BATHURST Regional Council in NSW's Central Tablelands has a well-developed program of waste disposal and recycling, but all of us need to do more.
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In July, the Federal Government announced $190 million funding for new recycling infrastructure. This funding is contingent on contributions from industry, states and territories.
The announcement is welcome, but there are no plans to address the wider, and more important issues of Australia's waste production and disposal.
In 2016-17, Australia generated 67 million tonnes of waste.
The volume and type of materials placed into recycling and waste streams continues to grow.
Our recycling industry cannot sort the types and volumes of materials we generate. Almost all was exported.
In 2018, China announced a ban on the import of recyclables from Australia, with India, Taiwan, and several other countries soon following.
Recyclable material was stockpiled in warehouses, or was dumped in landfill.
In 2019, federal and state governments announced a waste export ban, producing significant pressures to make changes.
State governments have been unwilling to spend on waste management. Of about $A2.6 billion in waste levies collected over the past two years, only 16.7 per cent has been spent on waste, recycling and resource recovery.
It is not clear what proportion of the levies collected at Bathurst tip goes into local recycling infrastructure.
The recent funding announcement is very welcome, but makes no mention of the other three pillars of successful waste management: waste avoidance, reducing contamination, and creating markets for materials.
Avoiding waste generation in the first place reduces the need for recycling, and also means we consume less resources, which is good for the planet, the economy and our own hip pocket.
Addressing contamination is vital. Contaminants such as soft plastics, nappies and textiles add difficulty, time and cost to the process.
Addressing contamination would also reduce the amount of new infrastructure required.
Public education and enforcement is urgently needed to reduce contamination, and to increase waste avoidance; government should be encouraged to develop policies to address these issues.
Businesses need funding help to reduce the waste of raw materials, and to improve the segregation of wastes and recyclables.
However, producing recycled materials then requires a market.
Plenty of products could be produced using recycled glass, plastics, textiles, and more, but this requires government incentives and regulation - presently lacking.
Consumers can do more to demand that products they buy contain a proportion of recycled materials, where it is possible to do so.
Done well, better waste management can stimulate the economy, create jobs, and improve the environment.
Prioritise waste avoidance, encourage efficient use, reuse and repair, design products so waste is minimised, they are made to last, and materials can be more easily recovered.
In Bathurst, most citizens are trying to do the right thing with their household waste, but we can do better.
Recycling bin contamination is four to five per cent, which is not bad, but needs to be less than one per cent.
Nothing compostable should go into the red bin. All green waste, and in Bathurst, all food scraps, should go into the green bin.
Council website has excellent information about disposal - follow the guidelines with batteries, paint, chemicals etc.
Bathurst Regional Council contractors follow world's best practice, and we can be reassured that all is disposed of appropriately unlike some other centres.
Unfortunately, economies of scale mean that Bathurst waste must be trucked out, initially to Orange, but ultimately almost all goes to very large facilities in Sydney.
There is little opportunity to handle this locally.
The government initiative is a good step, but much needs to be done, by all of us.
