According to the state government’s draft strategy, Accelerating SA’s transition to a circular economy: South Australia’s waste strategy 2025–2030, the state government wishes to move towards a circular economy where waste and pollution is minimised. It’s encouraging that the state government is vocal about this, but it’s important that the negative impacts of animal exploiting industries are not overlooked and that alternatives are available. Taking this into consideration will enable a kinder future and a better transition towards a circular economy.

Until 23 July, the state government is accepting submissions for their draft strategy through YourSAy. Animal Justice Party has prepared prompts for how to highlight animal issues in the survey. The more feedback that highlights animal issues, the greater chance they will be considered.

YourSAy link

These are prompts for discussion in the survey.

Do you have any comments on the strategy's objectives?

We wish to see greater focus on the objective to reduce waste and pollution, and regenerate natural systems. This should focus on reductions in waste generation, waste to landfill and waste to outfall. Only once waste is removed from our lands and waters can regeneration take place. The government is urged to include stronger penalties for littering in waterways, parks, and coastal areas that are home to native and marine wildlife. We also urge the government to make mandatory wildlife safe packaging standards and the banning of dangerous single-use items (e.g., plastic rings, elastic bands, synthetic netting).

Do you have any comments on the strategy's goals and targets?

We wish to see the government explicitly support waste minimisation in animal agriculture and meat processing, both of which contribute to high levels of organic waste, water pollution, and methane emissions. We urge the government to request data transparency and reduction targets for waste from abattoirs, dairies, and intensive animal farming.

Are there any barriers to achieving the goals and targets?

Yes

What are the barriers and how can they be overcome/addressed?

Barriers to circularity implementation need to be overcome through incentivisation and penalties as voluntary involvement and adoption is proving too slow for meaningful climate and pollution impact mitigation.

Focus area 1

Do you have any comments on focus area 1?

Yes

Are there additional actions that would help reduce the generation of waste?

Stronger incentives and regulations to avoid waste generation in the first place, including through product bans. Investment in plant-based food systems and materials that are lower impact, non-toxic, and cruelty-free. Phase out of the manufacture and use of products and materials sourced through animal agriculture, especially where the same/comparative products can already be made from existing waste and repeatedly repaired, remanufactured and recycled.

Focus area 2

Do you have any comments on focus area 2?

Yes

Do the actions support the objectives of focus area 2?

No

Are there additional actions that would help reduce food waste?

The draft strategy calls out that: Every kilogram of food wasted generates the equivalent of 2.1 kg in CO2 (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, 2023b). Food waste sent to landfill is responsible for 3% of Australia’s emissions annually, excluding the embodied energy and resources from the production of the wasted food (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, 2024e).

However, the generation of beef as a protein for human consumption can range from 36 to 100 kg of CO2 equivalent, depending on the farming system. Every other animal protein for human consumption generates the equivalent of 5kg in C02, with plant proteins and plant foods having a far lower impact. https://ourworldindata.org/carbon-footprint-food-methane

Therefore if the South Australian government is serious about reducing negative climate impacts and waste from human consumption it is critical that the government invest in education, incentives and regulation to reduce the consumption of animal proteins and reduce animal agriculture.

We urge the government to support farmers in transitioning away from animal agriculture and towards more sustainable plant based agriculture. Investment must be made into plant-based food systems and materials that are lower in waste and pollutants of our land and waters.

Are the action partners listed for each action appropriate, and are there additional partners that should be added?

Action partners to support our proposals listed above should be primary producers, agriculture, transition support agencies, sustainable food system experts, plant based diet informed dietitians, public health experts, alt-protein researchers and innovators, food manufacturing sector.

Focus area 8

Do you have any comments on focus area 8?

Yes

Do the actions support the objectives of focus area 8?

No

Are there additional actions that would help measure SA’s transition to a circular economy?

We urge the government to request data transparency and reduction targets for waste from abattoirs, dairies, and intensive animal farming.