War on Waste: an ACT Perspective Why Waste: There has been a lot of focus recently on the environmental impacts of waste and programs such as War on Waste and the ABC Four Corners report on the Australian recycling industry have made us reflect on our waste generation and consumption habits, and the ways we can prevent and reduce waste. Our office reports on the impacts of waste on the ACT environment and we think that your students have an opportunity to look at ways to improve waste generation as part of their Parliament of Youth projects. http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/innovation/waronwaste/WOWPlasticBagRoll.mp4

An environmentally sustainable ACT, region and Australia. Our Vision An environmentally sustainable ACT, region and Australia. Our Mission To act as an independent voice for the environment and sustainability in the ACT, and promote community engagement. Our Values Transparency, integrity, independence, research, rigour, inclusion. Who are we: The Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment is an independent statutory position, appointed under the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment Act The Commissioner is Dr Kate Auty, we also have a team of six staff in the office. What our office does: Report on the State of Environment in the ACT, this report is prepared every five years and the last one was in 2015. Conduct environmental investigations, these can be directed by the Minister, at the discretion of the Commissioner or from a complaint raised by a member of public. Preparing submissions on ACT Government draft documents by invitation or through the public consultation process. Our latest annual report has recently been released online. http://www.envcomm.act.gov.au/

Waste in the ACT http://www.envcomm.act.gov.au/ The 2015 State of the Environment Report has information on waste generation and management in the ACT. You can find this document on our website and it may be appropriate for older students to use in their research. Types of Waste - In 2015 and 2016 the leading types of waste sent to landfill were: Masonary Organics Timber and Wood Paper and Cardboard Waste Generation by Sector: In 2015 and 2016 the leading producer of waste was the commercial sector, followed by households and then construction and demolition. Data Limitations One interesting finding in the report was the limited data available on the waste we send to landfill. This is because the reporting standards are voluntary and because waste from the ACT is sent interstate for processing. This means that the findings in the report most likely underestimate the long term growth of waste to land fill per person in the ACT. Impacts of Waste to Landfill: Landfill waste poses risks to the health of individuals and the environment, your students could think about the following risks associated with waste in their projects. The risks identified in the report include: Fires resulting from waste stock piling Noise issues from waste processing Land, air and water contamination Negative health impacts to humans and animals who come into contact with contaminated materials http://www.envcomm.act.gov.au/

The ACT Ecological Footprint The ecological footprint, expressed in global hectares, measures the amount of land required to support a community’s demand for goods and services and absorb its waste including greenhouse gasses. (OCSE website, 2017) The 2015 SoE Report makes findings on ACT’s Ecological Footprint An ecological footprint is a concept of assessing the sustainability of resource use and pollution of households, cities or nations. In 2011-12, the ecological footprint for Canberrans was: about three and a half times the global per person average in total, about 14 times the land area of the ACT. Waste is an important factor in our Ecological Footprint. In particular Canberrans earn more than the average income, therefore we consume more goods and inturn produce more waste. It would be interesting for your students to consider ways to reduce waste and consumption as an important area to improve in the ACT. Canberrans have an Ecological Footprint which is 3.5 times higher than the global person average! http://www.envcomm.act.gov.au/

Waste – Innovative Solutions Serena Farrelly | Project Manager Serena.Farrelly@act.gov.au We have provided a couple of local and global examples of innovative solutions for preventing and reducing waste: Locally, the ACT has a range of innovative strategies to prevent and reduce waste including: Conversion of the gas produced by organic waste into energy at the Mugga Lane and West Belconnen land fill sites. ActSmart programs and resources for households, schools and community organisations. Re-Group recycling facility at Hume – converting glass back to sand for construction and sustainable building A great international example of waste reduction was an invention made by Solveiga Pakstaite a 23 year old industrial design and engineering student from the UK. She has designed a tactile bump that is attached to food products and tells shoppers if the food is safe for consumption. If the bump is smooth the food is safe to consume and if the bump is rough the food is off. This gives consumers the ability to eat foods that may have passed their shelf expiry date, and reduces food and household waste. We have put our contact details on this slide, if you have any questions please feel free to contact us http://www.envcomm.act.gov.au/

Resources War on Waste: http://splash.abc.net.au/newsandarticles/blog/-/b/2535555/25-educational-resources-to-help-kids-with-the-war-on-waste ActSmart http://www.environment.act.gov.au/waste http://www.tccs.act.gov.au/recycling-and-waste/act-waste-feasibility-study https://www.actsmart.act.gov.au/what-can-i-do/schools/school-waste-resources OCSE http://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/publications/fact_sheets http://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/publications/soe_about-the-report http://www.environmentcommissioner.act.gov.au/ecological-footprints See Change http://www.see-change.org.au/resources/recycling-and-waste/ http://www.see-change.org.au/resources/lifestyle-and-footprint/ Innovative Waste Solutions (Local and Global) http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/bioenergy-offers-a-solution-for-dealing-with-canberras-waste-20140307-34d5g.html https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/18/bioreactive-bump-gelatine-food-sell-by-date-wins-james-dyson-award http://www.envcomm.act.gov.au/