2017-10-29
ACT Greens Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury today launched the Greens’ plans for a ‘Sustainable Zero Waste Future’—a progressive plan for waste management in the Territory.
“Waste reduction and management involves and impacts every individual, business and organisation in the Territory.
“The ACT Greens believe that a ‘zero waste’ approach will help to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate climate change, and keep our city clean and liveable for all Canberrans,” Mr Rattenbury said.
While the ACT’s waste resource recovery rate has increased significantly from around 33% in 1995, it now sits near 60%, with around 40% of our waste still being sent to landfill. The ACT Government, through the current ACT Waste Management Strategy 2011-2025, has set a goal of recovering over 90% of waste in the ACT by 2025.
“This goal is achievable, but cannot be reached if we simply continue on our current path,” Mr Rattenbury said. “The ACT Greens believe that the Government must develop waste management strategies that focus on product redesign, waste reduction, source-separated recycling and composting, and reuse and repair programs.”
“By minimising waste, we can reduce our impact on the environment, and ensure there is clean air, clean soil, and a clean energy future for generations to come,” Mr Rattenbury said.
Speaking to recent waste proposals, Mr Rattenbury said the ACT Greens would not support the current proposal for a waste-to-energy facility in Fyshwick.
“It’s clear that thermal waste-to-energy processes, such as incineration, present significant health and environment challenges,” Mr Rattenbury said. “The Greens believe that burning waste is no better than burning dirty fossil fuels, and will not help our transition to a carbon neutral future.”
The ACT Greens also will not support providing funding to incineration projects through a feed-in-tariff (FiT), since this support would be better provided to renewable energy proposals.
Mr Rattenbury reiterated the importance of “genuine, frank, open and transparent” community consultation, with an onus on prospective waste managers to demonstrate the environmental and economic value of their projects to Canberra’s community.