material being sent to landfill, however waste collection would continue as normal, including yellow-top bins.

Meanwhile Deputy Mayor Wayne Wendt said Ipswich had a long-term problem of contamination of recycling waste, due to a large number of residents putting inappropriate items in their recycling bins, including food waste, dirty nappies and foam packaging.

“Under the current and previous rates of contamination, waste experts advise it would be almost unachievable even with the best and well-intentioned community education program to lower the rate of contamination to acceptable levels,” Cr Wendt said.

He pointed out contamination rates increased following a report by the ABC’s Four Corners program into interstate waste dumping in and around the city.

The report in part led to the state government moving earlier this year to reintroduce a waste levy for Queensland in an effort to curb dumping from other states, particularly NSW.