Lots of people have told us that a CDS would be a good thing for Victoria. But before we can introduce our own scheme, we need to make sure it’s the right fit for Victoria.
A CDS can help create higher value recycled materials, through improved sorting and reduced contamination, but has the potential to create new issues or unintended consequences.
We will continue to monitor what happens in New South Wales and other comparable jurisdictions as they introduce their schemes and will consider their implications for Victoria.
Our focus right now is developing the markets and products that use recycled material – without a market we can’t address the challenges that have resulted from China no longer accepting recycling.
The management of waste and recycling is a complex problem, not just here in Victoria but across the globe – there’s no silver bullet that will fix it.
We’re continuing to work closely with councils and industry to ensure as much recycling as possible is processed.
Since our election in 2014, the Andrews Labor Government has invested over $135 million from the Sustainability Fund building Victoria’s waste and resource recovery industry.
We’ve taken action to ban e-waste – fastest growing stream of waste – from landfill. Any item with a plug, battery or cord can no longer be banned from landfill and instead must be deposited at a designated e-waste drop-off point.
And from 1 November this year all lightweight, single-use plastic shopping bags will be banned across Victoria.
We’ve also asked the Essential Services Commission to investigate if waste should be regulated as an essential service, in the way that the water and energy sectors are regulated.
The Andrews Labor Government is developing a circular economy policy for Victoria – to maximises the reuse of materials and reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfill. For more information go to: engage.vic.gov.au/circulareconomy
A circular economy will not only improve Victoria’s waste and recycling systems – it will support local businesses and create local jobs here in Victoria.