South Australia's Waste Strategy 2011-2015

Zero Waste SA has collaborated with many organisations and individuals to create a waste strategy for South Australia that provides a detailed direction for 2011 to 2015. We produce and consume a lot of things to improve our lives, but they don’t always improve the environment. Even though South Australians are considered world-class recyclers, there’s more that we can do.

South Australia’s Waste Strategy is comprehensive and identifies many targets and goals. At the heart of the strategy are two key objectives: to avoid or reduce the amount of overall waste; and to maximise the useful life of materials by making them last longer through re-use and recycling.

The Waste Strategy identifies priorities for actions and objectives that are broken down into different waste streams. Municipal Solid Waste covers material from household waste collected at the kerbside. Hazardous Waste includes things like oil, paints, batteries, fungicides and pesticides. There’s also Commercial and Industrial Waste. Plus Construction and Demolition Waste.

The waste strategy outlines targets that can be measured and tracked in stages. This will help us to see how certain things perform over the next five years. The key targets are: Household waste – 70% diversion by 2015; Commercial and industrial waste – 75% diversion by 2014; Construction and demolition waste – 90% diversion by 2015.

Zero Waste SA will be a key advocate of the strategy, encouraging and enabling waste management reforms. There’ll also be financial incentives, like grants to help fund new technology, infrastructure and programs. Education will be used to help people understand how they can play a role. Partnerships will encourage closer relationships and networks that combine our strengths to reach common goals.

Whether you’re a big business or an individual we can all take responsibility to avoid, reduce, re-use and recycle our waste.

Download South Australia's Waste Strategy 2011-2015 (PDF, 3.8Mb).

Download Summary of stakeholder consultation (PDF, 1.8Mb).