Mr Evans said a $1 billion transformation of the sector was under way, including a strong focus on the so-called circular economy.
Seed funding has been awarded to 21 adaptive recycling streams, helping cut environmental damage from products including coffee capsules, shoes, sports equipment and agricultural plastics.
“That means a whole raft of new recycling schemes for various products and resources are being worked on and coming into effect right now,” Mr Evans said.
“Next month the new national scheme for recycling of household batteries will begin. You will be able to take your household batteries back to hundreds and hundreds of places around Australia, to keep them out of landfill and stop them starting fires.”
Mr Evans, Environment Minister Sussan Ley and Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the “Remade in Australia” campaign this week. It is designed to highlight the difference recycling makes, helping avoid more material being sent to landfill.
He welcomed a bidding war on recycling policy ahead of the next election.
Labor remains critical of the government’s management of recycling, warning this week that key targets will not be met and some initiatives are going backwards.
Opposition assistant spokesman for environment Josh Wilson said the recycling rate for plastic packaging had fallen from 18 per cent to 16 per cent, while reincorporation of recycled plastic in new packaging was down by a third.
Mr Wilson said the voluntary Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation scheme was ineffective, with an Accenture report warning key 2025 targets will not be met.
The report said plastics recovery rates were well below the 70 per cent target, and there was “as yet no sign of the rate increasing towards the 2025 target”.
On recycled content targets, plastic is well below a 20 per cent target, at just 3 per cent.
“I don’t think that is a hugely ambitious target. It was decided some time ago and we’ve dropped from 4 per cent to 3 per cent. It will shortly be 2022,” Mr Wilson said.
“At what point does the government acknowledge that it’s not working, when you’ve set the target and you’re watching no progress, and in the case of the past 12 months things going backwards? We’re just going on towards failure.”
Mr Wilson said the substance of new announcements needed to be carefully scrutinised. He praised industry and resource management firms for pushing for progress and welcomed co-operation from Mr Evans and the government on priority items.
“At the moment, on the government’s own measure, the volume of plastic packaging is going up, the recycling rate is going down and the incorporation of recycled material in plastic packaging is going down,” he said.
