Australian soils are particularly poor, both in terms of general plant nutrients but also organic matter, with undisturbed soils only having about 5 per cent organic matter. With cultivation and farming, organic matter decreases and soils become less fertile. Many areas of farming land, both under pasture and cropping lands have <2 per cent organic matter.
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When developing countries such as China opened the floodgates to receiving waste recyclables after it became a member of Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), there was no need to separate the seven categories of plastics. It was easier and more economical for Australian companies to bundle it up and export it to China for ‘recycling.’ In 2017, Australia’s exports of domestic waste to China amounted to over 600,000 tonnes.
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Leading up to the Meeting of Environment Ministers (MEM) on Friday, the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) has given its view of changes that need to happen in the waste and resource recovery industry. Read more from WMRR below.
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It’s been 20 years since the Y2K computer glitch was expected to shut down global computer systems but amounted to nothing – what will we be saying in 20 years about the impact of what has been dubbed the “20YWS”?
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If you care about money or care about the environment or care about climate change, ignore coffee cup recycling and instead focus on organics (particularly food), which represent around 50 per cent of all waste to landfill in Australia.
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Australia is facing a growing waste disaster that is being totally overlooked by our government.
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Circular Economy (CE) could be transformative. Transforming an economy from linear consumption to circular materials flow including redesign, recovery, reuse, repurposing, is just that – transformative.
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John Gertsakis, the co-founder of Ewaste Watch, discusses the benefits of mainstreaming reuse and repair.
The transition to a circular economy is underway across industries, sectors and communities. Noteworthy practical measures are in play as are policy development processes across all levels of government.
Australian landfill levies are on the move, with significant changes in Queensland and South Australia. The trouble with waste disposal, however, is that it tends to flow to the point of cheapest disposal.
The National Waste Report 2018 indicates that more than 67 million tonnes (Mt) of waste, including 14.2 Mt of organics, 6.3 Mt of hazardous waste and 5.6 Mt of paper and cardboard, is generated by Australians each year.
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