Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Plastic pollution is a significant threat to the world's marine and freshwater ecosystems. This recent report by the Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water highlights the size of this challenge.

All of the plastic that we have ever produced is still in existence. It will take between 500 and 1,000 years to degrade. On average, Australians use 130 kilograms of plastic per person per year. That's more single-use plastic than any other country. Only 14 per cent of plastic from Australia is recycled. As much as 130,000 tonnes of plastic leaks into our environment every single year, and the CSIRO has found that three-quarters of the waste and rubbish on Australia's coastlines is plastic.

Globally, the figures are even worse. Plastic waste makes up 80 per cent of all marine pollution. If we think about that horrible thing known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, it alone is the biggest accumulation of plastic waste in the world. It includes an estimated total of 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic waste; that's 250 pieces of plastic for every human on the planet. It's inconceivable. This is a plastic rubbish heap which is 17 times the size of Tasmania.

By 2050 the plastic in our oceans will outweigh the fish. The plastic that litters our rivers and seas comes from our clothes and from packaging. It's detritus from our workplaces and homes. It's leftovers from barbecues, kids' parties and sporting events. All of it leaks because of poor waste management, stormwater run-off and illegal dumping. Its effects on marine life are disastrous; as many as 100,000 marine animals and one million seabirds are killed by plastic every year. Abandoned fishing gear and nets are particularly harmful; they entangle and kill turtles, seabirds and even dolphins. But the effects on humans are also of serious concern. We know now that microplastics and nanoplastics are everywhere. They're in our drinking water. They're in our soil. They carry chemicals on their surfaces. They cross the placenta and the blood-brain barrier. We don't yet understand the health implications for us and future generations.

So far, Australia's approach to plastic waste has been fragmented and inadequate. We've had a number of national plans from this government and previous governments which have been aimed at reducing plastic waste, but all have focused more on recovery, particularly on recycling, not on reducing the production and consumption of plastics in the first place—which, logically, is where we should start. The inexorable growth in the plastics waste generated in this country in recent years has shown us these policies are not working. This committee's report calls for an updated plan with specific and measurable goals and for stronger industry accountability. It also highlights the need for a sustainable end market for recycled plastics.

We need to standardise bans on single-use plastics and waste collection standards across all Australian states and territories. We need to fund Indigenous ranger programs to support their work in cleaning up our marine debris. And we should encourage the primacy of First Nations participation in our international negotiations regarding plastics pollution. It's absolutely vital that the government works with all states and territories and the scientific experts—including particularly the CSIRO—to limit the plastic debris which enters our marine environment via stormwater.

But, of course, the very best measure, returning to the theme, is reduction of our use of plastics. Forty-nine per cent of all marine pollution that comes out of Australia results from the use of single-use plastics. All of us can act on this. We can use reusable, rather than plastic, bags. We can reduce our use of disposable plastic cups. We can buy food and cleaning products in bulk, and transport them in glass or metal containers rather than plastic ones. At a government level, a tax on plastic packaging in Australia would likely be an effective measure. We've seen similar taxes imposed in Europe, with great effect. Extended producer responsibility schemes have also shown promise overseas and have been highlighted in this report as a possible means of decreasing our plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution is a global issue, and Australia needs to play a leading role in international efforts to combat it. This report supports the development of a legally binding international treaty on plastic pollution and encourages Australia to facilitate the participation of smaller nations in those discussions. This important report, Drowning in waste, provides a clear road map for addressing the urgent and important issues of plastic pollution in Australia. By implementing its recommendations, we can reduce plastic pollution, safeguard our marine life and lead the way regionally in the global efforts to end this concerning crisis.

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