2024-02-28
The Greens have established a Senate inquiry into the effectiveness of the Albanese’s Labor Government’s waste reduction and recycling policies. The establishment of this inquiry comes amidst public statements from industry relating to waste export regulations and their potential negative impacts on recycling in Australia and cost of living, and anticipation of a model for mandatory product stewardship schemes for packaging being introduced later this year.
Australia set a national target to recover 70% of plastic packaging by 2025, but a review by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation released in April last year showed just 18% of plastic packaging was recycled or composted in the 2020-21 financial year.
The RedCycle collapse was another example of the failure of voluntary, industry-led schemes to reduce and recycle packaging waste and was a significant matter of public interest in Australia.
This inquiry will provide the opportunity to “take the pulse” on the current state of waste reduction and recycling in Australia and scrutinise how Australia is tracking on addressing and correcting failures to implement true circular economy principles since these revelations. The LNP voted to support the Inquiry.
Quotes attributable to Greens spokesperson for waste and recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:
“The waste and recycling crisis in Australia is getting worse, not better.
“Our oceans, waterways and environment continue to choke on the scourge of plastic tides.
“After 20 years of governments dragging their feet and not acting to regulate waste streams, it’s time to take a pulse check on where the government are at following numerous statements of intent followed by little action.
“Scrutinising Labor’s implementation of its waste and recycling policies a year out from an election will give the public an opportunity to judge whether Labor’s actions on this important issue is meeting rhetoric.
“Organic waste issues, e-waste issues, the push for more waste to energy facilities and the government’s approach to reforming the entire waste and recycling ecosystem will fall under the scope of this inquiry.”
“Communities were optimistic when state and federal governments agreed in June last year that we need to regulate plastic and other packaging. That was a turning point for governments in Australia after decades of avoiding the issue, but since then we’ve seen little action on regulating waste in this country.
“The Australian government is not keeping pace with the targets set for packaging and for the many additional challenges we face with waste in Australia.
“Plastic production makes up 45% of the petrochemical sector, which is projected to account for over a third of growth in oil demand by 2030, and remain one of the biggest drivers of oil extraction over coming decades.
“Australians want their federal government to show leadership in developing a new regulatory framework for developing a circular economy, especially one that removes unnecessary single-use plastics from our waste stream, promotes the redesign of packaging and other waste streams for end of life and provides the recycling industry with the investment confidence needed to upgrade infrastructure and build more resilient systems."