Innovation in the recycling and reuse sector will be enhanced with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) supporting all 22 recommendations made in an independent review of the resource recovery framework.
The review, led by former Victorian EPA head Dr Cathy Wilkinson, highlighted opportunities to increase industry innovation and reform how waste is safely reused and diverted from landfill.
Tony Chappel, NSW EPA Chief Executive Officer, welcomed the recommendations and said the EPA is implementing changes to ensure the NSW recycling and reuse sector is cutting-edge and leading the charge toward the state’s circular economy while ensuring the state has robust environment and health protections.
“Changes will support industry to be bold and explore new ways of reusing and recycling materials so we can discover different uses and harness valuable opportunities within the NSW circular economy,” Chappel said.
“We are investigating a pathway to enable an ‘end-of-waste’ outcome for suitable common, low-risk recovered materials to better enable their reuse.
“Our industry should have access to the best technologies and systems to drive circularity and best practice waste management and we will work with other government agencies to find pathways to do this.”
In 2020-21, more than 22 million tonnes of waste was generated in NSW and about two-thirds of this was recovered or recycled within the state. Chappel said while there is progress there is more work to do and NSW EPA is supporting industry to be trail blazers.
“These recommendations will also ensure we have a framework that is fit for purpose, supports our regulatory role and provides industry with more clarity and transparency,” he said.
The EPA has committed to undertake further consultation with key stakeholders to understand their perspectives as it implements the review recommendations.
View the EPA’s Response to the Independent Review of the NSW Resource Recovery Framework here.
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