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A reverse vending machine where clean containers are sorted and vouchers are issued.

The one recommendation Queensland won’t adopt after 10¢ container refund inquiry

A damning inquiry last year outlined bullying claims and failures “baked into” the scheme, and put forward fixes. The government has now revealed its plans.

  • Matt Dennien

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Merri-bek resident Joe Perri is unhappy with the council’s prposals to change rubbish collection to fortnightly.

Fortnightly rubbish collection ‘inevitable’ as waste costs mount

Daniel Andrews vowed it would never happen under Labor. But one in three councils have ditched weekly pick-ups, and a big inner-city council plans to follow suit.

  • Rachael Ward
The Lord Mayor said Brisbane City Council would push its contractor to improve collection rates.

Have your bins gone uncollected? Lord mayor says he’s ‘not happy’ with contractor

A 16-year collection contract worth almost $1 billion was issued in 2017. Now, Adrian Schrinner says the waste company is falling short of expectations.

  • William Davis
A brass plaque commemorating the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip’s opening of Brisbane first Gateway Bridge has been stolen from Queensport Rocks Park, Murarrie.

The mystery behind a huge spike in Brisbane plaque thefts

Historical Brisbane plaques are going missing at an alarming rate, with fears the markers are being sold on the black market for scrap.

  • Cameron Atfield
Recycling for ‘good stuff’: Students from St Kilda Park Primary School have taken to the container deposit scheme with gusto.

All those summer drinks lead to record recycling rates

Since the container deposit scheme’s inception in November 2023, can and bottle recycling rates have more than doubled in Victoria.

  • Bianca Hall
Carolyn Ingvarson a homeowner who has solar panels and also heads a community advocacy group that advises their neighbours on all things green energy and she says the current lack of recycling is a big barrier to many people installing panels at her home in Canterbury.

The dirty secret in Australia’s love affair with rooftop solar

Nearly 4 million solar panels are discarded every year, but a new recycling scheme could turn trash into treasure.

  • Mike Foley
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Food manufacturers are innovating packaging.

Square juice bottles, canned wine: Why your food packaging is getting smarter

Fully recyclable materials, smart labels and better use of space are examples of more sustainable retail that can also influence shopping behaviour.

  • Jessica Yun
City of Melbourne workers are accused of stealing recyclables from a nightclub’s bin

Melbourne nightclub irked as council workers captured removing 10¢ bottles from bins

CCTV footage appears to show two men collect items from bins behind Inflation nightclub and put them into a City of Melbourne truck.

  • Lachlan Abbott
Black plastic trays go straight to landfill.

These common plastic items can’t be recycled, but everyone throws them in the wrong bin anyway

Federal government says it’s working to phase out single-use plastics and transform Australia’s packaging rules.

  • Madeleine Heffernan
Some dishwashers last longer than others. But it’s not all about the brands.

The 40-year-old dishwasher and other kitchen miracles

How long is reasonable to expect a major appliance like your dishwasher to last? Sometimes, a major appliance’s worth cannot be measured in years.

  • Jenna Price