Business waste programs

Let's Get It Sorted support program for Multi-unit Dwellings    

Residents living in multi-unit dwelling housing complexes often have differing waste challenges to single-use dwellings. To address these issues Council is offering a tailored Let’s Get it Sorted program to reduce waste, improve resource recovery and reduce recycling contamination.

Participating multi-unit premises receive free:

• Bin audits to identify main contaminants
• Bin infrastructure support
• Bin lid stickers
• Bin bay signage
• Distribution of a resident letter and relevant resources
• Kitchen organics caddies offered to multi-unit dwelling residents
• Recognition and promotion of participation in the program
• Further improvement recommendations

To register interest, email waste@ballina.nsw.gov.au and provide the building address, number of dwellings and the main contact.

• Download bin bay signage (19.6mb pdf)

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HuskeeSwap

Council has partnered with Huskee to implement a cup swap initiative across Ballina shire that assists businesses to transition away from single-use disposable cups and to operate more sustainably. An initial set up of float cups is offered by council free of charge to registered cafes for a limited time only.

How does it work?

Coffee drinkers just need to hand over a HuskeeCup when ordering (or buy one from the cafe). Swapped cups are put aside to be hygienically washed by the cafe. The barista makes the coffee in a clean, ready to go HuskeeCup from their float.

What are the benefits?

• Coffee making is faster and more efficient as reusable cups are easily swapped for a clean cup 
• Swap cup systems make it easy to order ahead so are great for sustainable staff ordering
• No need for single-use disposable cups
• All HuskeeCups are hygienically cleaned and sanitised in a commercial dishwasher by the cafe

How does a Cafe get on board?

All cafes need to participate are float cups, to swap with customer cups and retail cups so anyone who needs a cup to swap can buy one.  12 float cups will be subsidised by council free of charge to registered cafes. Council will help promote the program and signage will be provided. 

Register for Huskee Swap by emailing swap@huskee.co or head to huskee.co/swap for more details.

What cafes are already listed?

Head to huskee.co/locations or download the handy HuskeeSwap app.

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Commercial bin services

Commercial premises can access recycling and organics wheelie bins by contacting Council directly.

Check out our Fees and Charges for more information.

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Waste Warriors

Waste Warriors are North East Waste’s Business Waste Reduction Program and supports businesses on council’s behalf to reduce waste disposed to landfill in the Northern Rivers region. The program is free of charge.

Waste Warriors project objectives are:

• To assist businesses to implement waste reduction activities
• To reduce the amount of waste to landfill across the region
• To share information about business waste reduction across the region
• To make use of knowledge collected from previous similar projects
• To focus on action for reducing waste.

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Circular Cafes

The Circular Cafes project aims to divert 726 tonnes per annum of food waste from the commercial and industrial waste stream. This ambitious yet realistic target will effectively halve the amount of food waste going to landfill from selected food-related business across the Northern Rivers.

Coordinated by North East Waste, this will be achieved by providing individualised advice and support on effective food waste solutions, waste avoidance education, and improving circularity of resources supporting a substantial reduction of food waste to landfill.

Eligible businesses will be provided with the following FREE support:

• A free 240 litre organics wheelie bin service for a year
• Compost kitchen caddies and liners
• Bin signage
• Toolkit covering topics like single use items, cup swap programs, food donation, bioplastics and packaging options

For more information and to sign up, head to circularcafes.com.au

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Reduce Single Use - Reusable containers and your business

Council supports avoiding takeaway cups and containers where possible by encouraging the use of reusables where possible. Find out the health and safety requirements when customers bring in their own reusable containers by downloading our information sheet:

• Reusable Containers and Your Business factsheet (0.1mb pdf)

Contactless Coffee

Many food premises are understandably concerned about what COVID19 requirements mean in regards to accepting reusables. Check out our handy Contactless Coffee factsheet explaining three key ways to continue accepting reusables with confidence.

• Contactless Cafes Factsheet (pdf)

Businesses are also encouraged to reduce single use packaging, using examples like Lennox Head’s café borrow cup system. Check out our tips below that may assist with understanding replacement options.

Tips to reduce single use plastic items for food retailers

Here are some examples of ways to reduce single use items in your workplace. 

• Clearly mark landfill, recycling, and compost bins with what belongs in each
• Always ask whether a customer is eating in or taking away so that single-use items aren’t used unnecessarily
• Use an organics bin service if available