Helping Logan City Council reduce recycling contamination through community education
Key takeaways
- Cleanaway partnered with Logan City Council to deliver an interactive waste education program at the 2026 Logan Eco Action Festival (LEAF), engaging more than 1,100 residents.
- More than 600 children participated in hands-on recycling activities designed using local contamination data to improve recycling knowledge.
- The activation demonstrated how practical, community-based education can support councils in reducing recycling contamination and advancing circular economy outcomes.
Customer snapshot: helping Logan City Council improve recycling quality
| Area | Details | Business objective |
| Timeline | Partnership commenced: July 2021 | Delivery long-term municipal waste, recycling, garden organics and community education services across the City of Logan. |
| Customer | Cleanaway delivers municipal waste, recycling and garden organics collection services for Logan City Council, supported by a dedicated waste education program delivered by Sustainability Officers. | Combine operational waste services with community education to improve recycling outcomes. |
| Challenge | Logan contamination data identified soft plastics, bagged recycling and incorrect battery disposal as the most common contaminants affecting recycling quality. | Reduce contamination, improve resource recovery and minimise operational risks, including hot load incidents. |
| Opportunity | The 2026 Logan Eco Action Festival (LEAF) created an opportunity to engage directly with residents through recycling education and one-on-one conversations. | Increase community understanding, encourage correct recycling behaviours and support Logan City Council's waste hierarchy and circular economy objectives. |
The challenge: helping residents recycle with confidence
Logan City Council needed to reduce recycling contamination by addressing common misconceptions around soft plastics, bagged recycling and battery disposal. The challenge was to translate local contamination data into engaging community education that encouraged lasting behaviour change.
Our solution: an interactive education program targeting local recycling challenges
Working closely with Logan City Council, Cleanaway's Centre for Sustainability Team designed an interactive education program tailored to the waste challenges facing the Logan community. The program was led by Sustainability Officer Lauren Grimshaw, who worked closely with Council to develop activities and messaging aligned to local priorities.
The content was developed using Logan's contamination data, with a strong focus on reducing soft plastics and plastic bags in recycling bins while increasing awareness of safe battery disposal following recent hot load incidents.
Three Cleanaway team members delivered the activation, combining operational knowledge with community education expertise to provide practical advice throughout the day.
Education strategy
Interactive recycling games and demonstrations
Local relevance
Activities designed using Logan's contamination data
Community engagement
Hands-on learning for children, families and residents
Expert guidance
Sustainability Officers provided one-on-one advice on recycling, batteries, composting and e-waste
How it worked: how the education program engaged residents and changed behaviour
Rather than relying on brochures alone, Cleanaway created an experience that encouraged residents to participate, ask questions and practise correct recycling behaviours.
Local contamination data identified priority behaviours including soft plastics, bagged recycling and battery disposal.
Residents learnt through games, recycling bin demonstrations and practical sorting exercises.
Sustainability Officers answered common household recycling questions throughout the day.
Three Cleanaway team members delivered the activation, combining operational knowledge with community education expertise.
Results: Measurable outcomes and lessons for future community
This project demonstrates how councils can combine local waste data with practical community education to improve recycling knowledge and reduce contamination. By tailoring activities to local challenges and providing direct access to sustainability experts, the program created meaningful community engagement while supporting broader resource recovery and circular economy objectives. The approach provides a scalable model that can be adapted by councils seeking to improve recycling outcomes through education rather than enforcement alone.
| Measured outcome | Evidence from the program | What this means for other councils |
| Community participation | 1,100+ residents engaged with the activation. | Demonstrates strong community reach through face-to-face education. |
| Youth engagement | 600+ children participated in interactive recycling activities. | Early education helps build long-term recycling behaviours within households. |
| Recycling knowledge | Residents improved their understanding of common recycling contaminants through practical activities. | Hands-on education can improve recycling confidence more effectively than information alone. |
| Local education | Residents received advice on recycling, composting, batteries, e-waste and waste avoidance. | Tailored education helps address the issues that matter most within each community. |
| Customer confidence | Logan City Council recognised the quality of the education program and the reporting provided after the event. | Demonstrates a repeatable engagement model that councils can incorporate into broader waste reduction strategies. |