An Australian federal government committee has made 22 recommendations for actions related to plastic pollution in the nation's oceans and waterways following an inquiry.
"Drowning in Waste," prepared by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, was tabled May 28 in the federal parliament.
The report has been welcomed by environment and waste management groups.
Jeff Angel, executive director of the Sydney-based Total Environment Centre (TEC) and convenor of the Boomerang Alliance, a network of 55 environmental bodies, told Plastics News: "This substantial report is another loud call for action to alleviate the plastic pollution crisis, which is set to contaminate the environment, food chain and humans for decades unless there are powerful interventions by government and significant change by industry."
Angel said the committee made some useful recommendations, including mandated and stronger packaging targets; a levy on virgin polymers; a producer responsibility scheme; a new national plastic plan (NPP), including a particular focus on a microplastics reduction strategy; and improved label requirements to avoid greenwashing.
"Federal and state governments should act with urgency. We are calling for new regulation and targets to reduce plastic and increase reuse as well as recycling," Angel said.
Gayle Sloan, CEO of the Sydney-based Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR), welcomed the report, saying she hopes it brings a renewed focus and urgency to addressing plastic recovery and design.
"Any measure that reduces the amount of plastic produced, makes plastic easier to recycle and recover, or reduces littering reduces the amount that [goes] into our oceans and waterways," Sloan told Plastics News.
"At least 8 million [metric tons] of plastics leak into the ocean each year. Packaging is the largest application of plastics with 26 percent of volume [and] its small size and low residual value make it especially prone to leak into the environment.
"Waste is often the direct result of poor design [so] it is imperative that decisions are made at the concept and design stage to select appropriate materials and eliminate pollution."
Sloan said an emphasis on design, coupled with behavioral change, will assist greatly in creating a circular economy and reducing plastics in the ocean.
TEC, Boomerang Alliance and WMRR made submissions to the committee and representatives appeared at public hearings.