The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has expressed alarm over China’s decision to limit 24 categories of solid waste from entering the country from Australia.
The recycled products ban, which came into effect last month, has caused concern due to "the potential impact on Australian consumers’ propensity and desire to recycle", the APCO stated.
"We need to acknowledge that much of the recycled material that was previously shipped to China had high levels of contamination," it said on its website.
"While this is clearly not the only factor in its decision, we have to concede that it may have had an impact.
"Creating a circular economy and end market for our own recycled materials should be our ultimate goal, and in order to achieve this we need to have clean recycling streams and reduced contamination."
The most recent Australian National Waste Report (2016) showed that in 2014-15 as a nation we produced about 64 million tonnes of waste, and almost 60 per cent of this was recycled.
The country's recycling system has continued to grow and evolve, and recycling rates in Australia have similarly continued to increase leading to a reduction in waste being sent to landfill.
The APCO is calling for moves to ensure ongoing consumer support for recycling.
"We are already rolling out several initiatives to address these issues," it stated.
It has launched the APCO Packaging Recycling Label Program, which will directly contribute to delivering a smaller, cleaner packaging waste stream driven through reduced contamination and increased visibility to consumers.
In the medium term, it is reviewing the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines to help businesses reduce the environmental impact of their packaging.
In the short term, it is working with members on an independent impact assessment to contextualise "the China issue” and develop both quantifiable metrics and a framework for navigating the issue for both industry and government.
