Funding sought to subsidise recycling transport co

Council has applied for $250,000 in State Government funding to subsidise prohibitive transport costs of sending bales of recycled material to southern markets.

The majority of buyers for the baled recyclables from the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) are located in South East Queensland, with transport costs of approximately $66 per tonne.

The cost to transport products such as paper and cardboard is higher than the commodity price received.

Council hopes to secure funding through the Department of Environment’s Regional Recycling Transport Assistance Package (RRTAP) program, which has $6 million of grant funding is available to help make recycling viable for regional areas.

If successful, the funding will account for approximately 50 per cent of Council’s costs to transport recyclables to South East Queensland.