With just weeks to go until this year’s Federal Election, the WA Local Government Association is calling for greater funding and support to assist Local Government to reduce waste sent to landfill, increase resource recovery and transition to a circular economy.

WALGA President Cr Karen Chappel said WA Local Governments were seeking assistance to unlock local circular economies and fund circular waste innovation projects; a commitment to effective national product stewardship schemes; and additional funding and support to improve kerbside collection services.

“Effective National Product Stewardship schemes for items such as electronic waste, tyres and packaging are essential to ensure that doing the right thing doesn’t cost the community more,” Cr Chappel said.

“Whilst the move to onshore recycling options is fully supported by all levels of government and current funding is beneficial, if producers are not also required to take financial and physical responsibility for their products at end of life, recycling costs are only going to increase.

“Without effective product stewardship, it is possible the price of kerbside recycling will double in the next five years; and ultimately it will be the community that pays.”   

Cr Chappel said the State Government’s commitment to an electronic waste landfill ban by 2024 would also have a huge cost to the WA community if effective product stewardship was not in place.

A recent report from the Department of Waste and Environmental Regulation indicates that across WA, an estimated 613,000 tonnes of electronic waste will be created in this current decade, and to recycle these materials would cost over $300 million.  

“The landfill ban represents an opportunity to recover essential resources, but to be effective needs to be underpinned by Product Stewardship,” Cr Chappel said.

“This mean the cost of recycling will be included in whatever electronic products you buy rather than the whole community instead paying these costs at the recycling facility end.”

This Federal Election, WA Local Governments are calling for:
  • Effective National Product Stewardship Schemes for all electronic waste, tyres and packaging to ensure that doing the right thing doesn’t cost the community more
  • Federal guidance and advice on how to unlock the circular economy locally, particularly in rural, regional, and remote areas
  • Additional funding, and support, to assist Local Governments to transition to Better Practice Kerbside Collection Services 
  • $100 million per annum over four years to fund Local Government circular waste innovation projects.
Find out more at dontleavelocalcommunitiesbehind.com.au