Thursday 5 September 2024

NSW GOVERNMENT LOCAL PROCUREMENT RULES WELCOMED AND MUST INCLUDE LOCAL RECYCLED CONTENT REQUIREMENT 

The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) welcomes the NSW Government’s new procurement rules to prioritise local Australian goods and services. 

“We fully support all actions that will grow local industry and create local jobs, and we call on the NSW Government to also ensure that they take this opportunity to embed the use of local Australian recycled material in the procurement policy,” WMRR Chief Executive Officer Gayle Sloan said. 

“The waste and resource recovery (WARR) industry is the key to driving remanufacturing in Australia, as it is able to provide valuable input material into local remanufacturing thereby reducing reliance on virgin products and building local Australian resilience. WARR can and should be the bedrock to all Future Made in Australia policies of all governments,” she said.

“The inclusion of local recycled content requirements would drive local demand for recycled materials which in turn would create local green jobs, as well as having a demonstrable impact on the environment by reducing the drain on virgin materials and carbon emissions related to this.

“It’s a win-win. It would drive further investment in local jobs, drive further investment in green infrastructure to build Australia’s recycling and remanufacturing capacity, and it would drive positive environmental outcomes, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as assisting NSW achieve its own resource recovery targets. 

“It is important government provide leadership on this as arguably the largest procurer of goods and services, and we urge the NSW to make the use of recycled content at the heart of this new procurement policy. 

“Materials need to circulate at their highest use for as long as possible. Australia has the fourth lowest rate of material productivity in the OECD and a change to government procurement practices would help improve that. 

“It’s clear Australia needs to do more to make our existing valuable natural resources work harder for longer and the NSW Government has an opportunity to make that the bedrock of government procurement. The waste and resource recovery industry hopes it seizes that opportunity,” Ms Sloan said.