The City of Ryde Estimated Resident Population for 2021 was 132,822, with a population density of 3,281 persons/km² (profile.id.com.au/Ryde). It is a culturally diverse council area and has a growing number of families and retirees. The council is also an employment destination with Macquarie Park designated as a health and education precinct. Jobs are expected to grow from around 58,500 in 2016, to 79,000 by 2036. Student places are expected to grow from 32,500 to 55,000 by 2030, making it the third largest concentration of jobs and students in NSW (City of Ryde Community Strategic Plan).

Ryde 2020 Community Strategic Plan outlines how Council will ensure a natural and sustainable city by maintaining open natural place and innovative waste practices.
P21 Sustainable Planning.

Litter reduction has been managed by the waste services section of Council. Council’s Waste Management Strategy 2014 identifies that litter is a prime concern of the community as it pollutes the City’s streets, parks, waterways, and the local environment.

Council’s litter reduction objective is:
Objective 6. Creating a Cleaner City by Reducing Litter and Illegal Dumping
Creating “the place to be for lifestyle and opportunity” through a change in attitudes and behaviour towards littering and illegal dumping through targeted education programs and enforcement.

The strategies for reducing litter are:
Targeted education campaigns, as well as adequate litter bins, appropriate signage, and enforcement can be utilised to reduce the incidence of littering.

Actions:

• engage the community to help identify and combat littering “hot spots”
• targeted education campaigns and community recognition awards.

Council has adopted a Zero litter to river target by 2030 and this is evidence of council shifting from a reactive litter prevention approach to more proactive.

Projects

In 2020 Council completed a Costs of Litter Study. Following this Council has received funding to prepare the Ryde Litter Prevention Strategy 2022 – 2030. The project will develop a litter prevention strategy for the City of Ryde. The strategy will focus on fostering collaboration across the City to ensure litter is not only managed at the point of generation, but future risks are anticipated and controlled by continuing to meet the needs of the Ryde community into the future.

Council also supports community cleanup activities along the Parramatta River foreshore with the Tzu Chi Foundation at Eastwood and sporting groups such as the Netball association.