About the Review
The EPA is undertaking a review of the Environment Protection (Waste to Resources) Policy 2010 (W2R EPP). The W2R EPP operates under the Environment Protection Act 1993 (the EP Act) and provides a legal framework and regulatory underpinning for South Australia’s waste management objectives, such as those outlined in the SA Waste Strategy.
The existing policy has been in place for 14 years and has been highly successful in helping to shape good waste management practices, placing South Australia at the forefront of resource recovery in Australia. It has assisted the waste and resource recovery sector achieve a 41% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 1990 levels to 2019. Since its commencement however, the operating environment and resource recovery and waste sector has changed significantly. The Government has committed to a circular economy and net zero GHG emissions, set out in the SA Waste Strategy 2020-25, SA Food Waste Strategy 2020-25, the National Waste Policy Action Plan 2019, the South Australian Government Climate Change Action Plan 2021–25, and the EPA Position Statement on Climate Change. To enable the priority actions set out in these documents, modernise the EPP, and support a more circular economy, a review of the W2R EPP has commenced.
A modernised W2R EPP can reduce the generation of waste, further the circular economy, contribute to the State’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, and drive a strong market demand for recovered resources.
