Govt policy shifts waste management burden to businesses

A new government policy aims to shift the burden of waste management from communities and councils back onto business making the waste. The Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage has announced six products that businesses will have to take responsibility for -- tyres, plastic packaging, electronic waste, farm plastics, agrichemicals and refrigerants. Those businesses will have to work with government to create product stewardship schemes -- ways to recycle, dispose of or repurpose their own products. Recycling advocate Sue Coutts from Zero Waste Network told our reporter Eva Corlett the announcement is significant for waste management.