From 1 December 2011, a waste disposal levy will be charged to landfill operators disposing of waste in landfills within the levy zone. The levy does not apply to waste sent for recycling or reprocessing.

Landfill operators will be charged $35 per tonne for commercial and industrial, and construction and demolition waste disposed of to landfill. Hazardous wastes will be charged at higher rates.

Queensland's new waste strategy aims to help reduce the dependence on landfill as the first choice for waste management.

The Queensland Government's waste reforms include a strategy that sets new directions for waste and resource recovery, support programs to help business and local government. The levy sends a price signal to the waste generator to change behaviour. If waste generators choose to avoid generating waste, or to recycle the waste they do generate, the less the possible impact of the levy.

Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland is a not-for-profit environmental organisation specialising in litter prevention and waste management practices and consultancy.

One of our team members will audit your waste management process in line with the reThink Business Waste Services subsidy and provide advice and develop your waste management plan.

The service also assists with reviewing waste and recycling contracts and service agreements, including applying for your subsidy of $750.00 from the Queensland Government - Department of Environment and Resource Management.

A professional Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland consultant will contact you to arrange a suitable time to conduct a waste audit and prepare your new or amended waste management plan.

Once your audit and plan are complete, our consultant will submit your subsidy ($750.00) application form, along with all relevant paperwork to the Queensland Government for payment.

The subsidy will be given to eligible Queensland businesses to help them reThink business waste practices and realise cost savings resulting from more efficient waste management. The subsidy will help businesses review their existing waste management arrangements, and commit to improvement by introducing a new resource recovery service or vary an existing resource recovery service, resulting in more material being collected for reuse, recycling (incl. composting) or energy recovery.

Who is eligible for the $750.00 subsidy?  - be a company, incorporated association, sole trader, partnership or not-for-profit organisation that has a registered Australian Business Number (ABN) and is registered for GST, and  - be based in and have a physical street address in Queensland, and  - have fewer than 100 employees and the ability to enter into and manage its own resource recovery service agreement, or  - be a body corporate or commercial landlord, whose management activities include the management of waste operations for tenants.

To book a waste audit and waste management plan development, click here.

For more information on the Queensland Government's reThink Business Waste reforms, click here.