Maya Ellison
Australia's plastic recycling industry has been facing several challenges, including the collapse of the REDcycle program and the refusal of China, Malaysia, and India to accept recyclable materials. While the industry is showing signs of recovery due to government incentives and supermarket cooperation, Australia's plastic recycling rate remains low, estimated at 9.4% in 2017-2018 and 16% in 2021. The country has set a target of recycling or composting 70% of plastic packaging by 2025 but is expected to fall short of this goal without significant upgrades. Australia's recycling plants also need technological upgrades to meet the increasing global demand for high-quality, clean recycling materials.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic recycled in 2017-18 | 320,000 tonnes |
| Plastic consumed in 2017-18 | 3.4 million tonnes |
| National plastic recycling rate in 2017-18 | 9.4% |
| Plastic packaging placed on the Australian market in 2021 | 1.1 million tonnes |
| Plastic packaging recovered in 2021 | 179,000 tonnes |
| Plastic packaging recycled in 2021 | 16% |
| Target for plastic packaging to be recycled or composted by 2025 | 70% |
| Number of material recovery facilities in Australia | 193 |
| Number of semi-automated material recovery facilities in Australia | 9 |
| Number of fully automated material recovery facilities in Australia | 9 |
| Types of plastic accepted in most kerbside recycling bins | Type 1 (PET), Type 2 (HDPE), and Type 5 (PP) |
| Types of plastic not always recyclable through kerbside collection | Type 3, Type 4, Type 6, and Type 7 |
| Type of plastic that can be dropped off at council-operated transfer stations for recycling | Type 6 (polystyrene) |
| Type of plastic that was recycled through REDcycle drop-off points in supermarkets until 2022 | Type 4 (low-density polyethylene) |
| Percentage of expanded polystyrene used for packaging that is recycled | 29.7% |
| Number of states in Australia where it is illegal to dispose of e-waste in landfills | 2 (Victoria and South Australia) |
| Number of states planning to implement a ban on disposing of e-waste in landfills by the end of the 2020s | 1 (Western Australia) |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic recycling rates and targets
Plastic recycling rates in Australia are low, with an official review in April 2023 finding that the country recycles just 18% of plastic packaging. This is despite the introduction of recycling targets in 2018. The review warned that Australia would not meet its 2025 target of recycling or reusing 70% of plastic packaging. The Australian government has since increased this goal to 80% by 2030.
The low recycling rate is due to several challenges, including the collapse of the REDcycle program, the high cost of carefully separating plastics, and the lack of incentives for recycling companies to improve their technology. Australia's recycling plants are insufficient to sort the country's annual recycling, with most being hand-sorted and only a few being semi-automated or fully automated.
However, there are some positive signs. The plastics recycling industry is beginning to recover due to government incentives, export restrictions, and supermarket cooperative work. The government has also invested $250 million in recycling facilities and plans to reform packaging regulations by 2025. The Victorian government has also pledged to invest more than half a billion dollars between 2020 and 2030 to deliver significant reforms and transformations in the state's recycling infrastructure.
Additionally, South Australia has the highest recovery rate of any state or territory in Australia at 80%, thanks to its long-standing recycle-and-earn initiative. The state government has also committed to zero avoidable waste ending up in landfills by 2030.
Overall, while Australia's plastic recycling rates are currently low, there are efforts and targets in place to significantly improve them in the coming years.
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Plastic recycling processes
Plastic recycling is vital for extending the lives of landfill sites, reducing pollution, and creating a circular economy. In Australia, plastic recycling processes have been improving due to government incentives, export restrictions, and supermarket cooperative work.
The plastic recycling process can be broken down into several steps, with the first step being collection. The more plastic collected, the more material there is for the recycling process. Plastic recyclers place their containers in public places, with most in commercial and industrial zones. After being deposited, the plastic is bulked together and transported to recycling facilities.
