Zero Waste SA's Key Achievements
South Australia leads with plastic bag ban
Zero Waste SA played a vital role in an historic moment in South Australia’s leadership on environment issues. On 4 May 2009, check-out style plastic shopping bags were banned in South Australia after a 4-month phase-out period. Consultation through the Plastic Bag Phase-Out Task Force and a comprehensive advertising campaign featuring the 'byo bags' message to encourage shoppers to remember their reusable shopping bags supported introduction of the legislation.
We’re recycling more and reducing greenhouse gases
More than 2.6 million tonnes of materials were diverted from landfill and into recycling in 2007-08 - a jump in recycling of 7.3% on the previous year. South Australians are continuing to recycle more and more, which is having a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
Less waste is going to landfill
The decrease in waste to landfill of 15% since 2003 is another remarkable reduction given South Australia’s increasing population. The State’s population passed the 1.6 million mark during 2007-08 and the total waste generated (including recycling) rose by 4.5%.
Major food waste pilot a national first
Ten South Australian councils participated in the most comprehensive pilot of household kitchen waste recycling yet to be undertaken in Australia. Householders in the pilot were given a bench-top container for food waste such as peelings, vegetables and meat scraps, which were then transferred into the garden organics bin for kerbside collection and processing.
Zero Waste SA Centre of Excellence
The new Zero Waste SA Centre of Excellence, a partnership between the University of South Australia and Zero Waste SA, approved seed funding for 8 research projects. The research proposal, Zeroing in on Food Waste: Measuring, understanding and reducing food waste in South Australia from production to consumption in households and restaurants, received an Australian Research Council Linkage grant of $306,000. The project promises to be an exciting collaboration between several academic disciplines and the South Australian Government.
