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.
Study reveals lack of workplace recycling options
Over 40 per cent of Australians believe workplaces lack recycling options according to new research commissioned by Planet Ark.
Containers clean up in WA
The launch of Containers for Change in Western Australia yesterday revealed at least 200 refund points statewide.
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.
How recycling (and $1.5 billion) will rebuild our manufacturing sector
Recycling is on the Federal Government’s list of six key industries into which it will pump around $1.5 billion to grow Australia’s manufacturing sector over the next four years.
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.
Environment Minister Matt Kean described de Gruchy is a highly experienced regulator and will play a key role in ensuring that the EPA is a world-class regulator that holds dodgy individuals and organisations to account.
“Now more than ever it is important that we have a tough, independent environmental cop on the beat –ensuring our environment and communities are protected from potentially harmful and hazardous activities,” Kean said.
“The people of NSW expect our environment to be protected, so our children and their children can enjoy our natural environmental assets for generations to come. De Gruchy has come from the ACCC where she led the charge protecting consumers and fearlessly prosecuting people that broke the law – I expect her to take the same approach as Chair of the EPA.”
Meanwhile, De Gruchy said she was excited to be taking on the role.
“I’m looking forward to contributing to the important work of the EPA and working with businesses, government and the community to reduce pollution and waste, protect human health, and prevent degradation of the spectacular natural environment in NSW,” she said.
Kean thanked acting Chair Carolyn Walsh for her leadership and guidance over the past 14 months.
“Carolyn has been steadfast in her commitment to drive improved environmental outcomes and hold rogue operators to account, and I thank her for her exceptional stewardship and support of the EPA team throughout the challenges of the summer bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic,” Kean added.
NSW sector has decent operators
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.
The Bill addresses the 1MT of paper, plastic, tyres and glass that we export as well as the 3 MT of material currently covered by EPR schemes (mainly e-waste and packaging). Put another way that is about 7 per cent of Australia’s waste generation (54MT).
So, while I congratulate the Government and the Minister, Trevor Evans for stepping into the waste/recycling space, it is important to recognise that it is just that. A first step
And the Minister, to his credit, has recognised that.
As the R&WR 2020 Bill is likely to be passed into law, where should the Minister take his energies next?
Well, the obvious place is the National Waste Policy and Action Plan. It sets out the pathway to a sustainable and efficient waste/recycling system with a strong Circular Economy focus embedded in it.
The Minister is also correct in saying he has no Constitutional power over waste. That rests with the states. The Minister’s job is to lead, cajole, entice and fund the states to achieve the National Waste Policy targets.
OK so what are the National Waste Policy Targets? All of this by 2030 (that is in nine short years; except Plastic by 2025):
- Ban the export of plastic, paper, glass and tyres. (In train. As above.)
- Reduce waste generation per person by 10 per cent (Very difficult and other than Food waste (below) no other actions announced).
- 80 per cent average resource recovery rate in all waste streams. (That requires at least another 12MT of recycling/yr and is not possible with current policy settings).
- Increase use of recycled content by Government and industry. (Minister has foreshadowed a national revision to Commonwealth procurement rules; little from the States as yet).
- Phase out problematic plastic by 2025. (SA just banned single use plastic but little from the other States beyond plastic bag bans).
- Halve the amount of organics to landfill (FOGO bins now being rolled out in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne; no rules in the other capitals. Many regional councils going FOGO; but nothing like enough to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in 9 years. No serious actions around C&I or C&D organics and particularly commercial food).
- Make timely data available. (The Minister has funding available so expect some movement here).
Additional actions that the industry needs to see, to accelerate reform include at least:
- Export bans: Secondary reprocessing grant funding from landfill levy funds.
- Waste generation by 10 per cent: A national Circular Economy Strategy that promotes re-use, design for repair, mechanisms to prevent waste being generated (reduce).
- 80 per cent Resource Recovery: A National Waste Infrastructure Plan based on a gap analysis, infrastructure funding and planning reform.
- Recycled content: Recycled content rules. Mechanisms to grow the markets for recycled materials including State and Commonwealth procurement.
- Plastics: Plastic bans before 2025 in all States and Commonwealth.
- Organics: Pricing, regulatory and infrastructure actions to achieve the 50 per cent reduction in Food Waste by 2030.
- Data: As stated the Minister has some funding for this one. The States need to deliver up the data. All facilities should be licenced and required to supply data. (We do it for water, electricity, aged care, hospitals, schools, childcare facilities etc. But not waste/recycling).
Most importantly we need governments to commit to achieving the targets they set. Every government in Australia (Commonwealth, states, territories and local government) has agreed to the above targets. They now need to set the pricing and regulatory environment for business, community and stakeholders to deliver them. If governments do not reset the pricing mechanisms and/or regulatory settings, then these targets will definitely not be achieved.
Governments have three levers to pull to achieve these actions – price, regulation and education.
Minister Evans has already had a go at regulation. He can do a lot more with mandatory EPR schemes to require Advanced Disposal Fees to fund the recovery of EPR listed waste streams. But he will need the States to cooperate with price, particularly with respect to landfill levies and the infrastructure and services grants derived from it.
The Meeting of Environment Ministers must set their priorities based on their own agreed targets. We have no time to waste. As always, I welcome your feedback on this, or any other topic on ‘The Tipping Point’.
Dimitris Dimoliatis is a principal consultant with MRA Consulting.
MPS and Evoquip strengthen
Mineral Processing Solutions (MPS) is now the official full line distributor of EvoQuip crushing, screening and conveying equipment.
In 2016 (MPS) an OPS Group Company, became a distributor in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia for EvoQuip. Now, after four years of strong market development, both parties said that they were keen to extend the coverage.
“Since taking on EvoQuip in 2016, MPS has shown a commitment to service and support that is in keeping with the brand. Their extensive knowledge and trained specialists ensure they offer the best solutions and product support which is why they are the right fit for EvoQuip in Australia,” EvoQuip international sales director, Barry O’Hare said.
National reach
The MPS team includes encompasses process engineering to on-site commissioning, training and maintenance services and the company provides 24/7 maintenance and spare parts backup both on-site and from their workshops in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Darwin.
MPS managing director, Shane Czerkasow added, “After four years working with EvoQuip we have developed extensive relevant industry knowledge and built a strong customer base. We look forward to taking this experience and developing our customer base right across Australia. The EvoQuip product is exciting and dynamic and is a great fit for MPS.”
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.