The next step is sorting, which is usually done by machine, but in smaller communities, it is done by hand. Sorting is vital as it identifies the waste materials and the correct processes to recycle the different types of plastics. Most machines can only recycle one type of plastic at a time, and different types of plastic have different recycling processes. For example, a sink float separator is used to differentiate low-density and high-density plastic.
After sorting, the plastic is shredded into smaller pieces before moving on to the washing stage, where dirt and organic residue are removed to ensure the plastic is clean. The final steps of the mechanical recycling process involve drying, re-granulating, and compounding the plastic.
Chemical recycling is a growing approach that offers greater opportunity for scalability. It covers technologies like pyrolysis, gasification, hydro-cracking, and depolymerisation, which break down the chemical structure of plastic waste. Dissolution recycling is a purification process that selectively dissolves polymers in mixed plastic waste, allowing them to be separated and recovered in a pure form.
Organic recycling is another process that involves the controlled microbiological treatment of biodegradable plastics waste under aerobic (composting) or anaerobic (biogasification) conditions.
Overall, these plastic recycling processes aim to reduce pollution, reuse plastic waste in future products, and create a more sustainable and circular economy.
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Plastic recycling challenges
Australia's plastic recycling industry faces several challenges that hinder its effectiveness and efficiency. One significant issue is the lack of a strong domestic recycling industry. Historically, Australia has relied heavily on exporting its recyclable waste to other countries, particularly China. However, in recent years, China and other countries have implemented stricter regulations, refusing to accept mixed or contaminated recycling materials from Australia. This has disrupted Australia's recycling system and led to stockpiling issues, with some illegal burning of recyclable waste being reported.
Another challenge is the low recovery and recycling rates for plastics. Despite public awareness of the importance of recycling, the actual recovery and recycling rates for plastics in Australia are relatively low. In the 2017-18 financial year, only 9.4% of the 3.4 million tonnes of plastics consumed in Australia were recycled. This indicates a significant amount of plastic waste going to waste instead of being recycled and reused. The low recovery rates also highlight the need for improved consumer education and better plastic labelling to distinguish between recyclable and non-recyclable materials.
The recycling infrastructure in Australia also faces challenges in terms of technology and capacity. While there are 193 material recovery facilities in the country, most of them rely on manual sorting, with only a handful being semi-automated or fully automated. This lack of automation makes it difficult to keep up with the large volume of recycling material and can lead to contamination issues. Additionally, the recycling industry in Australia is fragmented, with varying legislative requirements and practices across different states and territories. This inconsistency can create confusion for consumers and impact the overall effectiveness of the recycling system.
Furthermore, certain types of plastics, such as low-density polyethylene (soft plastics), are particularly challenging to recycle due to their tendency to get caught in processing machines. Soft plastics are commonly used in food packaging and account for a significant portion of plastic waste in Australia. While initiatives like the REDcycle program have helped collect and recycle soft plastics, the demand for recycled soft plastics products needs to increase to create a sustainable market.
Lastly, the voluntary nature of Australia's recycling targets and the lack of incentives for recycling companies have been identified as challenges. There is a growing call for the Australian government to implement mandatory targets and provide financial support to boost the domestic recycling industry. Without sufficient incentives and penalties, it will be difficult to encourage companies to increase their recycling efforts and invest in sustainable practices.
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Plastic recycling at supermarkets
Plastic recycling is a significant environmental concern in Australia, with approximately 76 million tonnes of plastic waste generated each year. While there have been some improvements in the industry, it is still challenging to recycle plastic effectively due to the lack of infrastructure and the complexity of the process.
Supermarkets in Australia have come under scrutiny for their contribution to plastic waste. Despite efforts to reduce plastic packaging, supermarkets have been criticised for their lack of transparency and accountability regarding plastic use. Many supermarkets have been slow to implement reuse and refill systems, instead relying on recycling as a solution. However, the complexity and cost of recycling different types of plastics, such as thin plastic films and plastic cutlery, make it challenging to achieve effective recycling rates.
