The benefits to Queensland councils of recycling are under scrutiny as costs blow out and environmental returns come under question. The market for recyclable material collapsed last year and the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) believes the costs for many councils outweigh any return. There are also questions about the environmental impact of transporting the waste long distances and the carbon outputs created by the fuel used.
The LGAQ estimates about half of Queensland's councils are involved in some form of recycling. Acting chief executive Greg Hoffman says remote councils have never been able to make it viable. "Their economic base is so constrained they'll probably not go that direction anyway," he said. "It's becoming economically difficult and with the newer considerations when you look at the greenhouse gases involved it might be environmentally questionable." Mr Hoffman says councils need to make the figures public so communities can decide for themselves about the costs.
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