Global supply shocks are exposing Australia’s dependence on imported materials far beyond fuel alone. Yet many of the waste streams we landfill or export could instead support regional manufacturing, local jobs and a more resilient sovereign industrial capability.

Local microfactories have the potential to sustainably supply the metals and critical materials needed for Australia’s green transition. But what are the right policy settings to support the reprocessing of waste for manufacturing?

Australia has world-leading research on recycling and green manufacturing. Here’s how the right policy settings can harness it.

Almost all the materials used for electrification are finite. Waste recycling should play a major role in the transition to a decarbonized economy.