Responding to the Australian Recycling Crisis

Responding to the Australian Recycling Crisis

Sustainability is no joke and the Fresh Produce Industry is taking it seriously — in a country where our attempts at recycling are currently causing immense amounts of waste, it is more important than ever that we make sure we aren’t contributing to this problem.

Almost two years ago, in July 2017, China put a ban on the importation of 24 types of recyclable materials, and the effects of this ban are continuing to hurt Australia’s ability to recycle our rubbish. Due to our state government’s reliance on exporting recycling, Australia has never developed sufficient onshore facilities to take care of matters ourselves. Recyclable materials from businesses and everyday Aussie homes are piling up and joining the landfill queue as we have seemingly nowhere else to turn.

Here at the Melbourne Market, the MMA have generally done a good job handling of the facility’s recycling process, much of which is recycled through Visy here in Australia. But as a market we are accumulating a shocking 981.99 tonnes of polystyrene waste (based on 2017/2018 figures) — the equivalent of 245 Toyota forklifts — that is then shipped over to China to be dealt with. This massive figure is a worry. If China continues to tighten their restrictions on exported waste we are in trouble; one would certainly hope that the MMA are thinking of a backup plan for this mountain of waste.

When it comes to the Fresh Produce Industry overall it is clear that sustainability is a top concern. At February’s 2019 Fruit Logistica conference in Berlin there was an unmissable focus on sustainability and the reduction of plastics across the industry. We’ve come a long way from sustainable packaging being the focus of organic produce companies alone, now it is clear that this is a trend that consumers want world-wide. Although this Fruit Logistica conference is held in Berlin, it is a great indicator of global produce trends and it seems like a reduction in plastic packaging and a move to cardboard and other sustainable materials is on the cards.

In fact, this reduction in plastic may be hitting our shores sooner than you think. The South Australian state government have this year launched a discussion with businesses and individuals on ways to reduce the environmental impact of plastic items that are frequently littered like coffee cups, straws, and plastic bags. However, with the rise of home delivery companies such as Uber Eats only increasing in popularity, it is important that all of Australia’s state governments put their own strategies in place soon.

Perhaps it is not a terrible thing that as a country we can no longer export our ridiculous amounts of waste offshore. If the real amount of rubbish we are creating is not seen by the public it will always be harder to turn the tide against single-use plastics. In the war of convenience vs. long term sustainability, a visual reminder about the piles of recycling going to waste is an image very few people can ignore and may create the pressure needed for the state government to prioritize the self-sufficiency of our recycling system.