The Role of System Thinking in Addressing Australia's Recycling Crisis

This essay delves into the application of system thinking to address sustainability challenges, focusing on the crisis triggered by China's ban on Australia's recycling waste. It begins by defining system thinking as an interdisciplinary approach for identifying interrelationships and seeking change patterns to understand complex problems. The essay then outlines the context of the ban, highlighting the economic, social, and environmental implications, and the limited local market for recyclable materials. The analysis emphasizes the importance of system thinking in developing solutions by considering the interconnectedness of various factors. The paper explores the role of the Australian government and China's system in dealing with this crisis. It also proposes strategies for promoting waste prevention, enhancing the circular economy, and generating demand for sustainable practices. The essay discusses how system thinking can assist in improving technology and advocating for reprocessed materials, while also addressing the challenges of greenwashing. It concludes by recommending the application of system thinking to address environmental and sustainability challenges and by emphasizing the need for both short and long-term strategies for managing the recycling crisis and promoting a circular economy.

Running Head System 0
Sustainability
4/8/2019

System 1
Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
System thinking is critical in developing solutions................................................................................2
Business Sustainability: China’s ban on Australia recycling waste.......................................................2
Recommendation...................................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................7
References.............................................................................................................................................8

System 2
Introduction
This research essay will concentrate on system thinking is defines as an inter-disciplinary
approach utilizes to identify the interrelationship for seeking several change patterns rather
than static snapshots. It is determined as the new way of thinking to comprehend and
maintain the difficult problems locally and internationally. It is a procedure for the
development organizers to act and conceptualize towards the systematic integration of
economic and socio-environmental extents of sustainability (Howlett, Ferreira and Blomfield,
2016). The importance of this research stated in the fact that no wicked problems exist in
remoteness, but all are part of a vast combination of interrelated networks. Therefore, the
system-thinking approach is important in developing alternatives for such concerns. This
research essay is going to demonstrate the problem of China’s ban on Australia recycling
waste and the way system thinking can be applied to the sustainability issue.
System thinking is critical in developing solutions
I agree with this fact, which states that system thinking is important in developing
alternatives to sustainability challenges due to the reason that it describes an efficient manner
to address the issue. The main aim of this research essay is to identify the significance of
system thinking in order to deal with sustainability challenges. The main consideration will
be focussed on the critical problem “China’s ban on Australia recycling waste (Gaziulusoy,
2015).
Business Sustainability: China’s ban on Australia recycling waste
The wicked problems are those, which have manifold interrelating framework i.e. economic,
social, and ecological. Australia’s recycling industry is facing a drastic crisis with China,
which has intentionally closed its borders with them. China has banned the recycling waste
around the world by essentially shutting down the industry’s biggest market i.e. Australia,
which is affected by the sustainability challenges. The current estimate commissioned by the
federal government predicts that all recycle material collected from business, and industry in
2017, which exported 3.5% to China. Therefore, the proportion is relatively higher for two
key streams household kerbside recycling i.e. 37% of all the recycling waste collected were
exported to China in 2017. It is stated that Australia has a limited local market for domestic
recyclables such as plastics, paper, and glass (Biloslavo, Bagnoli and Edgar, 2018).

System 3
As per the Australian government are losing market share with several other industrialized
nations. Oversupply has generated mixed paper scrap form nearly AU$124 to AU$0 per
tonne. The Australian government has to deal with the 1.3 million-tonne of ecological waste,
which they formerly sent to China. They need to control China’s ban on recycling waste in
order to make a move towards waster generation. Even before China ben, only 8 percent of
waste plastics are being recycled, while others 13 percent were burned. The rest were buried
in landfills or simply dumped into oceans and rivers (Abson et al., 2017).
The recycling crisis triggered by China’s ban tends to effective solutions for maintaining the
waste of the world through expanding processing capacities and manufacture products, which
are easily recyclable. It is quite evident that China is largest market of Australia for recycling
waste as it has banned imports of Australian mixed paper, plastic, and plastic due to its high
contamination rate (Sahajwalla, 2018).
(SBS News, 2019)
It is stated that waste companies are being intended to stockpile the material and because of
its recent downturn in the industry for paper and plastics, will spur the country’s waste
industry to become more productive and efficient. On the other hand, China's government
also need to respond to the ban by contributing millions of dollars to support Australian
people in dealing with the problem. Australia is struggling with processing and producing its
own recyclable material, which tends to manage electronic waste (Joshi and Seay, 2019).

