Q&A
Hai Linh Truong, Flickr CC.
NSW EPA
Chair and CEO
Barry Buffier.
AWRE SPEAKS TO BARRY BUFFIER
What do you think has been the impact of the Waste
Less, Recycle More (WLRM) initiative so far?
WLRM is making a significant contribution to the NSW
government’s goal of establishing a modern, efficient and leading
edge waste management system to meet the current and future
needs of NSW. To date, WLRM has injected $286 million into waste
management in NSW, which will divert more than 1.9 million
tonnes of waste from landfill each year. These funds are supporting
more than 800 projects and generating more than 700 jobs. WLRM
is making it easier for businesses and householders to recycle,
increasing the supply and processing capacity for food and garden
waste, and delivering 1552,669
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homes around the state. It has provided $1.45 million to support
food charities to redirect surplus edible food away from landfill to
those in need. WLRM is introducing a network of 101 new drop-off
centres for problem wastes to make it easier for householders to
dispose of common household problem wastes, such as paint and
gas bottles. It is also funding a comprehensive range of programs
aimed at tackling litter and illegal dumping.
What role will the EPA play for businesses over the
next five years?
The EPA would like to see recycling at businesses become as
commonplace as recycling at home. A $35 million Business
Recycling Fund was established through the WLRM initiative to
help business reduce waste and increase recycling. We have
set a recycling rate target of 70% for commercial and industrial
waste. The closer we get to that target the harder it is to recycle
the remainder. This is because the material that is easy to
collect, the “low hanging fruit”, is already being recycled and we
now have to work harder to find the remaining materials.
Circulate, the EPA’s Industrial Ecology program, helps medium
to large sized businesses identify ‘waste’ outputs that may be
of value to another business as an input. Working with specific
materials and region by region, Circulate facilitators aim to
match businesses and their materials with each other for
mutual benefit. Waste streams being targeted include plastic,
timber, building operational waste, packaging and logistics, the
food supply chain and building products manufacturing waste.
The Bin Trim program funds more than 150 assessors to work
with small and medium sized business to help them reduce
waste and increase recycling. So far they have provided free
waste assessments to more than 18,000 businesses across the
state who are improving their recycling rates by 12% on average.
What are the big priorities for the EPA over the next
12 months?
Our next step will be to evaluate all the different programs under
Waste Less, Recycle More to identify where we can best build on
achievements and address gaps. Broadly though, our focus will
remain firmly on tackling litter to achieve a 40% reduction in the
volume by 2020, which is a Premier’s priority; combating illegal
dumping and rogue waste operators; facilitating the development
of further waste and recycling infrastructure to return materials
into the economy and reduce the amount of waste going to
landfill; and supporting councils to deliver regional strategies and
implement local fit-for-purpose solutions. We welcome the input
and feedback of our stakeholders on the progress and future
directions of the Waste Less, Recycle More initiative.
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Call
61-3-8401-7400
Barry Buffier is the NSW EPA’s Chair and CEO.
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