Some plastic sent overseas for recycling ends up as pollution, or goes up in toxic smoke. But there are steps we can take to ensure our waste is processed as intended.
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Articles on Recycling crisis
Displaying 1 - 20 of 22 articles
The federal government today announced $1 billion plan to divert more than ten million tonnes of waste from landfill. But waste management is about more than just recycling.
By 2030, no matter where Victorians live or visit, they’ll have a consistent kerbside bin system.
An inconclusive COAG meeting comes after years of inquiries, announcements, initiatives, investigations and reviews. Australia is no closer to actually tackling our waste problems.
A new business is skipping recycling in favour of returning, washing and reusing sturdy containers for common groceries.
Advertisers that tell a good story can persuade the public of all sorts of things. But some messages are disingenuous and misleading.
Australia needs a viable domestic recycling industry – here’s the current state of play.
Australia’s recycling woes belong to everyone, from households to government to business. It’s time to stop pointing fingers and get to work on a solution.
Australia doesn’t want to deal with its own recycling waste, so why do we think other countries should do it for us?
Australia urgently needs to prepare for a coming tsunami of solar panel and battery waste.
Navigating Australia’s recycling crisis is even harder during festive seasons. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
Too much recyclable packaging is still finding its way into landfill - and plastic is the biggest culprit, with two-thirds going unrecovered, according to a new analysis.
China’s refusal to take Australia’s rubbish has started to bite, and it’s clear we’re not ready to deal with the consequences.
Since China stopped accepting Australia’s recyclable plastic, the majority of exported plastic waste is now going to developing nations in South East Asia.
This year’s recycling crisis has prompted the federal government to pledge a move towards an economy in which materials are kept in use for as long as possible. But it still has a long way to go.
You might know expanded polystyrene as packing foam, but it’s a nightmare to recycle. Why not just turn it into something useful (or beautiful) instead?
Illegal dumping is costing governments millions – but satellite technology could help put a stop to it.
Plastic can only be recycled a few times before it becomes useless. But even non-recyclable plastic can be used to help produce petrol and diesel. Could this process help overcome the recycling crisis?
Both short- and long-term solutions are needed to solve Australia’s recycling crisis. State and federal ministers are pursuing some promising avenues, but they need to cast the net much wider.
Under a new target, 100% of Australian packaging will be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025. But this is not enough - we also need to ensure that recyclable materials are actually recycled.
Top contributors
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Research Fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia (Monash Sustainable Development Institute), Monash University
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Associate Professor and Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
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Lecturer, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
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Research Principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
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Senior Research Consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
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Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
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Senior Lecturer, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney
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Senior lecturer, Curtin University
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Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
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Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in Environmental Law, University College Dublin
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Senior Lecturer Product Design, University of Technology Sydney
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Professor, Griffith School of Engineering, Griffith University
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Digital and Communications Manager
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Associate Professor in Economics, The University of Queensland
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Senior Research Consultant at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
