2017-06-01
Thursday, 01 June
WA Greens Waste spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC said he was excited to see regional councils and shires utilising Cleanaway’s new Materials Recovery Centre (MRF), the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
“WA has had abysmally low recycling rates – the lowest in Australia – for far too long and it’s uplifting to see that we’re finally doing something about it,” Mr Chapple said.
“Remote and regional areas in particular have a real problem with waste management, so it’s really important that local governments take the initiative when it comes to improving recycling practices.
“A large part of the problem is educating consumers about cutting down on products that are non-recyclable and changing the way our society consumes, but making sure we have the infrastructure in place to deal with our waste is a significant step forward.
“I’ve got a real bee-in-my-hat about the over use of plastics and the damaging effect they are having on our fragile ecosystems, particularly our oceans. It is crucial that we introduce legislative controls to limit or ban the use of these kinds of materials – including plastic bags – as soon as possible.
“The WA Greens will fight to make sure WA Labor stick to the commitments they’ve made to ban plastic bags, and would like to see improvements to any legislation to include other types of damaging plastic waste such as micro beads.
Media contact: Tim Oliver 0431 9696 25