Landmark legislation establishing a national industry relationship framework for recycling was introduced in Federal Parliament this week.
The Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 (and associated provisions) will also authorise the progressive implementation of bans on waste plastic, paper, glass and tyre exports.
Australia presently exports around 645,000 tonnes of processed plastic, paper, glass and tyres every year – a situation Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described as untenable.
“We’ve got to deal with it and recycle it and repurpose it and reuse it here to both drive jobs in the recycling sector and improve the quality of our environment,” he said this week.
The legislation also will pave the way for reforms to the regulation of product stewardship to incentivise companies to take greater environmental responsibility for the products they manufacture and what happens to those products and materials at the end of their life.
Click here to read the Bill and the Explanatory Memorandum.