Official Publication of the
ISSUE 97 | AUG/SEPT 2020
www.insidewaste.com.au Thousands of jobs are expected to be created by the Recycling Monetisation Fund to lead Australia out of deep recession.
INSIDE 24 Trevor Evans speaks 26 FOGO unearthed 34 City’s Young Professional
Once-in-a-generation revamp of Australia’s recycling system in waste policy but to also play an important role in leading the country out of recession.
Opposition says funding overdue Although the Labor Opposition described the announcement as “long-overdue” shadow assistant minister for the environment, Josh Wilson acknowledged that the RMF will help address a major gap in local reprocessing capacity at a time when investing in sustainable jobs is key. “We’ve known for a long time that when you stick to a resource recovery plan jobs are created and at the present, I believe the country is ready to adapt greater sustainability and self-sufficiency as a new way of life,” he told Inside Waste. “We need more detail about the funding and especially the timelines, considering it is six months until the ban on glass exports and 12 months until the ban on plastic exports. Let’s be clear, recycling and reprocessing infrastructure is only one part of the major reform needed to deal with Australia’s waste crisis. Recycled material needs a commercial end-user and it is folly to think the market is ready to deal with the anticipated volume.”
Wilson said that the government knows we need action across the full waste-to-resource-tomanufacturing cycle. “That requires innovation to design-out waste and design-in re-use and recycling; it requires product stewardship reform so that producers take responsibility for the life cycle of their products; it requires further improvements to collection and sorting, and infrastructure for recycling and reprocessing infrastructure; and it requires procurement to support demand at a necessary scale to kick-off what should be a job-creating surge in Australian manufacturing.” He added that the government has commissioned an independent analysis that shows Australia may require a 400 per cent increase in recycling infrastructure capacity to cope with additional waste from the export ban, and he pointed to the National Plastic Summit (held in March) at which no clear policy or funding was announced. “Labor has always said that direct funding for the strengthening of Australia’s waste industry is vital, which is why we promised $60 million for a national recycling fund during the 2019 election. (Continued on page 20.)
THERE HAS been considerable industry debate around Product Stewardship and the lack of a compulsory mandate for companies to stop using virgin materials in their packaging. Against this atmosphere, the advent of the Federal Government’s decision in early July to amend the Product Stewardship Act 2011, the legislative mechanism to improve the use and re-use of resources to support waste management, was overwhelmingly welcomed. This long-awaited review forms part of ongoing reform of Australia’s product stewardship regime and follows on from the National Waste Policy Action Plan 2019 agreed last November at a meeting of environment ministers, and the National Waste Policy 2018. A review of Product Stewardship has been considered by the WARR industry as a critical lever in transitioning to a circular economy, and without it, most other initiatives are left ineffectual. The Review was quickly followed by the release of $20 million to the new Product Stewardship Investment Fund. As part of this fund and from July 8, 2020, businesses are able to apply for grants of $300,000 to $1 million to develop industry-led product stewardship schemes and improve the rates of recycling in existing schemes. (Continued on page 22.)
PP: 100024538
ISSN 1837-5618
AS VICTORIANS faced down a resurgent wave of COVID-19 in July, the arrival of Federal Government’s $190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) was welcomed by the WARR industry with open arms. This isn’t surprising because government action on the waste recovery strategy plan agreed at COAG in March is long overdue, making it more imperative that a timeline be pronounced as soon as possible. There is less than six months until the ban on glass exports activates and 12 months until the ban on plastic exports. Most importantly, the key to the success of the RMF will be the ability of the various states to meet a third of the funding. Meanwhile, the industry needs to wait until the Treasurer hands down the belated budget in October and then for the Parliament to enact the legislation. While this is being prepared, the rollout also needs to be seen within the context of a national government and society which is grappling with the biggest economic downturn in a century, exacerbated by ongoing lockdowns. It is becoming clearer that an opportunity lies within this industry to not only pave the way to recovery
Is Product Stewardship reform the turning point?
Primary and Secondary systems for Off the Road (OTR), Truck and Passenger tyre recycling Whole tyre export ban opportunities…want to know more? | info@focusenviro.com.au