8 September
2006 - Australian Minister for the Environment
and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, today announced
funding to help increase the uptake and recycling
of used oil.
Senator Campbell said that oil
recycling in Australia would receive an $820,000
boost in the final round of the seven-year Product
Stewardship for Oil Transitional Assistance grants
programme.
"Since 2000, this $34.5
million programme has successfully created a national
network of more than 900 used oil collection facilities
and has supported the development of two recycling
plants that turn used oil back to lubricating
oil," Senator Campbell said.
"This targeted round aims
to build on the existing achievements of the programme
by investing in projects that will help to overcome
barriers to the growth of the oil recycling industry,"
he said.
"We'd like to see proposals
that will help to make existing used oil products
more acceptable, which will use new, more efficient
oil recycling technologies, or which will produce
new and better products.
"We want to hear from anyone
with an interest in recycling used oil and who
have the skills and experience to contribute to
the industry."
Senator Campbell said that proposals
for collection facilities, particularly from Indigenous
and other communities in remote parts of Australia,
would also be considered.
"It is critical to our
environment and our health that used oil is properly
collected and recycled," Senator Campbell
said. "For example, as little as one litre
of used oil can contaminate one million litres
of water, and, if burnt, used oil can release
toxins into our air.
"The good news is that
used oil can be recycled safely and productively.
It can be turned back into lubricating oil that
you can use in your car, and used as industrial
burner oil.
"If properly recycled,
used oil is a valuable commodity. By developing
a sustainable used oil recycling industry, we
can create jobs as well as look after the environment."
Applications close 10 November 2006.
For more information on the
Product Stewardship for Oil programme visit www.oilrecycling.gov.au/program
Rob Broadfield
