Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020

On August 27, 2020, Sussan Ley, Minister for the Environment, introduced the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 into Parliament House. This bill passed the House of Representatives on October 28 and was introduced to the Senate on November 9.

This bill is a positive measure towards the achievement of Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production and the goal’s associated targets.

In March this year, the Commonwealth, state and territory governments all agreed upon an export ban on waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres. This bill implements this ban and works towards a more economically and environmentally sustainable future.

The timeline for the rollout of this ban is as follows:

1 January 2021 — waste glass export ban

1 July 2021 — mixed plastics export ban

1 December 2021 — whole used tyres export ban

1 July 2022 — single resin or polymer plastics export ban

1 July 2024 — mixed and unsorted paper and cardboard export ban

It is important to note that this ban only applies to unprocessed waste. Australian companies wanting to process waste materials into a new material that can be used for manufacturing overseas will be able to do so upon applying for a license.