COAG: Scott Morrison clinches deal with states to ban recycling waste exports
PM brokers a deal to ban recyclable waste amid tensions with regional neighbours over dumping.
Scott Morrison has clinched a deal with the states to ban recyclable waste being exported overseas following tensions with regional neighbours over dumping.
State and federal environment ministers will work on a timetable to stop waste exports as the Prime Minister declares “it’s our waste and it’s our responsibility”.
“There will be no export of plastics and paper and glass to other countries where it runs the risk of ending up floating around in our oceans, whether off the Great Barrier Reef, where we know there’s strong evidence of that, or anywhere else,” Mr Morrison said.
Australia exported 4.3 million tonnes of waste in 2018, with China, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Malaysia the top destinations.
Malaysia and Indonesia want to return shipping containers filled with contaminated and unsorted plastic rubbish, including maggot-infested milk cartons, and would become the first southeast Asian countries to send waste back to Australia.
The Council of Australian Governments communique released after today’s meeting in Cairns says the leaders will also work on building Australia’s capacity to generate high-value recycled commodities and associated demand.
“Leaders agreed the strategy must seek to reduce waste, especially plastics, decrease the amount of waste going to landfill and maximise the capability of our waste management and recycling sector to collect, recycle, reuse, convert and recover waste,” it states.
“Leaders agreed the strategy should draw on the best science, research and commercial experience, including that of agencies like the CSIRO and the work of Cooperative Research Centres.”
Opposition assistant environment spokesman Josh Wilson said a national focus on waste “after six years of inaction” was welcome but the approach taken so far had was haphazard and without clear objectives.
“If Australia is to make up ground when it comes to a domestic recycling industry there needs to be a framework with targets, co-ordination, funding, and government procurement arrangements,” he said.
“Australia should be leading an urgent response to ocean plastics in our region, but that is hampered by the government’s failure on climate change.”
It is the first time COAG has been held outside a capital city and the first meeting since the May federal election.
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