Australia, like many countries globally is facing a big challenge: how to manage the mountains of waste (an estimated 75.6 million tonnes of garbage*) we produce each year in a way that protects our environment, supports job growth, and keeps valuable materials circulating in the economy.
The National Waste Policy Action Plan 2024 has set a roadmap to do exactly that — and it’s not just for policymakers. It is designed to create usable guidelines for individuals. communities, families, and businesses can adopt. It’s important that we all understand the role we can play in helping our nation meet its sustainability goals.
Understanding the Plan and it’s intended outcomes:
At its heart, the Action Plan has seven ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030. These targets aim to reshape how Australia deals with waste in a practical, long-term way. They include:
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- Stop exporting key waste materials like plastics, paper, glass and tyres — meaning more recycling and reuse here in Australia**.
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- Cut waste generation per person by 10% — encouraging smarter consumption and less overall waste**.
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- Reach an average of 80 % resource recovery from all waste streams — keeping more materials in use longer. **
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- Boost the use of recycled content in products purchased by governments and industry.**
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- Phase out problematic and unnecessary plastics.**
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- Halve organic waste sent to landfill — particularly food and garden waste.**
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- Make better waste data publicly available so consumers, investors and innovators can make smarter decisions. **
Why It Matters to You
Here’s some of the intended impacts that these changes will make:
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- Cleaner parks and waterways as less waste leaks into the environment.
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- Fewer resources thrown away, reduces pressure on landfill which means communities save money and funds can be spent on other initiatives.
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- More local recycling jobs and businesses making useful products from recycled materials. More innovation means more opportunity.
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- Better transparency, so everyone can see how Australia is tracking toward these goals.
Every Australian household and business has a part to play — from separating organics and recycling correctly to choosing products with recycled content. Small changes now help create a more sustainable future for all of us.
Stay tuned as New England Waste and Recycling digs into how these targets will play out locally and what it means for our region.
* Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
**DCCEEW
Find out more about New England Waste and Recycling here
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