$190 million in funding for recycling facilities ahead of waste export bans

The federal government has announced $190 million for its Recycling Modernisation Fund, as part of a resource recovery goal of 80 per cent by the end of the decade.

According to a release from environment minister Sussan Ley, the fund would assist in creating $600 million in investment in recycling facilities and 10,000 new jobs, as well as divert 10 million tonnes of rubbish from landfill.

The funds would support investment in processing for mixed plastic, paper, tyres and glass, and be contingent on companies, states and territories also contributing funds.

“As we cease shipping our waste overseas, the waste and recycling transformation will reshape our domestic waste industry, driving job creation and putting valuable materials back into the economy,” said Ley.

Also announced on Monday were $24.6 million in funding for improved waste data collection and $35 million to “implement Commonwealth commitments under Australia’s National Waste Policy Action Plan.”

The Guardian notes that a ban on exporting glass planned for mid-2020 has been pushed back, and will likely take effect at the beginning of 2021. This has been blamed on the Covid-19 pandemic. The federal government’s other export bans are unchanged for mixed plastic on July 1, 2021, tyres December 1, 2021, and paper and cardboard for 1 July 2024.

Australia is developing its recycling capacity out of necessity, following China’s “National Sword” effective ban on waste imports and a series of countries subsequently refusing to accept shipments of recyclable materials.

Picture: visy