Together we are conserving our ecosystems, maintaining clean water, fighting pollution, and protecting our biodiversity – for a brighter greener future.

Our investigation into voluntary battery recycling under the failing battery stewardship scheme, B-cycle, identified many free rider producers evading responsibility for battery waste, and B-cycle participants, more often than not, failing to promote the scheme to their consumers.

Today’s announcement by the NSW government of its response to rampant land clearing and dodgy offsets has some welcome elements. However, there is a grave risk that developers and rural landowners will accelerate plans to clear native vegetation before the new laws come into effect.

All cars have environmental impacts. Electric cars are certainly better for the planet than fossil burners. But some electric cars are better than others. That’s why Total Environment Centre has now created the Green Electric Car Guide.

A visionary plan to protect and expand Sydney’s green and blue spaces for present and future generations was released today, as a counterbalance to the growing population and push for denser development.

Victoria’s 10cent container refund scheme has been operating for 6 months and the first review of its operations has been released today.

"Our review acknowledges there are inevitably teething problems in the early stages, but we are very concerned about a systemic issue that has arisen which could harm consumer convenience to refund points and thus the success of the scheme.  This involves reliance on over-the-counter (OTC) return points, especially in the Northern Zone, operated by Visy.  They have a multitude of problems and consumers will be the losers,’’ said Jeff Angel, Executive Director of the Total Environment Centre, which undertook the review.

New research released today by the Sydney Basin Koala Network shows the area where koalas are found in the Sydney Basin is declining and the areas supporting long standing breeding populations of koalas is also reducing. The need for protection is becoming ever more urgent, the Sydney Basin Koala Network and Total Environment Centre said today.  

With 50% of species in NSW not expected to survive in the next 100 years; land clearing increasing since 2017; and only 29% of habitat remaining - the NSW Government should be taking urgent action. The release of the government’s 2024 NSW Biodiversity Outlook Report is one big alarm bell, both environmentally and politically. "The last thing the Minns government should find itself with at the next election is a record of more clearing of native vegetation and more species sliding to extinction.  This is a fundamental challenge they must not avoid,” said Jeff Angel, Director of the TEC.

The announcement by Officeworks that it has ceased collecting used batteries on behalf of B-cycle casts serious doubt on the effectiveness of the voluntary industry program. 

Industry-led voluntary schemes will fail to address the environmental risks arising from battery disposal said Total Environment Centre today on releasing a plan for urgent regulation to establish an effective, mandatory Product Stewardship Scheme to safely collect and recycle all battery types in Australia.