National waste minimisation strategy

Environment Minister Bob Pearce said the amount of solid waste going to landfills could be halved by the year 2000, due to the adoption of a national waste minimisation and recycling strategy in Canberra today.

At a meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, Mr Pearce said the historic plan aimed to reduce by 50 per cent the total amount of solid waste going to landfill by the end of the century.

"The plan will give Government and industry a framework to work together to manage the huge amount of waste produced in Australia every year," he said.

"Waste minimisation and recycling is a growing industry which could create many jobs, as well as provide a viable return for the investor.

"An example of this is Pacific Dunlop's new tyre recycling facility expected to begin operations in Victoria later this year.

"Part of the strategy endorsed by the council today includes negotiations with industry to help achieve recycling targets that ANZECC has set," Mr Pearce said.

The ANZECC targets are:

·         plastic containers - 25 per cent (currently 6 per cent)

·         glass containers - 45 per cent (currently 36 per cent)

·         paper - 40 per cent (currently about 32 per cent)

·         aluminium cans - 75 per cent (currently 62 per cent)

·         liquid paperboard - 25 per cent (currently less than one per cent)

·         steel cans - 25 per cent (currently less than one per cent).

Mr Pearce said ANZECC had also addressed the problem of used tyre disposal.

"Western Australians are well aware of the danger posed by dumped used car tyres.

"The Bindoon blaze two years ago, where more than 500,000 tyres caught alight, not only threatened local residents but released noxious smoke and fumes into the atmosphere.

"Since that time, the Western Australian Government has introduced new regulations to control the transport, storage and disposal of used vehicle tyres with guidelines set by the EPA, and irresponsible dumping and disposal of used car tyres is now illegal.

"Today, all States agreed to work towards banning the disposal of whole tyres to landfill by next year.  An upfront charge might be added to the cost of tyres to subsidise their recycling.

"As well, the Commonwealth is looking at banning the importation of used tyres," Mr Pearce said.

During today's meeting, the council also:

·         reaffirmed its commitment to national guidelines covering the transportation of hazardous wastes:

·         the guidelines were designed to ensure the proper disposal of hazardous waste and better regulation of the transport of such waste across State and Territory borders.  They will also help prevent the illegal dumping of waste and the movement of waste across borders to take advantage of lower standards and costs;

·         adopted national guidelines for the assessment and management of contaminated sites;

·         asked the Commonwealth to commission the CSIRO to identify options for processes and sites for dealing with the disposal of low-level radioactive waste;

·         reaffirmed its strong support for the interim planning target for the emission of greenhouse gases, endorsed by the Commonwealth and State Governments in October 1990.

The target involves the stabilisation of emissions of greenhouse gases by the year 2000 at 1988 levels and a 20 per cent reduction by 2005.

However, the target includes important provisions that Australia should not proceed with the adoption of response measures which have adverse economic or trade impacts in the absence of similar actions by the major greenhouse emitting countries.