Official Publication of the
ISSUE 94 | FEB/MAR 2020
www.insidewaste.com.au The first of Australia’s waste export bans will come into effect in mid-2020.
INSIDE 26 Consultants Review 2020 34 China plastic ban 37 PV technology
Plastic globe
Export ban challenges are ahead
PP: 100024538
ISSN 1837-5618
THE EXPORT OF SOME paper and cardboard packaging will be “necessary”, despite plans to ban the export of these materials within two-and-a-half years, a new report has indicated. The newly released Recycling Market Situation Summary Review suggests that significant work is needed to create greater markets for paper and cardboard in Australia, along with greater markets for other materials proposed under Australia’s export bans. The report, prepared on behalf of the federal government by Sustainable Resource Use, summarises the challenges and expected changes needed to successfully implement export bans for paper and cardboard, plastics, baled tyres, and glass. It indicates that a lack of market security and sustainable pricing for recyclables are hindering local markets for these materials. There is no doubt that many in the industry support banning certain waste exports, but the timeline concern some people. Suez Australia and New Zealand CEO Mark Venhoek said that Suez is
supportive of the principles behind the waste export bans, but the timeframes are challenging. He explained that while the bans do present an important opportunity for Australia’s recycling industry, flexibility from government will be required during the implementation to monitor how industry is performing, and amending targets to ensure no recyclable material is sent to landfill as a result of the ban. “While some streams will have capacity to meet the timelines, others may not. Should infrastructure development and process improvements not occur at the pace the government expects and in alignment with waste export ban timelines, export markets should not be closed if that material cannot be processed domestically and is forced to be sent to landfill,” Venhoek said. “Recyclable material that ends up in landfill because of the export ban is counter to the purpose of the ban, further conflicting with the federal government’s resolution that we, as a nation, need to start taking responsibility for the waste we generate.”
The review comes after the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to ban the export of these waste materials. Subsequently, an export ban timetable was published in November 2019. All waste glass exports are expected to cease by July this year, followed by mixed waste plastics by July 2021; all whole tyres including baled tyres by December 2021; and mixed paper and cardboard by June 2022. Paper and cardboard accounts for more than half of the packaging in the Australian market, but markets for certain materials are significantly hindered by a lack of demand and low prices. The report highlights that kerbside collected mixed paper and paperboard continues to be “almost unsaleable” locally or through export in any significant volume and it has a current value of about $0/tonne. The report warns that unless secondary sorting of MRF mixed paper and paperboard (to multiple higher quality grades) meets the requirements of a local or international market, it will not find an end market. (Continued on page 20.)
AUSTRALIA IS BEHIND in some aspects of waste management, such as energy from waste, but it is thriving in other areas – for example by trialling an app that tells users how they can recycle an item. Inside Waste explored where Australia’s waste management efforts fit in comparison to other nations. Canada recognised a need to change its growing plastic issue by tackling it head on with a Zero Plastic Waste strategy. According to a 2019 report, CanadaWide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste – Phase 1, almost 90 per cent of Canada’s plastic waste is not recycled or recovered. This represents an economic loss of $7.8 billion. With plastic production in Canada consisting of a $35b industry; and 3 million tonnes of plastic going to waste every year, the Canadian government took action by announcing it will ban “harmful” single-use plastics as early as 2021. In June 2019, environment ministers approved the first phase of the action plan, which identifies the government activities that will support the implementation of the strategy. The first phase of the action plan focuses on product design, single-use plastics, collection systems, recycling capacity and domestic markets. Phase 2 of the action plan, to be released in 2020, will focus on preventing plastic pollution in oceans, inland lakes and waterways – advancing science to monitor the impacts of plastics pollution within the environment, consumer awareness, clean-up and taking global action. (Continued on page 24.)
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