Youth demand solution
YOUNG Australians will not let Scott Morrison forget the importance of recycling.
“There are few issues that are raised more with me by kids than plastics in the ocean,” the Prime Minister said yesterday. “I know mine do, on a daily basis almost.”
Mr Morrison expects children will be glad to know his Government is spending $20 million to grow Australia’s recycling industry.
“It’s exciting for our kids, but, more importantly it’s exciting for our economy, because it means a cleaner environment and it means more jobs,” he said.
The money will go to projects designed to help meet the Coalition’s promise to ban the export of plastic, paper, glass and tyres.
The PM outlined the commitment at the Council of Australian Governments meeting in Cairns last week.
“It’s our waste, that means it’s our responsibility,” he said.
Mr Morrison said there was room for improvement, with Australia only recycling 12 per cent of its plastic.
“That is a figure we have to change for the future,” he said.
His announcement comes during a recycling crisis in Victoria, sparked by the collapse of major processor SKM, which has forced several councils to send material to landfill.
China’s decision last year to ban the importation of foreign waste has also caused recycling woes for Australia.
Australia spent $2.8 billion exporting almost 4.5 million tonnes of waste last year, with the vast majority of it going to Vietnam, Indonesia and China.
While NSW has the most people, it exported less waste than Victoria and Queensland, and only just more than Western Australia, which has about a quarter of the population.
Australian Council of Recycling chief executive Pete Shmigel said the change could create about 5000 new jobs.