A new national silage plastic collection and recycling scheme is being developed by Dairy Australia with Commonwealth financial assistance.
Work on the scheme began in April when Dairy Australia launched a pilot silage plastic recycling trial in Western Victoria with strong backing from local dairy farmers.
The 80 farms involved in the trial have been provided with specific waste bins and liners which, when full, can either be dropped off for free at participating local waste government transfer stations or booked for collection on-farm for a small fee.
The collected silage plastic is then converted into pellets which can be used to make a wide range of recycled plastic products.
To help establish a sustainable national scheme, Dairy Australia has brought together national distributors of silage plastic to share the trial’s progress and enlist their support for a national scheme.
It has also facilitated an executive steering committee (comprising stakeholders and organisations with expertise in product stewardship and industry) to provide further guidance on developing a sustainable scheme.
Click here to find out more about Dairy Australia’s Silage Plastic Recycling scheme, which is being supported by the National Product Stewardship Investment Fund.
In other product stewardship news, applications for the 2022 Product Stewardship Excellence Awards have opened.
The awards are convened by the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to recognise the work of organisations striving to reduce the environmental impact through better design and manufacture of products.
Local governments are encouraged to apply for the 2022 awards (which include categories for product design and carbon emissions reduction) or consider sharing with organisations considered deserving of recognition for their excellence in product stewardship.
Applications are open until 31 August 2022. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Sydney in October.
Visit the awards page to find out more.