Chair's Foreword

Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to Australia’s oceans and waterways due to the harm that it causes to marine and freshwater life and ecosystems. Without urgent action, the presence of plastic waste will continue to escalate and negatively impact the natural environment.

Many of our daily activities and routines involve plastic. Everything from our morning coffees to our fresh fruit shopping produces a significant level of plastic waste that is almost impossible for consumers to avoid. The different types and labelling of plastics mean that managing plastic waste presents a real challenge for consumers, industry and governments. Importantly, for many uses, there are no real substitutes for plastic.

More than 20 million Australians have participated in clean-up activities and events over the past three decades. Not-for-profit and non-government organisations’ community campaigns are valuable ways to raise awareness and promote behavioural change to reduce plastic pollution. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough without addressing plastic pollution at its source.

During this inquiry, the Committee examined Australia’s current approach to managing and preventing plastic pollution, with a focus on the policies that sit under the National Plastics Plan, as well as approaches taken by state and territory governments.

The inquiry revealed areas where policies are inadequate to the scale of the problem and identified opportunities to drive meaningful progress. The Committee made 22 recommendations that go to the heart of strengthening Australia’s plastics management framework to minimise plastic waste ending up in our oceans and waterways, incentivise the use of recycled materials in the production of new plastics, and strengthen management of the plastics that are already in the environment.

One of the major findings is that Australia’s current National Plastics Plan is a disjointed compilation of goals, disappointingly some of which were already completed prior to the plan being developed and others that were not completed by their expected deadline. Australia needs an updated National Plastics Plan, developed in consultation with state and territory governments, industry, and the community, and coordinated nationally to prioritise industry accountability. Responsibility for plastics must be shifted back onto plastics manufacturers.

The Committee found that plastic manufacturers currently find it cheaper and easier to use virgin polymers rather than recycled materials in plastic products. This is for a range of reasons including higher cost and lower quality of recycled materials, as well as a lack of incentives in place. Regulation should be improved so that manufacturers of plastics take more responsibility for minimising their environmental footprint and to foster a sustainable plastics industry.

Many Australians want to recycle correctly but inconsistencies among states and territories have led consumers to believe that certain items are recyclable or compostable when they are not. Australia needs national leadership to harmonise single-use plastic bans, waste collection standards and the Container Deposit Scheme. Packaging and recycling labelling also needs to be standardised and simplified to reduce confusion and help consumers recycle the right containers.

REDcycle was an accessible and convenient option for consumers to return their soft plastics to the big supermarkets for recycling. Its collapse in November 2022 was disappointing and it highlighted the need for a more sustainable approach for the collection and recycling of soft plastics. In response, the Soft Plastics Taskforce was established, and the Committee looks forward to its recommendations and outcomes. While some local councils have launched soft plastics recycling trials, there is a clear need for an effective program which is harmonised across the country and led by the Australian Government.

Australia’s regional and remote coastal locations are some of the communities most disproportionally affected by plastic pollution. Ocean currents can move plastic waste across vast distances, leading to pollution far from its point of origin. Limited resources and insufficient infrastructure mean that these remote communities cannot manage such enormous quantities of plastic pollution on their own. There is an urgent need to provide these communities with more support, including recycling infrastructure and equipment.

With plastic pollution being a global issue, Australia needs to play a leading role in implementing international strategies aimed at reducing plastic production and use, promoting plastic reuse, and improving recycling efforts. The development of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution is welcomed and First Nations should be supported to participate in these discussions.

There is a growing body of research finding that plastics have the potential to harm humans. Microplastics and microfibres can already be found in our water and food and may carry harmful chemicals and toxins. However, knowledge in this space is currently limited. We need to better understand the potential risks and effects of microplastic pollution, and any absorbed toxins on human health.

Australia needs to act now to protect its natural environment for future generations.

I thank those who contributed their time and expertise to this inquiry. I also acknowledge the dedication of Members of the Committee in the conduct of this inquiry.

Mr Tony Zappia MP

Chair