As we say goodbye to 2020, There’s a law that was passed recently in Federal Parliament that has been given the tick of approval by the MP for Forde, Bert Van Manen. – Australia’s first ever national waste laws – the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020.
- MP for Forde, Bert van Manen, said: “The Morrison government are ensuring that Australians take responsibility for our waste and recycling, which will help clean up our oceans and improve our environment. This is part of a $1 billion transformation of our waste and recycling industry. Our reforms will create up to 10,000 jobs across Australia, boosting our economic recovery.”
(Bert van Manen MP for Forde)
- These changes will end the export of 645,000 tonnes of unprocessed plastic, paper, glass and tyres by Australia each year, and incentivise companies to take greater responsibility for the products they manufacture.
- The passage of Australia’s first ever national waste legislation, the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020, demonstrates the Morrison Government’s commitment to Australia taking responsibility for its own waste and is a giant step towards achieving our seven ambitious national targets for waste by 2030.
- The export ban sends a strong message that it is time to take responsibility for our waste, to seize the economic opportunities of transforming our recycling industry and to stop sending problem waste overseas.
- The legislation will improve the existing framework for product stewardship, by encouraging companies to take greater responsibility for the waste they generate through the products they design, manufacture or distribute.
- By doing this we can play an important role in reducing the millions of tonnes of plastic that pollute the world’s oceans.
- The new laws shift the dial in Australia on product stewardship as we change our mindset to thinking about waste as a resource and move towards a more circular economy.
