Kimbriki Environmental Enterprises is one of the best waste recycling facilities in Australia and now has Northern Beaches Council approval to tender for a new facility that has the potential to double current household resource recovery rates, diverting waste away from landfill.

"While the community's recyclables and vegetation are currently delivered to Kimbriki, household putrescible waste such as food is transferred to Eastern Creek for disposal, so it's time we took action to recycle this material locally, saving landfill space and transport impacts" said Dick Persson AM, Northern Beaches Council Administrator.

At the Council Meeting on Tuesday 23 August, Council endorsed Kimbriki tendering to develop a new resource recovery facility at Kimbriki. The tender will seek submissions for Alternate Waste Technologies (AWT) that can turn household garbage into useful products such as compost and recyclables, as well as reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

"The new facility has been under careful consideration for many years and could see a reduction of 200,000 tonnes in greenhouse gases from waste transportation, the equivalent of taking 42,280 cars off the road for one year.

"Progress of the project has been delayed for some time due to the differences between the former council shareholders. This has been resolved with the amalgamation and the creation of the new Northern Beaches Council which is allowing the project to proceed.

"The AWT is anticipated to provide significant benefits for the community including an estimated 43% reduction in waste to landfill, improved resource recovery, reduced transportation, local waste treatment and job creation.

The running of the new facility will not commence until 2021 and while KEE's financial modelling has allowed for an increase of up to $2 per week per household per standard service, the tender process will test the market and identify the real project costs, which are expected to be less than this.

"The recent testing of the market through other council facilities indicates this is likely to be far less.

"As part of the tender evaluation, alternative solutions may come to light but the intent, ultimately, is to find the best possible long term waste solution for the Northern Beaches community," Mr Persson said.