Update on Australian plastic flows and trends

Presentation by Kyle O’Farrell (Blue Environment)

Abstract

The annual Australian Plastics Flows and Fates study has been undertaken for more than two decades and provides a comprehensive time-series picture of plastics flows across all polymer types and applications. Another output of the study are projections of plastics consumption and end-of-life (waste) generation out to 2050, by polymer type and application.

In this presentation Kyle will outline the high-level numbers on plastics flows in Australia across; plastics consumption and recovery estimates since 2000, plastics recovery rates by polymer type and application, projections of plastics consumption and end-of-life generation out to 2050, and current and planned plastics reprocessing capacity.

The objective of this presentation is to provide a good sense of the macro level flows and fates of plastics use in Australia, and the scale of the plastics waste management challenge over the next few decades.