Fresh tutorials for small businesses on new NSW recycling rules

13 November 2025 | Council News

This National Recycling Week, we're happy to share new tutorials for small businesses on how to meet NSW's latest plastic recycling guidelines.

This is part of our ‘In the Loop’ campaign to help businesses and residents in and around Bondi Junction to better repair, reuse, refill and recycle.

Commercial food organics


Are you a business looking to find out more about the business food waste source separation mandates?

From July 2026, the NSW business food waste mandates will start rolling out, and by 2030, all businesses or institutions that sell or handle food (like supermarkets, cafes, schools, and hotels) will be required to separate food waste from general waste

Waverley Council has developed a quick tutorial all about commercial food waste - why it matters, what’s changing, and how our local businesses can stay in the loop and ahead of the game.

Did you know:

  • In NSW, it is estimated that businesses throw away over 500,000 tonnes of waste food each year, a lot of which is still edible!
  • Food waste releases methane, which is 28 times more potent than carbon at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2
  • Food waste contributes 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and if it was a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases
  • Reducing food waste is one of the most impactful things you can do as an individual or business to fight climate change
  • Reducing food waste can also help businesses save more by wasting less

Every plate of food is a lost opportunity, for profit, for people, and for the planet.

Starting early will help you and your staff transition to the changes and help build a more circular local economy. This tutorial provides some handy tips you can put in place to prepare for the mandates and reduce food waste today.

Sustainable packaging guidelines:


Are you a business looking to procure and provide more sustainable packaging?

Food and beverage packaging plays a big part of what ends up in our bins and litters our streets and beaches

Waverley Council’s new Sustainable Packaging Guideline unpacks packaging to help our local businesses transition away from single-use items by procuring and providing more sustainable packaging.

Sustainable packaging:

  • Has less environmental impact throughout its lifecycle
  • Prioritises reuse and recycling, reducing waste to landfill
  • Is accessible to the community (through kerbside recycling and product stewardship takeback schemes)
  • Avoids the mixed materials (like tetra packs), and unregulated bioplastic/biodegradable/compostable packaging items

Together, we can help build a more local circular economy.

Funded by the NSW Environment Protection Authority