Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan

Queensland Health continues to expand our range and location of services, which results in a large carbon footprint and the production of significant amounts of waste.

Queensland Health is demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainability, through improved resource stewardship and a circular economy approach, and progressing towards a net-zero future. This is being achieved by investing in evidence-based solutions to reduce our carbon footprint and waste, and protect our health and our planet, now and in the future.

Department of Health Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan

The Department of Health is committed to to enhancing resource efficiency and improving environmental sustainability by minimising waste generated in the delivery of health services.

The department’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan (PDF 973 kB) aligned with the Queensland’s Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy, which provides the strategic framework for Queensland to become a zero-waste society, where waste is avoided, reused and recycled to the greatest possible extent.

The plan supports the organisation to better manage resources and measure the waste we generate. It also continues to strengthen our management strategies toward minimising waste through specific waste reduction and recycling activities and to allow continuous improvement in the way we address waste management across the department.

The department’s goal through this plan, is to firmly embed waste management practices into every aspect of our operations, and to ensure we operate responsibly, efficiently, and effectively, with a strong sense of stewardship, for the benefit of our environment and health now and in the future.

As part of the Department of Health's continuous improvement, the success of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan will be monitored, to ensure its objectives are measured and targets are being met.