Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to rise today to speak in support of the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill, especially in National Recycling Week. It's a great opportunity to also talk about the fantastic things that are happening in waste reduction and environmental management in my electorate. Late last year I was very fortunate to have the Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans, visit the Northern Tasmanian community to show off the innovation that's already occurring in the waste and recycling sector from local businesses and organisations including Envorinex, Flat Out Bottles Tasmania, George Town Neighbourhood House and the George Town Council Waste Transfer Station.

I've previously been on the record highlighting the incredible work of Envorinex, a Tasmanian owned and operated company. They provide innovative and proven polymer product solutions for national and international clients, recycling a range of products such as silage wrap, IV bags and tubes from hospitals, and poly pipe and plastic waste from horticulture and fish farm operations. They're also an important employer in north-east Tasmania and play an integral role in the local economy. The Morrison government recognised the potential for Envorinex to grow and expand, and funded over $700,000 towards a second factory as part of its regional jobs and investment package. The second factory officially opened last year and has more than doubled its workforce, with nine new permanent jobs created, which is a significant boost and a big win for jobs in Northern Tasmania. The plant is the first of its kind in the state and can process 500 kilos of soft plastics each hour. The company expects to process more than 1,500 tonnes in the first year, with the plastic to be turned into new products including fence palings, posts and rails, and roadside safety products. Importantly, the plant produces very little waste itself. Organic cast-offs from the collected plastics are used by potting mix manufacturers, and the water used by the factory is 100 per cent recycled. It's very pleasing to see that Envorinex is soon to expand to Toowoomba, with a new recycling plant that will process up to 8,000 tonnes of material every year.

And it's not just big business demonstrating innovation in this field. There are many smaller businesses, including Flat Out Bottles in my electorate, who are making great strides. In a state renowned for our incredible wine, Amelia and Darren Clarke, from George Town, recognised an opportunity to reuse the countless empty wine bottles. Over the past two years, they have used a kiln to transform the bottles into cheese boards and candle holders. They have built a successful and profitable business and they are diverting glass from the waste stream.

It requires all levels of government to create long-term change in this area, and I applaud local councils across the Northern Tasmanian community for joining forces to launch the digital platform ASPIRE, which has been described as 'Tinder for waste'. George Town, the City of Launceston, Meander Valley, Break O'Day, Flinders Island, West Tamar and Northern Midlands councils have all signed on to the platform, which will divert tonnes of waste products from landfill, working on circular economy principles and connecting producers of waste with those who can reuse, repair, remake and recycle the products. ASPIRE was started at the CSIRO and has worked with hundreds of councils and businesses across Australia to drive environmental and economic benefits. One example of a manufacturer of yeast for the baking industry saw it divert more than 160,000 tonnes from landfill to feedstock for supplements for nearby farms and produce electricity via methane power from biodigestion. The financial and environmental cost benefits were also substantial, with the company saving more than $40,000 per year in getting the waste to landfill, and preventing more than 3,000 tonnes of landfill and more than 700 tonnes of carbon dioxide, and saving more than 60,000 litres of water.

Our government's groundbreaking investment in waste management and recycling will drive greater investment in recycling businesses and platforms like these. Creating a sustainable future requires effort from every single one of us and creating change here in Australia rather than relying on countries overseas to deal with our mess—the mess that we have created. The new landmark laws stopping Australia exporting our waste and establishing a national industry framework for recycling do just that. As the Prime Minister has said, it is our waste and it's our responsibility. This new legislation will end 645,000 tonnes of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres being shipped overseas each year. It's an enormous figure, but we can no longer kick the can down the road. Our investment also builds on the onshore capacity of our recycling industry, so that we can reprocess our waste here in Australia and turn it into valuable resources and new products. At the same time, the reforms to the regulation of product stewardship will incentivise companies to take greater environmental responsibility for the products they manufacture and what happens to those products and materials at the end of their life.

Overall, a billion dollars is being invested to transform Australia's waste and recycling industry and to move towards a circular economy where waste is a resource to be collected, recycled, reused and converted into valuable new products. These reforms will create 10,000 new jobs over the next 10 years—a 32 per cent increase in jobs in the Australian waste and recycling sector—many in regional Australian towns like mine. My island state will positively benefit from this. Our plan will divert 10 million tonnes of waste from landfill. We have to deal with it, recycle it, repurpose it and reuse it here in Australia to drive those jobs in the recycling sector and to improve the quality of our environment.

It's an enormous opportunity for positive environmental outcomes and creating economic development potential, and these principles are already being embraced. It's not just business and local government who are paving the way in recycling and waste management. As we've heard already, many schools are becoming increasingly involved in looking at ways to reduce waste and educate students in the process. I've talked previously about the efforts made by the wonderful Riverside Primary School in northern Tasmania, but I was thrilled to see the efforts undertaken by the leadership team at Brooks High School. Earlier this year, I was contacted by Brooks High School who were seeking donations to purchase recycling bins for their school, which led to a visit to the school and a meeting with the year 10 leadership team to uncover the details of their project. I'd like to read an extract from an article written by the leadership team: 'We've decided that it's time to focus on the specific issue of recycling and come up with solutions on how to better our environment. The main goal is to implement recycling bins around the school and analyse the way it benefits not only the environment but also every student's education. This project is important to everyone who attends Brooks High School, as it allows a freedom in making their own crucial decisions.' This year, students have been interested in creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly school by implementing recycling bins in every classroom. The recycling project is a step to creating a clean and safe environment for the northern Tasmanian and Brooks High School community. Implementing recycling bins around the school for every student to use benefits the earth while creating an educational experience for everyone to learn from. The recycling project leaves a strong legacy that will impact the school as well as the community. I commend the leadership team and the staff of the school for their commitment to recycling, ensuring a positive legacy for the school community for years to come.

As part of my visit to the school, I brought along Trish Haeusler from Plastic Free Launceston to discuss their organisation's focus on what is an important component of the issue of waste and recycling: a focus on just using less. Plastic Free Launceston do a wonderful job of hosting workshops and information sessions for businesses, community groups, schools and individuals on how we as individuals and as a society can begin to use less and take on responsibility for a material that will be around long after we are gone. Trish and her team of volunteers offer practical advice on finding alternatives and, more importantly, on how we can change our behaviours so we begin to decrease the amount of plastic we leave for the next generation. Consuming and using less plastic is a critical component of this discussion if we want to create long-term sustainable change.

From my decade in local government and now as a federal member, I have seen the enormous challenge presented by the waste we generate and the challenges of dealing with the problem. I've also been fortunate to see the development of several waste and recycling initiatives, and it's become an area of interest and passion for me. I'd like to thank the member for Corangamite, Libby Coker, for joining with me to create the inaugural Parliamentary Friends of Waste and Recycling. Thank you to all of those members of this place on all sides that've joined that group already. A launch is coming soon so watch this space. We all need to do more. This bill is an important step forward for our economy and for our environment.

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