The NSW EPA has opened round 6 of its Organics Collection grants under the $105.5M Organics Infrastructure Fund of the NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative (WLRM).

Well regarded as Australia’s leading waste management conference, the Waste 2018 brought together over 600 delegates, including representatives from approximately 100 local councils, 76 sponsors and exhibitors and 130 presenters, both nationally and internationally. It was held over 8-10 May at Opal Cove Resort in Coffs Harbour.

The Coffs Harbour Waste Conference (8-10 May 2018) is the leading conference for the waste management industry in Australia and MRA is attending. Please feel free to chat to us about China's National Sword, the Australian waste industry, the interstate transport of waste or any other waste issues you are interested in.

MRA was recently appointed to the new LGP118 Waste Audit Management Services Panel that commenced on 1 May 2018. This panel was earlier managed by NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Department. MRA was appointed to that panel as well. All NSW councils, county councils, approved NSW Government agencies and approved non-for-profit organisations may access this arrangement.

The Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) believes that China National Sword offers a once in a generation opportunity to 'reset' Australia’s recycling systems to achieve improved resource efficiency and enhanced economic outcomes. ACOR has summarised its approach under three key focus areas: investment, improvement and innovation.

By MRA Consulting Group The waste and recycling industry strongly supports the reintroduction of a waste levy in QLD to grow recycling in QLD and limit the continuing movement of over a million tonnes of waste from Sydney to SE QLD. MRA Consulting Group Managing Director Mr Mike Ritchie today said “I congratulate Premier Palaszczuk […]

By  MRA Consulting Group Sustainability Victoria has opened a $1M Recycling Industry Transition Support (RITS) package, a component of the $13M support package for councils and the recycling industry announced on 23 February 2018 to support the industry following the implementation of China’s National Sword. The new grants aim to support Victoria’s resource recovery sector […]

Waste Recycling is under threat from many directions and urgently requires practical and cost effective solutions. Actions are underway to better manage this international issue, but there are many local challenges.

The introduction of National Sword restrictions on the import of recyclables to China has permitted some commentators to call for recyclables to be used in Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities. Several have proposed EfW as a solution for plastic, paper and cardboard. While EfW is higher up the waste hierarchy and beneficial over landfill (it recovers the full energy value), I caution against this line of argument.

The goal of Halve Waste is to reduce the waste to landfill by 50% by 2020. A major step in achieving this is the target to reduce waste landfilled at AWMC to 75,000 tonnes per year by 2018 financial year end. We’re at the half-way point and this looks like being achieved.

If you haven’t heard it already, the household recycling industry is in all sorts of trouble. 2018 is going to be a troubled year for most MRFs (Materials Recovery Facilities) and therefore their council clients. The Chinese National Sword policy has bitten and bitten hard. National Sword is the Chinese government’s mechanism to restrict import licences for recycled product and limit contamination rates of those recyclables to less than 0.5%.

The NSW EPA has opened round 2 of its $3M Organics Market Development grants under the NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative (WLRM). The new grants support activities that will improve the demand for recycled organics.