Position statement on the waste hierarchy
The waste hierarchy is included in the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2007 and as a guiding concept in the Waste avoidance and resource recovery strategy 2030 (waste strategy). It ranks waste management options in order of their general environmental desirability, from avoidance as the most preferred option, through various resource recovery options, to the least preferred option of disposal.
This Position statement on the waste hierarchy helps to explain the thinking behind the waste hierarchy, particularly in relation to the difference between material recovery and resource recovery, in the context of Western Australia’s waste strategy and its aim to move towards a more circular economy.