Plastic

To turn ambitious recycling targets into lasting circular economy results, Australia’s recycling success should depend more on regulation and government leadership and less on consumers and corporate goodwill.

The burning issue isn’t how much plastic we make or use – it’s how much escapes into the environment. Global efforts such as the UN Plastics Treaty should prioritise building and funding effective containment systems to stop plastic leaking into nature. Actions to reduce plastic production should follow suit.

Single use plastic makes our modern lives easier and often safer. But all too often, it becomes litter.

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.

My daughter Lily, had to do a school science assignment and chose to examine microplastic on Sydney Harbour beaches. We thought that would be interesting. It turned out to be shocking.

Would the maniac who designed the first plastic fruit sticker please stand up!

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.

One of the most interesting Coffs Waste sessions this year was the COAG panel discussion addressing the forthcoming export bans on glass, plastics, paper and tyres where Minister Trevor Evans made a number of interesting key points.

The National Waste Action Plan 2019 was agreed by Federal, State and Local governments setting national targets and actions for reducing waste to landfill. To achieve this, industry, waste generators and local government need the right market signals and regulations to drive the necessary investment.

One billion single use coffee cups are sent to landfill every year. Sounds like a lot but this represents less than 0.0004% of the waste generated in Australia per year. So, what can we do to deal with coffee cups so that we can focus on significant streams like organics (particularly food), which represent around 50% of all waste to landfill in Australia?

By Mike Ritchie, MRA Consulting Group Australians use an estimated 5 billion single use plastic bags (supb’s) per year. Sounds like a lot but this represents only about 20,000 tonnes of plastic or 0.04% of the waste generated in Australia per year. If all of these plastic bags go to landfill they represent just 0.1% […]

By MRA Consulting Group MRA Consulting knew Leslie Mallinson was a champion in the fight against Marine Debris when she joined us last year. Her experience working with the Education team at ReefHQ Aquarium in Townsville led her to see firsthand the impacts marine debris can have on our wildlife, as sea turtles that ingested […]