Waste Management Policy in NSW - Essay Example

Waste management in NSW Name: Institute: Waste management in NSW Background NSW's waste management policy has been acknowledged as the most superior policy in Australia considering that it is currently the only state having a formal extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme in position (Smith, 2005). The key acts of the policy include: The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 that controls pollution as well as enforces a waste tariff, together with immunities to promote source waste that is separated and being taken to landfills (EPA, 2014). The other act is the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001, which brings about extended producer responsibility schemes. Key policies/programs of waste management in NSW include: The 2003 NSW Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy that offers a waste reduction framework and enhances utilisation of resources (EPA, 2013) . The 2004 Extended Producer Responsibility Priority Statement recognizes sixteen wastes of concern appropriate for managing by NSW EPR schemes (Newton, 2008, p.522). Another policy is the Industry Waste Reduction Plan that puts into practices the National Packaging Covenant; thus making non-parties accountable for used packaging recovery (Waste Authority, 2012). The last known policy is the Waste Reduction and Purchasing Policy, which needs all agencies within NSW to increase recycled products purchase and reduce waste. Basically, the NSW waste regulatory framework is founded under the principal legislation of the state; that is the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (Stevens, 2006). The main goal is to make certain a clean and healthy environment through pollution regulation as well as other unfavorable environmental effects that may be caused by waste activities. Regulation of waste makes uses of innovative programs as well as tools to alleviate waste disposal pollution, reduce use of resources, advance recovery of resource as well as make sure the dangerous waste in NSW are suitably disposed. The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) sustains the NSW waste regulatory framework integrity by aggressively developing compliance, education, and enforcement, programs to promote recovery of resource as well as overcome unlawful and unsuitable waste disposal. Economic tools like the environment and waste levy are as well utilised to drive resource recovery and waste avoidance. A key aspect of the regulatory framework is waste activities licensing in making sure that suitable measures are ready to manage waste disposal as well as other waste-based activities. On 28 April 2008, amendments were made to the 2005 Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation as well as the 1997 Protection of the Environment Operations Act (POEO Act) which: make simpler the licensing of waste facility and classification of waste; set understandable necessities for asbestos and clinical waste management; and, brings in a framework for supporting real waste material recovery for fuel or land application (EPA, 2013). Aims and objectives The NSW waste management Policy aims to promote sustainable waste management in NSW in a way that is in line with the Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) principles. The objectives of the policy include: 1. To help claimants in planning for waste management, by preparing the site waste minimization as well as management. 2. To reduce unfavorable ecological effects related to waste management 3. To discourage unlawful dumping. 4. To reduce consumption of resource as well as waste production all through the building lifecycle. 5. To minimize use of resource as well as building waste through recycling and reuse in addition to encouraging the resourceful use and selection of resources. 6. To reduce demolition waste by facilitating flexibility in building design as well as concentrating upon the building deconstruction latterly on its life. 7. To promote building design as well as demolition and construction techniques that minimizes generation of waste. 8. To capitalize on recycling and reuse of industrial/commercial waste. 9. To minimize generation of waste from utilization of the premises or site. 10. To help applicants in developing waste management systems that make sure waste is disposed and transported lawfully. 11. To offer leadership concerning amenity, storage, space as well as management of waste facilities. 12. To make sure systems for waste management are consistent with building type as well as collection services. 13. To reduce risks related to waste management at every stage of development. Implications beyond the policy area or the jurisdiction Without a doubt the most excellent approach for waste management is the one that reduce the amount of waste created. Reducing waste may be as easy as re-using plastic containers for food storage or other items, or gathering grey-water to water plants. People in NSW are good paper as well as packaging recyclers, but fall back in managing electronic waste. This resulted in the launching of the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, offering customers with way into the national network of recycling drop-off points for electronic products. But NSW management policy implication can be felt across the whole Australia, thanks to their waste as well as resource recovery plan, the “Waste Less, Recycle More,” which is a five-year funding program costing $465.7 million, one of its kind in Australia (NSW Enviroment & Heritage, 2014). The initiative was put into practice by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) so as to lessen waste, discourage littering and overcome unlawful dumping across NSW. In addition, the NSW EPA is creating ‘The Recyculator’, an internet tool that permits