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

Appendix 2: Projects and policy initiatives
Objective 1: Driving cultural change
Love Queensland. Let's keep it clean (in progress). This campaign aims to create awareness of major littering
and illegal dumping sites around the state. It also encourages Queenslanders to take responsibility for their litter
and waste, and to report incidences of littering and illegal dumping.

Container refund scheme (CRS, in progress). Commencing in 2018, the CRS will provide a 10 cent refund on
eligible empty containers (sized between 150 ml and 3 litres inclusive) returned to an approved collection point.
Certain exemptions will be provided, in line with the exemptions in other states (for example, containers for plain
milk and wine, and large pure juice containers). The CRS should also contribute to the achievement of Objective 3:
Reuse, recovery and recycling.

Introduction of a plastic bag ban (in progress). The legislative ban, which will be effective as of 1 July 2018,
targets lightweight single-use supermarket-style shopping bags. Options for voluntary action to reduce the use of
heavier-weight ‘department store’ plastic bags will also be investigated. The plastic bag ban also contributes to the
achievement of Objective 2: Avoidance and minimisation.

Objective 2: Avoidance and minimisation
Government policy on balloon releases (in progress). Investigations have commenced on the development of a
government policy to restrict the release of lighter-than-air (helium) balloons from state government-owned venues
and events sponsored or coordinated by state government entities.

Objective 3: Reuse, recovery and recycling
Sugarcane fertiliser bag recycling trial (completed). A trial recycling program was conducted in North
Queensland between September 2015 and February 2016 to demonstrate the feasibility of recycling sugarcane
fertiliser bags. The trial was managed by Farm Waste Recovery, with support from the former EHP, regional
councils, fertiliser manufacturers—Incitec Pivot Limited and Impact Fertilisers—and the peak industry body for
Australian sugarcane growers (CANEGROWERS). As at December 2016, more than 700 tonnes of used fertiliser
bags (enough to manufacture 3,500 park benches) had been collected from 23 sites and employment opportunities
created for seven staff.

Organic waste recycling trial (completed). The City of Gold Coast estimates that food waste from its hospitality
sector accounts for about 50 per cent of the 39,000 tonnes of food waste generated on the Gold Coast annually. In
early 2016, the former EHP partnered with the City of Gold Coast to pilot the collection and recycling of commercial
food waste with a view to establishing a city-wide collection scheme and improving organic waste management on
the Gold Coast ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Emergency lighting batteries stewardship (in progress). The emergency lighting battery pilot project
commenced in mid-2015 and seeks to develop a voluntary product stewardship program to increase the recycling
rate of end-of-life emergency lighting batteries in Queensland. The pilot project is implemented in partnership with
the Lighting Council Australia and complements national efforts to develop a national handheld battery product
stewardship scheme for hazardous and rechargeable batteries.

Power tool battery recycling trial (completed). This pilot program, funded by the former EHP and managed by
the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative, trialled the collection of power tool batteries (less than 500 grams) to
help inform the development of a national rechargeable handheld battery program. More than 500kg of batteries
were returned to participating hardware stores in the Brisbane City Council area over nine months, and a further
1000kg of stockpiled batteries were collected for recycling from the service centre of one hardware store.

Tyre recycling demonstration project (in progress). This partnership between the Department of Transport and
Main Roads and the Australian Road Research Board seeks to investigate the feasibility of increasing the use of
crumbed rubber modified (CRM) binder from end-of-life tyres in road applications such as spray seals and asphalt.
This initiative supports the national voluntary tyre product stewardship scheme, which is focused on the recovery
and recycling of tyres.

National market development study for end-of-life tyres (in progress). Queensland is co-leading a project with
the Victorian Government and in partnership with Western Australia, New South Wales and Tyre Stewardship


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