SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

Below are all Australian news items from all ESG Snapshot issues that are relevant to SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), listed with most recent items appearing first.

Issue 63, 30 September 2024

Consultation opportunity - minimising packaging waste. DCCEEW has released a consultation paper on reforming packaging regulation.

It puts forward three options:

strengthening the administration of the existing 'co-regulatory' arrangement (option 1).
introducing national mandatory requirements for packaging circularity that apply to each packaging business, involving bans on problem materials and chemicals, mandatory recyclability performance requirements, and minimum recycled content thresholds (option 2).
introducing a mandatory, industry-funded extended producer responsibility scheme that would require industry to meet mandatory obligations, or to invest in supply chain improvements (option 3).

A net benefit assessment in the discussion paper finds finds that option 3 most comprehensively meets key circularity policy principles. Comments are due by 28 October.

Transcript is now available from a 20 September hearing conducted by a Senate committee inquiry into waste and recycling policies. Representatives from the NSW EPA, the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence, and the Boomerang Alliance were among those giving evidence.

The NSW Legislative Council has established a Select Committee on PFAS contamination in waterways and drinking water supplies.

The committee will examine matters including regulatory aspects and the capacity of NSW agencies and water utilities to detect, monitor, report on, respond to and mitigate against PFAS contamination.

The NSW EPA has launched a drop-off trial for embedded batteries at 21 council recycling centres.

Embedded batteries are small batteries that often can't easily be removed. They are found in products including e-scooters, vapes, electric toothbrushes, shavers, remote-controlled toys, bluetooth speakers and headphones, and smart watches.

Batteries are made of highly combustible materials including lithium-ion and have been linked to a significant rise in fires at homes and waste facilities.

Grant opportunity - business food waste. The NSW EPA is offering business food waste partnership grants, with applications closing on 14 November. Grants of up to $200,000 are available.

Consultation opportunity - organic waste. EPA Victoria is consulting on a proposed guideline for organic waste processing facilities. Comments are due by 25 October.

The Tasmanian government has confirmed that the state's Recycle Rewards container deposit scheme will start in mid-2025, with TasRecycle Ltd announced as the scheme coordinator, and TOMRA Cleanaway Tasmania named as network operator.

TasRecycle is a not-for-profit entity formed by Lion Pty Ltd, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Asahi Beverages. The companies have extensive experience in managing container refund schemes, with one or more of them involved in every Australian jurisdiction that has a container refund scheme.

Consultation opportunity - waste to resources. The South Australian EPA has launched a review of the state's Environment Protection (Waste to Resources) Policy, which dates from 2010.

The discussion paper canvasses views on matters including:

broadening the policy to include circular economy and climate change mitigation objectives.
expanding the waste hierarchy to include downcycling, energy recovery, and thermal treatment of contaminated materials.
prescribing in the updated policy an intention for regulatory decisions to support 'highest value' reuse.
establishing a product stewardship legislative framework.
making it mandatory for large supermarkets and food manufacturers to donate unsold edible food to charities.
mandating that commercial and industrial businesses separate food waste and other recyclables.
requiring businesses to prepare waste reduction plans.
banning the landfilling of solar PV panels, wind turbines, clothing, mattresses, batteries, and a broader range of e-waste.
further reducing licence fees for waste depots that capture landfill emissions.

Comments are due by 20 December.

Issue 62, 23 September 2024

Consultation opportunity - circular economy. The Productivity Commission has invited submissions by 1 November, for its inquiry into opportunities in the circular economy.

Grant opportunity - FOGO. The NSW EPA is inviting applications under the third round of its $46 million 'Go FOGO' grants program, which allows councils to claim up to $50 per household to support the transition to FOGO. Applications close on 19 November.

Issue 61, 16 September 2024

Consultation opportunity - problematic plastics. A NSW EPA draft action plan on plasticsproposes introducing a green list of chemicals suitable for food packaging, and a red list of those that aren't.

The plan also proposes introducing a voluntary chemical certification and labelling scheme for food packaging.

In addition, it proposes rating new washing machines on their ability to capture and reduce microfibres by the end of 2027.

The EPA says most of the proposals bring NSW into line with other jurisdictions, which have moved ahead of NSW. Comments are due by 4 November.

The NSW government has tabled the latest annual statutory report of the Return and Earn container deposit scheme.

Issue 60, 9 September 2024

CSIRO and Murdoch University have launched a Bioplastics Innovation Hub, an $8 million collaboration that will work with industry partners to develop 100% compostable plastic.

The first key focus area will be a co-investment with WA-based biotechnology company Ecopha Biotech Pty Ltd, to develop a new process for water bottle production using compostable bioplastics derived from food industry waste.

Victoria's EPA has launched Supreme Court proceedings alleging Veolia breached its General Environmental Duty by not properly controlling odour at its Hampton Park landfill. The EPA is also alleging the company did not comply with its operating licence for the landfill.

