Big businesses set to commit to combating plastics at first national waste summit
Updated
Big businesses are expected to lay out their plans to cut down on single-use plastics as part of a national summit targeting Australia's waste problem.
Key points:
- Companies including Nestle and McDonald's will make commitments to lower plastic usage
- The Federal Government is anticipating other commitments from businesses and groups
- Labor has warned the summit needs to be more than just a day of discussions
The goal of the first National Plastics Summit, to be held in Parliament House on Monday, is to create solutions to the growing pile of recyclable materials.
Most of the nation's recyclables have traditionally been sent overseas but countries like China and Indonesia are no longer importing as much waste, leading to Australia's looming ban on exporting some materials.
Businesses, experts, government leaders and school children will be putting their heads together to try to find solutions.
Nestle, McDonald's to makes pledges
Food company Nestle will reveal its plan to save plastics from making its way to landfill.
The company's head of corporate and external relations Margaret Stuart said Nestle was working on a trial to collect soft plastics from people's kerbside.
"[Nestle is] aiming to collect about 750 tonnes of plastic and we will be going to more than 100,000 homes as this trial rolls out," Ms Stuart said.
The company has spent about $2.3 billion on buying "food-grade recycled plastic" globally, to help create interest in the market.
"We need the systems to collect packaging, sort packaging, process packaging and make it back into things that are valuable to people," Ms Stuart said.
McDonald's has already announced it is ditching its plastic straws this year, but it is expected to announce at the summit it will also ban single-use cutlery.
The Federal Government is anticipating other commitments from businesses and groups.
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation will pledge to lead the development of a global plastics initiative domestically.
It will reveal its plan to help governments, businesses and non-government organisations create a common goal for an improved plastics economy, from producer to consumer and thereafter.
Environment Minister Sussan Ley said a major focus of the summit would be getting people and companies interested in making waste valuable.
She said it was all about solving problems and looking for opportunities.
"We see waste as a resource, as an economic opportunity, as a driver for jobs, particularly in regional Australia," Ms Ley said.
"We will see displays, and we will have panels of some of our top industry minds when it comes to recycling, innovative methods, remanufacturing and avoiding using too much packaging and plastic in the first place."
Labor has warned the summit needs to be more than just a day of discussions.
"We can't just talk rubbish, we need to make change," Josh Wilson, Labor's Shadow Assistant Minister for the Environment, said.
"And if the Government doesn't get its skates on, we are going to see more stockpiling of plastic — which of course is a fire risk. We're going to see more plastic going into landfill, and potentially into our oceans."
Topics: plastics-and-rubber, recycling-and-waste-management, climate-change, federal-government, canberra-2600, act, australia
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