Sam Lim (Tangney, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians are some of the biggest users of single-use plastic in the world. Plastic waste is one of the issues that my constituents in Tangney, including some of my youngest primary school students, often raise with me. Plastic pollution is also an issue that has long been close to my heart. When I was a dolphin trainer, one of my dolphin friends, Ting Loy, died. When we cut open his belly, we saw that it was full of plastic bags—not fish but plastic bags. We know that we need to find a new way to make and use plastic. We need to find a way to end plastic waste.

Last week I attended the launch of the new $8 million bioplastic innovation hub at Murdoch University in Tangney. Murdoch and CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, will work with industry partners to develop a new generation of 100 per cent compostable plastics. Based at Murdoch University, the hub aims to revolutionise plastic packaging. Bioplastics currently make up just one per cent of the market, and more people around the world have become concerned about plastic waste. The demand for innovative solutions grows. Consumers and businesses are asking for more sustainable types of plastic. This facility will develop plastics that can break down in compost, land or water. It brings together experts to help translate cutting-edge bioplastic research into real-world applications.

At the launch, I met with some of the PhD students and scientists involved in this development. They showed me some of the work they are doing to develop new 100 per cent compostable packaging—bottles, caps, wrappers and films that will all be able to fully break down. I was also inspired to see some of our brightest minds tackling the war on waste. The facility's first industrial partner is WA's Ecopha Biotechnology, who focus on turning food waste into compostable water bottles. The hub will help meet the government goal of reducing the total waste generated in Australia by 10 per cent per person by 2030. With this facility, Tangney and Western Australia are at the forefront of developing the next generation of sustainable plastics. With growing global demand, Tangney and WA will also be at the forefront of the skills and jobs that are part of this new industry, helping us deliver a future made in Australia.