The General Environmental Duty regime, which was intended to mark a shift from a reactive regulatory approach to a prevention-based one, came into effect on 1 July 2021.

The ACCC has issued a draft determination signalling that it will not approve an application for four Tasmanian councils to jointly contract with a waste company to design, build and operate an organic waste facility in Copping.

The ACCC says allowing the Copping project to proceed would likely mean that a much larger, competing proposal for a facility at Boyer wouldn't proceed, because of insufficient feedstock. The Boyer project has received $6 million in seed funding from the federal and state governments.

Statutory development - plastic items ban. An expanded range of single-use plastic items are banned in South Australia, as of the start of this month.

Issue 59, 2 September 2024

The ACCC is proposing to grant authorisation for ResiLoop to establish and operate a voluntary, industry product stewardship scheme that would collect and recycle vinyl and linoleum flooring. A final determination is expected before the end of the year.

The scheme will be funded by a levy of no more than 15 cents per square metre, applied to various types of flooring products.

The Total Environment Centre has criticised the proposal in an email to the ACCC. However, other submissions have generally been supportive.

Statutory development and consultation opportunity - PFAS. The Queensland government is consulting on a proposal to amend the threshold values for PFAS in regulated waste.

Currently, any waste containing PFAS must be categorised as category 1 regulated waste. The consultation paper says this can discourage the beneficial reuse of waste that contains low levels of PFAS, such as soil from construction projects, even if the associated risks could be appropriately managed.

The proposed changes would allow wastes containing PFAS below threshold levels to be treated as general waste or non-regulated waste. Comments are due by 27 September.

The Queensland government has announced six collection sites for a pilot solar panel recycling program being run in partnership with the Smart Energy Council.

Further collection sites will be announced in coming weeks, and the project will inform decision-making on a national scheme. The state government has provided almost $5.5 million to support the pilot program.

The federal government has provided three soft plastics recycling grants to Victorian companies totalling $15.6 million that will divert from landfill more than 43,000 tonnes of plastics annually.

Pro-Pac Group received more than $6 million to expand its existing facility for transforming recycled feedstock into soft plastic with recycled content.

Naula received more than $5 million for advanced sorting and processing equipment, and Sustainable Plastic Solutions received more than $4 million to install recycling technology.

Statutory development - plastic bags. South Australia's Attorney General Kyam Maher has introduced a Bill to repeal the state's Plastic Shopping Bags (Waste Avoidance) Billof 2008, and to instead ban the use of plastic bags via the more modern Single-use and Other Plastic Products (Waste Avoidance) Act 2020.

Issue 58, 26 August 2024

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has instructed the Productivity Commission to inquire into opportunities in the circular economy - a move that is in line with a recommendation of the Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group that reports to Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Terms of reference require the Commission to investigate the scope to lift Australia's materials productivity and efficiency, and to identify priority circular economy opportunities. It must report within 12 months.

The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has announced an overhaul of its fee structure from FY27, with higher fees paid for materials that are more costly to recover, recycle and or dispose.

"This will incentivise those brand owners that eliminate and reduce packaging, adopt reuse models, and transition to materials and formats that are easier to recycle," APCO says.

A Senate committee inquiry into waste and recycling policy has released transcript of its most recent hearing.

Cleanaway's EPBC referral for an extension of the Lucas Height landfill is now open for public comment.

Consultation opportunity - single-use plastics. The Tasmanian government is seeking views on a phase-out of problematic single-use plastics. Comments are due by 1 October.

Issue 56, 12 August 2024

Statutory development - composting facilities. New and expanding composting facilities located within four kilometres of a residential zone that receive odorous waste will be required to have in-vessel or enclosed processing, under regulatory changes.

In a move welcomed by the waste and recycling industry, a Queensland parliamentary committee inquiring into a government vaping Bill has called for measures to support their safe disposal.

Up to 59% of discarded lithium-ion cells from small cordless appliances had retained more than 80% of their capacity, which means they could be reused elsewhere before recycling, according to new state government funded research.

Issue 54, 29 July 2024

Sustainability Victoria has released a case study on a new high friction surface treatment product for roads that incorporates a high proportion of recycled, crushed glass.

Issue 53, 22 July 2024

The federal government will provide $20 million to support a new soft Recycling Plastics Australia plastics recycling facility in Kilburn.

The facility will process more than 14,000 tonnes of soft plastics annually. It is being funded through the Recycling Modernisation Fund Plastics Technology stream.

Issue 51, 8 July 2024

Statutory development - fees for waste export licences. The federal government has gazetted regulations amending fees for the export of regulated wastes.

Grant opportunity. The Queensland government is offering grants of up to $10 million for recycling projects, with a focus on projects that process mixed commercial and industrial waste, end-of-life renewable energy infrastructure, and end-of-life electric and electronic products. A total of $45 million is on offer.

