Tuesday, 29 August 2023

Ministers statements: waste and recycling management

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep, Minister for Environment) (12:23): Last week I had the privilege of visiting two very innovative Victorian recycling facilities which have both been upgraded as part of our unprecedented $515 million investment into transforming Victoria’s waste and recycling system.

On Thursday, along with the Premier, Minister Plibersek, the member for Broadmeadows in the other place and representatives from Visy, we unveiled the nation’s most advanced paper-recycling infrastructure at Visy’s Coolaroo paper mill. The new paper drum pulper means that more mixed and contaminated paper and cardboard collected through Victoria’s collection system and household recycling bins can be recycled so that they can be turned into new products here in Victoria instead of ending up in landfill or offshore. The Andrews Labor government partnered with the Albanese government and Visy to co-invest $42.5 million into this game-changing new recycling infrastructure, which will recycle an additional 95,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard each year.

Another type of waste that we are targeting as part of our overhaul of the recycling system is e-waste, one of the fastest growing waste streams on the planet. I was pleased to visit Dandenong on Friday with Minister Williams to tour the upgraded Scipher Technologies plant, where a $395,000 grant from the Andrews Labor government has supported the local business to quadruple its capacity to recycle flat screen TVs, computers, keyboards and other e-waste.

These projects are really good news for the economy. They are creating jobs and delivering local manufacturing opportunities. It is great news for our environment, supporting our goal of diverting 80 per cent of waste from landfill by 2030.