The National Waste Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC) is calling on the federal, state and territory environment ministers to appoint a National Waste and Resource Recovery Commissioner to ensure the National Waste Policy will be successful.
In a statement, NWRIC CEO Rose Read said Australia can no longer ignore the waste, resource recovery and recycling challenges it faces. It comes ahead of Friday’s Meeting of Environment Ministers as part of the biannual Council of Australian Governments meeting, where the rebooted National Waste Policy will be discussed.
“We are still one of the highest generators of waste per capita in the developed world,” Ms Read said.
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Ms Read said that inconsistent state waste regulations, limited infrastructure planning, reliance on overseas markets for recyclates, unfair local markets, increasing contamination of and lack of regulated product stewardship schemes are all major barriers to Australia realising the true economic, environmental and social value of its waste as a resource.
“Unless there is a significant shift in how our federal, state and territory governments work together to remove these barriers Australia’s waste will continue to grow and industry will not invest in technologies that would transform waste into valuable resources that meet local and global markets,” she said.
A National Waste and Resource Recovery Commissioner would be responsible for ensuring the policy is implemented, facilitating collaboration, regulatory reform and encouraging investment from all levels of government, producers, manufacturers, importers, retailers and recyclers.
The NWRIC believes that key actions that must be progressed as a matter of urgency are:
● Harmonising state waste regulations specifically around waste definitions, licensing and transport.
● A national waste and recycling infrastructure strategy that maps material and resource pathways for the next 30 years.
● Regulating battery and tyre product stewardship schemes.
● Mandating local, state and government procurement of recycled content in products and services.
● Reviewing the National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM) for packaging and including mandated targets for recycled content in packaging and that all packaging must be recyclable, compostable or reusable.
● Increasing investment in community and business education that encourages better consumption, increases reuse, improves source separation and reduces contamination.
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