Rabobank has released its Food and Farming Report that, among other insights, showed the average Australian household annual food waste bill is just over $1,038. Read more
Fishing for solutions to the plastic problem
A University of Adelaide study shows industry players are open to measures to reduce plastics in seafood – but first they have to understand the problem.
Read more
Exports of unprocessed steel scrap need to stop
The scrap metal industry has long been the recycling ‘poster’ child in Australia. With a recycling rate of 90 per …
Market should lead the way on emissions
Every credible economist has said that a universal price on carbon is the most efficient economic mechanism to drive down …
Wasted Space: Giving (certain) states a break
Morning Sir, I hope all is well up in our green and fair land. Well, the numbers keep coming out, …
Need to stop talking about circular economy and start acting
Darren Thorpe is a fan of the circular economy. Having been in the industry for almost 40 years, he has …
Innovators will get competitive advantage
The Federal Government has enacted elements of the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 (the Act) ensuring Australia takes responsibility for its waste for generations to come. The Act provides a national framework to manage waste and recycling across Australia. It has been developed to align with seven key goals of the Australian Waste Management Plan: Read more
EPA legislation to come down hard on soil contamination
NEW environmental legislation in Victoria has significantly shifted the regime of risk associated with soil containing asbestos, PFAS and other chemicals on major property and infrastructure projects, which could see developers and contractors fined and slapped with multi-million-dollar clean-up bills.
A cheat sheet on the circular economy
A Circular Economy proposes a system which minimises extraction, keeps materials in the economy for as long as possible and ensures they are able to be reused, repurposed or recycled at the end of their first life. It minimises environmental externalities and maximises use of renewable resources including energy.
Read more
Solving commercial challenges when tracking hazardous waste
Hazardous waste – it’s a health risk, a destructive contaminant in recycling, and an expensive material to process. In Victoria, it’s also subject to a huge landfill levy of $250 per tonne. Due to its cost and complexity, there has been big incentives for those unwilling to pay the levy to illegally dump material, resulting in stockpiles and hazardous dump sites.