Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Whish-Wilson, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) in 1999, the first National Packaging Covenant was developed under the National Environment Protection (Used Packaging Materials) Measure,

  (ii) in 2005, the second National Packaging Covenant set a recycling target of 30% to 35% of plastic packaging to be achieved by 2010,

  (iii) in 2010, the Action Plan for the third Australian Packaging Covenant did not include a specific recycling target for plastic packaging,

  (iv) in 2018, the fourth Australian Packaging Covenant included a recycling target of 70% of plastic packaging to be achieved by 2025, and

  (v) the current rate of recycling for plastic packaging is 16%, which is only 50% of the 2005 target; and

(b) acknowledges that:

  (i) packaging is a significant source of problematic single-use plastic in the waste stream and the marine environment,

  (ii) the Australian community is demanding federal leadership on solving the current waste crisis,

  (iii) voluntary targets for plastic packaging recycling have never been met, and

  (iv) in twenty years, no enforcement action has been taken or penalties levied on the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation or any other organisation by state or federal authorities over failure to meet recycling targets.

Question agreed to.