The federal government has committed $250 million in the 2020/21 Budget to modernise Australia’s recycling infrastructure as waste export bans for plastic, paper, tyres and glass approach.
In June this year The Real Media Collective successfully lobbied the federal government for a delay to the export ban on paper and cardboard, including printed off-cuts, with the export of these waste types now not coming into force until July 2024.
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This extension was granted to give industry more time to come up with an onshore solution for paper and cardboard waste.
In Tuesday’s Budget, federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said $250 million would be allocated to modernising recycling infrastructure to stop 600,000 tonnes of waste ending up in landfill and also create jobs.
The Real Media Collective chief executive officer Kellie Northwood said she was particularly pleased to hear this reference in the Budget as it relates to a lobbying submission the Collective has been heavily working across with Trevor Evans, MP, and Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management.
“The Real Media Collective and APIA were particularly pleased to hear the Treasurer reference a budget allocation to the Waste Export program which was a lobbying submission we worked heavily across last year with a successful outcome for the industry and have been working over the past three months very closely with the Minister’s Office,” Northwood told Sprinter.
“We have developed a Member Taskforce with academic and technical partners to develop a solution for print paper waste that will now be supported under the Budget as well as provide our industry a globally leading print paper recycling solution.”
In announcing the funding for the recycling programme on Tuesday night, Frydenberg said:
“Mr Speaker, by recycling more waste we can also create jobs.
“The Morrison Government is banning the export of plastic, paper, tyres and glass waste.
“In the words of the Prime Minister: ‘it’s our waste, it’s our responsibility’.
“This Budget will invest $250 million to modernise our recycling infrastructure, stop more than 600,000 tonnes of waste ending up in landfill and by doing so help to create a further 10,000 jobs.”
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