THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER

MEDIA RELEASE

Tuesday 10 December 2024

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Making recycling easier for households

Work is underway to make kerbside recycling and waste collection more consistent across the country.

State and territory governments will aim to work with local councils to progressively introduce consistent bin lid colours, cut waste sent to landfill, and provide clear information about what can and can’t be collected and recycled.

The improvements will make it easier for Australian households to recycle their used packaging and other items, better manage food and garden waste, and save money.

The meeting of Australia’s Environment Ministers, chaired by the Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek, today agreed in principle to the National Kerbside Collections Roadmap, with the exception of Queensland’s Minister.

At the meeting, all Ministers, except the Queensland Minister, also:

• welcomed Australia’s first National Circular Economy Framework, with clear targets to drive the country’s transition to a circular economy. It is one of the key recommendations of the Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group’s final report;
• agreed on a joint national action plan to tackle feral cats which are decimating our native wildlife. Minister Plibersek has already delivered an action in the threat abatement plan by banning highly predatory Bengal cats from being imported into Australia as pets;
• noted that the Commonwealth will consult with government and industry on new packaging design guidance to improve recyclability of packaging – a key step in packaging regulation reform;
• agreed to a stronger national action plan to reduce waste and recover more resources faster;
• noted the need for better national coordination on end markets for recycled goods, container deposit schemes, and action on problematic and unnecessary plastics; and
• agreed to coordinated action on updated guidelines that manage PFAS, complementing the introduction of Australia’s first national environmental chemicals standards that ban, severely restrict or reduce the environmental impacts of about 500 PFAS chemicals.

All Environment Ministers agreed to work together to fight the threat of high pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1 (bird flu) that threatens our precious native species.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek:

“It’s great to see the work Australia’s Environment Ministers are doing in their jurisdictions to make recycling easier, protect the natural world and drive a circular economy.

“But to achieve lasting, meaningful changes at a national level, all governments must work together collaboratively.

“The Albanese Labor Government is working hard to better protect and restore nature for future generations.

“We will keep pushing for a national roadmap that makes it easier for governments, councils and households to cut waste going to landfill.

“We’re combating the serious impacts of feral cats on our native animals by coordinating efforts across states and territories.

“We’re setting ambitious but achievable targets to double what we recycle, reuse and remanufacture by 2035 with a National Circular Economy Framework.

“We’re helping industry make better choices and maximise the recyclability of packaging.

“We’re protecting people and the environment from dangerous forever chemicals like PFAS.

“We’re pushing for stronger targets to manage the country’s waste.

“And we’re leaving nothing to chance when it comes to preparing for the arrival of H5N1 (bird flu).”

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