2018-03-20
Greens spokesperson for waste and recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, says that while steps forward by Queensland and NSW on waste policy are providing necessary stopgap measures, federal intervention is needed to put a permanent end to the recycling crisis.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “The states are stepping up their actions on waste and recycling to stem the worst elements of the increasingly dysfunctional system and this is welcome. However, the long-term solution needs strong leadership from the Federal government.
“The Liberal government sat on their hands while the entire waste system remained dependant on China taking 50% of all of the plastic from our recycling system. And when China signalled that they would no longer take our poorly sorted trash, the Federal government still sat on their hands.
“At the Senate Inquiry into this issue last week, the industry was crying out for Federal action. State governments are only taking stopgap measures.
“The Senate Inquiry continues tomorrow where we have the Federal Government giving evidence. The Inquiry has already had made a difference and helped pressure state governments to start to act and we will keep the pressure up on the Federal Government until they start lifting their weight too.
“We need the Federal government to introduce mandatory product stewardship schemes and also to mandate increase procurement of recycled materials across the board. Until we reduce the amount of waste we produce and develop secondary industries for the waste we still produce the recycling crisis will continue,” he concluded
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Inquiry link for more information including submissions and more program information: here