The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (NSW EPA) has welcomed the Independent Review Report of its Resource Recovery Framework.
The NSW EPA’s Resource Recovery Framework aims to facilitate beneficial resource recovery and divert material from landfill, while minimising risk to the community and environment. It sets the regulatory requirements that apply when waste is recovered and reused in New South Wales.
Commissioned last year and delivered by independent reviewer Dr Cathy Wilkinson, the review outlines 22 recommendations to help refine and strengthen the framework.
It was informed by extensive consultation, including a formal submissions process based on an Issues Paper, and many of the recommendations consider practical suggestions from stakeholders about how to improve the existing regulatory framework, and tools to delivery better outcomes.
The recommendations cover four key areas including: improved administration and decision making, the definition of waste and enhancements to the regulatory framework, enabling high quality materials to facilitate circularity, and improving approaches to known and emerging contaminants.
Wilkinson’s recommendations include making processes for resource recovery order and exemptions clearer, seeking the advice or independent technical experts by establishing a panel or panels, investigating pathways for ‘end-of-waste’ outcomes to exclude suitable materials from the waste regulatory framework, and developing a resource recovery innovation pathway to support new and innovative technology and processes.
The NSW EPA is now considering its response to the recommendations.
To view the full report, visit: www.yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au
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