Recycling of soft plastics and other recyclable material
For South Australia to meet national carbon emission targets, there's an urgent need to cut the amount of material and products consumed and progress toward a circular economy.
Local councils play a key role helping communities reduce waste and increase household recycling. This extends far beyond kerbside bin collection, running waste facilities, transfer stations and recycling centres. Councils also deliver local programs to increase recycling and resource recovery rates to reduce landfill reliance.
South Australians currently produce 24% more waste compared than two decades ago, and councils collectively spend almost $250 million each year on waste management and recycling activities.
This trend suggests something needs to change if we are going to achieve net zero targets.
Currently, about 45% of global greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the production of materials, products and food (including the management of land). The remaining 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to energy systems and energy for buildings and transportation.
To reach net zero targets, the LGA is calling for a national mandatory product stewardship scheme for packaging.
A mandatory packaging stewardship scheme would ensure there is greater emphasis on design and producer responsibility, capturing the approximate 499,000 tonnes of soft plastics used in packaging which are placed on the market annually.
Rethinking product design and aligning with the principles of a circular economy will support efforts to recycle and recover materials, helping avoid waste going to landfill.
The LGA recognises the need to learn from the collapse of the REDcycle recycling scheme in considering options to address this problematic waste stream.
Another soft plastics recycling program won't succeed unless:
- we rethink the materials used in product design
- we have the infrastructure to process these materials
- we address the markets for these materials.
In our submission, we advocate for a review of the Solid Waste Levy and greater transparency of the Green Industry Fund.
The purpose of a Solid Waste Levy is to increase recycling by making it more expensive to send waste to landfill, reviewing how it works would provide security to councils and the waste, recycling and resource recovery industry.
Since 2017 the LGA conservatively estimates councils have paid around $244 million to the State Government via the Solid Waste Levy. Of these contributions, only 15% of funds go back to local councils for recycling and resource recovery outcomes.
To support net zero and move to a circular economy, the LGA’s submission also supports more research and trials into the use and disposal of soft plastics across industries and calls for greater focus on community education campaigns to cut waste.
Read the LGA submission
Download a copy of the LGA submission Select Committee on Recycling of Soft Plastics and Other Recyclable Materials