Waste: Australian State of Play:

Waste management and resource recovery are growing challenges for industry and the community.  

The long-term vision of a circular economy is compelling, the community reaction against plastic waste is clearly strengthening, and bans on international transfer of some of our waste streams make better local waste management urgent.  

However, there are many barriers to the kind of waste management and resource recovery outcomes that industry and the community would like to see, including the difficulty of sustaining markets for recovered materials where they are more expensive than or different in quality to virgin materials. Innovation in technology, business models and policy will be needed. 

This document seeks to establish the Australian state of play in the waste area, including the national scene, state matters and the exploration of similarities and differences between state waste levies.