NTCRS EXPANSION

Expanding the NTCRS

FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP ACT REVIEW, WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT EXPANDING THE NTCRS AND BOOSTING E-WASTE RECOVERY.

Areview of the Product Stewardship Act 2011 was launched in early 2017, and in June 2020, it was finally released.

Since the act was introduced, Australia’s waste and resource recovery ecosystem has shifted dramatically, with increased activity and discussion on the importance of moving towards a more circular approach that maintains the value of resources for as long as possible.

The long-awaited review makes a series of recommendations, most notably that the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) be expanded to include all electrical and electronic products with a plug or battery. In total, 26 recommendations were made, all of which are supported by the Federal Government.

In addition to expanding the NTCRS, the review recommends calling out manufacturers and importers that are “letting consumers and their industry down,” by not participating in a product stewardship scheme.

The review also suggests strengthening the Minister’s priority products list to encourage brands to work together towards an industry-led scheme by adding clear timeframes.

Rose Read, National Waste and Recycling Council (NWRIC) CEO, says NWRIC welcome the strengthening of the Environment Minister’s role in listing products on the priority list and calling out organisations not engaging in voluntary led initiatives in a timely manner.

“Together with the Product Stewardship Investment Fund, this will encourage a lot more businesses to step up and take greater responsibility for their products throughout their lifecycle,” she says.

“However, naming and shaming won’t work if the minister does not take quick action when companies choose to ignore government putting them on notice. As in the case of battery companies Duracell and Energiser who have since 2013 refused to meet their stewardship obligations. Actions speak louder than words.”

Shortly after the review was released, the Federal Government introduced

the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 into parliament.

According to Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Minister Trevor Evans, the legislation will improve the existing framework for product stewardship by encouraging companies to take greater responsibility for the waste they generate through the products they design, manufacture or distribute.

“We are making it easier for industry to set up and join in product stewardship schemes,” Evans said.

“Yet, where voluntary product stewardship schemes are not effective, or where they are not created in priority areas, the government will have new tools to intervene and regulate.”

John Gertsakis, Director and Cofounder of the Ewaste Watch Institute, says he is optimistic about where product stewardship is heading in Australia.

The Product Stewardship Act review recommends expanding the NTCRS to include all electronic products with a plug or battery.

“The recommendations resulting from the review of the Act underscore the importance of product stewardship as a key policy tool to avoid and reduce waste across multiple industries, product classes and material streams,” he says.

“It’s particularly pleasing to see recommendations specifically dealing with product design, durability, reuse and repair, and the need to move back up the supply chain to avoid waste and create new industry-led solutions. Product stewardship’s potential extends well beyond end-of-life materials recycling.”

Gertsakis explains that product durability, reuse and safe repair are the ‘first responders’ if Australia is serious about waste avoidance and reduction.

“They are also core circular economy principles, so I fully support the review’s recommendation to broaden the objectives of the Act and associated rules to ensure that durability, reuse and repair become measurable outcomes across all relevant product classes, but especially electrical and electronic equipment,” he says.

ENFORCING E-WASTE

While the Federal Government’s announcement that it would ‘name and shame’ companies not participating in schemes dominated public response to the review, the NTCRS expansion took centre stage in the waste and resource recovery sector. Data from the World Health Organisation shows e-waste reached 54.6 million tonnes in 2019, with generation levels expected to climb by 40 per cent over the next decade.

The NTCRS, the only co-regulatory scheme under current legislation, was launched in 2011 with aim of providing Australian households and small businesses access to free industryfunded collection and recycling services.

More than 1800 collection points have been made available to the public since 2011, with over 290,000 tonnes of e-waste collected and recycled.

Annual reports for 2018-19 show three of the scheme’s four co-regulators, Ecycle Solutions, the Australian and New Zealand Recycling Platform and Electronic Product Stewardship Australasia, meet their collection targets. Ecycle Solutions, for example, saw a 60 per cent increase in the amount of e-waste collected in the 2018-19 financial year, compared to the previous year.

