To increase recycling and reprocessing of plastics in Australia

This Churchill Trust tour has shown that the world is shifting to a more circular material economy, and that Australia has to adapt its systems to be competitive in this new world order. Europe, especially the Netherlands and Germany, are building upon their strong foundations for even higher recycling rates for many materials, including plastics.

Australia has some of the essential building blocks, such as kerbside collections and product stewardship schemes, but must improve in order to withstand China’s bans, maintain recycling rates and have a more productive economy.

Our policies, decisions and investments need to be informed by overseas experiences on matters from incineration to progressive bans and incentives.

This tour showed that in relation to use, recycling and circularity of all plastics, Australia performs poorly, with high use and low reprocessing at ~12% Countries such as the Netherlands and UK reach 33%, and Germany 38%. Australia is at risk of seeing its already low recycling rates plummet, with larger quantities going to landfill and manufacturers starved of quality recyclate.

If so, Australia will enter into a vicious cycle of lower recycling rates and economic insecurity.

China introduced its bans in 2017 with the encouragement of the European plastics recycling organisations for adoption of European standards on sorted bales and recyclates.

I learned that the Europeans took this strategic step to ensure they could lift standards and shift the EU to a more circular and powerful economy, less dependent upon outside natural resources. Together the EU and China have re-orientated global trade and standards.

Circular Economy Strategies form part of national strategies for economic security and independence, with continued jobs and prosperity alongside environmental and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

In the Netherlands and Germany it is well understood that the waste market is artificial and requires regulation and measures to ensure that everything is not sent to landfill.

I saw how the focus is shifting from waste and quantity toward durability in order to meet end-market requirements,. This has stimulated enthusiasm and investment by the private sector and governments.

The scale of change is also being achieved by collaboration between governments and industry groups. These include joint ventures and co-funded multi-year projects (buttressed by legislation, regulation, bans and other measures and incentives).

Keywords: Circular Economy, Plastics, Recycling, Marine Litter, China's Ban, Plastic Bags, Public Procurement, Plastics Manufacturing, Carbon Emissions, Australia.