Waste management in Australia both follows the global waste trends and strikes its own course. As a modern industrial nation, its waste figures are in line with other Western-aligned countries
However, there are nuances to this. Australia is projected to surpass other non-steel producing Western nations as a significant manufacturer of goods such as steel and industrial waste.
This blog explores the many factors that make up the waste management industry in Australia. While its focus is on the subcontinent, many of these features are found across other comparable nations.
Waste Management in Australia
Waste management services handle both waste produced and seek to find ways to minimise total waste produced. They deal with what is disposed of as well as seek to minimise the total amount that needs disposal.
Australian waste management companies like Evoro manage a variety of waste types. The most common include solid waste, electronic (e-waste), hazardous waste, garden waste, and organic waste. Solid and liquid waste are two of the most common waste forms.
How Australia Manages their Waste
Around 26% of waste in Australia is handled either directly or through contractual agreements by 537 local councils. Local councils face fines per ton and per type of waste if they do not collect waste as required.
Many local governments conduct waste education initiatives to educate their residents about illegal dumping, such as the City of Moreton Bay’s “Waste Education and Community Engagement Plan.”
The Australian Government Recycling Modernisation Fund has received numerous investments to enhance the country’s recycling infrastructure.
Approximately $3.5 billion is allocated by the government for waste management systems annually. Over the past ten years, there has been a consistent rise in funding and earnings in this sector.
Issues with Australian Waste Management
The waste management systems in Australia face various challenges, particularly with handling non-recyclable goods such as certain types of plastics.
Clean Up Australia reports that Australia produces 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with only 13% being recycled and 84% ending up in landfills.
This represents a fundamental issue within the Australian waste management system.
The reason for this is that an effective waste management system should prioritise reducing waste output from the outset.
The Waste Management Hierarchy
The waste management hierarchy refers to the optional waste management process that companies follow when deciding on the appropriate disposal methods. The goal is to reduce the reliance on landfills and dumpsites.
According to Cleanway, the waste management hierarchy “underscores many of the current tactics used by companies within the waste industry. Its fundamental goal is to promote more efficient and sustainable waste disposal practices.”
The six steps of the waste management hierarchy, from most important to least important, are waste prevention, waste reduction, waste reusing, waste recycling, waste recovery, and waste disposal.
Australia’s Biggest Waste Producer
Construction and demolition waste stands out as the largest contributor to Australia’s overall waste. It amounts to roughly 75.8 million tonnes. This large number is likely the result of the industries size across Australia.
The unique waste management solutions found in the construction and demolition waste industry have formed because of the industries size. The more waste produced, the more services the waste and recycling industry will serve.
Recycling in Australia
Australia’s 60% recycling rates demonstrates the country’s commitment to preserving the environment for future generations. Recycling services both promote recycling and help to foster green economic solutions.
Australian waste management companies have established impressive recycling infrastructure and have promoted recycling as a common practice, effectively repurposing materials such as plastic and paper.
Food Waste
This decaying organic waste transforms into a gas, contributing to climate change as it becomes a greenhouse gas. The majority of food waste in the country comes from households.
Unnecessary plastics in food packaging often end up as part of the food waste that people throw away in landfills. In Australia, more than 90% of food waste from homes is thrown into landfills.
Resource Recovery
Resource recovery includes the separation of waste materials to enable the recycling of some and the use of others for alternative energy purposes.
The goal of resource recovery is to minimise the amount of waste that is deposited in landfills, making it an essential component of efficient waste management.
The most prevalent type of resource recovery involves recycling waste plastic. Reusing recycled materials helps reduce the environmental impact of landfill sites.
Australia’s National Waste Policy
Australia’s National Waste Policy serves as a comprehensive framework for waste management and resource recovery across the country.
The policy is anchored in five fundamental principles that guide waste management toward a circular economy:
- Avoid Waste: Encouraging practices that minimise waste generation, such as reducing consumption, reusing materials, and designing products with longevity in mind.
- Improve Resource Recovery: Focusing on efficient collection, sorting, and recycling processes to maximise the recovery of valuable resources from waste streams.
- Increase Use of Recycled Material: Promoting the adoption of recycled materials in manufacturing and construction, thereby reducing reliance on virgin resources.
- Better Manage Material Flows: Ensuring that waste management practices benefit human health, the environment, and the economy by optimising material flows.
The 2019 National Waste Action Plan complements the policy by driving implementation through ambitious targets. Here is a quick recap of what the action plan states:
- Regulate Waste Exports: Addressing the global waste trade by regulating exports.
- Reduce Total Waste Generated: Aiming for a 10% reduction per person by 2030.
- Recover 80% of All Waste: Enhancing resource recovery efforts.
- Increase Recycled Content Use: Encouraging governments and industries to incorporate more recycled materials.
- Phase Out Problematic Plastics: Targeting a reduction by 2025.
- Reduce Organic Waste to Landfill: Halving organic waste sent to landfill by 2030.
