It seems amazing to me that with all the attention on environmental outcomes and protecting the planet that so many people are only interested in the cheapest way to dispose of rubbish. The cheapest skip bins always leads to shortcuts being taken in dealing with wastes that need to be treated as precious resources.

More than 18 months ago China implemented it's infamous China Sword Policy which effectively banned the import of plastics and other materials for recycling. Supply chains that had been in place for decades were suddenly thrown into chaos.

Unbelievably we are just weeks away from December and the echo of jingle bells is already in the air. Every year at Christmas the Australian population gets in the spirit and family and friends all over the country give each other gifts. I, like many others, enjoy thinking of gifts that my family and friends will find useful in the coming year.

I recently attended the Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo and heard from many inspiring and informative speakers who are leaders in sustainability and the wider resource recovery industry. For many years I have said that the current system in NSW of applying a comparatively high levy on landfill was not working.