The co-regulator also achieved 100 per cent reasonable access Australia wide, collecting 12,143,629 kilograms of e-waste.

The Australian and New Zealand Recycling Platform and Electronic Product Stewardship Australasia also achieved their reasonable access requirements, with 276 and 221 collection points respectively.

Despite this success, Read says expanding the scope of the NTCRS to include all items with a battery or plug is urgently required.

“As highlighted in the review, the type and nature of e-waste has changed significantly since the scheme started,” she says.

“For example, mobile and wearable technologies have displaced traditional computer and television technologies. Plus, white goods and consumer electronics now contain a greater percentage of plastics – reducing recovery rates and value.”

Likewise, Gertsakis says expanding the NTCRS makes sense and will improve economies of scale.

“All products placed on the market should come with a genuine stewardship action plan. An expanded NTCRS will also reduce confusion in the community, and streamline the collection and education process for local councils,” he says.

Going beyond televisions, computers and mobile phones is an essential and obvious evolution of the NTCRS, Gertsakis says. He adds that with the advent of the 5G network, any NTCRS expansion must also address the imminent wave of Internet of Things devices and associated network infrastructure.

“Many of these products will also include batteries, so it’s vital to adopt a comprehensive approach to what constitutes electronic waste and ensure such equipment is responsibly managed,” Gertsakis says.

PROBLEMATIC BATTERIES

When the review was first announced, NWRIC immediately called on the Federal Government to ensure a comprehensive national battery recycling program was in place and funded by all battery brands by the end of 2020. Batteries often incorrectly end up in waste and recycling bins, Read says, causing fires in collection trucks, processing facilities and landfills on a monthly if not weekly basis. She adds that batteries have been on the product priority list since 2013.

“Even now, with much more active engagement by the Environment and Assistant Ministers, major battery companies Duracell and Energiser refuse to join the proposed voluntary industry-led battery recycling scheme. Enough is enough, the Federal Government needs to regulate.”

The ACCC has granted two authorisations for the implementation of an industry-led battery stewardship scheme. The scheme will be funded by a levy on battery imports and a system of rebates to accredited collectors and recyclers.

According to Read, however, the ACCC approach will not bring Duracell

Data from the World Health Organisation shows e-waste reached 54.6 million tonnes in 2019.

or Energiser into the fold.

“We have wasted enough time and government funds. A co-regulated approach must be pursued by the government as a matter of urgency.

“The scheme is designed, it just needs to be regulated to ensure all battery importers, distributors and retailers accept their producer responsibility.”

In addition to expansion, the review recommends the Federal Government consider options for improving administration and compliance of the NTCRS. Read says consistency in compliance is very much welcomed.

“This not only gives the co-regulatory arrangements clarity and certainty, but ensures collectors, transporters and recyclers are operating to both national and international standards in handling, processing and reporting,” she says.

Similarly, Gertsakis says ongoing monitoring and audits across all relevant NTCRS stakeholders is key to effective compliance.

“In short, this is about resourcing the compliance process to identify and pick up potential breaches before they become a problem,” he says.

“Improved compliance not only avoids undesirable environmental problems and impacts, it builds confidence in consumers that their efforts to recycle e-waste are taken seriously. A dedicated compliance policy with ‘teeth’ and resources can help eliminate rogue operators.”

While details on what the Federal Government’s compliance policy might look like are yet to be determined, Gertsakis says effective assurance requires robust systems and methods that are independently managed, transparent and accountable.

“A potent option would be to introduce random unannounced audits across the supply chain as a priority, on a cost-recovery basis charged to operators,” he says.

Clarifying reporting requirements for downstream recycling is also recommended. Read says the most effective way to improve transparency of downstream recycling is to process Australia’s e-waste in onshore.

“Currently, most e-waste is dismantled and then exported for further processing, which makes downstream recycling transparency very difficult and expensive,” Read says.

“As with waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres, NWRIC is calling on the Federal Government to ban the export of unprocessed e-waste, and together with liable parties and the recycling industry, invest in developing local e-waste parts recovery and processing capacity facilities.”