Issue 49, 24 June 2024

A risk-based approach to managing asbestos in construction and demolition materials could involve businesses throughout the supply chain identifying the presence of asbestos, assessing the potential risk and developing mitigation actions, says a new NSW discussion paper.

"This allows a through-chain approach to manage asbestos in waste for beneficial reuse," says the discussion paper issued by the Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer. Comments are due by 31 July.

Issue 47, 10 June 2024

The NSW government is considering gradually increasing waste levies, above the inflation rate, to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

A new EPA discussion paper on the review notes that, previously, when NSW levies have increased, more waste has been transported interstate, and it will discuss the issue with other jurisdictions.

The waste levies paper also says the EPA:

will examine ways to strengthen the waste levy regulatory framework to prevent illegal activity, including through improved waste tracking.
will consider the merits of removing the levy on the disposal of asbestos-contaminated waste, to remove the incentive for illegal dumping of it.

Comments are due by 15 July.

The NSW government has also released three draft Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) Mandates, as part of its goal of having net zero emissions from organics in landfill by 2030.

Certain businesses, including large supermarkets, institutions and hospitality businesses will be required to have a source-separated food organics collection from 1 July 2025.

Large supermarkets will be required to report on surplus food donations to food charities from 1 July 2025. FOGO collection services will have to be in place for all NSW households by 1 July 2030.

Comments close on 15 July.

Issue 46, 3 June 2024

A House of Representatives committee inquiry into plastic pollution in oceans and waterways has recommended the development of an updated National Plastics Plan in its final report.

It also recommends that a parliamentary committee next year conduct an inquiry into waste to energy, noting that "the Committee received some evidence suggesting that waste to energy technologies could be a solution for tackling plastic pollution".

"There was a divergence of views, with support from the waste industry and concern expressed by other groups," the report says.

In addition, it says the Environment Ministers meeting should urgently initiate the development of a national microplastic reduction strategy that would strengthen regulation with the aim of stopping microplastics entering the marine environment.

DCCEEW should also investigate whether to make mandatory some of the 2025 National Packaging Targets, the report says.

New grant opportunity. The Queensland government is offering grants of up to $10 millionfor recycling projects, with a focus on projects that process mixed commercial and industrial waste, end-of-life renewable energy infrastructure, and end-of-life electric and electronic products. A total of $45 million is on offer.

The Northern Territory government is offering businesses grants of up to $20,000 to invest in equipment or technology which improves recycling. A total of $500,000 is available, and applications close on 30 June next year, or sooner if funds are exhausted.

Issue 44, 20 May 2024

The NSW EPA has amended Clean-up Notices issued to Coles and Woolworths, giving them an additional 10 months to find ways to keep stockpiled soft plastics out of landfill.

Coles and Woolworths moved more than 5,000 tonnes of soft plastic material to storage last year, following the collapse of the REDcycle scheme.

Issue 43, 13 May 2024

"I often hear questions about whether recycling is real or effective, but the spotlight rarely falls on the rest of the supply chain," the Australian Council of Recyclers' chief executive Suzanne Toumbourou told a Senate committee hearing into waste and recycling last week.

"The current system saddles recyclers with the burden of contamination and hazards from poorly designed products and irresponsible disposal practices." Toumbourou said.

Representatives of Cleanaway, Veolia, and the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association were among others giving evidence at the hearing.

Consultation opportunity - composting standard. A proposed statutory standard for composting facilities would enable Queensland's Department of Environment and Science to require composting facilities near residential areas to use in-vessel or enclosed processing for highly odorous waste. Comments are due by 14 June.

The WA Appeals Convenor has recommended that vegetation near Broome that was to be cleared for a landfill and recycling centre should be retained because it is "part of a habitat significant to the Greater Bilby".

However, it also noted that the proposed clearing is within an area where much of the original habitat for Greater Bilby remains, and the proposal will not significantly reduce the area of habitat.

It also noted that waste and resource recovery is an essential public service and the proposed use would be consistent with relevant planning instruments.

"If the Minister is of the view that the permit should be granted, we recommend the appeal be allowed to the extent that the Shire be required to prepare a plan to offset the significant residual impacts to Greater Bilby habitat," the Appeal Convenor said.

However, after considering the Appeal Convenor's advice, the Minister granted the permit without imposing the offset condition.

"Advice provided to the Minister by the Department is that the entire Broome (and Dampier) peninsula is mapped as a critical habitat for the Greater Bilby," the Minister said.

However, the Minister "accepted the Department's view that taking a black-and-white approach to the definition of critical habitat while not accounting for local and regional environmental context in decision-making, would mean that almost any development requiring clearing on the Dampier Peninsula would require an offset for the Greater Bilby".

"The Department's view is that this is not an outcome that is required by the WA Environmental Offsets Framework," the Minister said.

