Green Yakka

Green Yakka is a not-for-profit social enterprise providing labour hire & zero waste services to businesses & orgs in Sydney & Illawarra.

We create jobs for people facing barriers through hands-on work that tackles waste and cares for the land ♻️🌿

17/06/2026

For many women in Green Yakka’s all-women bush regeneration team, this is their first paid job in Australia.

Bush Regeneration Team Leader Rhiannon Beaton shares:

“Primarily, our workers are refugees from Afghanistan, closely followed by displaced women from African countries. It’s been lovely meeting so many beautiful humans from different cultures around the world.”

“We work hard – hand-removing weeds, using tools and techniques to tackle invasive plant species and remove skirting vines from the canopy, and planting future canopy species.”

“It has been so amazing to see their knowledge improve over the months we’ve worked together. They’ve learnt to use brush cutters and manual tools to remove lantana. I’m most proud of the team’s ability to step up to new challenges with an ‘I can do this’ attitude.”

“There’s a shared feeling of pride and accomplishment after a day of hard yakka on site, looking back at the difference our work has made,” she says. “Not only is it helping to keep our Australian bushland healthy – it’s giving the team a sense of purpose.”

Read the full story: https://ourimpact.org.au/green-yakka-labour-hire/

This Refugee Week, we’re proud to celebrate the people and stories that continue to shape our workplaces and communities 💜

16/06/2026

It’s , and the 2026 theme, A Million Stories, recognises that Australia has welcomed one million refugees since World War II.

Behind that milestone are individual stories of courage, culture, family, resilience, work, community and starting again.

At Green Yakka, those stories are part of our team. In the last year, Green Yakka has provided employment opportunities to over 120 people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

To our Green Yakka team members from refugee backgrounds: thank you.

Thank you for the skills, perspectives and life experience you bring to our workplace, and for the work you do across Sydney and the Illawarra.

This Refugee Week, we celebrate the people and stories that continue to shape Australia.

Read more about the 2026 theme: https://www.refugeeweek.org.au/theme/

05/06/2026

Close to 9,000 visitors attended Thirlmere Festival of Steam in May — and our Green Yakka team was there helping manage the waste behind the scenes 🚂♻️

Held across two days at the NSW Rail Museum, the festival is NSW’s biggest celebration of rail heritage, with steam train rides, vintage machinery, stalls and entertainment.

Across the busy weekend, Green Yakka supported sustainable event waste management by helping manage:

♻️ landfill, recycling and compost stations across the site
🧤 hands-on sorting to reduce contamination
🍃 separation of food waste and recyclable materials
🚮 bin monitoring and site clean-up throughout the festival

Great work to our team on the ground! 💪

Need sustainable waste management for your next event? Check out our services: https://www.greenyakka.com.au/our_services/event-waste-management/

27/05/2026

It’s National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June), and at Green Yakka, we’re for reconciliation.

What does it mean to be ‘All In’?

Across our organisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and non-Aboriginal staff work together side by side. We’re united by our purpose to support people, strengthen communities and create a better future for people and planet.

We’re stronger because of the knowledge, experience and leadership Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people bring to our work.

But being ‘All In’ means recognising that reconciliation is not something that sits with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people alone – it belongs to all of us, and it requires consistent action.

It means being honest about what we’re doing well, where we can keep improving, and how we can keep moving forward with care and respect.

This week, join us in taking time to pause, learn and think about how we keep walking together toward reconciliation – this week, and every day.

Reconciliation Australia

12/05/2026

When do you need waste labour support? 🤝🦺 Usually, it’s when your team is stretched and the work can’t wait.

We often get called in when organisations are dealing with:

🗑️ Busy public spaces that need regular litter picking
🏗️ Sites that require reliable cleaning and waste support
♻️ Facilities needing FOGO or recycling line picking
📅 Peak periods where extra hands keep operations moving

Green Yakka provides trained, job-ready crews and manages the employment, compliance and on-site support — so you get reliable help on the ground without the admin.

And every shift creates employment pathways for people who deserve a fair go.

If you’ve got pressure building on site, it might be time to bring in extra support 💪

07/05/2026

“Green Yakka’s team is reliable, professional, and flexible to work with. They work diligently, manage HSE risks and clean the area after every audit. Their ability to provide services outside of operational hours has been valuable in managing the limited space in loading docks.” — Dennis Lee, Resource Recovery Manager, Mirvac

Reliable delivery matters, especially in complex, live environments 👷🏽🦺

Our teams are trained, supported and ready to work alongside site managers, contractors and facilities teams to keep operations running smoothly and deliver zero waste services.

Need dependable support on the ground? Our team is ready to help.

04/05/2026

What actually happens in a waste audit? 🗑️ It’s more than just looking in the bin.

Our Green Yakka Zero Waste team works on site to sort and analyse waste streams, giving organisations a clear picture of what’s really being generated and where improvements can be made.

Through a typical audit, we:

🔍 Sort and assess waste streams on site
📊 Identify landfill, recycling and organics breakdown
🧭 Provide practical recommendations that work in real conditions
📄 Deliver clear reporting to support planning and compliance

It’s hands-on, data-driven work designed to deliver changes that stick.

And like all Green Yakka services, every audit also helps create employment pathways for people who deserve a fair go.

Want clearer insight into your waste? Get in touch with our team.

28/04/2026

“Green Yakka have been a great collaborative partner for Wollondilly Shire Council to support sustainable waste management at our events. Without such an amazing social enterprise, Council would not be able to achieve such significant sustainability outcomes during our major events — including diverting clean streams of organics and recyclables away from landfill, educating the community and leading by example.”

— Ibrahim Muharrem, Sustainability Coordinator, Wollondilly Shire Council

From planning through to pack-down, our teams work alongside councils and event organisers to deliver practical, low-waste outcomes that hold up in real event conditions.

Planning an event this year? Let’s talk.

23/04/2026

What makes Green Yakka different from standard labour hire services? 🦺 It starts with our mission — creating employment pathways for people facing barriers to work — and how we support our people to succeed on the job.

That’s what drives the quality and reliability our clients experience.

Every Green Yakka worker comes through our Work Readiness Program, building practical skills, safety knowledge and workplace habits to contribute on site from day one. We stay involved with supervision and ongoing support, so teams are set up to deliver consistently.

For our partners, that means:

🦺 Job-ready workers who understand site expectations
📋 Fully managed employment, compliance and on-costs
🤝 Ongoing coordination and support behind the scenes
🌱 Social and environmental impact built into the work

Every hour worked creates real employment opportunities, while helping organisations meet sustainability, ESG and social procurement goals.

If you need dependable support on the ground, our team is ready to help.

21/04/2026

Today is Earth Day 🌏 Looking after the Earth doesn’t have to mean big, dramatic changes. Often it’s the small, consistent habits that add up over time.

A few simple ways to take part this Earth Day:

🌿 Spend time in nature and appreciate the local environment around you
🗑️ Pick up litter in your neighbourhood, park or beach
♻️ Reduce, reuse and recycle where you can
🥤 Carry a reusable bottle or coffee cup
🌱 Plant something — even a small native plant at home or in the garden
🤝 Support organisations, businesses and community groups working to protect the environment

More than a billion people take part in Earth Day activities every year — small actions, taken together, can create real change 🌏

Address

5/82 Wentworth Street
Wollongong, NSW
2505

Telephone

+61242168635

Website

https://greenyakka.com.au/

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