Many in Australia’s recycling industry are concerned that Sunday’s 60 Minutes program on Australia’s plastic waste challenges, screened on-air in mid-April, didn’t paint the full picture of the country’s recycling efforts and didn’t highlight the industry’s contribution to improving waste management.
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Recycling contracts in Australia are under threat and a crisis is looming after China implemented its National Sword Policy on January 1, 2018, which restricted the importation of 24 categories of solid waste and limits contamination of those materials to less than 0.5 per cent. The restrictions are already being felt in the sector, with stockpiling beginning and waste collectors across the country trying to find new markets to prevent a disruption of kerbside collection services.
The use of asbestos was banned in Australia in 2004 immediately after the industry recognition of the life-threatening dangers associated with the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Medical conditions resulting from exposure to asbestos can take as long as 10 to 20 years to reveal themselves. Despite this ban, Australians still suffer from the consequences of existing buildings containing asbestos.