Issue 42, 6 May 2024

Consultation opportunity - landfill gas. DCCEEW has released a discussion paper on proposed changes to the ACCU Scheme's landfill gas methods. Comments are due by 31 May.

DCCEEW has also released submissions to its consultation paper on proposed second tranche changes to the ACCU scheme.

Issue 41, 29 April 2024

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has launched a national Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy.

From 1 July, businesses bidding for government construction services projects above $7.5 million must meet agreed sustainability outcomes - a threshold that will capture about 50% of the value of construction services procurement contracts that are awarded by the government.

From 1 July 2025, the policy will extend to tenders for textiles, ICT goods, and furniture, fittings and equipment that have a value above $1 million.

Minister Plibersek has released the recommendations of the interim report of a Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group, which is chaired by Professor John Thwaites.

The report recommends that the government "explore with ASIC opportunities to raise the profile of circular economy activities in directors' duties".

"This could include asking the Australian Accounting Standards Board and ASIC to create guidance for how businesses can use the circular economy to comply with new climate-related disclosure requirements," the report says.

The six sector net-zero plans that are under development should include circular economy principles and actions, it says.

The report urges the development of a "National Circular Economy Framework and a power to set specific circularity standards for products and materials".

In addition, it recommends setting sector-based circular economy targets and embedding circular economy principles in key climate policies.

The Australian Building Codes Board should update the National Construction Code to address embodied carbon in fitouts and capital works, it adds.

CSIRO has released a report on Australia's circular economy opportunity, which focuses on five sectors - mining, construction, manufacturing, agriculture and resource recovery.

The report was commissioned by Australia's Chief Scientist, Cathy Foley, who is a member of Minister Plibersek's Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group.

Submissions to a Senate committee inquiry into waste and recycling have been released:

BlueScope urges the introduction of a ban the export of unprocessed scrap steel.
Veolia criticises the imminent ban on the export of waste paper and cardboard, saying it will not deliver environmental or social benefits.
MRI Consulting says nearly all voluntary product stewardship schemes have a recovery rate of less than 10%, and they need to be mandatory. It also calls for an increase in landfill levies.
The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association says "it is vital that Australia develop a national circular economy blueprint".

Sustainability Victoria has released its 2024-2027 strategic plan, which aims to make the state Australia's leading circular economy.

Priority sectors will be organics from food, farms and gardens, renewable energy infrastructure, difficult and emerging streams of waste, and the built environment (encompassing embodied carbon).

Issue 39, 15 April 2024

DCCEEW has released waste export data for July to September 2023. Unlike previous summaries, it does not include a written analysis of the data.

New research from CSIRO and the University of Toronto in Canada, estimates up to 11 million tonnes of plastic pollution is sitting on the ocean floor.

Five NSW councils will share $10.4 million in EPA grants to implement new food organics and garden organics (FOGO) kerbside recycling services for more than 260,000 households.

Issue 37, 25 March 2024

A construction plastics recycling scheme is being expanded from South East Queensland into central Queensland, with the state government providing a $150,000 grant to the Master Plumbers Association to establish new PVC recycling depots.

Grant opportunity - food waste. The NSW EPA is offering business food waste partnership grants for projects in the commercial and industrial sector that encourage food waste reduction and separation. Applications close on 19 April.

Issue 36, 18 March 2024

DCCEEW has released the second edition of the Australian standard for waste and resource recovery data and reporting, which aims to ensure organisations provide data in a consistent and reliable manner.

The Western Australian government has awarded more than $2 million in grants to waste infrastructure projects, with a focus on food and garden organics and textiles recycling.

Issue 35, 11 March 2024

The Senate has instigated a new committee inquiry into waste and recycling. Issues to be examined include the effectiveness of the federal government's waste reduction and recycling policies in delivering a circular economy, and progress in implementing mandated product stewardship schemes.

The committee will report by 22 November, this year.

A new CSIRO report has found that Australia's circularity rate – the measure of the efficiency with which resources are reused and recycled within a system – is half (4%) that of the global average (8%).

The Australian material flow analysis to progress to a circular economy report details how Australia uses its resources, linking human consumption to environmental impacts.

Dr Heinz Schandl, who leads CSIRO's circular economy research, said Australia could double its circularity rate if it was to employ circular economy opportunities in housing, mobility, food and energy provision.

The NSW EPA says it has "reached the end of the supply chain" in its tracing of asbestos contaminated mulch, which was originally discovered at the Rozelle Parklands.

"The NSW government will move to tighten regulations and strengthen penalties for a range of environmental crimes," says an EPA release on the contaminated mulch.

The federal and Victorian governments have jointly awarded six grants totalling $3.4 million to boost the state's recycling capacity.

The recipients included Australian Paper Recovery Pty Ltd (APR) in Dandenong South, which received $1 million to install a new infrared process to improve the separation of difficult to recover plastics.

