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Resources & Waste

 

Resource or waste? Depends how you see it!

Our waste is a resource, and unless we see it as such, it will continue to be one of the most challenging environmental issues we face. ACT residents have high consuming lifestyles.  Until we successfully manage the waste we generate, it will continue to have significant impacts on wildlife, the environment and human health. Viewing our waste as a resource means we should adopt practices which promote a circular economy, and expand infrastructure that supports responsible waste and resource management.

Say goodbye to single-use plastic!

While plastic is a uniquely malleable, cheap, adaptive and variable product, use of plastic contributes to pollution in waterways and landscapes, and poses threats to wildlife, especially through micro-plastic particles that are readily absorbed by plants and animals, and passed down through the food chain. In addition, the manufacture of plastic requires petroleum products and releases significant greenhouse emissions. No matter how well plastic can be recycled, the focus must be on avoiding its use in the first place.

Food is never wasted!

Food and organic waste sent to landfill contributes to the 4% of greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector and squanders a valuable resource. The most beneficial use of food waste, after recovery and distribution of still-edible food, is as compost to regenerate soil and nurture new plant life, helping soils and plants to sequester carbon, hold moisture and be more resilient to climate change. Improving collection from residential and commercial premises will reduce compost waste going to landfill, and enable us to reuse this valuable resource on both public and private lands.

Latest News

Tell Minister Plibersek “don’t go soft on plastics!”

Tell Minister Plibersek “don’t go soft on plastics!”

The REDcycle soft plastics story keeps getting worse, with stockpiles now found in 44 locations around the country and the major supermarkets now considering exporting it due to lack of domestic recycling capacity, with the recycling industry apparently no closer to...

Climate & sustainability: A year in review 2022

Climate & sustainability: A year in review 2022

Climate impacts have never been more apparent, and while progress on climate action can seem slow, we are lurching forwards at all levels. COP27 had both wins and disappointments. The new Federal Government and States are stepping up with responsible policies. And the ACT continues to lead, with its commitment to phase out fossil gas.
Read more about the Conservation Council’s busy year of advocacy on climate and sustainability.

Draft ACT Circular Economy Strategy | CBR360 Workshop

Draft ACT Circular Economy Strategy | CBR360 Workshop

The Conservation Council invites stakeholders to contribute their comments on the draft ACT Circular Economy Strategy in this short online workshop to inform our submission to the ACT Government. 12 noon Wed 30 Nov 2022, free registration.

CBR360 kicked off Canberra’s circular economy discussion

CBR360 kicked off Canberra’s circular economy discussion

It’s time to close the loop on last century’s take–make–waste linear economy. In September, innovators, researchers, policy makers and community leaders from across the Canberra region came together to kick-start the conversation about a circular economy for a sustainable future.

360 Fashion: How fashionable Canberrans are swapping sustainably

360 Fashion: How fashionable Canberrans are swapping sustainably

Clothing hauls are something all too familiar for Canberrans. Our ice-cold winters often lead us on the hunt to find clothing that can keep us warm even on the worst of winter days. In the last fifteen years, the clothing we buy has doubled, yet we wear clothes half...

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