10 News speaks to SMaRT about excessive waste

UNSW SMaRT Centre Director, Prof Veena has been interviewed by 10 News about the growing waste problem in the context of highly competitive online sales platforms.

With the launch of yet another low value goods online service today, concerns are raised about rampant consumerism resulting in excessive waste, particularly plastics which in mico forms are now infiltrating all forms of life, including all marine life, human bodies and foetuses.

Veena encouraged Australians to think about the durability and end-of-life destination of their purchases, as Amazon Haul launches in Australia.

10 News Sydney says it's the latest cheap online shopping marketplace to target Australian shoppers. 

Veena said: "These products are really not going to be that durable. They're not going to last that long. They're probably going to end up in landfill." 

"We need to always think about how our purchasing power can actually make a real difference," she said. 

10 News video (view story from 25:30)

This comes a day after SMaRT's Plastics MICROfactorie^TM Technology has been featured in a video and news story by German media titan Deutsche Welle amid the faltering UN global plastic treaty discussions.

SMaRT Centre Director Prof Veena explains the role and importance of recycling tech innovation to help deal with the world's massive waste plastic pollution problem.

DW says: "Every minute, the equivalent of a truckload of plastic ends up in the ocean, and less than 10% gets recycled. Now, over 170 nations are in Geneva, trying to agree on a global treaty to tackle the crisis."

"Scientists at UNSW Sydney are pioneering microfactories — compact, modular units that recycle complex plastic waste from electronics into valuable materials like 3D printing filaments."

"While global plastic production reached 413.8 million metric tons in 2023, less than 10% is recycled. Plastic pollution harms ecosystems and human health, with studies showing accumulation in organs. Over 100 nations support a UN treaty to curb plastic production, seen as vital to addressing the crisis."

Watch the Deutsche Welle news story

While the Australian Government's Environment Minister Murray Watt says, "Australia is continuing our push for an end to plastic pollution across the world" and "we are determined to push for an effective and meaningful global treaty to achieve our goal of ending plastic pollution by 2040", the negotiations have stalled.

Media is reporting that "the world’s attempt to forge a plastics treaty billed as the most important environmental deal since the Paris climate accord is falling apart after three years of talks."

"With negotiations due to end Thursday evening (today, 14 Aug), 184 nations gathered in Geneva remain deadlocked over basic definitions, the scope of the treaty and whether to limit plastic production at all."

Daily reports by Earth Negotiations Bulletin

In this story, Prof Veena talks about the SMaRT Centre and its industry partner IT asset management company Renew IT having built SMaRT's first commercially-run Plastics Filament MICROfactorie^TM that turns discarded hard plastics destined for landfill into valuable 3D printer feedstock.