Another $1 million went to Schutz Australia Pty Ltd Recycling in Laverton North for new equipment that will improve its capacity to recover high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from used Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs).

Issue 34, 4 March 2024

Statutory development - waste plasterboard reuse. The Department of Environment and Science is inviting comments on its decision to expand the range of end-of-waste uses of plasterboard to allow its use as a coagulant in the management of sediment basins. Comments are due by 29 March.

The NSW government has gazetted new EPA Asbestos and Waste Tyres Guidelines.

Stage 2 of the Western Australian Plan for Plastics came into effect on 27 February 2023, which bans additional single-use disposable plastic items. The Stage 2 regulations ban the sale and supply of items and materials including coffee cups and lids, produce bags, and microbeads.

Issue 31, 12 February 2024

The Victorian government has announced two new beneficiaries of Circular Economy Infrastructure grants.

Plasgain will receive $250,000 to help produce aluminium-covered lightpoles made of recycled plastic.

Pinegro will receive $1 million to install decontamination equipment that will allow it to turn an extra 65,000 tonnes annually of food and organic waste into landscaping materials.

New grant opportunity - e-waste. Applications must be submitted by 29 March for WA government e-waste re-processing infrastructure grants, with grants of up to $2 million on offer.

Issue 30, 5 February 2024

Queensland Urban Utilities and the University of Queensland have published a report on leading practice environmental management of sewage treatment plants in the Great Barrier Reef catchment.

Issue 29, 29 January 2024

The Queensland government has provided grants to Ipswich City Council ($9 million) and the City of Moreton Bay ($9.6 million) to fund a roll-out of kerbside food and garden organics (FOGO) collections.

Grant opportunity - waste. The NSW EPA is offering grants of up to $500,000 to help groups of councils jointly procure domestic waste services.

The Victorian government's Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC) has released a report on What Works for Collaboration in a Circular Economy, which provides guidance on collaboration, as well as case studies.

Grant opportunity - circular economy. Green Industries SA is offering grants of up to $100,000 for projects that design, apply and scale-up innovative circular economy business models and practices, or that produce, manufacture, sell or promote South Australian recycled materials and/or recycled-content products.

Applications close on 19 February.

Issue 27, 15 January 2024

New grant opportunity - recycling. The Queensland government has launched a $10 million ReMade in Queensland (ReMiQ) funding round, which will help small and medium-sized manufacturers and recyclers to adopt processes that reuse materials that are otherwise destined for landfill.

Projects must include advanced robotics and/or include big data, artificial intelligence analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), or digital twin aspects.

Applicants can submit an Expression of Interest for grants of between $50,000 and $2.5 million, with submissions due by 19 February.

The ACT government has expanded its ban on plastic shopping bags to include heavyweight soft plastic bags, and plastic-laminated paper and cardboard bags. There are limited exemptions.

New consultation opportunity and statutory development - waste to energy. Comments are sought by 2 February on proposed regulations on Victoria's thermal waste-to-energy cap licensing system.

The proposed regulations would prescribing the cap limit of permitted waste that can be processed through new waste to energy projects (set at one million tonnes of waste annually, as previously announced), and would prescribe the fees to be paid.

Thermal waste-to-energy operators that are either operating already or had appropriate approvals in place before November 2021. EO facilities are not required to fit within the cap limit.

Webinars on the proposed regulations will be held on January 17 and 22.

Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme has led to the return of more than 100 million containers since it started on 1 November last year, and has disbursed over $10 million in refunds.

EPA Victoria has approved an application by Pavilion Biogas Pty Ltd to build an anaerobic digester processing almost 30,000 tonnes of agricultural waste annually into fertiliser and biogas.

Issue 25, 18 December 2023

The federal government has provided $40 million to establish a Solving Plastic Waste CRC.

The Solving Plastic Waste CRC bid was led by Griffith University. The CRC's website notes that achieving a circular economy for plastics "will require profound change".

In 2021, Australians used 3.8 million tonnes of plastics, and only 12% of end-of-life plastics were recycled.

Consultation opportunity. The Queensland Department of Environment and Science is inviting comments by 23 February on updated Landfill siting, design, operations and rehabilitation guidance.

EPA Victoria has approved a development licence for Yarra Valley Water to build an anaerobic digestion plant to produce biogas at its Lilydale treatment plant.

The biogas will be combusted onsite in two 1.2 MW combined heat and power units, providing over 13,000 MWh of electricity annually.

The plant will accept and process approximately 55,000 tonnes of organic waste per year, including oils, grease, food processing residues, dairy effluent and abattoir residues.

It will be 50% larger than Yarra Valley Water's existing digester at Wallet, and will earn ACCUs and LGCs.

