The No Waste Strategy

A Waste Management Strategy for Canberra

• National Packaging Convenant
• No Waste Awards
• Progress Towards No Waste by 2010

The ACT was the first government in the world to set a goal of achieving NO WASTE going to landfill. Launched in 1996, the Waste Management Strategy for Canberra has been developed to set the vision and future directions for waste management in the Australian Capital Territory. The No Waste by 2010 - A Waste Management Strategy for Canberra ( PDF 132 Kb ) is the result of extensive community consultation which identified a strong desire to achieve a waste free society by 2010.

This means all sectors of the Canberra community working to reduce the amount of waste that they produce and for waste to be viewed as a resource, rather than garbage to be thrown into a landfill. Although ambitious, reaching no waste by 2010 is achievable with the willingness, co-operation and participation of all Canberrans.

The strategy establishes a framework for sustainable resource management and lists broad actions which are needed to achieve the aim of a waste-free society. These include:

• Community Commitment
• Avoidance and Reduction
• Resource Recovery
• Residual Waste Management
• Creative Solutions

Turning Waste Into Resources

The No Waste by 2010 Strategy cannot succeed without the full support of the wider community as it requires a culture shift, from thinking of unwanted materials as waste to be discarded, to thinking of unwanted materials as resources to be recovered. A range of strategies such as facilitating the development of alternatives to disposal, appropriate waste pricing and/or the development of regulation are needed to effectively reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and to maximise recovery. Waste generators need to take responsibility for the wastes they produce and this requires cultural and attitudinal change that can only be achieved through targeted community engagement, partnership and education programs.

To progress the No Waste by 2010 Strategy during 2004 to 2007 a new series of programs titled, Turning Waste Into Resources ( PDF 388 Kb ), has been developed. This program contains a number of key initiatives that have been developed under the following broad action areas:

• Community Engagement
• Government Leadership
• Business No Waste Challenge
• Construction Waste
• Infrastructure and Services
• Research and Development
• Regulation and Incentives
• Monitoring and Review

During 2007 a review and planning process will be undertaken to develop further initiatives to achieve No Waste.

The Next Step in the No Waste Strategy

In March 2000, The Next Step in the No Waste Strategy ( PDF 155 Kb ) was released, providing an evaluation of the progress of the No Waste by 2010 Strategy to date and detailing further actions required to achieve the Strategy's goals.