Simulating waste plastic flows in Australia

Plastics waste is a significant issue in Australia, with plastics waste generation continuing to grow. Central to the ‘circular economy’ concept is the flow of waste materials back into production, to be remade into new products. However, in Australia these flows are not visible due to limitations in published datasets. In this study, a waste supply-use framework is employed to model waste flows from consumption, through waste treatment and back into new production. This approach reveals how both plastics waste and recycled plastics become embodied in final consumption. The analysis shows there is currently no evidence that plastics waste generation has decoupled from either population or GDP growth. In fact, the recycling rate has declined in relative terms, potentially caused by recycling infrastructure limitations and an overall decline in Australian manufacturing.