News rivals prove collaboration is key on recycling and environment
Almost 100 per cent of printed newspapers in Australia are diverted from landfill due to the success of an industry collaboration to cut the environmental impact of print media under a scheme that has been officially accredited by the federal government.
“This is a terrific example of how industries can co-operate to reduce their environmental impacts,” federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said on Wednesday while announcing the accreditation.
The scheme is administered by ThinkNewsBrands, a consortium of Australia’s major national news publishing companies including Nine, News Corp Australia and Seven West Media.
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek at the News Corp print centre in Chullora on Wednesday.Credit: Rhett Wyman
“We know that news media organisations are fierce competitors when it comes to chasing the news, but what you see today is a wonderful example of co-operation to better protect the environment.”
Plibersek said despite tough industry headwinds, including the decision by Meta, owner of Facebook, to stop paying for its news content, the major print media companies had stood by their determination to ensure newsprint met high environmental standards.
The companies have collaborated over 30 years, changing the content of both newsprint and inks to ensure that the newsprint can go through the recycling process and be used in new product. Recycling rates in the industry have climbed from 28 per cent in 1989 to 61 per cent last year. Last year, only 0.2 per cent of newsprint found its way to landfill.
Accreditation has strengthened the scheme, providing members with deeper compliance obligations and reporting criteria for environmental initiatives – from energy efficiencies to waste-reduction strategies.
Tory Maguire, managing director of publishing at Nine, which owns this masthead, said the industry was proud of the scheme and the $50 million it had invested to ensure such high levels of recycling over 35 years.
Plibersek said government accreditation would ensure high levels of compliance and transparency with the scheme across the industry. The result showed that in some areas, industry self-regulations and collaboration worked but in others, regulation could be necessary, she said.
During a Recycling Roundtable co-hosted by The Sydney Morning Herald and attended by Plibersek earlier this month, industry representatives called on the minister to introduce regulations to help stem the tide of plastic packaging that was not being recycled.
“The packaging industry themselves have said to me that it’s impossible to meet the target set by the previous government, and they believe that the problems that they see with free riders in their industry means that regulation is a better approach,” she said on Wednesday.
Australia has a target of 70 per cent of plastic being diverted from landfill by 2025, but based on 2021-22 figures, it is still sitting at 20 per cent.
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