Prince and Joseph (2000), defined the waste hierarchy as a tool for sustainable waste management that identifies the options that are most likely to provide the best overall environmental outcome. The achievements and successes achieved in waste management may not be entirely attributed to the application of the waste hierarchy. However, it is undeniable that the waste hierarchy has had its influence, as it has enjoyed wide support in most developed countries as a guide for waste management (Dijkgraaf and Vollebergh, 2004). The hierarchy of waste management can be traced back to the 1970s, when the environmental movement argued that waste was made up of different materials and as such should be treated differently rather than being buried as a homogeneous mass. (Schall 1992). In Australia, the adoption of the waste hierarchy was established as part of the National Strategy for Environmentally Sustainable Development 1992 (the National ESD Strategy) by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). The waste hierarchy is a preferential order of waste treatment options that aims to reduce environmental impacts by prioritizing prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery over landfill (Hultman and Corvellec, 2012). The ACT can be described as the leading waste management jurisdiction in Australia, however, in 2010-2011, the ACT generated 2.6 tonnes of waste per capita, the highest on par with Western Australia ( WGRRiA, 2013). There is also concern about the growing population of not only the ACT, but also Queanbeyan and the surrounding region, which the ACT serves as a regional waste hub. (Hamilton, Dennis & Baker,