At a crucial turning point for the waste and recycling industry, Waste Expo Australia returns to Melbourne on 26 and 27 October, delivering insight into the latest developments in managing waste and recycling, and covering the issues impacting the sector.
When it comes to waste production, Australia is among the top developed countries in the world to contribute – responsible for more than 76 million tonnes of waste annually – and rising.
As Australia’s waste crisis continues to escalate, legislation, funding and implementation of policies are helping to shift the dial and provide a framework that outlines ways to improve infrastructure, increase recycling rates, tackle food and organic waste, and support reduction, recycling, and reuse.
Matt Genever, Sustainability Victoria Interim Chief Executive Officer and keynote speaker at this year’s Waste Expo, says there’s been a buy-in across the board in Victoria to accelerate the move to a circular economy.
“Victoria has come a long way in the past few years in terms of developing strong partnerships with industry,” Matt says. “Both the government and the waste sector are aligned and working on the same page toward infrastructure projects and market development.”
He says a key part of the chain has been more engagement both within the manufacturing sector and the community.
While Australia has typically been good at managing the recycling end of the waste hierarchy, Matt says the ease of exporting waste over many years meant less was done to build strong links between recycling and manufacturing.
In the past, a move toward using recycled products in manufacturing received a poor reception, partly because of the quality of the product and Australia’s capacity to maintain supply.
“A strong recycling system has to be at the core of a circular economy but we absolutely need businesses that can transform waste when it comes to its end of life and domestically turn it into something of high value for reuse,” Matt says.
“A broad package of support and funding for projects and activity to develop a circular economy has definitely shifted the dial.”
Sustainability Victoria, on behalf of the State Government, is currently involved in more than $300 million worth of infrastructure projects. An immense scale when compared to previous decades.
The Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC) is at the innovation end of the chain.
Matt says the ideas have always been there, but a combination of clear policy settings and government funding has given businesses the impetus to further develop those ideas.
“If you talk to any business at the moment they are absolutely committed to a circular economy and net zero carbon,” he says. “Corporate responsibility is not just lip service anymore.
“When businesses start asking those questions about their long-term sustainable footprint, innovation develops quickly. There’s not just sprouts of a circular economy forming, but branches and trunks.”
He says the Recycled First policy, has been a game changer. Since March 2020, all tenderers on Victorian major transport projects have had to demonstrate within their bid how they will optimise the use of recycled and reused materials at the levels allowed under current standards and specifications.
Sustainability Victoria has worked for a long time in the research and market development of recycled products and has had success. But, Matt says that having a part of the government whose sole aim is to take those recycled products and get them into major projects has accelerated the cause.
A big part of the market acceleration program has also been the introduction of the Buy Recycled Service, which encourages local government to look at recycled products for projects.
“It’s had a massive impact in industry transformation and investment in the recycling sector to make sure it can produce quality recycled products at scale,” Matt says. “The first couple of years of Recycled First were quite challenging because many major projects had already been confirmed and signed off. But what we’re seeing now is the next wave of projects where tenders have gone out with Recycled First at the core.
“It’s led to a massive shift as to where recycled content can be used and best applied. What we’re seeing now is only the tip of the iceberg. We’ll see a significant increase over the next five to 10 years.
“I often say to other states that if there’s one thing they should take from Victoria, it’s the Recycled First policy. Copy it, paste it and use it.”
Waste Expo Australia is co-located with All-Energy Australia and will once again be held in partnership with the Waste Innovation and Recycling Awards.
For more information, visit: www.wasteexpoaustralia.com.au/
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