Issue 24, 11 December 2023

Existing federal and state waste reduction and resource recovery targets are nearly all unlikely to be met, says a new report by consultancy Blue Environment, newly released by DCCEEW.

Goals that are unlikely to be attained include the existing national target for 2030 of 80% resource recovery, the report notes.

The main purpose of the report was to develop new emissions projections for the waste sector, and it recommends that estimates of future landfill emissions shouldn't be based on the assumption that existing waste targets will be achieved.

New consultation opportunity. The federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry is surveying shipping operators about maritime recycling waste management arrangements, with responses due by 1 April.

Statutory development. A new Queensland waste regulation ensures all Material Recovery Facilities and glass recycling plants that accept kerbside-collected recyclables are eligible for a levy exemption for residue waste that they receive but can't recycle. Previously, the exemption only applied to MRFs that started operating before mid-2019.

EPA Victoria has granted a development licence to Prospect Hill International Pty Ltd, allowing them to build and commission a large waste-to-energy facility in Lara, north of Geelong.

The plant will be one of the largest in Australia, processing up to 400,000 tonnes of residual municipal solid waste and commercial and industrial waste annually, sourced from metropolitan Melbourne, Geelong, and the southwest coast.

It will have the capacity to generate 35MW of electricity.

Issue 23, 4 December 2023

The NSW EPA has released an environmental risk assessment and mitigation software package (E-RAMP) to assist operators of small waste facilities.

Fourteen businesses will share $4.8 million in grants awarded through Victoria's Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre.

Issue 22, 27 November 2023

Landfill gas capture at the ACT's Mugga Lane landfill will be expanded, involving two additional 1MW generators, and an additional 12MW of battery storage.

Consultation opportunity. Comments are due by 19 December on a draft emissions reduction and resilience plan for Tasmania's waste sector, which focuses mainly on the need to reduce the landfill disposal of organic waste.

A total of 18 local governments in Western Australia, servicing more than 200,000 households, have now rolled out three-bin kerbside collections that include a Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) service. Waste recovery through FOGO has increased from 11,000 tonnes in 2017, to more than 65,000 tonnes last year.

Issue 20, 13 November 2023

A meeting of federal state and territory environment ministers has agreed that the federal government will mandate how packaging is designed, set minimum recycled content requirements, and prohibit the use of harmful chemicals, such as PFAS, in packaging.

Ministers also endorsed a national traceability framework – so that when Australian businesses want to use recycled materials or buy products made from recycled materials, they will know whether the recycled component is free of contaminants, and whether it is imported from overseas or Australian.

Full supply chain traceability of recycled content could be in place by 2028, according to a DCCEEW webinar held earlier this year. This would allow time for participants to map their supply chains, implement traceability systems and, where necessary, re-negotiate supply contracts to facilitate information sharing.

Ministers also plan to better coordinate work on product stewardship schemes.

The decisions were welcomed by the Australian Local Government Association, and by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation.

The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association also welcomed the changes, but warned Australia "is well off track to meeting its national targets for resource recovery".

The federal and Queensland governments will jointly provide a $40 million grant through the Recycling Modernisation Fund for the construction of a $137 million paper recycling facility in south-east Queensland by AusWaste Recycling. Construction will be completed in 2025.

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has placed on exhibition PlasRefine Recycling's proposal for a plastics recycling facility at Moss Vale.

The facility would handle up to 120,000 tonnes of plastic annually, including mixed soft plastics and PVC.

Statutory development. The Victorian government has gazetted Environment Protection Amendment Regulations 2023, which mostly deal with waste.

Issue 19, 6 November 2023

Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme came into effect on 1 November. Within nine months, there must be at least one collection point per 14,500 people in metropolitan areas, at least one per town of 750 people in regional areas, and at least one per town of 350 people in remote areas.

Issue 18, 30 October 2023

Queensland's Lockyer Valley Regional Council has received approval from the Clean Energy Regulator to earn carbon credits by diverting kerbside-collected food and garden organics from landfill.

The federal and NSW governments have each provided $3 million for a study investigating the feasibility of recycling water from four major food processors in Tamworth. The food processors account for 25% of the town's use of potable water.

Issue 17, 23 October

Logan City Council has received a $291,785 ARENA grant to investigate producing biomethane, biochar and fertiliser from kerbside-collected food and garden waste. The waste would be processed at the Loganholme wastewater treatment plant.

Statutory development. The Victorian government has introduced the Environment Legislation Amendment (Circular Economy and Other Matters) Bill, which introduces a "periodic fee" for waste-to-energy facilities, to cover administration costs incurred by Recycling Victoria.

The Bill will also allow the EPA to retain a financial assurance previously provided by an entity, if that entity becomes insolvent and/or disclaims responsibility for a site or activity, but there are environmental and financial risks associated with the site or activity. The move aims to ensure taxpayers don't have to fund the clean-up of contamination.

