ASBG submission on the Commonwealth Government’s Recycling and Waste Reduction Legislative Package is available as a download at the bottom of this page. A key part of this pack is the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 and its subordinate legislation. ASBG recommended a number of improvements to the RWR Bill including on the:
- Definitions used for Waste was far too broad capturing all products. It should be consistent with the waste definitions in the major states waste laws
- Definitions for Relevant Courts was too restrictive only including State Supreme Courts. ASBG recommended other relevant state and territory courts be included and listed in a regulation
- Product Stewardship Liabilities: The current Product Stewardship Act lacks proper commercial law arrangements in handling debt and liabilities. ASBG recommends that legal means based commercial law be included to handle liabilities resulting from liquidations and other financial hardship issues.
- Ministerial Exemptions need to be accompanied with a set of application guidelines to prevent the process being abused
- Ministerial Priority List requires a scientific, cost-benefit and risk-based approach in selecting and removing waste types from the list
