China’s new ban on certain types of recyclable waste could cost Tasmanian councils “many hundreds of thousands of dollars”, slugging ratepayers in the process, the state’s peak local government body says.
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From January 1 this year, China implemented sweeping new limits on the types of recyclable waste it would import.
This has meant the Australian local government sector has had to grapple with the the grim prospect of drastically reduced recycling revenues.
The Ipswich City Council in Queensland has resorted to putting recyclable waste from more than 200,000 residents to landfill, prompting concern from other jurisdictions about similar methods being adopted elsewhere.
Local Government Association of Tasmania chief executive Katrena Stephenson said there was a risk that some Tasmanian councils would go down the landfill path in the wake of the China ban.
It is only a matter of time before the cost of recycling to Tasmanian councils increases.
- LGAT chief executive Katrena Stephenson
“Tasmanian councils are committed to sustainable waste management, however recycling could become significantly more expensive than landfill under the changes,” Ms Stephenson said.
“While the full effect is yet to be felt it is only a matter of time before the cost of recycling to Tasmanian councils increases.”
Ms Stephenson said that, while the full impact of the China ban on Tasmanian councils was still unknown, market volatility elsewhere in the country would indicate that councils here will also see their recycling revenues dry up.
“If the price changes on the mainland are anything to go by then recycling costs for Tasmanian councils would increase by tens to many hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the council size,” she said.
“Not many councils would be in a position to absorb this, so there would need to be an increase in rates or a cutting of services elsewhere.”
Meanwhile, Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said next week’s Council of Australian Governments meeting pertaining to the recycling “crisis” should devise a national policy response to the issue.