There are few better places to escape to than idyllic Magnetic Island, but even this tropical island paradise is not immune to the global issue of waste.
Nearly 250 tonnes of material waste is transported from the popular tourist island off the coast of Townsville to the mainland each year, and most of it ends up in landfills.
To reduce this amount, University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) researcher Dr Wahid Ferdous is involved in an innovative project to revolutionise waste management on the island.
Dr Ferdous, in collaboration with his industry partners, aims to transform landfill waste into common building materials, like roofing sheets and tiles, which will be used to maintain houses and businesses on the island.
"Food packaging waste like milk bottles, juice boxes, chip packets and plastic containers pose a serious environmental problem and are destroying the island's natural resources," Dr Ferdous said.
"Our ambition is to reduce the quantity of waste that leaves the island and cut the number of barges needed, which disturb the ocean ecosystem through fumes into the water and air."
Dr Ferdous will work closely with Urban Moments, Townsville City Council, the Magnetic Island Community Development Association, and the Magnetic Island Men's Shed.
The project has been supported by funding from the Queensland Circular Economy (Industry-Research) Program.
Urban Moments maintenance manager Sara Cole said the recent ban on exporting mixed waste had put significant pressure on Queensland's resource recovery sector.
"With this project, waste materials will be transformed into valuable construction materials that will help the State transition to a circular economy while creating new jobs in regional Queensland," Ms Cole said.
Dr Ferdous has been developing construction materials from landfill waste for the past 10 years.
He aims to develop and commercialise waste-driven, low-carbon emission building materials to replace traditional high-emission building materials.
UniSQ Centre for Future Materials director Professor Allan Manalo said the University had been working to help translate research into reality through industry-driven research projects.
"One of CFM's key focus areas is keeping up the momentum of research into sustainable materials and promoting the circular economy, and this project will take this one step further," Professor Manalo said.
Learn more about UniSQ's Centre for Future Materials.
