2018-06-27 SM - Attachment 1 to Item 2 - Directions Paper Transforming Queensland's Recycling & Waste Industry

The Queensland Government will                              The Queensland Government will
explore the development of waste-                           continue to engage nationally on
to-energy                                                   interjurisdictional waste issues
Waste-to-energy is a complex and diverse topic area.
                                                            and take a lead national role
There are a range of technological solutions that are       where necessary
already available commercially, and a host of new and
emerging innovative technologies that may require           It is recognised that many businesses, industries and
support to continue their development.                      waste and resource recovery companies operate across the
                                                            national market and streamlining regulatory requirements,
There is also a significant body of literature on waste-    definitions and reporting will create a more efficient and
to-energy in reducing the amount of waste that goes         less administratively burdensome operating environment.
to landfill, and the role that waste-to-energy plays in a
transition towards a more circular economy.                 There are significant opportunities to develop economies
                                                            of scale to overcome some of the market development
To align with the implementation of the levy, the           challenges faced by individual states and territories.
department will develop a policy to promote the safe        For example, the Queensland and Victorian governments
and sustainable delivery of waste-to-energy. This will be   are leading work to implement the national market
developed in collaboration with key stakeholders across     development strategy for end-of-life tyres. In this
government and industry.                                    way, existing programs, markets and activities can be
                                                            leveraged to create a national driver for stronger landfill
Queensland will take on board the lessons learned           diversion and advanced on-shore processing and markets
from other jurisdictions and seek to ensure the most        for waste derived products.
appropriate types of waste are used for waste-to-energy.
                                                            Queensland will also continue to work with other
Fundamentally, the introduction of waste-to-energy          jurisdictions on measures to harmonise waste
cannot simply be a replacement for landfill, but can be     definitions, data arrangements and compliance activities.
a complementary measure in a society that achieves
significantly higher rates of recycling.                    While it is acknowledged that Queensland has one of
                                                            the worst resource recovery and recycling rates of the
The policy will seek to place limits on the use of          Australian jurisdictions, the Government also recognises
certain types of waste as feedstock for waste-to-energy
                                                            the need to demonstrate leadership to drive national
technologies. Waste-to-energy will be appropriate for
                                                            harmonisation and markets that will ultimately help to
residual wastes where the best outcome is to recover        improve Queensland’s performance.
remaining energy from the material. Residual wastes
have no economically, socially or environmentally viable    There is significant opportunity to build on the initiatives
recovery or recycling options.                              that are currently under way, including leading work
                                                            with national retailers to explore options to reduce the
The policy will also consider the potential environmental   supply of heavier ‘department store-style’ plastic bags
impacts, including odour and air quality concerns,          and leading the development of a national product
and planning considerations of the various waste-to-        stewardship scheme for handheld rechargeable batteries.
energy technologies.
                                                            Queensland has chosen to take the lead in areas where
                                                            there is:
                                                            • significant community support (such as plastic bags)
                                                            • an identified gap in the national agenda (batteries)
                                                            • a clear identified direct state interest (tyres).




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