Page 7 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec2020

November–December 2020 | www.packagingnews.com.au
| NEWS 7
Budget: Recycling to the fore
THE 2020 federal budget funds several recycling initiatives, all of which had been previously announced, but they are none- theless important for boosting the circular economy and reduc- ing waste in Australia.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, in his budget speech, said by recycling more waste, Australia can also create jobs.
“The Morrison government is banning the export of plastic, paper, tyres and glass waste. In the words of the Prime Minister: ‘it’s our waste, it’s our responsi- bility’,” Frydenberg said.
“This budget will invest $250 million to modernise our recy- cling infrastructure, stop more than 600,000 tonnes of waste ending up in landfill and by doing so help to create a further 10,000 jobs.”
Included in that $250 million is the $190 million Recycling
Modernisation Fund (RMF), which will go into new infra- structure to sort and recycle plastic, paper, tyres, and glass. The government says the RMF would stimulate $600 million of investment in the local recy- cling industry. It comes as the country institutes a ban on the export of waste plastic, paper, tyres, and glass.
Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation CEO Brooke Donnelly said it is fantastic to see the federal government continu- ing to make waste and recycling a top priority in Australia.
Tetra Pak Oceania managing director Andrew Pooch wel- comed the government’s $250 million investment in recycling infrastructure.
“This measure is a good start to improve recycling rates, but more can be done. Recycling has an important role to play in
This year’s budget includes a $1.5bn manufacturing plan.
© JULIAN MEEHAN CC BY 2.0
Australia, but more so the sourc- ing and transport of the product and packaging,” he said.
Also, as part of the budget, the government selected six priority areas for support in a $1.5 bil- lion manufacturing plan. Among these priorities is
recycling. The plan will also focus on building “supply chain resilience” after the Covid pan- demic exposed the risks of not having enough capability to quickly produce large amounts of vital items such as personal protective equipment.