08:15
Registration and welcome coffee
08:50
Opening remarks from the Chair
Julie Morgan
Executive Director - Environment & Sustainability
Transport for NSW
The Future of Waste Management in Australia
09:00
Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020: What’s next?
Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020: What’s next?
- Clarifying the government’s position on future targets to reduce the ongoing impacts of the 2018 waste crisis
- Educating the Australian waste industry on the benefits of having a clear policy outline
- Financing the changes necessary to make Australia’s waste industry a world leader
- Outlining critical target areas to reconfigure existing local infrastructure towards reprocessing and remanufacturing recyclable materials onshore
Rachel Burgess
Assistant Secretary (A/g) | Waste Regulation and Stewardship Branch
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
09:30
International Keynote (live virtual presentation): Creating a citywide zero-waste culture
- Examining how the city of San Francisco used a combination approach to achieve its zero waste by 2020 program
- Discussing the "Fantastic Three," a citywide three-stream residential and commercial kerbside collection program and the outcomes it generated in waste reduction
- Understanding how, through strategic planning, you can reduce upstream waste through material management and setting responsible policies
Soko Made
City Government Zero Waste Senior Coordinator
San Francisco Department of Environment
10:00
Partner Presentation
10:30
Morning tea and networking
Addressing the Landfill Crisis
11:00
Best practice strategies to reduce the use of landfill in disposing of waste products
- Addressing the landfill crisis at a local level through waste reduction and recycling programs
- Examining the environmental costs of a landfill and developing better end-of-life management practices for putrescible waste
- Quantifying the impacts and costs to the local environment from greenhouse gas emissions from organic waste decomposition
Kylie Douglas
Senior Landfill Engineer
City of Greater Bendigo
Embracing the Circular Economy
11:30
The role of local government in the Circular Economy
- Discovering critical actions everyone can take to support a community driven circular economy
- Uncovering the vital role local councils play in supporting circular economy action
- Showing practical examples of the key areas in which local governments can play a role in supporting a circular economy
Deb Cailes
Director – Waste and Recycling
City of Melbourne
12:00
Lunch and networking
13:00
From postal satchel to park bench: Examining how Australia Post is putting the circular economy to use in supporting a healthy environment
- Outlining how Australia Post determined which sustainability attributes were the most environmentally friendly
- Developing a strategy to make the recycling of Australia Post satchels easier for the consumer
- Closing the loop; how Australia Post’s plastic satchels are remanufactured into everything from fence posts to park benches
Susan Mizrahi
Chief Sustainability Officer
Australia Post
13:30
Is Australia ready to develop a circular economy?
- Explaining the role of The Australian Circular Economy Hub
- Beyond the hype: what are the critical factors the Australian waste industry need to address before we can truly embrace a circular economy?
- Outlining the most significant challenges currently preventing increased adoption of circular economy principles
- Building enablers to aim for a zero-waste culture across Australia
Ryan Collins
Head of Circular Economy Programs
Planet Ark
14:00
Unlocking the economic potential of the circular economy
- Examining whether enough is being done to create an actual circular economy and how to develop emerging opportunities for the remanufacturing and reprocessing of everyday items
- Is there an opportunity to use subscription licensing of products to allow manufacturers to reclaim items that have reached the end of their lifecycle?
- Highlighting the need for long-term strategy and investment if Australia is going to have the infrastructure and education to unlock the circular economy fully
Sarah King
Senior Research Consultant – Circular Economy
CSIRO
14:30
Afternoon tea and networking
Product Stewardship and Reducing Waste Packaging in Australia
Panel Discussion: Bringing zero-waste packaging to Australian industry
- What are the benefits of embracing zero-waste packaging to drive the circular economy?
- How can embracing a recycling initiative significantly reduce waste packaging from ending up in landfill and be an excellent example for other industries looking to be a part of the circular economy?
- Can we eliminate the idea of waste for consumers by providing easy to use recycling solutions?
Moderator:
Brooke Donnelly
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation
Panellists:
Australian Food & Grocery Council
Margaret Stuart
Head of Corporate Affairs
Nestlé Oceania
Additional panellists to be announced
15:40
2025 National Packaging Targets – how the Australian wine industry is using a collective impact model to achieve the 2025 targets
- Refreshing your knowledge on the 2025 National Packaging Targets
- Looking into how the wine industry is working to meet the targets through the Wine Industry Sustainable Packaging Alliance (WISPA)
- How WISPA is finding opportunities to engage with internal and external stakeholders to seek ongoing improvements to product sustainability
Diarmaid O’Mordha
Group Quality Assurance and Sustainability Manager
Endeavour Drinks Group
16:10
Driving Australia’s transition to a circular economy for packaging
- Discussing examples of how industry collaboration is driving collective impact
- Sharing the top 3 outcomes and opportunities for driving change delivered by the ‘Our Packaging Future’ report
- Examining how kerbside and closed loop programs can work together effectively to reduce waste products entering landfill
Dr Helen Lewis
Principal
Helen Lewis Research
16:40
Closing remarks from the Chair
16:50
End of Conference Day One and start of Networking drinks