As part of our special series exploring the 13 key themes of the Victorian State of Environment 2018 Report (SoE 2018), this week we highlight our chapter on Waste and Resource Recovery and the Commissioner's recommendations that centre on Victoria’s transition to a circular economy. While the SoE 2018 report assessed six indicators including waste generation, municipal waste per capita and litter and illegal dumping, and data quality was generally good, this story is more complex. The SoE 2018 Report was written at a time of crises in Australia’s waste management system.
The SoE 2018 Recommendations (13 and 14) build on and support Victoria’s transition to a circular economy, highlight the need for indicators that monitor the health of the overall system and better use of the levers of government especially procurement and education, to activate and support the transition. This includes statewide community education targeted at reducing consumption and contamination levels in kerbside recyclables. In July 2019, the Victorian government released a circular economy issues paper. This week Infrastructure Victoria released a draft advice for public comment on recycling and resource infrastructure. The paper – Recycling and resource recovery infrastructure: Evidence base October 2019 – outlines the options that are available to create a strong, sustainable recycling and resource recovery industry. Infrastructure Victoria will seek submissions until Friday 13 December.
To learn more about the assessment of Waste and Resource Recovery in Victoria in SoE 2018, check out the following:
A complete Waste and Resource Recovery Indicator Report Card Assessment summarises the findings.
SoE2018IndicatorReportCard_W.pdf
The Waste and Resource Recovery chapter provides an in depth scientific assessment.
SoE2018ScientificAssessment_W.pdf
Don't forget to read the Commissioner's Waste and Resource Recovery Recommendations.
For more on the SoE 2018 Report visit https://lnkd.in/ghk9ZyU and check out Dr Sparkes discussing waste in the latest issue of Waste Management Review
Find out more about the Infrastructure Victoria report draft advice in the ABC News coverage