Lismore households have thrown away an estimated $670,000 in eligible container refunds by placing drink containers in their red-lid general waste bins instead of claiming the refund, while almost half the material in those bins could have been recycled or composted, according to Lismore City Council’s 2026 Kerbside Domestic Waste Audit.
The audit found residents are performing exceptionally well in separating organic waste, with a 96 per cent compliance rate for green-lid Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bins and an 81 per cent compliance rate for yellow-lid recycling bins.
However, it found 43 per cent of material placed in red-lid general waste bins could have been diverted from landfill through existing FOGO and recycling services.
The audit, conducted by APC Waste Consultants in May 2026, examined kerbside collections from the general waste, recycling and FOGO bins of 316 randomly selected urban and rural households. The material was sorted and analysed at the Lismore Resource & Recovery Centre.
Lismore City Council Director Water, Waste and Open Spaces Matt Potter said the audit assessed overall waste trends while identifying opportunities for further education and improvement.
“This audit tells us two stories,” Potter said.
“Lismore residents are showing they know how to recycle and compost, with outstanding FOGO results and strong recycling compliance. At the same time, we’re still sending too much to landfill.
“Nearly half the material found in general waste bins could have been recovered, and households assessed as part of this audit have collectively thrown away around $670,000 by not claiming container refunds.”
The findings come as the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy targets an 80 per cent recovery rate across all waste streams by 2030. While the audit highlights strong recycling and composting practices in Lismore, it also shows there is significant scope to reduce the amount of material sent to landfill.
“We’re still seeing a lot of food waste ending up in landfill where it breaks down without oxygen, producing methane, a greenhouse gas that’s about 26 times more powerful than carbon dioxide,” Potter said.
Recycling bins recorded a high level of compliance overall, although bagged and boxed recyclables, along with incorrectly sorted materials, remained the main contaminants.
The audit also identified e-waste and lithium batteries in general waste, and treated timber in FOGO bins, as key contamination issues.
“We are seeing dangerous and hazardous materials showing up in the wrong places, even though it’s a small proportion of the overall waste stream it can have a big impact,” Potter said.
“In March this year, a fire broke out in the comingled recycling stockpile, believed to have been caused by a battery, highlighting the ongoing risk posed by batteries being placed in kerbside bins.”
Lismore City Council Manager Capital and Strategic Works Michael Magalhaes said treated timber can contain harmful chemicals including copper, chromium and arsenic.
“Small amounts of treated timber can go in general waste and larger quantities should be taken to the Lismore Facility or Nimbin Transfer Station, while e-waste, lithium batteries and vapes should be taken to designated drop-off points at major retailers or the Lismore Recovery & Recycling Centre for free recycling,” Magalhaes said.
“The more we use our recovery streams by putting the right materials in the right bins, the longer we can extend the life of our landfill space.”
The audit analysed 5,577 kilograms of general waste, recycling and FOGO material collected from the 316 selected households.
For more information on waste and recycling and to see our A-Z guide on organics, recycling and general waste visit Bin guide: what goes in which bin? Lismore City Council.
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