Plastics waste is a significant issue in Australia, with plastics waste generation continuing to grow. Central to idea of a ‘circular economy’ is that waste materials flow back into production, to be remade into new products. However, in Australia these flows are not visible due to limitations in published datasets. In this study, we simulated waste flows from consumption, through waste treatment and back into new production. This approach reveals how both plastics waste and recycled plastics become embodied in final consumption. The analysis shows there is currently no evidence that plastics waste generation has decoupled from either population or GDP growth. In fact, the recycling rate has declined in relative terms, potentially caused by recycling infrastructure limitations and an overall decline in Australian manufacturing.
Plastics waste data was extracted from the National Waste Database [1], however this was reshaped to make it easier to use. The reshaped data can be downloaded here: https://zenodo.org/records/12059380.
It can be seen from the figure that recycling tonnage decreases relative to total waste generation, where the ratio is calculated as recycling/total waste generation (in tonnes). One cause of this is likely the processing recycling capacity limitation in Australia [2]. The National Plastics Plan and the Recycling Modernisation Fund aim to improve this situation through the expansion of recycling infrastructure [3].Also shown in the figure 5 the decline in manufacturing’s contribution to total GDP (manufacturing gross value added/GDP), an ongoing trend in Australia for the past few decades [4]. Unfortunately, the number of local plastic resin manufacturers has decreased in recent years, with only HDPE, LDPE and PP still produced in Australia [5]. Growing Australia’s manufacturing and remanufacturing sector is part of the federal government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy [6]. The existence of local manufacturing industries who demand recycled materials can give an advantage to local recyclers and secondary producers, for example through lower relative transport costs.
One perspective of the circular economy is that of a network, where producers and consumers are in relationship with one another, along with other actors such as waste treatment and recycling service providers. Network analysis can be employed to investigate circular economy indicators, for example the strength of interconnections between different regions and the sparsity of recycling infrastructure distribution. Network analysis has been previously used to optimise the placement of waste treatment infrastructure and production facilities. Networks are also used to define social and business relationships between actors in the circular economy, for example waste producing firms who may exchange waste products or cooperate on new product designs. The network map below was constructed to show the relationships between LGAs, population centres and waste recycling services.
This research was recently published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling.
[1] https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/national-waste-reports/2022
[2] Harford, N. and French, J. (2022). Australian Recycling Infrastructure, Capacity and Readiness (Plastic and Paper). Australian Council of Recycling; Equilibrium. https://www.acor.org.au/uploads/2/1/5/4/21549240/220623_acor_infrastructure_readiness_report_june_2022_- _updated.pdf
[3] DAWE (2021). National Plastics Plan. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Canberra. https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/national-plastics-plan-2021.pdf.
[4] Langcake, S. (2016). Conditions in the Manufacturing Sector. Reserve Bank of Australia. https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2016/jun/4.html.
[5] O’Farrell, K., Harney, F., and Stovell, L. (2022). Australian Plastics Flows and Fates Study 2020-21 – National Report. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; Blue Environment Pty Ltd. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/publications/australian-plastic-flows-and-fates-report-2020-21.
[6] Tomaras, J. (2020). Waste management and recycling in Budget Review 2020–21. Department of Parliamentary Services, Australian Parliament. https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/library/prspub/7622081/upload_binary/7622081.pdf.