In addition, the Bill clarifies cost recovery arrangements under the state's imminent Container Deposit Scheme.

Issue 16, 9 October 2023

The 14 grant winners under a $6 million NSW EPA Bin Trim funding round include MRA Consulting Group, which has received $498,000 to establish circular food court networks and target shopping centre waste, while Revolve Recycling will use its $500,000 to establish a 'Green Wheels' accreditation scheme for personal transport.

Other recipients include Albury City Council ($500,000 to recover food waste from SMEs), Edge Environment ($495,000 for a waste reduction project targeting restaurants), and Metcash ($500,000 to deploy waste diversion measures in its supermarkets).

Issue 13, 18 September 2023

The NSW government has gazetted updated EPA guidelines on the transport and handling of asbestos and waste tyres.

Comments are due by 19 September on BP's EPA referral for a renewable diesel and avgas project at Kwinana in WA, which would use vegetable oils, animal fats and other biowaste as feedstock.

Grant opportunity. The federal and WA governments are offering grants totalling $30 million in the second round of the Recycling Modernisation Fund. Applications must be submitted by 13 October.

Issue 12, 11 September 2023

Statutory development. New restrictions on single-use plastics took effect in Queensland on 1 September, with bans now extended to cotton buds with plastic stems, expanded polystyrene packaging beads, and plastic microbeads in personal care and cleaning products.

Further requirements for heavyweight plastic shopping bags now also apply. Non-woven plastic shopping bags of 35 microns or more must be capable of at least 125 uses, and non-compostable plastic shopping bags must contain at least 80% recycled content.

The release of lighter-than-air balloons is now also banned.

From 1 September, additional single-use plastic items are banned in South Australia - plastic stemmed cotton buds, plastic pizza savers, and single-use plastic plates and bowls.

Issue 11, 4 September 2023

BehaviourWorks Australia, based at Monash University, has released a behavioural roadmap to circular consumption, which outlines core behaviours to help reduce Australia's material footprint.

Consultation opportunity. Comments are due by 11 September on draft Recycling and Waste Reduction (Export - Waste Paper and Cardboard) Rules.

Eleven Far North Queensland councils have developed a regional resource recovery plan.

Statutory development. The ACT government has introduced a Circular Economy Bill to the Legislative Assembly, and has released a draft Circular Economy Regulation for comment.

The Bill creates power to require businesses to separate out for collection food organics, and recyclables. The Bill also incorporates the provisions of the Plastic Reduction Act 2021 and repeals the plastics law, so circularity provisions are in the one law. It also expands the power to prohibit products beyond only single-use plastic products to potentially include other problematic products .

Consultation opportunity. The Tasmanian government is consulting on a proposed new sustainability strategy for the state, with submissions due by 6 October.

The WA government will ban the use of single-use plastic film for outdoor promotional materials from March 2024.

Issue 10, 28 August 2023

The federal and Queensland governments have jointly awarded $12.79 million to six recycling projects in the state.

The largest grants have gone to Re.Group ($4.5 million for a glass beneficiation plant), Disruptive Packaging ($3.4 million for a sustainable food packaging plant in Yatala), and IQ Renew ($3.2 million for a plastics recycling facility in Toowoomba).

The Queensland government has allocated $151 million to help local governments implement food and garden organics (FOGO) collections, with Gold Coast, Ipswich and Brisbane to be the first beneficiary councils.

The Queensland Department of Environment and Science has issued an environmental protection order to the director of a company called Reclaim PV Recycling Pty Ltd, after finding a stockpile of about 100,000 solar panels at its site.

Consultation opportunity. The NSW EPA has launched a biosolids regulatory review, with comments due by 3 October, and webinars are planned.

Grant opportunity. The NSW EPA is inviting applications from councils for the latest round of grants to establish food and garden organic (FOGO) kerbside collections. Applications close on 10 October.

The federal and Victorian governments have awarded a $24 million grant to Visy, for a $42.5 million project that will result in the company's Coolaroo plant recycling an additional 95,000 tonnes of mixed paper and cardboard every year.

The Tasmanian government has convened a workshop with the waste industry, to help develop an emissions reduction plan for the sector. The government is developing seven sectoral emissions reduction plans, and has previously held a workshop with the transport industry.

Issue 9, 21 August 2023

Consultation opportunity. The Victorian government has released a draft Regulatory Impact Statement for proposed Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) (Risk, Consequence and Contingency) Regulations. Comments close on 12 September.

Green Industries SA has launched an online Circular Procurement Knowledge Hub, aimed at helping procurement officers adopt circular economy principles.

Grant opportunity. The WA Waste Authority is offering grants of up to $250,000 for waste and recycling infrastructure, with applications closing on 2 October.

Issue 8, 14 August 2023

DCCEEW has released a waste export summary for January to March 2023, prepared by Blue Environment Pty Ltd, which supplements data in its new waste export data viewer.

