Australia produces more than 1.3 million tonnes of plastic packaging each year. With only 12% of plastic waste recycled, around a million tonnes ends up in landfill or as litter in our waterways and landscape. Recycling rates have stalled, and we are on track to miss every national packaging target we set for ourselves.
On the Northern Beaches, the impact is impossible to ignore. Plastic washes up along our coastline, entangles wildlife, and breaks down into microplastics now being found in our oceans, on our beaches, and even in our bodies. Dee Why Lagoon has one of the highest concentrations of microplastic pollution in the country.
This is no longer just an environmental issue; it’s a health issue, and one our community is increasingly concerned about.
Right now, individuals, households and local councils are carrying the burden of a system that simply isn’t working. Ratepayers are footing the bill for collection and recycling programs, while dealing with packaging that was never designed to be reused or recycled in the first place. The current system is costly for households and ultimately inefficient and ineffective.
There is a better way. A national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme would shift responsibility onto the companies producing and using plastic packaging. It’s a practical, proven model used across Europe that would fund recycling at scale, reduce pressure on councils, and drive better packaging design from the outset.
In June, I will launch a policy paper to introduce a mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme in Australia. Communities, corporations, environmental groups and recyclers are all calling for this change.
Voluntary approaches have failed, businesses want certainty and a level playing field, and individuals should not be responsible for managing the mountains of plastic waste produced by corporations. It’s time for Australia to get serious about reducing plastic pollution at the source.
To launch my policy position, my office is hosting a free, family-friendly community event with expert panels, workshops, music, games and more.
Come along to learn more at the Waves Without Waste Expo taking place at the Warriewood Community Centre on Saturday 13 June, 10am–1pm.
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