System 4
System thinking plays an important part in maintaining solutions to China’s ban on Australia
recycling waste. It is evident that along with the Australian government, China system needs
to deliver a unique opportunity towards sustainable and significant change across the
recycling industry. According to The Fifth Discipline (1990), a system is cooperation
between more than two parts to work as a team. It deliberates concern over the current trend
of stockpiling unprocessed recyclable material, which can pose a risk because of the
commingling of contaminants as aerosol cans and batteries. Australian needs to utilize the
capability of system thinking to contribute to the growth and development of the waste
prevention programme (Nielsen, Holmberg and Stripple, 2019).
System thinking contends that there is a need for generating interventions among various
levels of community, which involves individual, national, domestic, and international level.
They should also increase the evidence base of packaging waste recycling. They need to
provide an effective basis for maintaining complex problems and encourages shared learning
regarding the system for which the procedures are being maintained (Tansel, 2017).
System thinking contributes to improving new technology for fast sustainability and
efficiency in the waste recycling and management sector. This approach helps in enhancing
the circular economy in the manner that it moves towards intelligent material, which is only
produced for front-end but also for back-end recovery. It is stated that at this point the
environmental landscape of Australia discovers ways to reduce the influence and maximize
the value in a manner to maintain a more sustainable and productive future. System thinking
can also assist in green washing, which can help in generating demand for sustainable
challenges. It is quite evident that green products apart from green washing can be
challenging, as several products are not environmentally friendly, certified green, eco-safe,
pure, and natural in their advertising and labelling with pristine landscapes. Therefore, green
washed products deliver no proof of their “greenness” and make effective decisions (Jin et
al., 2017).
System thinking has tended the way by initiating the first LCA based rating programme in the
context of cleaning & hygiene, procurement & sustainability, building, textile industry as
well as health & beauty. The system should agree to utilize their thinking through industry
initiatives and consumer education, which are a significant part if waste management. For
example, the local council is operating a recycling education initiative for a very long time in
order to achieve success and growth. With the help of system thinking, Australians should

System 5
produce a new target of generating 100% of packaging recyclable material by the end of
2030. As this target is achieved, they can decrease prioritization and recycling as well as
composting of the material. According to Australian Packaging Covenant Enterprises
(APCO), the system has already embraced the loop as a performance criterion in its
innovative sustainability framework. Australians can also utilize the incentives to prioritize
recyclable packaging, which are still needed. It is stated that the support and contribution
from businesses and system for domestic industries can assist in overcoming implementation
barriers (Osibanjo et al., 2016).
It can also assist in cooperating with top-hierarchy in enhancing our domestic recycling
system. The system also agreed to contribute to developing and expanding our recycling as
well as the packaging industry. For this, Australian needs to eradicate ban from recycling
material of China and concentrate on increasing recycling capability by sorting and reusing
into materials effectively that can be utilized for other purposes. It is stated that the recycling
sector is contributing to reprocessing facilities in order to develop international markets.
System thinking also assists in advocating for more reprocessed materials in government
procurement such as road base, recycled paper, and construction material. The system should
take a further step in developing business to utilize recycled material effectively and
efficiently (Ulubeyli, Kazaz and Arslan, 2017).
System thinking argues that China has banned Australia’s recycled waste, which is done to
destabilize Australia’s success. With the respect of system thinking, China is also making
effort in enhancing the quality of Australia’s recyclable material. They can upgrade their
sorting facilities and essentially enhance our collection system. China has done so that they
can make a reputation in the minds of the people. It is also suggested that re-introducing
particular bins at the kerbside, which can greatly increase the mixed paper quality. China can
also make an effort in offering an excellent opportunity to generate effective value recycling
streams. They can also assist in promoting a labelling scheme to improve the recyclability of
their packaging and aware consumers about recycling (Healy, 2018).
The system has also recognized the potential to maintain “waste to energy programme” with
the assistance of energy funding channels. This approach falls down the hierarchy than
reprocessing as these materials is no longer accessible to rejuvenate in the economy. System
thinking can assist the waste to energy programmes to recycle remaining waste in attaining an
increased level of diversion, which is actually required under the new energy waste policy.

