Why landfilling plastic waste will be here for a while

By Ross Headifen Ph.D It is becoming clear that our management of plastic waste is woefully underperforming. We have set targets many years in advance for recyclability, being recycled and recycled content in new products. However, as we approach these target dates, report after report tells us that we will not only miss the targets but miss them by significant amounts. So much so that recycling of plastics waste has changed little since the targets were set six years ago. Read More

Accelerating recyclables away from landfill

By Helen Millicer
With two years under its belt the Albanese government has only one year to go until the election. As the Prime Minister has flagged, the nation stands at a crucial crossroad for its economic and environmental prospects. The government already has a full agenda of committed reforms, including establishing a national EPA and cutting emissions. Having conducted many reviews, it also has a full dance card of additional potential reforms. The question is how many of these reviews will result in meaningful reforms before the election? What are the priorities? And is there sufficient support for these reforms to be widely accepted for Australia to achieve circularity, low emissions, and a higher productivity future? Australia is among the worst performing nations on high consumption, high emissions and high waste to landfill. Read More

EPA wants your say on FOGO and landfill levies

The NSW Government is taking steps to reduce waste ending up in landfill and boost recycling efforts, with two discussion papers opening for feedback. The draft Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) Mandates and the Waste Levy Review are part of a broader commitments to increase recycling, reduce the waste NSW produces, and minimise the amount of organic waste going to landfill. Read More