local councils, businesses as well as, industry to measure the advantages of extending their recycling programs, across various materials, which includes plastics, glass, organics, and metal. Meeting such targets will need novel approaches to waste and recycling such as: involving local communities in thinking in a different way concerning illegal dumping, littering and recycling; delivering suitably value-for-money waste infrastructure to ease management of waste; and putting into practice innovative regulatory approaches to shield the environment as well as support new programs investment (EPA, 2013). Accountability Parties involved in making Waste management policy in NSW include Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was instituted in February 2012 as a constitutional authority with a self-governing governing Board. Other involved authorities include, NSW Environmental Trust, Local Government NSW, Waste Management Authority of NSW, Manly Council, and Australia government, among not-for-profit organisations. Communication It is at the moment extensively acknowledged in most developed countries that waste management is not merely a logistics business which aids in protecting the public health as well as environment, but it is also a social processes steered by consumer perceptions in addition to behavior. In this case, the NSW publics are the eventual user of a waste management system, and so they must be engaged and consulted through communication in the design of new services and policies. Waste management systems, alternating weekly residual waste collections, a change from source separation to combined recycling collections, or introducing new material in collection of waste as witnessed in NSW must be developed with the public in mind; that is through communication. Planning for focus groups in NSW, carrying out a survey through internet, or move from one door to another to collect opinion are all rational and suitable means of receiving feedback concerning the new or existing policy. If locals do not completely have knowledge how the policy will work or why the policy is changing, in that case they are less probable to make use of it or will not utilize it efficiently (EPA, 2013). As a result, this can give rise to pollution of the recyclables going to waste or recycling load in the collection of waste. NSW Residents must hear that their attempts are aiding in waste management and recovery of resources, so even though communication has been low, involved parties must up their game by involving and consulting the public prior to making any changes in the existing policy. Outcome The outcome of NSW waste management policy is noticeable, considering that the waste hierarchy, created under the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001, has ensured that options for management of resources are taken into account against priorities such as: avoidance together with action in reducing the amount of waste produced by NSW industry, households, in addition to all government levels; resource recovery in addition to energy recovery, reprocessing, recycling and reuse, in line with the most resourceful utilisation of the recovered resources; and, disposal including all disposal alternatives management in manner that in environmentally responsible (EPA, 2013). In this case, avoidance, which is the highest priority, encourages the government, industry, and community to lessen the amount of extracted and used virgin materials as well as waste produced and to be more resourceful in using resources. Resource recovery has maximized the options for energy recovery, reprocessing, recycling and reuse at the highest recovered material net value (EPA, 2013). This has promoted the resourceful utilisation of recovered resources whilst backing the principles of enhanced environmental outcomes as well as sustainable ecological development. Resource recovery has also embraced novel as well as emerging technologies. The policy understands that an end-of-pipe solution for disposal management is the least enviable alternative and has to be cautiously managed to reduce negative environmental outcomes. References EPA. (2013, June 13). Changes to the waste regulatory framework. Retrieved from EPA: http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/waste/consult.htm EPA. (2013, October 17). Draft NSW Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2013-21. Retrieved from EPA: http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/warr/warrstrategy2013.htm EPA. (2013, June 13). Illegal waste dumping. Retrieved from EPA: http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/waste/dumping.htm EPA. (2013, October 17). Waste avoidance and resource recovery in NSW. Retrieved from EPA: http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/warr/ EPA. (2014, August 29). Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. Retrieved from EPA: http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/legislation/aboutpoeo.htm Newton, P. W. (2008). Transitions: Pathways Towards Sustainable Urban Development in Australia. New York: Springer Science & Business Media. NSW Enviroment & Heritage. (2014, October 2). Waste Less Recycle More Initiative - Grant Programs. Retrieved from NSW Enviroment & Heritage: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/grants/wlrmi.htm Smith, S. (2005). Waste Management and Extended Producer Responsibility. Retrieved from Parliament of NSW: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/key/WasteManagementandExtendedProducerResponsibility Stevens, D. (2006). Growing Crops with Reclaimed Wastewater. Collingwood, Victoria: Csiro Publishing. Waste Authority. (2012). Australian Packaging Covenant . Retrieved from Waste Authority: http://www.wasteauthority.wa.gov.au/programs/funded-programs/australian-packaging-covenant/ Read More