lifestyle
Sustainable living tips from Brisbane residents who practice them daily
Locals in West End and New Farm describe the routines that cut their bills and waste without relying on trends.
How we reported this
More than 180 Brisbane households signed up for the city council's community composting network between January and June this year, following a rise in kerbside food waste collections that began in late 2025.
The increase comes as electricity prices climbed again in April and residents face higher costs for landfill disposal. Council figures show average household waste bills rose 8 per cent in the 2025-26 financial year, prompting people to look for practical ways to cut what they throw out.
Residents near Boundary Street in West End have set up shared compost bins behind several apartment blocks, collecting scraps from markets at the Brisbane Markets site in Rocklea every Saturday morning. A similar group operates along Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley, where participants swap seedlings grown from kitchen scraps at the monthly meet-ups run by the local community garden.
Brisbane City Council data released in May recorded that participating households diverted an average of 3.2 kilograms of food waste per week from landfill last year. One West End participant reported cutting their fortnightly waste collection to a single small bin after six months on the program, saving roughly $120 annually on excess waste charges.
Daily transport swaps
Commuters who live along the river in New Farm say they have replaced short car trips with the CityCat ferry service, which added two extra peak-hour sailings in February. A resident who works near the CBD calculated that switching three return trips a week from driving to the ferry saves $48 in parking and fuel each month.
Simple habit changes that stick
Locals recommend starting with one change rather than overhauling everything at once. They suggest keeping a small container in the kitchen for scraps destined for the West End or Fortitude Valley compost hubs and checking the CityCat timetable before driving across the river. Those steps, repeated daily, have produced measurable drops in both waste and transport costs for the households involved.