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On 15 October, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) released a copy of its report 'Towards a pollution-free planet'. The report links consumption to waste and then to pollution, with one of the five key messages being: A new approach to managing our lives and economies: sustainable consumption and production, through improved resource efficiency and lifestyle changes, should be promoted; waste reduction and management must be prioritised.

More than a week after the Queensland election, current predictions are for a Labor majority. At the same time, the NSW EPA has told a NSW parliamentary inquiry that the scale of waste transport to Queensland is far higher than previously believed. An eye-watering 830,000 tonnes was transported in 2016/17, largely by rail, almost double the 430,000 tonnes transported in the previous year.

The Albury Waste Management Centre (AWMC) includes the fourth largest landfill in NSW, and now the centrepiece of Halve Waste, the most successful waste reduction program in Australia. The Halve Waste Initiative has recently been awarded the best organics recovery program in NSW and the best local government initiative in sustainability.

The NSW EPA has opened the fifth round of its $500,000 Weighbridge Fund under NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative (WLRM). The new grants provide a one-off opportunity for eligible facilities to accelerate the installation of a weighbridge in compliance with the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014 that requires any facility recovering, recycling, processing or storing waste and is liable for the waste levy in NSW to install a weighbridge and accurately record waste movements.

Albury City Council was recognised for its considerable achievements in implementing a FOGO service for residents in Albury and neighbouring councils at the NSW Australian Organics Recycling Association (AORA) Annual awards ceremony on Friday 10 November.

The NSW EPA has released its first round of Food Donation Education grants under the $337 million NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative (WLRM). The new grants are open to councils, NGOs, community groups and NFPs. They offer funding to deliver projects that increase the efficiency and capacity of food relief organisations to collect and redistribute high-quality surplus food, to reduce the amount of organic material going to landfill.

The NSW EPA has released its fourth round of Council Litter Prevention grants under the $337 million NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative (WLRM). The new grants are open to councils and offer funding to deliver local litter prevention projects, to help meet NSW’s litter reduction goal.

Australia’s recycling sector is primed for continued growth. It must in order to keep up with waste generation, which is growing at a compound annual rate of 6.2%, that is 6x population growth and 2.5x economic growth. The market is there, and it is being serviced through a combination of regulatory intervention and technological innovation.

The NSW EPA has released its third round of Resource Recovery Facility Expansion and Enhancement (RRFEE) grants under the $337 million NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative (WLRM).

When developed alongside strong recycling and organics processing systems, Energy from Waste (EfW) will help lift domestic and commercial diversion rates from 60% to 80-90%. It is an important element in a waste management system.

The NSW EPA has released its third round of Landfill Consolidation grants under the $337 million NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative (WLRM).

The Waste Management Association of Australia (WMAA) Waste of Origin pledge is an excellent initiative taken by industry to resolve a problem that others will not. The problem of waste flooding in to Queensland landfills to take advantage of the fact that no landfill levy exists in the state.