$356 Million to Tackle Plastics and Waste

Plastics like single-use lightweight bags, cotton-buds, straws and stirrers will be phased out, and green bins for food and organic waste will be rolled out across the state, under the NSW Government’s comprehensive plastics plan and waste strategy.

Member for Manly James Griffin said more than $356 million will be invested over five years to implement the nation leading plans to protect the environment and promote recycling. 

“Our communities are already keen environmental custodians – diligently recycling almost 5.7 billion plastic containers through our Return and Earn scheme and opting for reusable materials and products where possible,” Mr Griffin said.

“We have a duty to leave our environment in a better way than we found it for future generations.

“Our plans will make sure we do that while also giving industry the certainty they need to provide more sustainable solutions for customers.”

Environment Minister Matt Kean said we must reduce the plastics ending up in the environment because we are on track to see more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.

“The single-use items we are phasing-out will stop an estimated 2.7 billion items of plastic litter from ending up in our environment and waterways over the next 20 years,” Mr Kean said.

“We can’t keep sending our scraps to languish in landfill when there are huge opportunities to turn our trash into treasure.

“Under our plans, every household will have access to a separate bin for their food and organic waste for the first time in NSW.

“This will not only deliver on our commitment to achieve zero emissions from organics in landfill by 2030, but will also grow our economy by extracting more resources like biogas from our waste. 

“In addition, we will lead by example and help stimulate new markets for sustainable products by adopting an ‘if not, why not’ approach to the use of recycled materials in government procurement.”

Small businesses will be supported to transition to new products before the phase-outs come into effect. Exemptions will also be available for members of the community who rely on particular single-use plastics for disability or health needs.

A statewide education campaign will be rolled out to provide households with clear information on how to get onboard with the new waste programs, and learn how to properly dispose of their food and organic waste.

The government will also continue to work closely with councils, with $206 million in funding available to support local government to deliver these ambitious plans, including $65 million to support the rollout of green bins.

The NSW Government will consult on and introduce the necessary legislation and regulations to deliver on the plans to Parliament in the coming months.

For more information on the Waste Strategy, visit www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/wace

For more information on the Plastics Action Plan www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/pap