STRATEGY TO MAKE THE MOST OF WASTE
Published Tuesday, 16 October, 2007 at 10:55 AM
Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation
The Honourable Andrew McNamara
The old saying of one person’s trash being another person’s treasure is more important than ever today as society deals with waste creation and its appropriate disposal.
The Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, today released a discussion paper canvassing innovative new options for improved waste management in Queensland.
“The Queensland Waste Strategy discussion paper is part of our overall push to ensure Queensland isn’t just the Smart State, but it’s also the Sustainable State,” Mr McNamara said.
“To secure longterm sustainability, we need to shift our thinking towards treating waste as a resource rather than as a problem.
“Sustainability is the crucial social and economic issue facing Queensland today.
“Responding to the challenge isn’t just a simple energy and resource conservation question.
“The solution also lies in finding new ways to do the same things better, and dealing with waste is no different.
“Indeed, it is a critical part of the sustainability cycle of extraction, use and disposal.”
Mr McNamara said the discussion paper puts forward a range of options to stimulate debate on how we can best manage and control waste into the future.
Issues covered in the discussion paper include:
• Setting targets for achieving landfill diversion of particular waste streams, such as construction and demolition wastes or to achieve stated recycling rates;
• Special treatment of priority wastes and end-of-life products which have ongoing recyclable/re-use value;
• Landfill bans to prevent the disposal of specified wastes to landfill; and
• the development of a new performance-based system to provide financial incentive to reward landfill facilities which implement sustainable waste treatment practices.
“Better waste management practices are crucial to sustainability,” Mr McNamara said.
“Queenslanders have embraced actions such as kerbside and public place recycling, and there has been an improvement in the environmental performance of landfills and other waste management facilities.
“The way in which we consume products and materials will affect whether we have a sustainable society that leaves resources available for future generations to use.
“To give just one example, making an aluminium can from new aluminium uses 95% more energy than making one from recycled cans.
“More integrated approaches to waste handling that link to resource conservation, energy and water efficiency, climate change and planning policies will be central to the Bligh Government’s sustainability strategies.
“The Queensland Waste Strategy will go a long way towards realising that objective.”
Mr McNamara encouraged all Queenslanders to have a say in developing a new direction for waste management in Queensland.
Copies of the report are available from the EPA website at www.epa.qld.gov.au.
Submissions close on 21 December.
Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3336 8004
The Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, today released a discussion paper canvassing innovative new options for improved waste management in Queensland.
“The Queensland Waste Strategy discussion paper is part of our overall push to ensure Queensland isn’t just the Smart State, but it’s also the Sustainable State,” Mr McNamara said.
“To secure longterm sustainability, we need to shift our thinking towards treating waste as a resource rather than as a problem.
“Sustainability is the crucial social and economic issue facing Queensland today.
“Responding to the challenge isn’t just a simple energy and resource conservation question.
“The solution also lies in finding new ways to do the same things better, and dealing with waste is no different.
“Indeed, it is a critical part of the sustainability cycle of extraction, use and disposal.”
Mr McNamara said the discussion paper puts forward a range of options to stimulate debate on how we can best manage and control waste into the future.
Issues covered in the discussion paper include:
• Setting targets for achieving landfill diversion of particular waste streams, such as construction and demolition wastes or to achieve stated recycling rates;
• Special treatment of priority wastes and end-of-life products which have ongoing recyclable/re-use value;
• Landfill bans to prevent the disposal of specified wastes to landfill; and
• the development of a new performance-based system to provide financial incentive to reward landfill facilities which implement sustainable waste treatment practices.
“Better waste management practices are crucial to sustainability,” Mr McNamara said.
“Queenslanders have embraced actions such as kerbside and public place recycling, and there has been an improvement in the environmental performance of landfills and other waste management facilities.
“The way in which we consume products and materials will affect whether we have a sustainable society that leaves resources available for future generations to use.
“To give just one example, making an aluminium can from new aluminium uses 95% more energy than making one from recycled cans.
“More integrated approaches to waste handling that link to resource conservation, energy and water efficiency, climate change and planning policies will be central to the Bligh Government’s sustainability strategies.
“The Queensland Waste Strategy will go a long way towards realising that objective.”
Mr McNamara encouraged all Queenslanders to have a say in developing a new direction for waste management in Queensland.
Copies of the report are available from the EPA website at www.epa.qld.gov.au.
Submissions close on 21 December.
Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3336 8004