Recycling

Interstate waste to Queensland up 40% in one year
Policy
22 May 2017

Interstate waste to Queensland up 40% in one year

Queensland recently released its 2016 Waste and Recycling Report. The report refers to a number of incremental gains in landfill diversion, but the headline number is the 40% leap in the tonnes of waste received at Queensland landfills from interstate.

Australia’s EPR legislation
Policy
22 March 2017

Australia’s EPR legislation

By Mike Ritchie, MRA Consulting Group Product Stewardship (PS) schemes are one of several ways to drive waste out of landfill and back into the productive economy. They “encourage” industry to fund the collection and recycling of their goods once they reach the end of their productive life. Products which lend themselves to PS systems […]

Let’s fix plastic bags so we can start to fix organics
Policy
27 February 2017

Let’s fix plastic bags so we can start to fix organics

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% […]

Tokenistic recycling projects – worth the awards they win?
Recycling
20 December 2016

Tokenistic recycling projects – worth the awards they win?

By Mike Ritchie, MRA Consulting Group Our waste problems are urgent. Waste is pouring out of the economy at 6.3% compound average growth rate. Waste volumes double every 12 years. Most Australian States and Territories have set recycling targets for 2020/21. For MSW the diversion target is generally 65-70% (except in the ACT where it’s […]

WA Community & Industry Engagement funding program – applications close December 8th
Grants
25 November 2016

WA Community & Industry Engagement funding program – applications close December 8th

By MRA Consulting Group The Western Australian Waste Authority has recently announced its Community and Industry Engagement funding program, providing funds from the landfill levy to support waste diversion. This program is essentially open to all comers, and will provide funding for projects and events. A total of $600,000 is allocated for projects delivered by […]

3 bin systems  –  the new waste reform front
Compost
16 November 2016

3 bin systems – the new waste reform front

By James Moverley, MRA Consulting Group Three bin waste systems are becoming the norm in many regions of Australia. Melbourne and Adelaide have moved quickly to standardise 3 bin systems for Food Organics and Green Organics (FOGO) services. The NSW government has funded 3 bin systems across NSW, with the biggest uptake of the NSW […]

MRA talks the talk and walks the walk
MRA News
9 November 2016

MRA talks the talk and walks the walk

By Leslie Mallinson and James Ellinson, MRA Consulting Group As round two for Bin Trim comes to a close MRA reflects on progress made in NSW, the continued State Government commitment and the in-house success MRA has experienced in reducing, reusing and recycling. Bin Trim is a NSW EPA funded program that aims to assist […]

Phase 2 of WLRM extends NSW Government’s funding initiative to 2021
Grants
20 October 2016

Phase 2 of WLRM extends NSW Government’s funding initiative to 2021

By Dimitris Dimoliatis, MRA Consulting Group Late last week, Mark Speakman the NSW Minister for the Environment announced the extension of the Waste Less Recycle More (WLRM) initiative to 2021. This second round of funding is the continuation of phase one of the WLRM that begun in July 2013 and will conclude in June 2017. […]

Why bother with the circular economy?
Circular Economy
6 October 2016

Why bother with the circular economy?

By Mike Ritchie – Managing Director, MRA Consulting Group The circular economy matters… We are hearing more and more of the circular economy, an approach to resources that keeps materials away from waste, and brings them back into the productive economy. It rejects the status quo “take-make-dispose” linear economy in favour of cycling biological and […]

The growing potential of re-use centres to generate ethical jobs and divert waste to landfill
Recycling
27 September 2016

The growing potential of re-use centres to generate ethical jobs and divert waste to landfill

By James Ellinson and Dimitris Dimoliatis, MRA Consulting Group Re-use centres are a small, yet growing industry in Australia that offer a unique opportunity to tackle more than just waste. These facilities also engage in job outreach programs for disadvantaged communities, particularly for people with disabilities. Re-use centres sell used, recycled and second hand products […]

The circular economy is becoming mainstream
Circular Economy
6 September 2016

The circular economy is becoming mainstream

By Mike Ritchie – Managing Director, MRA Consulting Group The idea of waste as a resource is not a new one. It’s an idea that has been around for years, decades even, but it’s an idea that has struggled to get onto the mainstream agenda. Putting materials out for recycling is well accepted; reincorporating those […]

South Australian Government supports local recycling with landfill price signals
State Strategy
29 July 2016

South Australian Government supports local recycling with landfill price signals

By Mike Ritchie – Director, MRA Consulting Group The decision to increase the levy to $103/t over 4 years will send a strong pricing signal to recyclers and waste generators in South Australia. To recyclers it is a signal to invest in new services and infrastructure and to grow jobs. To waste generators it is […]

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