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

                                                      NOT GOVERNMENT POLICY




            waste recovered through recycling (i.e. manufacturing into the same or similar products), reprocessing (e.g.
            composting), stockpiling for future use, and energy recovery.
        Some stakeholders made a specific recommendation to consider ‘domestic kerbside waste’ as an additional
         indicator that could provide a more accurate measure of household waste recycling trends compared to the
         ‘MSW recycling rate’ which includes the waste from public litter bins, street sweepings, and clean-up activities.
        The validity and usefulness of regional recycling indicators are uncertain given the difficulties involved in
         tracking and reporting the flow of waste and recovered resources across the state (section 2.1.2).
        The Strategy’s baseline may have been distorted by waste generation associated with severe weather events
         during FY2013, as well as by waste imported into Queensland from other states (section 2.1.2). The baseline
         should be established using a suitable method that normalises the impacts of one-off or special events such as
         major disaster waste generation, interstate waste, and other seasonal variations in waste generation such as
         large amounts of green waste generated during exceptionally wet years.
       In view of these shortcomings, the Strategy requires a more comprehensive and robust monitoring and evaluation
       framework. In parallel, the waste data framework could be further enhanced to ensure that the information collected
       to support monitoring and evaluation of the Strategy is normalised, accurate and relevant.

       3.5 Communication of the Strategy
       7.    The release and implementation of the Strategy may not have been communicated well to all stakeholders

       Several stakeholders questioned the validity of the Strategy, citing a lack of awareness of the Strategy.

       In terms of general communication during implementation the Strategy, some stakeholders cited the need for more
       strategic communication from government on the benefits of waste management to businesses and the
       manufacturing sector in terms of improving resource efficiency, productivity and competitiveness.

       3.6 Adequacy of the Strategy settings going forward
       8. The industry-led Strategy lacks effective measures to reverse the current negative trends and to achieve the
       waste reduction, resource recovery and landfill disposal targets

       The available data suggests that the amount of solid waste generated per person is increasing (9.1 per cent over
       eight years), while the overall resource recovery rate has virtually stalled over the same period (1.3 per cent
       increase over eight years). The Strategy does not identify specific interventions or incentives to address these
       negative trends. For example, there are no incentives to reduce state-wide waste generation and drive resource
       recovery, to overcome the barriers of scale and distance associated with resource recovery in remote areas, to
       encourage greater household participation in kerbside recycling, or to encourage investment in resource recovery
       infrastructure.

       Incentives for resource recovery
        The lack of incentives under the Strategy compounded by an uncertain policy environment were a recurring
         issue raised by stakeholders. Industry stakeholders indicated that the repeal of the Queensland landfill levy in
         July 2012—seven months after its introduction—undermined investor confidence and created a barrier to future
         infrastructure investments. For example, several operators established C&D waste recycling facilities when the
         landfill levy was rolled out, only to scale back or abandon operations when the levy was repealed.
        There was a strong call from stakeholders to reintroduce a landfill levy to incentivise the waste and resource
         recovery industry and boost resource recovery rates, and introduce landfill bans for certain recoverable material
         streams to eliminate the disposal option, with regulations to limit the stockpiling of banned materials.

       Viable markets for recovered resources
       The combined (MSW, C&I, and C&D) recovery rate has only increased by 1.3 per cent since FY2008, which
       suggests that there has been no appreciable change in the demand for secondary resources. Stakeholders called
       for greater leadership and support from the Queensland Government to develop the markets that would encourage
       the recovery, enhancement, marketing, and use of resources from waste. In particular, there was a strong call for:

        state and local government to adopt and enforce green procurement practices that mandate, or set targets for
         the use of secondary resources in government projects and operations

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