This article from the Packaging Covenant the plastic packaging industry group shows some large problems with plastic management in Australia.
- Target 2: 70 per cent of plastic packaging being recycled or composted.
- Result: The plastics recycling rate increased from 16 per cent to 18 per cent (Figures are higher for individual polymers e.g., 36 per cent of PET and 23 per cent of HDPE were recycled).
- The biggest area of challenge continues to be the recycling rate of plastics. While the recovery rate increased from 16 per cent to 18 per cent, significant progress is still required to meet the 2025 Target of 70 per cent.This year’s report also contains new data exploring the volume of packaging in landfill and reusable packaging formats. 2.9 million tonnes of packaging were disposed to landfill in 2018-19, accounting for 50 per cent of the total amount of packaging placed on market.
- Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans MP, welcomed this new report from APCO and the data that shows we’re working towards the 2025 National Packaging Targets. Getting to 100 per cent reusable, recyclable and compostable packaging across the country will set us on the path to creating a vibrant circular economy in Australia.
These numbers reinforce why Biogone is going to be a major essential company for many years yet. So much plastic is going to landfill and even if it is made reusable, recyclable, or compostable, it could all still go to landfill. Biogone is the only company addressing the plastic waste accumulation problem in landfills. Making the plastic waste biodegradable and providing the opportunity to capture the Biogas to generate electricity from it are huge beneficial factors.
