Ending Plastic Pollution

The Victorian Greens have released a comprehensive policy to cut single use plastics and build a state based recycling industry.

Every single piece of plastic ever made still exists, and at the core of this policy is the belief that states should deal with its own waste without an over reliance on landfill.

The policy comes at the same time as the federal Senate Committee's "Never Waste a crisis: the waste and recycling industry in Australia" report recommends an urgent shift to reducing the amount of waste we produce, and recycling more waste, including locally.  

This policy lays the framework for Victoria do so, based on five steps that work together and rely on each other for overall success:

·       Increase incentives for recycling including a container deposit scheme.

·       Legally require companies to boost recycled content in their packaging, such as a requirement on single use plastic bottles to include 70% recycled content

·       Ban a wide range of single-use plastics, including drink straws and fresh produce packaging.

·       Invest in local plastic recycling infrastructure and jobs, including investing $80 million to build a state owned and run bottle to bottle recycling plant.

·       Support a people led information campaign to reduce plastic consumption, increase recycling and cut plastic pollution.

Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens spokesperson for plastic pollution, Nina Springle

"Shipping our waste off to China and an over reliance on landfill has caused successive state governments to become complacent when it comes to recycling. We need to take responsibility for dealing with our own waste.

"Most plastics take hundreds of years to break down, so it makes sense that cutting down how much we use and dealing with the remainder responsibly should be our number one priority.

"This policy includes measures that will have an immediate impact on how much waste we're producing, as well as long term measures to build a state based recycling industry which means local jobs and a cleaner environment.

"I believe Victorians care about the environment and many are horrified at the thought of the contents of their recycling bins ending up as landfill. This plan allows them to do the right thing and have a genuine impact on the state where they live."

Please see attached for the full policy.