By Sachi Wimmer*
Recycling has become the universal environmental activity of the 1990s. Local Government involvement in recycling began with packaging materials like glass, aluminium and steel cans, and newsprint. Since then, many Councils have expanded their services to include collection of PET, liquidpaperboard and HDPE. A few also collect greenwaste.
In 1992, Commonwealth and State Governments adopted a national goal of reducing waste going to landfill by 50% of 1990 per capita levels by the year 2000. Local Government was not involved in this decision due to its exclusion from the Australia New Zealand Environment Conservation Council (ANZECC). This situation continues today.
These waste reduction targets concentrated on post consumer packaging materials, emphasised recycling and ignored source reduction options. Since then, ANZECC has adopted a range of new recycling and source reduction targets for a greater range of materials.
Unfortunately, prices for many of the commodities traditionally collected at the kerbside have reduced significantly in the last 12 months. This turn of events is creating a crisis for Local Government because the reduction in returns will result in kerbside recycling services becoming more expensive. It will also cause compromises in the level of service and/or quality of material presented for sale.
Local Government met in Canberra at the end of March in response to the current crisis in waste management throughout Australia. At this forum, frustration was expressed at the lack of high level involvement of Local Government in the State and National Government policy making and target setting processes.
Local Government believes that to achieve waste minimisation targets it is critical that the major stakeholders in waste management play a significant role. Participants in the forum called for action including establishing a National Local Government Sustainable Waste Management Group to work with industry and develop policies and standards, and Local Government’s inclusion in State and National waste management policy development processes.
The Australian Local Government Association organised a Working Group of Local Government representatives which met on May 14 in Melbourne. The Group decided priority issues and actions that are needed, to address the current crisis in waste management and plan for the future.
Its recommendations including the following six point 60 day plan was recently accepted by the ALGA Executive.
- Develop a national Local Government taskforce to provide focus and direction on waste minimisation.
- Assess opportunities to market kerbside materials on a collective basis.
- Develop a national Local Government strategy for waste minimisation.
- Determine the real costs of recycling for Local Government.
- Seek industry support to maintain and improve kerbside recycling services.
- Prepare a public relations strategy.
*Sachi Wimmer is Policy Officer – Environment with the Australian Local Government Association.
