Waste = resources
The shift away from disposing of waste to landfill to managing waste as a resource means we need new ways to buy, use, dispose of and make consumer products.
Moving from disposal to resource management
Waste is a rich source of valuable resources. Materials such as paper, glass and steel can be recovered and used in new products. Use of recovered waste materials reduces demand for virgin resources and can reduce impact on the environment. More effective use and recovery of waste coupled with a greater focus on avoiding waste can significantly reduce the quantity of waste our communities generate. These two principles underpin the WRAPP.
This shift from disposing of waste to landfill to managing waste as a resource means we need new ways to buy, use, dispose of and make consumer products.
Waste can affect public health and the environment via pollution of surface and ground water, air pollution, generation of greenhouse gases, contamination of land, noise, odours and a deterioration of local amenity. The NSW community is also concerned to conserve our natural resources. It has clearly flagged to the government that waste minimisation and management is a significant environmental and social issue.
Australia faces similar challenges to most developed nations in dealing with waste issues. Put simply, waste policy aims to avoid the wasteful consumption of resources and minimise the environmental impacts of treating and disposing of residual wastes. Waste avoidance strategies reduce consumption of materials, such as paper, which in turn saves agencies money through reduced purchasing and disposal costs.
Page last updated: 27 February 2011
