The Greens have called out the Morrison Government’s refusal to mandate waste and recycling targets as a key reason Aussies will again be found cleaning up the mess of big packaging companies this Clean Up Australia Day. 
 
Greens spokesperson for waste and recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson: 
 

The Greens have welcomed the UN agreement to negotiate a global treaty on plastic pollution by 2024, but warned Australia not to take a two-year pause on tackling the issue.
 
Quotes attributable to Greens spokesperson for waste and recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:
 
“The UN agreement has been touted as the most significant environmental deal since the 2015 Paris climate accord - we must now ensure the Morrison Government doesn’t try and undermine it in the same way. 
 

Too much unnecessary waste is polluting our oceans and ending up in landfill while Australians are missing out on jobs because this government has refused to take simple actions to build a circular economy.

Transitioning to a circular economy could generate $175 billion in direct benefit to the economy and save 16.7 million tonnes of CO2 in Australia by 2040. 

The Government’s failure to mandate Australia’s recycling targets is to blame for any recyclable items sent to landfill because of tomorrow’s introduction of a waste export ban. 

Greens spokesperson for Waste and Recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, said the waste and recycling sector’s concerns about tomorrow’s change were not new. 

“The recycling industry has been very clear in voicing its concerns and demands in the lead-up to the national waste export ban, and the Environment Minister chose to ignore these. 

The Government's Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 has today been passed un-amended by the Senate, despite staunch support for substantial amendments from the recycling industry, local governments and NGO's.

I rise to speak on the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 and associated bills, and I want to associate myself with the remarks made by my Greens colleague Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, who has been a longstanding, passionate advocate for waste reduction and recycling. I have a strong commitment to moving us towards zero waste and a circular economy. I've had that commitment for a long time through my work in the New South Wales parliament and before that in my role as environmental manager in local governments.

The Government's recycling and waste bill is set for the Senate today where the Greens will raise amendments to ban single-use plastics and make packaging targets mandatory.

Senator Whish-Wilson and newly elected ACT Greens MLA Jo Clay joined volunteers for a clean-up beside Lake Burley Griffin on the way to Parliament House.

Quotes attributable to Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:

Due for Senate debate this week, the Government's Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill has now been delayed until at least November. This allows more time for stakeholder and community input, as well as constructive cross-party negotiations on amendments to improve a once-in-a-generation opportunity for legislative reform that builds a circular economy and protects our oceans. 
 

Witnesses today outlined their frustration with decades-long recycling policy failure in today’s hearing into the Packaging and Plastics Bill 2019.
 
Greens Waste and Recycling spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, tabled the bill last year where it was referred to an inquiry. This is the first hearing for the inquiry.
 
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “What we’ve heard loud and clear this morning  is that we need substantial action in tackling the recycling crisis in line with what we see from governments overseas.

Greens Waste and Recycling spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, comments on today's announcement of a 'Recycling Modernisation Plan,' highlighting yet another wasted opportunity to fix the recycling crisis as well as the plastics that are polluting our oceans.
 
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “After three years of sitting on its hands, the Government has finally moved to fix the recycling crisis - unfortunately, today's initiative just won't work.
 
“All the money in the world isn’t going to fix the waste crisis if we don’t improve the way we recycle.