18 March 2022

Global Recycling Day today is an opportunity to recognise the great work NSW’s sustainable pulp and paper industries do in recycling and making renewable paper and packaging products, Australian Forest Products Association NSW (AFPA NSW) CEO Victor Violante said today.

“As NSW transitions to a circular economy, we need to continue to improve how we use and manage our resources to make them as productive as possible and reduce the environmental and human health impacts of waste,” Mr Violante said.

“Not only is Australian-made paper, tissue and cardboard sustainably sourced and better for the environment, more than 54 per cent of these products made in Australia include recycled content. Wood and fibre processors can recycle paper and cardboard up to eight times into other products.

“NSW paper and cardboard manufacturers are leading the way, such as Oji Fibre Solutions whose operations in Sydney provide an essential service of manufacturing cardboard boxes transporting food around the state and beyond.”

Mr Violante said while NSW has significantly improved its waste recovery and recycling, there is still work to be done to achieve a circular economy, and our paper and cardboard manufacturers are ready to play a greater role in achieving the state’s ambitious goals.

“In 2019-20, the proportion of waste diverted for recycling was 64 per cent, an increase of just one percent over five years  and well short of the  National Waste Policy Action Plan national goal of 80 per cent by 2030.

“Our paper and cardboard manufacturers have a big part to play in the NSW Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041, including the phasing out of single use plastics, and we look forward to continuing to work with the NSW Government to maximise these opportunities,” Mr Violante concluded.

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