Australia needs to fully optimise waste and the circular economy by prohibiting the export of unprocessed steel scrap, the ASI has informed a Federal Government Senate Inquiry into waste reduction and recycling policies.
Steel scrap is a sovereign and increasingly scarce and valuable resource, the ASI submission says. Without a ban, Australian steel mills will fall short of being able to fully service the growing Australian construction and manufacturing sectors, it says. Australia would be forced to continue to import higher volumes of steel scrap, adding to emissions through the transport process and damaging the local industry whilst potentially making it uneconomic.
Unprocessed steel scrap includes car parts and whitegoods contaminated with plastics and other products already banned from export. “On behalf of the Australian steel industry, we urge your Senate Inquiry committee to recommend to your parliamentary colleagues that the government prohibit the export of unprocessed steel scrap,” the ASI submission says. “Restrictions would be consistent with the Federal Government’s Net Zero policy and plans to continually reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to stimulate and maintain sustainable local manufacturing capability and additional jobs here in Australia while significantly boosting our domestic economy’s recycling and circular economy rates.”