What can the industry look forward to, heading into 2025
As 2024 comes to an end, Mike Ritchie makes a wishlist for 2025.
By: Mike Ritchie, MRA Consulting Group
So far nothing fundamental to look forward to.
Government reform is badly lagging industry. Governments need to move a lot faster to get ahead of the 2030 targets. The economics are still woefully awry for most of the materials still going to landfill.
Things we do know about 2025:
- Two EfW facilities in WA will allow governments to support a more rational debate about the role of EfW in an integrated waste management system.
- Hopefully a national debate about adding wine and spirits to CDS and increasing the rebate to 20c.
- New national packaging legislation banning certain formats, setting recycled content standards and raising an “ecomodulated” levy to drive recovery, but given the record so far, getting it through Parliament may be a challenge.
- The release of NSW infrastructure plans and the levy review. Both are seriously needed to stop a landfill crunch in Sydney in particular.
- The NSW introduction of mandatory commercial food collection for large food generators, will drive additional recovery. Hopefully other States adopt it.
- Moderate levy increases in Qld, Vic and Tas.
- Stagnation in EPR.
- Spin over substance re Circular Economy policy and regulation.
- Incrementalism re FOGO roll out.
I am hoping for a reforming Minister to set the trend…
For those of us looking at the waste sector as a driver of carbon abatement and sustainability, reform is too slow by an order of magnitude.
Mike Ritchie is the Managing Director at MRA Consulting Group.
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