At the recent Budget 2022-23 announcement, the Federal Government revealed that it plans to spend $83.1 million on Australia’s waste and recycling capabilities to help reach the country’s 2030 waste targets.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said this move builds on the government’s $190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund and the National Waste Policy Action Plan, supporting investment in new infrastructure to sort, process and remanufacture materials such as mixed plastic, paper, tyres and glass.
A part of the $83.1 million spend includes a $60.4 million allocation to develop new plastics recycling technology and advanced recycling solutions.
A further $18.2 million will go towards improving awareness of correct recycling techniques and towards the development of a new ‘ReMade in Australia’ scheme to certify goods that are recycled and remade in Australia.
“We are continuing to invest in ways to reduce waste through our Recycling Modernisation Fund, saving 10 million tonnes of recyclables from landfill every year by 2030. No longer are we exporting waste, we are recycling it here at home and creating over 10,000 jobs in the process,” Frydenberg said during the Budget.
The Real Media Collective General Manager of IR, Policy & Governance Charles Watson said TRMC is not unhappy with this announcement, particularly as the 2024 waste export ban for paper looms.
“We are not unhappy about this funding commitment, Watson told Sprinter.
“We have been asking for government to partner to build one additional paper manufacturing infrastructure but also to provide policies in relation to the 2024 waste export ban on paper.
“They have committed $250 million to waste and recycling made up of $60 million for plastic recycling because that is at the top of the list for the waste export ban. They’ve put $18.2 million for ‘Remade in Australia’ to support locally recycled products and further funding to deliver their waste export ban and help industry meet regulatory requirements. It is great they have continued funding it and we are going to continue working with government and stakeholders to find and fund initiatives to create value adds from industry byproducts.”
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