Infrastructure

By: Mike Ritchie, MRA Consulting Group In 2019, Australia’s environment ministers and the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) agreed to the National Waste Policy and Action Plan (NWPAP). For the first time, all Governments were committing to collective action on recycling, waste management and the creation of a more Circular Economy. Our governments finally agreed […]

The NSW EPA has released the draft Climate Change Policy and Action Plan that aims to set the framework for halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (from 2005 levels), zeroing emissions by 2050, and improving NSW’s resilience to climate change impacts.

One might wonder what NSW, the most populous state with the highest waste levy, has in the way of approvals for energy from waste in 2022. 

I wish landfills were net carbon sinks that we could rely on to store organics. Landfills are significant GHG emitters. They sequester some carbon but not enough.

Australia’s National Plastics Plan 2021 was released a year ago. Sadly, it looks like most of its targets will be missed. Nevertheless, the Plan provides a strong foundation for tackling plastic waste in Australia.

Australia generates 61.5 MT of “core” waste. Of this, 20.5 MT is sent to landfill.

Sydney has three options to avoid a looming waste crisis – boost recycling by increasing the waste levy to $200, build new landfills, or allow more energy recovery projects, says Mike Ritchie of MRA Consulting Group.

Australia generates 2.4 million tonnes of plastic every year. It comes in all shapes and polymers. Car parts, sofas, drink containers, medical equipment, pallet wrap and single use packaging. You name a product in the economy and sure enough it will have plastic in it or in its supply chain.

It always surprises me when governments announce waste/recycling policies which bear little resemblance to what is actually needed. But I blame myself.

“We can achieve a Circular Economy by 2025” was the proposition in a debate run by the Young Professionals of WMRR. I chaired the “No” side. “No chance” we said (and won).

Tasmania’s Parliament just passed the Waste and Resource Recovery Bill 2021, introducing a landfill levy and with it, bringing the state into line with other Australian jurisdictions.

Our current economic model is pretty much a linear one: take (extract) - make (stuff) - waste (landfill). It treats resources as infinite and assumes the environment can absorb the waste. It is therefore unsustainable in the long run.