NSW wastes $1.8 billion recycling opportunity

Monday, 28 September 2009 15:59

While the governments of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia are making big investments in their recycling industry, NSW has made little to no investment in recycling, despite having the highest waste levies in the country, the Boomerang Alliance said at the forum at NSW Parliament.

The forum involving members of the recycling industry, local government and environment groups was also told that NSW risked losing $1.8 billion in investment unless the state government acted to boost the NSW recycling industry.

“NSW has a big economy and a big population which produces large amounts of waste which we should be recycling and using to create jobs, increase productivity and feed into a vibrant new green economy,” said Jeff Angel, the Boomerang Alliance Convener and director of Total Environment Centre.

“Recent reports that NSW will fail to reach its recycling targets and has fallen well behind Victoria, South Australia and the ACT are worrying,” he said.

“Over the past 5 years the amount of waste going to landfill has increased by over 800,000 tonnes. The 7.3million tonnes of decomposing garbage and toxic contaminants we landfill in NSW are producing something like 7 million tones of greenhouse gas each year,” said Dave West, Campaign Director for the Boomerang Alliance.

“The state government must lift its game,” Mr West added. “It collects an enormous amount of money from the waste levy but investment in reprocessing is languishing. This is where we can create several thousand jobs and make a big contribution to reducing greenhouse gas pollution.”

The National Recycling Initiative has been proposed by the historic coalition of green and industry groups which attended the forum today to review progress and work on a recycling industry plan to present to state and federal governments.

“It’s extraordinary to think that at a time when the state is going broke, the NSW Government is passing up $1.8 billion in potential investment,” said Mr West. “While the industry, local government and environment groups are working together to find solutions the state government continues to stick its head in the sand. What a waste.”