The country’s two largest domestic battery suppliers Duracell and Energizer have committed to the industry led Australian Battery Stewardship Scheme.
Circular Solar grants program boosted
The NSW Government is investing $10 million to divert solar panels at the end of their life away from landfill and into recycling.
New Zealand’s plan for plastic and waste
Ahead of the country’s election this month, the New Zealand government has detailed its action plan on waste and recycling.
New chair for NSW environmental watchdog
Former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) senior executive Rayne de Gruchy AM PSM has taken over as Chair of the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) commencing her role yesterday.
Where to after the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020?
The Australian Government recently launched the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 which introduces the export bans and refreshes the national EPR legislation. But this is just a beginning.
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MPS and Evoquip strengthen
Mineral Processing Solutions (MPS) is now the official full line distributor of EvoQuip crushing, screening and conveying equipment.
Plastics recycling roundtable to deliver roadmap
An initial Plastics Recycling Roundtable meeting took place last month, co-hosted by and the Australia Council of Recycling’s CEO Pete Schmigel.
Twenty-seven representatives from nineteen different organisations involved in the plastic supply chain and lifecycle and Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction Trevor Evans recently convened a Plastics Recycling Roundtable.
The Australia Council of Recycling (ACOR) and Evans co-hosted the event which set out its considering the future community and policy challenges and opportunities in plastics recycling. Evans discussed what the Morrison Government saw as the opportunities of the COAG ban, the Recycling Modernisation Fund, product stewardship, procurement and plastics-related packaging targets.
According to ACOR CEO Pete Schmigel, “a vibrant discussion followed about the fragmented nature of the plastics recycling, current conditions and realities of plastics recycling, and the APCO plastics recycling targets. It moved to preliminarily identify additional measures – both operational and policy-based – that could have merit in meeting recovery and recycling targets.”
Agreement was reached to produce a Plastics Recycling Results Roadmap. Some of the identified key outcomes of this roadmap include:
- Identify as a group the key practical and policy requirements for meeting the 70% plastics recycling target;
- Explore market demand and policy options for creating it through the Commonwealth’s upcoming national plastics plan including tax incentives, public procurement requirements, minimum recycled content quotas, infrastructure requirements, improved APCO monitoring, product specifications, and definitions/implementation of COAG ban;
- Provide an industry plan for consumer and corporate engagement and education on plastics recycling and recovery.
Participants committed to continue to interact as a Plastics Recycling Roundtable under ACOR’s auspices for the next six months and convene regularly with the Minister.
ACOR has invited the non-ACOR members of the Plastics Recycling Roundtable to be part of the process on a no-fee basis for six months.
This will give them access to ACOR specialised knowledge and discussion papers, as well as a seat at the roundtable. In developing the Roadmap, ACOR will also undertake consultation with other stakeholder organisations, such as APCO and its mooted Plastics Pact, to ensure alignment, including with the provisions of the National Waste Policy Action Plan. ACOR looks forward to continuing this important work with our esteemed colleagues and Assistant Minister Trevor Evans.
No time to waste – Victoria progresses recycling reform
The Victorian Government has published details of the proposed regulatory framework to consolidate regulation of waste and recycling in Victoria.
APCO pivots 2020 awards
The 2020 APCO Awards ceremony will return on 18 November with a new digital format and three new categories.
No butts about this research
Researchers have shown how industries could work together to recycle cigarette butts into bricks, in a step-by-step implementation plan for saving energy and solving a global littering problem.