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National Waste Policy Action Plan 2019 NATIONAL WASTE POLICY ACTION PLAN 2019 The National Waste Policy Action Plan 2019 was prepared by the Australian Government, state and territory governments and the Australian Local Government Association. NATIONAL WASTE POLICY ACTION PLAN 2019 Contents 2018 National Waste Policy: From waste to resource ...................................................1 National targets ......................................................................................................................................2 Key action areas to deliver against the targets .................................................................4 Target 1: Ban on export of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres, commencing in the second half of 2020 ......................................................6 Target 2: Reduce total waste generated in Australia by 10% per person by 2030. ...................................................................................................................................8 Target 3: 80% average resource recovery rate from all waste streams, following the waste hierarchy, by 2030. ......................................................... 12 Target 4: Significantly increase the use of recycled content by governments and industry .....................................................................................18 Target 5: Phase out problematic and unnecessary plastics by 2025 ............ 22 Target 6: Halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill for disposal by 2030 ........................................................................................................... 26 Target 7: Make comprehensive, economy-wide and timely data publicly available to support better consumer, investment and policy decisions ...................................................................................................28 Appendix A: Implementing the National Action Plan ............................................... 31 Appendix B: Waste and recycling targets across jurisdictions.............................33 Glossary ......................................................................................................................................................35 2018 National Waste Policy: From waste to resource We all generate waste and this waste has National Action Plan an impact on our environment. We all This National Action Plan presents targets and actions to implement the 2018 National Waste Policy. These targets and have a role in working actions will guide investment and national efforts to 2030 and to reduce waste where beyond. possible, making productive use of our This plan complements and supports the implementation waste as resources where of national packaging targets developed and agreed by we can’t avoid waste Australian businesses and industry through the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, and the separate policies generation. committed to by each state and territory jurisdiction set out in Appendix B. This is important for the sustainability of our It also aims to address impediments to a circular economy environment, our economy and for waste in Australia—to support businesses and households our own wellbeing. realise the full value of recyclable materials and work towards more sustainable resource use. The 2018 National Waste Policy: Less waste, more resources We know that for every 10,000 tonnes of waste recycled, was agreed by Australia’s 9.2 jobs are created. Each year $2.9 billion is raised through Environment Ministers and sales of recovered materials. By working together, businesses, the President of the Australian governments, communities and individuals can support Local Government Association our economy, while protecting human health and reducing in December 2018. It sets a new environmental impacts. unified direction for waste and recycling in Australia. Actions in the National Action Plan will be updated as new challenges arise and more information becomes available. The policy provides a framework More information on implementation of the plan is at for collective, national action on Appendix A. waste management, recycling and resource recovery to 2030. It reflects new ways of thinking about waste as a resource, and Those circular economy principles for waste are: it applies principles of a circular economy to waste management 1. Avoid waste 4. Better manage material to support better and repeated 2. Improve resource recovery flows to benefit human use of our resources. health, the environment and 3. Increase use of recycled the economy material and build demand and markets for 5. Improve information to recycled products support innovation, guide investment and enable 1 informed consumer decisions. National targets 1. Ban the export of waste 5. Phase out problematic plastic, paper, glass and tyres, and unnecessary plastics commencing in the second by 2025 half of 2020 6. Halve the amount of organic 2. Reduce total waste generated waste sent to landfill by 2030 in Australia by 10% per person 7. Make comprehensive, by 2030 economy-wide and timely data 3. 80% average resource recovery publicly available to support rate from all waste streams better consumer, investment following the waste hierarchy and policy decisions by 2030 4. Significantly increase the Note: All targets will be measured against baselines in the 2018 National Waste Report use of recycled content by governments and industry 2 IN 2030, OUR TARGETS WILL MEAN THAT: WE CAN TURN OUR WASTE INTO VALUABLE COMMODITIES ü EACH OF US GENERATES ABOUT 300 KILOGRAMS LESS WASTE EVERY YEAR BY 2030 WE RECOVER AN EXTRA MILLION OF MATERIAL 15 TONNES EVERY YEAR WE BUY AND USE MORE PRODUCTS WITH RECYCLED CONTENT AND KEEP RESOURCES OUT OF OUR LANDFILLS WE DO NOT USE HARMFUL PLASTICS ITEMS THAT POLLUTE OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR OCEANS 2.7 LESS ORGANIC WASTE GOES MILLION TONNES TO LANDFILL EVERY YEAR WE HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE INFORMATION TO HELP US MAKE DECISIONS 3 Key action areas to deliver against the targets The key action areas will Ban the export of Transforming these wastes into high value materials will create drive change in the waste waste plastic, paper, industry, businesses, jobs, build a more sophisticated glass and tyres industry, and provide positive governments and the outcomes for the environment community, and make Banning the export of waste and community wellbeing. Australia more responsible plastic, paper, glass and tyres, for its own waste. while building Australia’s capacity to generate and Along with other specific use high value recycled actions on research, commodities will increase our national policy setting resource recovery rate and and targeted investment, produce high quality materials the following action areas for reuse. will be critical to achieving the national targets. 4 Phase out Governments use Improve waste problematic and their purchasing data collection and unnecessary plastics power to increase information sharing Once plastic enters the recycling Better data will inform better environment it never Without stable demand, decision making and reduce disappears, breaking down into there is little incentive for the risks of illegal dumping and smaller and smaller fragments, investment in innovation or new stockpiling of wastes. Clearer impacting aquatic life. infrastructure. Governments understanding of how waste and major companies have an moves around Australia, how Plastic products and packaging important role in promoting kerbside recycling is processed are some of the main sustainable procurement. and reused, and how high contributors to plastic waste in For example, increasing value recycled commodities are the environment and oceans. procurement of goods and traded are all key to measuring infrastructure containing success. Business and industry groups recycled materials will help to: are developing a priority list of As close to real time reporting, problematic and unnecessary stimulate demand for and easy to use online systems plastic packaging as part of recycled materials relative to will enhance investment delivering on the National virgin materials and growth in our waste Packaging Targets. management sector, and help encourage innovation and all levels of government work Developing a national plastics investment in recycling to together on common policy plan and working with the meet demand from new and systems approaches across Pacific region will ensure firm markets Australia. and collective action to reduce support domestic jobs and the amount of plastics used, and industries by retaining the the amount ending up in our value of recycled materials rivers and oceans. encourage economy-wide This existing work will be behaviour change. complemented by community An early focus will be campaigns to clean up plastic purchasing goods and investing waste on beaches and in our in infrastructure that contains rivers, and support for consumer recycled materials such as glass, education and tools to improve plastic and rubber. recycling of plastics. 5 Target 1: Ban on export of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres, commencing in the second half of 2020 We need to be responsible for managing our own waste to improve the long-term sustainability of our recycling industry and become world leaders. All Australian governments have agreed that we should establish a timetable to ban the export of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres. We also need to build our capacity to turn recyclable materials into products that people want and need. Boosting our onshore plastic recycling industry
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