New to the Minister’s Priority List in 2021-22 is clothing textiles, as well as problematic and unnecessary single use plastics. Remaining on the list are photovoltaic systems (solar panels and accessories), electrical and electronic products, as well as plastic oil containers. Australia’s first national battery recycling scheme will be launched in early 2022, so batteries have been removed. Plastic microbeads and products containing them have also been removed this year with microbeads successfully phased out of rinse off cosmetic, personal care and cleaning products which are now 99.3% microbead free.
Current products or materials for listing
| Class of products | Year first listed | Reasons for inclusion | Actions recommended | Timing for action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Photovoltaic systems |
2016–17 |
Currently, an estimated 6 to 7 million tonnes of waste is generated from photovoltaic systems per year. This figure is expected to rise exponentially over coming years as photovoltaic systems become increasingly common. This class of product encompasses photovoltaic panels, inverter equipment and system accessories, for domestic, commercial, and industrial applications. Components of photovoltaic systems may contain hazardous substances. Early generation photovoltaic panels for example, contain cadmium and lead which have the potential to leach into ground water and soil when landfilled. Photovoltaic systems also contain many recoverable materials of value, however most material currently is disposed of in landfill. The complexity of these systems creates challenges for the full recovery of valuable materials. The end-of-life disposal of photovoltaic systems involves a cost to governments. There is potential to increase the recovery of valuable resources through improved collection and recycling pathways, while also reducing the impacts of hazardous materials on the environment and human health through diverting materials from landfill. |
Action 1—The Photovoltaic industry must demonstrate that it will manage photovoltaic waste through an industry-led product stewardship arrangement.
Government will consult industry over the next 6 months on how to meet these two objectives. |
June 2022–June 2023 |
|
Electrical and electronic products |
2016–17 |
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) includes products with a cord or battery. An estimated 539,000 tonnes of WEEE was generated in Australia in 2018–19, with 50 per cent of this recycled and the other half disposed of in landfill. ACT, South Australia and Victoria have banned the disposal of e-waste to landfill. The Government's waste export ban of mixed plastics will be in place in July 2021. This will impact current overseas recycling pathways for e-waste plastics collected in Australia by the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS), Mobile Muster and individual e-waste collectors and recyclers. Under the NTCRS, the television and computer industry funds the collection and recycling of end-of-life televisions, printers, computers, computer parts and peripherals. People often dispose other (non-NTCRS) electrical and electronic products, particularly television peripherals, hi-fi equipment, and other home appliances to NTCRS collection sites. To improve the environmental management of WEEE and to contribute to a circular economy and enhance resource efficiency, the improvement of collection, treatment, and recycling of electronics at the end of their life is essential. |
Action 1— The telecommunications industry design a scheme and develop a business case for an effective, industry led scheme for communications products such as modems and routers. |
June 2022 |
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Action 2—Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers should demonstrate measurable product design improvements to increase the durability, reparability, re-usability and/or recyclability of electronic and electrical products. |
June 2025 |
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Plastic oil containers |
2016–17 |
Plastic oil containers have the potential to harm the environment and people because of the residual oil they contain, including oil absorbed into the plastic. There is potential to increase the recovery of resources and reduce the impacts on the environment and human health through collection and recycling of these containers. |
Action 1—Industry should implement a product stewardship scheme for plastic oil containers.
|
June 2022–June 2023 |
|
Child car seats |
2020 |
Reusing child car seats beyond their design life presents a serious safety risk to babies and young children, and it is important that end-of-design life seats are taken out of circulation. Currently approximately 200,000 child car safety seats end up in landfill each year. A 2017 recycling trial demonstrated there is an opportunity to recover and reuse valuable resources including clean plastic and metal – over 80 per cent of child car safety seats can be recycled once dismantled. |
Action 1—Child car safety seat manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers should establish and implement a voluntary product stewardship scheme by mid-2023. The scheme should ensure arrangements are in place to safely and efficiently manage nationally the disposal, collection and recycling of unwanted and potentially unsafe child car safety seats.
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June 2022–June 2023 |
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Action 2—Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers participating in the scheme should demonstrate measurable product design improvements to increase the durability, reparability, re-usability and/or recyclability of child car seats. |
June 2025 |
New products or materials for listing
| Class of products | Year first listed | Reasons for inclusion | Actions recommended | Timing for action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Clothing textiles |
2021–22 |
Textiles include clothing, carpets, furniture coverings, rags, bags and tarpaulins. For the purposes of this list, the scope of textiles is limited to clothing. In 2018–19 Australia generated 780,000 tonnes of textile waste, with clothing comprising roughly 39 per cent by weight. Only 7 per cent was recycled with the remaining going to landfill. In 2019–20, Australia exported 47,300 tonnes of textile waste (mostly worn clothing). No formal collection services for reused textiles, with collection borne mainly by charities. Commonly used textiles often contain a complex mixture of materials that are difficult to separate and recycle. Breaking down textiles into their virgin elements, in order to recycle them, is time consuming and labour intensive. Improvements in technology are facilitating higher levels of material yield, however these technologies are still in their infancy and are not widely used in Australia. Plastic microfibres from laundering synthetic clothing contribute to up to 35 per cent of primary microplastics in marine environments. |
Action 1—Industry should take action to reduce the volume of clothing being sent to landfill. A focus should be the design and production of goods that facilitate longevity and reuse. |
2022–2025 |
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Action 2 —Design a national product stewardship scheme for end-of-life uniforms and workwear. |
June 2022 |
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Action 3—Set up an industry wide stakeholder group to establish baseline data for material flows of various categories of textiles and drive action on textiles. (This could include for example increasing recycling potential, material flows data and reporting, research and development, product design to reduce waste and facilitate reuse and recycling). |
June 2022 |
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Action 4—Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers should reduce the environmental impacts of clothing across the lifecycle including through product design improvements related to durability, reparability, re-usability and/or recyclability of clothing. |
2025 |
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Problematic and unnecessary single use plastics |
2021–22 |
Problematic and unnecessary single use plastics are difficult to recycle and cause disproportionate harm to the environment with approximately 130,000 tonnes of plastics leaking into the marine environment each year. In 2018–19 Australians used 3.4 million tonnes of plastics of which 40 per cent was designed for short-term single use, yet lasts for centuries. Target 5 of the National Waste Policy Action Plan is to Phaseout problematic and unnecessary plastics by 2025. The problematic plastics identified for inclusion are informed by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation's (APCO) priority list as well as existing commitments by the Australian Government. The Australian Government's steps to phaseout priority problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging does not preclude states and territories from taking their own regulatory action on these plastics. |
Action 1—Nationally coordinated industry phase-out in place for the following problematic and unnecessary single use plastics through elimination, redesign, replacement and innovation:
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June–December 2022 |