A Shorten Labor Government will make Australia a world leader in tackling plastic use and boosting recycling \u2013 investing $290 million to cut waste and handing on a cleaner Australia for the next generation.
\nLabor will protect our vulnerable wildlife and reduce the amount of waste generated by putting in place a national ban on plastic products like microbeads and single-use plastic bags.
\nPlastic has a devastating impact on our natural environment \u2013 more than a thirds of the world\u2019s sea turtles were found to have plastic waste in their stomachs, and it is estimated around 90 per cent of seabirds eat plastic waste. \u00a0\u00a0Plastic breaks up into smaller pieces over time,\u00a0 becoming harder to manage and clean up and filtering through to waterways, lakes and oceans.
\nThat\u2019s why Labor will introduce a national ban on lightweight, single use plastic bags and microbeads from 2021. We will consult with states, territories and industry on how best to do this. This will create a consistent approach across the country \u2013 following moves of many state and territories to phase out single-use plastic bags, as well as manufacturers phasing out microbeads.
\nIn addition, Labor will also implement a broader Recycling and Waste Strategy, including:<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s announcement builds on Labor\u2019s plan to clean up Australia\u2019s urban waterways and stop plastics from reaching our oceans through our\u00a0$200 million Urban Rivers and Corridors program \u2013\u00a0<\/u><\/strong>partnering with community organisations and environmental groups to revitalise the nation\u2019s waterways and make them safe and clean places. A Shorten Labor Government will make Australia a world leader in tackling plastic use and boosting recycling \u2013 investing $290 million to cut waste and handing on a cleaner Australia for the next generation. Labor will protect our vulnerable wildlife and reduce the amount of waste generated by putting in place a national ban on … Continue reading “LABOR\u2019S PLAN TO CREATE A CLEANER AUSTRALIA”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aussie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2095\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nLast year COAG agreed to a set of 2025 targets to reduce plastics \u2013 including that 100 per cent of all Australia\u2019s packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 or earlier. Labor endorses these targets. The Federal Government has been missing in action \u2013 Labor\u2019s plan will provide the national leadership needed to get the country on track to meet our 2025 targets.
\nAustralians want action from government to help reduce waste and build a circular economy. So while many Australians do their duty \u2013 they recycle, compost, use keep cups for their morning coffee \u2013 we need the government to take a leading role to tackle some of the big, structural problems.
\nFor too long, the federal government has left issues of recycling, plastics and waste to state governments and local governments.\u00a0 And, while local and state governments have generally moved in a positive direction, plastics and waste are now becoming both a national and international problem.
\nWe will pay for this plan by making multinationals pay their fair share and closing tax loopholes used by the top end of town.
\nOnly Labor is committed to delivering a better deal to the generation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"