Some supermarkets in Australia have introduced initiatives to improve plastic recycling. For example, until 2022, the RED Group collected soft plastics dropped off by consumers at Coles and Woolworths stores through the REDcycle program. These collected materials were recycled into new products like park furniture and road surfaces. Additionally, in 2013, Aldi Supermarkets launched Australia's first supermarket battery recycling program, diverting millions of batteries from landfills.
Despite these efforts, there is still a long way to go in reducing plastic waste in supermarkets. Consumers are encouraged to pressure supermarkets to reduce their plastic packaging and provide more sustainable alternatives. By making conscious choices and supporting policies that promote sustainable practices, individuals can contribute to a healthier environment and reduce the impact of plastic pollution on wildlife, marine ecosystems, and human health.
To improve plastic recycling at supermarkets, a multi-faceted approach is necessary. Firstly, supermarkets should increase transparency and provide clear information about their plastic usage and recycling efforts. Secondly, they should invest in reusable and refillable packaging options to reduce the reliance on single-use plastics. Finally, collaboration between supermarkets, government, and recycling companies is essential to develop innovative solutions and improve recycling infrastructure in Australia.
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Plastic recycling in other countries
Plastic recycling is a pressing issue globally, with many countries implementing schemes to tackle plastic pollution.
Austria has one of the highest recycling rates in the world, with 96% of the population separating their waste into recyclable categories. Annually, each household sorts an average of one million tonnes of waste. In 2020, the country banned plastic bags. Vancouver has a similar approach, with food scraps banned from standard waste bins, and it is mandatory to put food waste into compost bins. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Wales recycles around 65% of its total waste, with 17 out of 22 councils having residents sort their waste, and the rest sorted by the council. By 2025, Wales plans to recycle 70% of its waste.
Switzerland has around 12,000 recycling points across the city of Zurich, with door-to-door collections or recycling points. Recycling is mandatory in Switzerland, and failure to do so can result in fines. 50% of waste is recycled, and the remaining waste is used to produce energy. Singapore has one of the lowest usages of landfills globally, with companies taking full responsibility for the waste they produce. Waste is sorted into different streams, with unrecyclable plastics going to the country's only landfill, and the rest being incinerated. South Korea has dramatically increased its food recycling rate from 2% in 1995 to 95% today. A small monthly fee for biodegradable food scraps has helped reduce food waste, and almost everything can be recycled.
Curitiba in Brazil has a successful recycling scheme, with over 70% of waste recycled. The scheme provides jobs for the community and helps lower-class residents with tokens that can be exchanged for transport and food. However, some countries, such as the US, have been criticised for exporting large amounts of plastic waste to developing countries with poor environmental regulations, such as Bangladesh, Laos, Ethiopia, and Senegal.
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Frequently asked questions
The types of plastic that can be recycled in Australia are type 1 (PET), type 2 (HDPE), and type 5 (PP). These plastics are accepted in most kerbside recycling bins. Other types of plastic, such as type 3, type 4, type 6, and type 7, are not always recyclable through kerbside collection and may need to be dropped off at specific locations, such as council-operated transfer stations or supermarket recycling bins.
The plastic recycling rate in Australia is low, with reports indicating that only 9.4% of plastics were recycled in the 2017-18 financial year. In terms of plastic packaging specifically, the recycling rate is even lower, with Australia recycling only 16% of plastic packaging in 2021. However, Australia has set a target to recycle or compost 70% of plastic packaging by 2025.
Plastic recycling in Australia involves several steps. Consumers sort their plastic waste into recycling bins, which are then collected by contractors or council collectors. The collected plastics are taken to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) where they are sorted, compacted, and baled for sale. The sorted plastics are then reprocessed or exported for reprocessing. However, it is important to note that the recycling process in Australia has been criticized for its inefficiencies and reliance on exporting recyclable materials to other countries.
