Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020

The objects of this Act are as follows:

to reduce the impact on human and environmental health of products, waste from products and waste material, including by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted, energy and resources used and water consumed in connection with products, waste from products and waste material;

to realise the community and economic benefits of taking responsibility for products, waste from products and waste material;

to develop a circular economy that maximises the continued use of products and waste material over their life cycle and accounts for their environmental impacts;

to contribute to Australia meeting its international obligations concerning the impact referred to in paragraph (a).

These objects are to be achieved by:

regulating the export of waste material to promote its management in an environmentally sound way; and

encouraging and regulating the reuse, remanufacture, recycling and recovery of products, waste from products and waste material in an environmentally sound way; and

encouraging and regulating manufacturers, importers, distributors, designers and other persons to take responsibility for products, including by taking action that relates to:

reducing or avoiding generating waste through improvements in product design; and

improving the durability, reparability and reusability of products; and

managing products throughout their life cycle.