2024 'Waste Management' Category Winner

Inner West Council, NSW

CRC Rap Video Project

2023 ‘Waste Management’ Category Winner

The Initiative

Concerns about truck and community recycling centre (CRC) facility fires are escalating across the waste industry as they create a significant risk of harm to people, property and ‘business–as–usual’ waste operations. Between August 2022 and February 2023, waste collection contractor Cleanaway reported that there were 180 fires in garbage trucks and waste facilities in NSW, all linked to lithium–ion batteries in household bins.

In response to the limited data captured across many CRCs, on four separate occasions between 2018 and 2022 the NSW Environment Protection Agency engaged IPSOS, a marketing research company, to conduct a satisfaction study. Comprising only 18 per cent of total visitors, the study results demonstrated that the Inner West needed to target people aged between 18 and 34.

In response the Council created a CRC rap music video to raise awareness of the free drop–off service and increase the responsible disposal of problem wastes. The NSW Environment Protection Agency provided funding support to create the video. The video was designed to target the 18-34 year old group. It has been published on popular social media platforms and features Inner West Council waste management staff and encourages young residents to use the free and easy service.

This catchy, fun and informative rap video was a huge hit, viewed 17,330 times across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formally known as Twitter) and YouTube, attracting 1,163 likes, 53 comments and 199 shares up to 31 July 2023. This equated to a spend of $1.06 per engagement, providing excellent value for money.

The campaign has strengthened the council’s Zero Waste Strategy 2021–36 and exceed council expectations. Between April/May and June/July 2023, traffic in the St Peters depot increased by more than 70 per cent (significantly higher than the campaign’s 20 per cent target).

About the Category

The 'Waste Management' category recognises local government initiatives which:

  • improve resource recovery and reduce amounts of waste generated in order to benefit human health, the environment and the economy;
  • increase use of recycled material and build demand and markets for recycled products;
  • better manage input and output of waste materials, to benefit human health, environment and economy;
  • improve information to support innovation, guide investment and enable informed community decisions relating to waste management; and/or
  • support the transition to a circular economy by transforming waste into sustainable resources.

Successful initiatives in this award category benefit communities by:

  • creating employment opportunities, protecting the environment, and better managing valuable and finite resources;
  • recognising the opportunities waste materials can provide and the economic value they retain; and/or
  • accelerating the recovery and reuse of community resources.

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