The Morrison government is tipping $60 million into efforts to modernise waste and recycling in Australia, particularly targeting problem single-use plastics such as bread bags and chip packets.
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In a trip to Brisbane just over a week out from the federal budget, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce on Monday the government is boosting its Recycling Modernisation Fund to $250 million with a focus on advanced plastic recycling technology.
The funding boost builds on the $190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) which was announced last November.
"Three years ago I made a commitment at the UN to stop plastic waste from entering our oceans, a commitment that has sparked a recycling revolution in Australia," Mr Morrison said in a statement.
"That same commitment has supported investment in state-of-the-art recycling technology across Australia, technology that protects the environment, boosts the economy and creates jobs."
The Morrison government expects the funding will support a "pipeline" of valuable remanufactured plastic products while protecting the environment.
The Recycling Modernisation Fund is designed to transform Australia's waste and recycling industries with Australian Government funding contingent on co-funding from industry, states and territories.
Australians use one million tonnes of single-use plastic each year and only 12 per cent of that is recycled.