System 6
However, waste to energy is not an alternative to a recycling crisis and should not be utilized
to deal with recycled material that can be no longer been shipped to China. It can be said that
it is not a short-term alternative due to the reason that Australia does not have a developed
waste to energy sector. At the same time, investment needs to happen at the right time to
make sure that it motivates recycling (Orlins and Guan, 2016).
It is stated that several strategies are been implemented and pursued, which are sound in
principle for achieving the targets and objectives. Australian needs to generate short as well
as long-term strategies to maintain grip with the recycling crisis. They should be wary of
waste to energy initiative and new export contracts that could destabilize more sustainable
challenges. With the advent of system thinking, environmental ministers agreed to update the
National Waste Policy in order to integrate and encourage circular economy principles. This
gives the opportunity to maintain a nationally consistent reaction that encourages the
advancement of resilient markets for reusable, re-manufactured, and recycled content. This
will require going beyond the strong concentration on recycling and maintaining a higher
level of the waste hierarchy. The further step will be to maintain effective funded plans for
executing these changes (Bakhiyi et al., 2018).
System thinking assists China to take action in developing a solution for decreasing the effort
of the problem. They can aware consumers regarding the dumping of plastic, bottles, cans,
and paper in a separate bin, which is a very common stream that should be followed. It is also
stated that water and food contamination is generally increasing at a very fast pace, which
needs to be controlled. Additionally, plastic packaging also developing increasingly with
additives, mixed compositions, colors, and multilayer, which is very hard to recycle and
reprocess. China has now cut off imports at the highest grade and imposes a purity regulation
that is impossible to fulfil. It is true that the system thinking discusses cooperation among
both the nation in generating awareness about recyclable waste. On the contrary, system,
philosophy does not elaborate on the matter of cooperation and interconnectedness. In this
research essay, the author has opposed that system thinking is utilized for wicked and
difficult concerns. Since, it is very hard for individuals to understand the procedures and tools
utilizes in the system thinking (Rucevska et al., 2017).

System 7
Recommendation
 System thinking will make sure that students also seek the difficult sustainability
challenges from the pluralistic viewpoint.
 In this research essay, the author has elaborated about China’s ban on Australia’s
renewable waste material, which should be further rejuvenated effectively.
 System thinking will assist in dealing with environmental and sustainability
challenges (Knoblauch, Mederake and Stein, 2018).
Conclusion
To conclude this research essay, it has been stated “System thinking is crucial in encouraging
solutions to sustainability challenges. It is commonly accepted due to the reason that system
thinking is to very much helpful in coping with sustainability challenges. China has taken
action to ban Australia’s recycling waste to build their reputation. As mentioned above, the
Australian also implement strategies in ways such as separating garbage bins, the green
washing, circular economy, which has not become effective and successful, which is
constantly developing at a rapid rate. System thinking assists in providing some solutions in
order to recycle waste effectively.

System 8
References
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sustainability transformation. Ambio, 46(1), pp.30-39.
Bakhiyi, B., Gravel, S., Ceballos, D., Flynn, M.A. and Zayed, J. (2018) Has the question of e-
waste opened a Pandora's box? An overview of unpredictable issues and
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Biloslavo, R., Bagnoli, C. and Edgar, D. (2018) An eco-critical perspective on business
models: The value triangle as an approach to closing the sustainability gap. Journal of
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Healy, B. (2018) Australia's recycling crisis just got messier. Green Left Weekly, 12(1), p.8.
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Nielsen, T.D., Holmberg, K. and Stripple, J. (2019) Need a bag? A review of public policies
on plastic carrier bags–Where, how and to what effect?. Waste Management, 87, pp.428-440.

System 9
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