The NSW government is progressing with a strategy to reduce plastic pollution, which has reached crisis levels in the state, as well as globally.
Of the 891,000 tonnes of plastic waste which was generated in 2022-23 in NSW, only 14% was recycled. Globally, that figure is as low as 9%.
After engaging in a broad stakeholder consultation process in 2023, the NSW government has prepared a draft action plan – NSW Plastics: The Way Forward. The plan identifies three key focus areas; reducing plastic litter, reducing harmful chemicals in plastics and microplastics, and keeping pace on plastics action.
Each focus area includes proposed actions with staged targets, ranging from 2025 to 2030. Feedback on the proposed action plan has been sought, after which we expect the plan to be finalised and the necessary policies to be formalised.
Businesses operating or selling in the state of NSW should familiarise themselves with the proposed actions. Broadly, these actions will require businesses to:
- Redesign packaging with recyclability in mind
- Provide more information to consumers on the packaging materials they use
- Remove harmful chemicals from their packaging
- Collect and share more data about their products’ impact on plastic pollution
- Set litter reduction targets, in some cases
Many of these actions will require changes that impact financial and operational planning. This could include extending your bill of materials data with environmental dimensions, costing new packaging inputs or modelling operational changes to utilise new materials.
Zooss can help businesses get ready for these incoming requirements, remain compliant, and help tackle plastic pollution! We’re pioneering a new approach to business planning that we call Sustainable Business Planning (SBP). By embedding environmental and social sustainability into financial and operational planning, we aspire to lead our partners into a more inclusive, equitable and regenerative future.
Find out more about Sustainable Business Planning and contact us to start planning sustainably.
Better Planning. Better Planet.