Carbon recycling and abatement

The EPA is taking steps to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change by improving the way we manage waste and materials.

Globally, the way materials and products are produced, used and disposed of contributes to about 45% of carbon emissions. Transitioning to a circular economy presents an opportunity to reduce our reliance on carbon-intensive materials, by improving the durability of materials through design, reusing or repairing them, recycling and remanufacturing them or extracting their embodied energy.

The NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 committed to developing a Carbon Recycling and Abatement Fund to support innovative circular economy approaches that manage waste and materials more efficiently and reduce emissions.

Carbon Abatement Opportunities for a Circular Economy

We commissioned a Carbon Abatement Opportunities for Circular Economy 2022 (PDF 2MB) study to identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions from waste products in NSW.

The study identified how the EPA could prioritise support for industry to decarbonise its supply chains and promote a circular economy. These opportunities were identified:

• the use of coal combustion products in cement production
• crumb rubber from waste tyres in roadmaking
• increased use of reclaimed asphalt pavement.

An updated study has been commissioned to identify further opportunities to reduce carbon emissions from waste products in NSW. The updated study will review and reflect changes in technology, data and resource recovery markets.