Recycling and Reusing will become important topics in Australian homes this year. The recent announcement that China is banning all types of recyclable containers will lead to major challenges for local councils. The likelihood is that contracted companies who handle rubbish removal will have to rethink their strategies. Processing and sending recyclable containers overseas is no longer an option.
New ideas for recycling and reusing
Recent debate and discussions in newspapers suggest a growing community push for new ideas in buying and managing waste. Some of the ideas being considered include
- Selling take-away coffee in only reusable containers
- Banning plastic bags in all shops
- Introduce reusable packaging for garden, farming, electrical and car products.
Another major idea generating discussion in the community is buying more food products in bulk, through specialty retail shops, that cater for customers who prefer this option.
All states are likely to face major challenges as the cost of disposal of waste will rise significantly. This will put pressure on council budgets. The likely outcome is increased municipal rates.
New Legislation
Container deposit legislation will become a hot topic in Victoria. Successive Victorian governments have ignored the issue. Queensland, and New South Wales recently stepped up to address the problem with the introduction of their own deposit schemes. Paying people to collect reusable containers, rather than paying councils, for a substandard recycling service seems a sensible strategy.
One by-product of container deposit schemes will be a standardization of containers and a more consistent look at advertising labels. Standard-shaped containers will also assist investment in storage, cleaning and efficient transport.
Recycal is acutely aware of the importance of these programs and the impact they can have on landfill and other environmental programs. The Recycal ‘Cash for Scrap’ service for aluminium cans is an important part of the company’s overall service programme.
