Official News of the Waste Management Board of WA

Issue 3: Christmas 2006

Merry Christmas from a New Look Waste Management Board!

The Waste Management Board wishes all its colleagues and partners a safe and happy Christmas and holiday period.

The Board has changed substantially since the last issue of Zeroing In in September, with a new chair and four new members recently appointed.

Former Environmental Protection Authority chief executive Barry Carbon AM has been appointed as the new chairperson, bringing a wealth of experience to the table. Mr Carbon has also held positions as the Executive Director of the Federal EPA, and Director-General of the Queensland EPA.

Each of the four new members also bring considerable skills and experience to the board, including expertise in economic policy (Anne Nolan), legal skills (Fleur Newman), business experience (Geoff Richards) and industry knowledge (Graeme Slessar).

Ms Carolyn Jakobsen and Mayor Paddi Creevey have been reappointed to the board.

The fresh make-up is invaluable at a time when significant steps are being taken to improve recycling in Western Australia. The Board is confronted with a range of tasks, including aiming to lift WA’s recycling rate from one of the lowest in the nation through a range of innovative programs and policy solutions funded by the landfill levy.

The Board looks forward to working closely with newly appointed Minister for the Environment, The Hon. Tony McRae, MLA.

A full description of the Board's objectives and ongoing and planned work can be found in its 2006-07 Business Plan. Profiles of all Board members can be found on the Zero Waste web site.

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Business Breakfast Wrap-Up

Early on Wednesday November 29 representatives from State and Local Government, business and industry and the community converged on the Novotel Langley Hotel for the inaugural Business Breakfast hosted by the new Waste Management Board.

City of Melville Mayor Katherine Jackson participating in the Board's Business Breakfast
City of Melville Mayor Katherine Jackson participating in the Board's Business Breakfast.

Greeting the capacity audience of 120 participants, Board Chairman Barry Carbon made it clear that he and the new Board members were very much in ‘listening mode’, keen to pave the way forward based firmly on the feedback from those present.

In his trademark ‘hands on’ approach Barry set each (mixed) table the task of discussing a specific topic and agreeing on key points they wished to have recorded. Topics included Waste Within the Sustainability Agenda, Consumption, Sustainable Production, Respective Roles of Government and Business, and Education and Behaviour Change.

Each table reported back their key points and at the conclusion of the feedback session, Barry made the following closing comments:

  1. The proposed Waste Avoidance & Resource Recovery (WARR) Bill is not prescriptive but rather empowering. The Minister wants visible progress, to show that what is being done is making a difference. The big trap is to try to do everything and the Board will not try to do everything. Rather, it will concentrate on the big ideas.
  2. If we don’t have a WARR Act within twelve months, the Government will have failed.
  3. If we don’t have Government procurement and recycling (and the promotion of success stories) within twelve months, the Board will have failed.

A prevailing sense of energy, new directions and the need to see concrete achievement in the next twelve months was reflected in the morning’s spirited discussion.

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Waste Management Branch: Products Programs Section

The Products Programs Section sits within the Waste Management Branch of the Department of Environment & Conservation.

Section manager Jill Lethlean explains that her team has the task of maintaining a knowledge base on priority waste products, and running programs that will ensure the waste avoidance, recycling or safe disposal of those waste products.

Given the potentially endless range of products to address, the section has prioritised its approach, aiming to make a real difference with those products that present the greatest challenges. Products highlighted as priority include organic, building, chemical, packaging, electrical and synthetic.

The section is also working on a product stewardship scheme, with a focus on polypropylene, paint, computers, end of life tyres, concrete and mobile phones.

Over the next six months the section will be working on a wide range of tasks, including:

  • a construction and demolition recycling directory & brochure
  • guidelines for construction and demolition recycling facilities
  • Used Packaging Materials Regulations
  • a home composting communication package
  • guidelines for compost facilities
  • interim standards for recycled organics
  • a water-based paint recycling trial.
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Waste Wise Schools Team Gears Up for 2007

The Waste Wise Schools program is looking at a big year in 2007, having recently been granted ongoing funding from the Waste Management & Recycling Fund. The funding will help to enhance the program and support the excellent work being carried out by more than 400 Waste Wise Schools throughout Western Australia.

The Waste Wise Mobile Display
The Waste Wise Mobile Display

The Waste Wise team is planning to set up strong network clusters, which involve teachers from neighbouring schools working together to achieve more within their area. The team will also improve the Waste Wise Schools web site, and welcome a new coordinator to work with and develop resources for regional and remote chools.

Through working with local councils and district education offices, the Waste Wise team also hopes to offer more support to existing Waste Wise schools in the metropolitan area.

The team will also design exciting new interactive and engaging lessons for their mobile display visits, and focus on the reduce part of reduce, reuse and recycle in 2007.

Waste Wise welcomes your ideas and feedback. Feel free to contact them at wastewise@dec.wa.gov.au.

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Support Schemes

The Strategic Waste Initiatives Scheme (SWIS) is aimed at providing support and encouragement to business and industry, local government, community groups and individuals in tackling priority waste issues. The next round of SWIS will be advertised for expressions of interest on the 12th and 26th of January 2007, closing on the 23rd of February 2007.

The Community Grants Scheme (CGS) is aimed at supporting local, community-scale projects that improve the management of waste in Western Australia. The next round of the CGS will be advertised on the 2nd and 16th of February 2007, closing on the 16th of March 2007.

Reaching Small to Medium Business in Bellevue

Small and Medium Enterprises are Australia’s biggest employers, and a driving economic force, yet have proved very difficult to reach with waste reduction and recycling messages.

PDA Assessment Tool
The project will see PDA technology used to carry out waste management surveys in local businesses.

That is something the Swan Catchment Council hopes to change, through a project that is connecting small businesses in the Bellevue Industrial Area with major waste reduction, reuse and recycling operations. If successful, this model can be adopted by other industrial precincts.

The Council last year received a SWIS grant of $120,000 over two years for a program to assess the waste production of businesses in the area, and develop strategies cutting the amount of that waste heading to landfill. The Swan River Trust has also provided financial support.

Read the full article

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