Some problematic waste streams are already growing or are anticipated to grow rapidly in future, such as textiles, and end-of-life solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Others are likely to appear in future.

A circular economy where industry works proactively to prevent the creation of problematic waste, with nationally regulated product stewardship schemes in place in instances of industry inaction for whole of life product management.

• Advocate for the development of national regulated product stewardship schemes that require producers to take responsibility for their products at their end of life
• Undertake waste audits to inform resource recovery strategies.

• Pursue opportunities for the ACT to leverage its knowledge, innovation and collaboration expertise to create solutions to emerging problematic waste streams
• Identify opportunities to work with industry in the design process so that where possible, products are designed to be repaired, disassembled, recycled and use less materials
• Monitor progress at the national level on creating value streams from problematic waste
• Consider opportunities to leverage our market power through procurement to support businesses that solve or mitigate issues with problematic waste
• Continue to collaborate with other jurisdictions to manage the emergence of problematic waste streams
• Identify opportunities to improve textile stewardship in the ACT.

Soft Landing, a social enterprise based in Hume, brings new life to unwanted mattressess and ensemble bases. Find out more by reading the case study.