Читать книгу Circular economy in action: Regional adaptation of global strategies. The case of Georgia - - Страница 10

The Australian experience in transitioning to a CE is unique and interesting, underpinned by the geographical position, natural resources, and socio-economic aspects. Australia is the biggest island continent in the world, with immense natural resource deposits, and at the same time faces challenges associated with their rational use. Being far away from key global markets, having partial infrastructural development in some parts, and having high environmental risks related to climate change, the transition to the CE is not just an ecological but also an economic necessity [50].

Australia is also particularly well-placed to achieve a CE transition due to its sound research base, technological capabilities, and government support. In 2021, the Australian government adopted the National Waste Policy Action Plan, which has set ambitious goals in terms of reduction of the waste produced by the commercial sector (fig.13).

Figure 13. The amount of solid household waste produced by the commercial sector, tons per capita [51]

Natural resources are of great importance to the Australian economy. Australia is one of the major exporters of metals, coal, and gas. However, overexploitation of these resources has created several problems, such as resource depletion and increased carbon emissions. In this context, the CE is a strategy that could ensure long-term economic sustainability by minimizing waste, recycling materials, and reusing raw materials.

Initiatives towards waste reduction include the elimination of single-use plastics. Because Australia has imposed strict regulations concerning the manufacturing and consumption of various single-use plastic products since 2022, this initiative will eventually reduce the volume of plastics landfilled substantially, triggering further development in the capacity to recycle plastic wastes, including chemical recycling facilities and the development of biodegradable materials by the year 2024.

Furthermore, Australia is actively implementing programs of organic waste recycling. It has introduced composting systems at both the family and community levels that help diminish methane emissions to the atmosphere from landfills. Until 2024, more than 50% of organic waste will be recycled in Australia, placing the country among the leaders of developed economies on this indicator [52].

An interesting aspect involves the mining industry in applying the principles of the CE. Companies dealing with extraction, including but not limited to iron, lithium, and rare earth elements, started installing waste recycling systems into their production cycles. For instance, Lynas Rare Earths involved in extracting and processing rare earth metals implemented the use of reagents’ recycling in their technological cycles, which decreases water usage and reduces industrial waste significantly. They also have projects on ecosystem restoration in mined areas.

Despite these successes, Australia is also experiencing various challenges in the implementation of a CE. Among these is the disparate waste recycling infrastructure between urban and rural areas. Many remote regions, like deserts and thinly populated areas, are devoid of recycling facilities and logistic solutions that would provide opportunities for material reuse, which results in increasing the costs of waste transportation.

Technological challenges also play a significant role. For example, recycling complex materials like lithium-ion batteries and composite plastics requires substantial investments in research and development. Furthermore, recycling technologies remain expensive, which slows their large-scale implementation.

The social aspect of the transition to a CE needs attention, too. Though Australians are increasingly aware of the importance of recycling and material reuse, in some parts of the country this is still inadequate. This is especially true in rural areas, where cultural and economic barriers often stand in the way of active participation in recycling initiatives.

Investments also play an important role in the implementation of the CE in Australia. The government invested in the year 2023 approximately AUD 1,5 billion for projects of waste recycling, creation of closed supply chains, and the development of technologies of secondary usage [53]. These investments will be channeled into a sustainable infrastructure that would see Australia achieve its CE goals by 2030. Examples include the building of plastic waste recycling plants in the states of Victoria and New South Wales, which created hundreds of new jobs.

In 2024, nine districts in South-East Australia pledged to divert at least 95% of their waste to energy recovery plants and not to landfills over the coming 25 years. These are in response to the forecasted increase in landfills in this region by 40% by 2046. Waste would be used to generate energy instead of landfilling it, thereby reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. For each ton of waste recycled, 0.8 tons of emissions are saved. This will reduce 270,000 tons of emissions every year, which equals taking 50,000 cars off the road. More than 500 temporary jobs will be created during the construction of the waste-to-energy plant and around 450 permanent jobs when it becomes operational [54].

Thus, Australia’s practice of transitioning towards the CE shows how one can use the specific geographical, social, and economic features of the region to turn to the models of sustainable development. The country, with government support, active investments, and business involvement, is moving confidently towards achieving the results of its CE, although many challenges have yet to be overcome. This experience can serve as a model for other developed economies that strive to create a more sustainable and resource-efficient development model.