Lismore City Council says Lismore households recently threw away an estimated $670,000 by placing eligible drink containers in their kerbside bins instead of claiming their refund, while almost half the contents of red-lid general waste bins could have been recycled or composted.

The landfill at the Lismore Recycling and Recovery Centre is officially reopening today, more than three years after the 2022 floods caused extensive damage to the facility, and four months ahead of schedule.

According to YouGov, last year 18 per cent of Australian consumers made a resolution to make more sustainable purchases when shopping for clothes.

More than 10 Olympic sized swimming pools of flood debris has been diverted from landfill and reused, saving $2.4 million following a collaborative effort between the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Richmond Valley Council.

A senior Council staff member told councillors at last Thursday’s meeting that his employees didn’t follow the proper process when organising the removal of a large amount of soil for infrastructure works, which ended up later being dumped along Marshalls Creek in The Pocket.

The Ballina Shire Council has voted unanimously to adopt a newly drafted policy aimed at waste reduction.

The Queensland Government has announced it will reintroduce a levy on interstate waste and two local councils using their services admit costs could go up in the short term.

Byron Shire Council is considering selling two pockets of rural land in Myocum and Mullumbimby, which are currently zoned community, and is calling a public hearing to consider the rezoning.