All Brisbane Council households will now be charged for a green bin after the service was previously optional. Source: Google/Brisbane City Council

Tens of thousands of residents on the east coast are set to see a $50 increase in their annual waste charges, as Brisbane City Council launches its long-anticipated universal green waste bin program.

Starting in August, all Brisbane households will be charged a flat annual waste fee of $512.96 — regardless of whether they use a green bin. This replaces the city’s previous opt-in system, where only those who requested a green bin paid an extra fee of $49.62 per year, the Brisbane Times reported.

Under the new scheme, green waste bins will be automatically provided to around 170,000 stand-alone homes, unless residents actively choose to opt-out. Apartment residents will still need to opt-in to receive one.

The move eliminates individual green bin surcharges and replaces them with a flat levy applied to all households. For those who were already paying for a green waste bin under the old opt-in model, their total waste charge will stay about the same. However, for residents who didn’t previously have a green bin, the change means an increase in their annual waste costs.

The council said just 30 per cent of eligible households took up the former opt-in offer.

While the rollout won’t include FOGO (food organics and garden organics) bins, the council will continue its compost rebate scheme. Supplied/TikTok

What's happening in Brisbane with green bins?

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner described the initiative as a "large-scale tax-avoidance scheme", aimed at helping the council sidestep what he referred to as the state government’s "bin tax".

He said that it will reduce the city's landfill costs. By expanding green waste collection, the council anticipates saving up to $32 million over the next five years. "Every house will get a green bin, and that will be part of the business as usual service," he said, the Brisbane Times reported.

"The reason we’re doing that is because of the state government’s bin tax… that effectively forces ever-increasing costs onto councils."

Less landfill reduces council's state tax bill

Currently, the council’s green bin program is helping to divert 43,000 tonnes of green waste from landfill, a move estimated to have saved ratepayers $1.6 million in waste levy fees imposed by the Queensland Government. With plans to expand the program, the council anticipates annual savings of between $2 and $3 million in the first year, with the potential to reach up to $32 million over five years.

The state government introduced a bin levy in 2019, charging councils roughly $115 for every tonne of general waste sent to landfill. This fee is set to rise by $10 each year until 2028.

For people interested in recycling food scraps and kitchen waste, Schrinner said the council will continue its compost rebate program, which provides grants of up to $100 for composting gear and $200 for food waste recycling systems.

Opposition leader Jared Cassidy acknowledged the importance of the program but pointed to broader funding issues. "The unfortunate reality is, we do have to have a charge for waste services when the state is increasing the tax," he said.

"We support the rollout of green bins because we know that we need to divert more waste from landfill, and we know that we need to address climate change at every level — that’s the biggest thing."

This article originally appeared on Yahoo News Australia at https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussie-households-slapped-with-50-fee-for-green-bin-as-major-rollout-gets-underway-233921759.html