Resources Minister Madeleine King has announced the government won't appeal a decision setting aside a decision by the former government that Kimba should the proposed site of a radioactive waste storage facility.

Issue 7, 7 August 2023

The Australian Food and Grocery Council, WWF Australia, and DCCEEW, are among those appearing at an 11 August hearing of a Senate committee inquiry into marine plastic pollution.

Five projects will share $12.4 million in International Clean Innovation Researcher Network grants awarded by the federal government. Recipients include RMIT, which will receive $3 million to collaborate internationally on solar panel reuse and recycling

Issue 5, 23 July 2023

Consultation opportunity. The federal government has released a discussion paper on developing a national framework for recycled content traceability. Submissions are due by 31 August.

Grant opportunity. The federal government is offering grants of between $1 million and $20 million for projects that deliver solutions for hard-to-recycle plastics. Applications must be submitted by 13 November.

The federal government will develop sectoral decarbonisation plans for electricity and energy, industry, the built environment, agriculture and land, transport, and resources, Minister Chris Bowen said in a speech to the Clean Energy Council. The waste sector will be included in the industry plan, and the circular economy will be a cross-cutting issue for all sectors.

Eight Queensland councils are among the 13 beneficiaries of a total of $13.3 million in federal and state government funding provided for recycling projects.

Nine companies in NSW are the beneficiaries of $11 million in federal and state government funding for recycling projects, with the largest grant of $3 million going to TrendPac Plastics for a recycled HDPE flaking, washing and pelletising plant.

The South Australian government, Hallett Group and Korean companies Elecseed and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power have signed a statement of cooperation for a Hallett Group plan to produce green cement using fly ash from the former Playford B and Northern Power Stations in Port Augusta, and slag from Nyrstar’s Port Pirie operation.

Korean-Australian green hydrogen specialist Elecseed and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, one of Korea’s biggest energy companies, will build a 6 MW hydrogen electrolyser at the site of the former power stations, to use in processing the cement. Hallett Group expects to start construction early in the second half of 2024.

Issue 4, 17 July 2023

The Centre of Decommissioning Australia, which advices on decommissioning ageing oil and gas infrastructure, has appointed Deloitte to conduct a national skills review study, which will be completed by the end of the year. A separate study on the optimal location for a WA infrastructure decommissioning and recycling facility is due to be completed soon.

The NSW EPA has released its response to the Wilkinson review of the state's resource recovery framework.

The WA government has provided a total of $6.5 million through its Infrastructure Grants program to 21 e-waste projects.

Issue 3, 10 July 2023

Transcript is now available of recent public hearings convened by the Senate committee inquiry into plastic pollution in oceans and waterways.

‌Issue 2, 3 July 2023

The Senate committee inquiry into plastic pollution in oceans and waterways held public hearings last week. ‌

Issue 1, 26 June 2023

Consultation opportunity. The federal environment department (DCCEEW) is consulting on regulating waste from small electrical items and PV infrastructure, with a webinar scheduled for 11 July and submissions due by 23 July.

The House of Representatives inquiry into plastic pollution is holding public hearings this week.

Queensland Planning Minister Steven Miles has refused part of a Wanless development application to establish a recycling park in Ipswich. The Minister has approved the resource recovery facility and waste transfer station and refused the landfill component.

Sustainability Victoria has announced 24 businesses and organisations that will share $8 million in bioenergy grants, with the two largest grants of $1 million going to Yarra Valley Water, and Saputo Dairy.

The federal government (through $36.1 million from ARENA plus CEFC support) and the Victorian government ($12.3 million) will provide a total of $51 million to establish a 10MW electrolyser (the largest in Australia) near Wodonga, that will use water from a wastewater treatment plant operated by North East Water. The hydrogen will initially be blended into the gas network.

Test issue, 20 June 2023

Tender opportunity. The Western Australian government is inviting tenders for the development of a supplier engagement and education program for stage 2 of the WA Plan for Plastics.

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Test issue, 14 June 2023

Companies disclosing to the CDP can now report on their production or use of problematic plastics.

The federal government's national waste and resources recovery data hub prototype website is now operational.

The House Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water has held the first public hearing associated with its plastic pollution inquiry.

The House Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport has held the first public hearing associated with its inquiry into the implications of severe weather events for the road network.

The Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth has this month held two public hearings for its inquiry into Australia's transition to a green energy superpower.

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is providing a $75 million loan to help develop what will be one of Australia's largest construction and demolition waste recycling facilities, operated by Rino Recycling and located between the Brisbane CBD and Airport.

The EPA has given Coles and Woolworths until May 12 to remove stockpiles of soft plastics from eight high-risk sites, but has extended the deadline for removing plastic from another seven "low-medium risk" sites.

Have your say!‌‌Comment closes on June 23 on the draft state waste infrastructure plan.

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