The announcement that the Commonwealth Government will sign onto the high ambition targets of the Global Plastics Treaty should also accelerate high ambition at home, the Boomerang Alliance of 56 NGOs
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Study complete for Viva/Cleanaway soft plastics facility
Plans for Australia’s first large-scale advanced soft plastics recycling facility are a step closer after Cleanaway and Viva Energy announced the successful completion of their pre-feasibility study for the project.
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Soft plastic recycling returns to Sydney’s inner west
Soft plastic recycling is returning to select Inner West supermarkets following advocacy from Inner West Council, demand from the local community and strong support from Woolworths. Woolworths has announced
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Compostable plastics and the 2025 targets
By Dr Ross Headifen
In 2018, the federal government set out the 2025 plastic packaging targets for industry to try and meet. Its top two targets were:
100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging.
70 per cent plastic packaging being recycled or composted.
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Councils initiate “dob in a tosser” litter campaign
More than 57,000 fines have been issued due to residents reporting litter bugs. Now Western Sydney councils are calling on more locals to join the fight against roadside rubbish. The Western Sydney Regional
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Update on councils’ soft plastics trial
A series of collection drop-off days was held for soft plastics collection across the Illawarra in partnership with Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama Councils and Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO) from November 2024 – February 2025.
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Transparency needed with recycled plastic content claims
By Dr Ross Headifen, Biogone
Transparency needs to be at the forefront of any conversation when it comes to claims about recycled plastic content in products – especially as we start along the journey of moving to a circular economy. With the emphasis on incorporating recycled materials into plastic products intensifying, it is essential to avoid confusing or misleading claims that could affect end users.
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Microscopic helpers recycle nylon waste
A team of scientists from the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences – Biotechnology at Forschungszentrum Jülich worked together with the company Novonesis to develop a bacterium that “eats” individual building blocks of different types of nylon and converts them into value-added products. The results of this research will help improve nylon recycling. The study has just been published in the journal Nature Microbiology.
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Banning of ‘most polluting plastics’ on the cards
Australia and other nations must deliver a strong and effective global treaty to end plastic pollution, WWF-Australia spokesperson Kate Noble said ahead of the final negotiating meeting in Korea this week.
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Producers must pay full cost of packaging recovery
The Commonwealth Packaging Reforms are a once in a generation opportunity and the Boomerang Alliance has called for the establishment of an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging, augmented with mandatory targets for the reduction, reuse, composting and recycling of all packaging.
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