Morrison govt to unveil $190m recycling fund
Environment Minister Sussan Ley says the government’s new recycling plan will address the nation’s problematic overseas waste exports.
The Morrison government is set to announce a $190 million fund on Monday to overhaul the recycling industry after a ban on waste exports was delayed to 2021.
The Recycling Modernisation Fund was expected to facilitate up to $600 million in private investment, create 10,000 jobs and divert about 10 million tonnes of waste from landfill into manufacturing products.
Ms Ley told Sky News the announcement was about “directing investment to new and innovative materials recovery facilities so we can sort our waste properly”.
“We’re the first federal government to put waste on the national agenda and as the Prime Minister said, it’s our waste, it’s our responsibility,” she said.
“We’re backing that export ban with the investment to actually handle this waste and see it not as a problem to be solved but a resource to be used.
“This is good for the economy, it’s 10,000 jobs in the next 10 years but it’s good for the environment too.”