The TCT is focused on making broad and fundamental changes to how waste is managed in Tasmania. We lobby the state government, councils and regional waste management groups to set strategic direction and provide incentives for development of new ways to reuse, recycle and treat all waste streams. Tasmanian’s performance in terms of diverting domestic, commercial and industrial wastes from landfill is very poor and we lag behind all mainland states on just about every performance measure.
– TAS TYRE CLEANUP: The TCT runs the Tas Tyre Cleanup program to clean up and recycle car and truck tyres from around Tasmania that have been illegally dumped in bushland, creeks and beaches or are inappropriately stored in school yards, backyards or on farmland. We have established a standalone website where people can obtain information about car tyre recycling and report dumps of tyres. Ultimately, we want to encourage a Tasmanian-based tyre recycling industry to establish that is financially viable and costs consumers less than sending tyres to landfill.
– SUPPORT FOR A LEVY ON WASTE TO LANDFILL: The TCT supports a levy applied to the cost of disposal of waste into landfill sites, to encourage waste producers to consider alternatives such as reuse and recycling. The funds raised by the levy would be collected and distributed by the state government to help the development of businesses to reuse and recycle waste and for increased monitoring and enforcement of waste disposal.
– ALTERNATIVES TO THE COPPING HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITY: Over the last four years the TCT has campaigned with local residents to stop the construction of the hazardous waste landfill facility, or C-cell, that is proposed for Copping, near Sorell in the south east of Tasmania. The need for a C-cell has not been established, other locations were not assessed and concerns of the local residents were not taken into account in the approval process for the Copping C-cell. Previous governments have received expert advice that shows that much of Tasmania’s hazardous waste can be treated or reused, much of it profitably, but that government needs to invest in infrastructure to assist new businesses to establish. The TCT will continue promoting these alternatives as well as opposing the C-cell.
– CONTAINER DEPOSIT LEGISLATION: The TCT supports the introduction of state container deposit legislation to provide a monetary incentive for people to appropriately dispose of and cleanup discarded containers such as bottles and cans.
– DEVELOPING A WASTE STRATEGY FOR TASMANIA: A priority for the TCT during In 2017 TCT will be to development of a new waste management strategy for Tasmania that is being developed by the Environment Protection Authority. The TCT advocates for the reintroduction of the very successful ‘Household hazardous waste collection program’, that operated in Tasmania from 2009 to 2012, to make homes, sheds and farms safer by collecting highly toxic materials. We know that a contemporary strategy is needed to help households to recycle more plastic packaging, including consistent and accurate information describing what can and cannot be put into recycling bins. We support voluntary or legislated bans on some forms of packaging that are very difficult or unprofitable to recycle (e.g. polystyrene) and expanding recyclable plastic collection to include non-packaging plastic.