Waste Not, Want Not

Wasteful Australian households are being advised to avoid shopping when hungry after a study found least $5.2 billion worth of food is thrown out each year, while an Australia-wide program to keep computers, TVs and other electronic waste out of landfill will be underway by 2011.

By Karen Collier in the Herald Sun (5 November 2009):

WASTEFUL Australian households are being advised to avoid shopping when hungry after a study found we throw out at least $5.2 billion worth of food each year. 

Fruit and vegetables are turfed most, followed by unfinished restaurant and takeaway meals and fresh meat and fish. 

Consumers are being urged to think twice about bulk buy discounts, use plastic containers to store leftovers and write and stick to shopping lists to reduce the amount of food that winds up as rubbish, the Herald Sun reports.

Singles living alone buying over-sized items and territorial flatmates refusing to share their fridge’s contents are the biggest offenders, according to new research. 
The Australia Institute study for the environmental initiative, Do Something, warns that the mountain of discarded food is taking an environmental toll through millions of tonnes of waste left rotting in landfill and giving off methane gas. 

Victorians admitted wasting an average $560 a household and $214 a person – one of the lowest rates in the nation. 

While wealthy households in states outside Victoria were more likely to dump food, our rich were less wasteful. 

Environmental campaigners blame some retailers for feeding waste through two-for-one deals, clever store designs for impulse buys and free plastic bags. 

They want to see a government campaign to reduce the problem as incomes rise and household sizes shrink. 

The report, based on an online survey of 1603 consumers last month, says the dollars thrown down the drain are more than the Australian Army budget. 

Do Something founder Jon Dee said the annual waste was the equivalent of 150,000 truck loads of garbage. 

Source: www.heraldsun.com.au

Karen Dearne in Australian IT News (5 November 2009):

AN Australia-wide program to keep computers, TVs and other electronic waste out of landfill will be underway by 2011, with the nation’s environment ministers today agreeing to fast-track a landmark product stewardship approach advocated by industry.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett said householders will be able to drop off outdated equipment for recycling free of charge, with the new scheme expected to put 80 per cent of all old TVs and computers into recycling facilities by 2021.

“Backed by new Commonwealth legislation, a new industry-run national collection and recycling scheme for the growing mountain of e-waste will be up and running in or before 2011,” Mr Garrett said.

“This is a major development which sees manufacturers taking responsibility for managing one of the fastest growing areas of waste, and it will be done at minimal cost to consumers.

“This is a fundamental shift in our approach to waste, complementing broader action on climate change and sustainability.”

Industry and consumer groups have been keenly awaiting the outcome of today’s meeting of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) in Perth, reflecting the close co-operation that has developed under the broad leadership of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), the Total Environment Centre and the Boomerang Alliance.

In 2007-08, nearly 17 million old TVs, computers and related products reached the end of their useful lives, but the overwhelming majority – 84 per cent – were sent to the local dump. Only 10 per cent of this equipment was recycled, and the mountain of e-waste continues to grow.

Under the new national waste policy, manufacturers will have the option to join accredited, voluntary, industry-run schemes, although the government will ensure non-participants must comply with the same standards through mandatory or co-regulatory arrangements.

“This will ensure that free-riders are unable to gain a financial advantage over those companies that willingly contribute to recycling their own products,” Mr Garrett said.

AIIA chief executive Ian Birks said the decision put a strong emphasis on compliance, and there would be clear penalties for companies that refuse to participate.

“We’ve been working towards this result for many years, and we can now get on with the job,” Mr Birks said. “The EPHC has accepted our recommendations, based on our experience with the Byteback program in Victoria over the past four years.

“Byteback has provided essential data to support the creation of the co-regulatory framework, and demonstrated the detailed requirements for a successful working relationship between all parties.”

Source: www.theaustralian.com.au