About Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre
Originally when this 275-acre area of Kimbriki Road was chosen as a tip site in 1973 it was considered ideal, as there was a ‘blind gully’ in the centre, 2000 feet deep below the 400-feet contour. The Joint Services Committee (JSC) Manager reported that the surrounding land ‘rises above the 600-feet contour’ and the gully could be filled with ‘in excess of 25 million cubic yards’ of waste.’
Kimbriki Environmental Enterprises Pty Ltd (Kimbriki) is an innovative waste and recycling centre with a dry landfill located on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Kimbriki aims to be a centre of excellence for environmental services associated with the recycling and disposal of waste, as well as, providing education to the community. Kimbriki has a long, successful history and record of achievement dating back to 1974 when the gates first opened. Kimbriki was originally established as a landfill. Fees and charges were introduced in 1979.
Over the years, Kimbriki has grown in size and strength, and complexity. In 1989-90, resource recovery operations for vegetation and scrap metal commenced on site and the Kimbriki Recycling and Waste Disposal Centre was established. This significant shift from waste disposal to resource recovery shaped the future of Kimbriki and today the site recycles over 80% of incoming wastes extending the remaining life of the Kimbriki landfill past the 2000’s and well into the 2040’s at the present rate.
Quick Facts Ownership: Kimbriki Environmental Enterprises Pty Ltd, ABN 65 136 789 261 is owned by two Council Shareholders – Northern Beaches Council (96%) and Mosman Municipal Council (4%). The company is managed by an independent, non-executive Board of Directors.
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Continuing the journey
To date, more than 4 million tonnes of waste has been diverted from landfill at Kimbriki through resource recovery operations on site. The challenge to recover more continues with the mixed waste stream. Customers are encouraged to separate their wastes, which increases resource recovery, but also reduces the amount of waste landfilled.
In 2013, Kimbriki installed a gas flare along with new landfill gas capture infrastructure. This captures approximately 400m3 per hour of which 45% is methane (a highly potent greenhouse gas). The methane generated by buried waste can then be destroyed by Kimbriki’s onsite high temperature incinerator. This saves more than 2000 Tonnes of CO2e escaping into our atmosphere every month.
In 2019, Kimbriki constructed and commissioned a Leachate Treatment Plant onsite. The plant captures and treats the leachate generated on site before discharging the cleaned leachate water into the sewer.
In 2022, Engineered Timber recovery was added on site through a partnership with reDirect wood recycling. This further reduces the amount of waste landfilled.
In 2024, the Clean Water Diversion System (CWDS) was completed and operational. This is a network of over 2 km of drains and water treatment structures. The CWDS diverts stormwater run-off entering the Kimbriki site and returns it to the natural catchment. This reduces the amount of leachate generated and treated on site.
