Good policy or cash grab?
By Emily Arnold
Good policy or cash grab?
By Emily Arnold
If you’re a Queensland business who uses any sort of waste removal service, then you better start thinking twice about your waste habits.
Come July 1, all waste going to landfill will incur a levy, and it’s all thanks to a new waste management and resource recovery strategy developed by the Queensland Government.
So, how will it affect businesses and Queenslanders? Let’s look first at what the waste levy is.
Due to take effect next month, the Queensland Government Waste Levy is a state-based charge applied to the disposal of various types of waste (by various, we mean almost all waste).
Is the concept of a waste levy new?
Not exactly, this is a new levy, with an all new price tag ($75-$155 per tonne), however Queensland previously had a waste levy removed back in 2011, and is currently the only State without one.
Why now?
When announced, Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk pointed to the significant amounts of waste being trucked into Queensland across the NSW border as the main motive.
It is estimated more than 900,000 tonnes of waste was trucked in from interstate in the 2016/17 financial year.
“This is waste generated by big construction companies in Sydney and trucked into Queensland by unscrupulous operators in the waste industry,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Will it work?
Well that is the 67-million-dollar question.
Whether or not it does deter the waste couriering from over the border is yet to be seen. Certainly, there is wide spread speculation it will be both, a policy flop, and revenue landfall for the state.
While the Government has assured Queenslanders that the levy won’t be passed onto rate payers, it is expected to hit business and consumers alike with the levy cost expected to be passed on by landfill operators.
So, what does this mean to your business (other than a lengthy way to tell you your fees are going up)?
It means the handel: 2020 Vision of 100% landfill diversion should be coming into focus … right, about, now.
Not only does our business model have us set to divert 100% of non-regulated waste but it also ensures handel: the ability for long-term cost control and the ability to invest the recycle-able difference back into the community it came from.
With an average 373 million plastic bottles still going to landfill each year in Australia alone, take a moment to consider the following:
Reaching just 1% of that plastic and diverting it away from landfill and into a returns program could see $373,000 put into Australian charities and local programs, giving back to those who need it the most; Like Handel Group’s charity arm the ed. Foundation.
Now imagine what 1% of all waste could do, what 10% of all waste could do.
It’s time we stop looking at waste as a dirty word and start seeing it for the incredible commodity it is and using it as a force for change.
See how handel: can help you with your company’s waste needs. Email our Sales Team for a free comparison checker via hello@handel.group
