Plastics research program

The Plastics Research Program (PRP0 was identified in the $356 million Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 (WaSM). Under WaSM a $13 million Avoiding Plastic Waste fund was created which includes funding for plastic waste avoidance through education campaigns, circular economy programs and more specifically $1.25 million for the PRP contestable grants.

The PRP aims to drive scientific research within New South Wales (NSW) universities and research institutions to:

• fill in knowledge gaps to enhance our capacity to protect the environment and human health.
• make NSW a leader in developing innovative solutions to manage plastic waste.

The NSW EPA is responsible for designing and implementing the PRP. The program comprises 3 research streams with clear objectives:

1. Improved understanding of potentially harmful chemicals in NSW plastic products
2. Improved understanding of factors that impact the quality and circularity of plastics
3. Capacity to measure microplastics within the NSW terrestrial environment

Prospective grantees are encouraged to design their projects to address Stream 1 and 2 together.

This stream calls for research into potentially environmentally harmful plastics and plastic additives^[1]. Researchers are requested to identify a type of harmful plastic, plastic additive or class of plastic additives that pose a risk to either:

• human health
• the environment; and/or
• the circularity of plastics materials in existing NSW plastics recycling infrastructure.

The investigations should focus on emerging plastics and plastics additives that are not currently regulated or proposed to be regulated by the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) or other similar regulatory mechanisms. The identification of where these harmful plastics and plastics additives are present within the plastics economy will be used by the NSW EPA to inform future policy and regulatory decisions as to how these materials should be managed within NSW.

The EPA is particularly interested in studying the risk of plastic and plastic additives that are likely to be:

• highly prevalent within the plastics supply chain
• currently within consumer, commercial or non-consumer goods; and
• either deliberately or incidentally applied to land.

The program may build upon existing research to establish a greater evidence base to justify necessary government action.

Your research should include:

1. identification of emerging potentially high-risk plastics, plastic additives, or classes of plastic additives
2. evaluation of the plastic/additive’s pervasiveness in products currently on the market
3. analysis of the plastics/additives potential risk to the environment, human health and or the circular economy.

[1] Meeker JD, Sathyanarayana S, Swan SH. Phthalates, and other additives in plastics: human exposure and associated health outcomes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2009 Jul 27;364(1526):2097-113. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0268. PMID: 19528058; PMCID: PMC2873014.

The program aims to enhance understanding of the physical and chemical factors influencing the quality and circularity of plastics within NSW. Research is required to be conducted into the:

• NSW plastics feedstocks/items; and/or
• NSW plastics recycling infrastructure.

Researchers are required to consider a broad range of factors that impact the quality, quantity, and flow of plastics across the circular economy considering factors such as:

• input materials
• item design considerations
• plastic leakage
• plastics sorting processes
• plastics extrusion processes
• other physical and chemical considerations along the plastic supply chain.

By delving into the physical and chemical processes and qualities of the NSW plastics supply chain, researchers will aim to uncover critical insights into the factors shaping the current limitations of the circular plastics economy. Research will provide insights that could support:

• improved durability of high-volume land applied items
• removal of chemical contaminants that impact recyclate quality
• improved capacity to sort plastic items at facilities; and/or
• physical and chemical methods to reduce plastic leakage from the circular economy.

This work aims to enable government and private sector stakeholders to make informed decisions and implement targeted interventions to enhance the outcomes for plastic materials across NSW. The NSW government is especially interested in actions that can be applied to currently identified problematic plastics and/or that have solutions which are able to be retrofit within existing recycling infrastructure.

Your research should include:

• examination of factors that may impact the quality and circularity of materials across the plastics supply chain
• the implications of examined factors on the circular economy; and
• analysis of methods towards systematic improvement.

Note: Prospective applicants may choose to design their projects to address objectives Streams 1 and 2 together by examining the impact of problematic plastics and plastic additives on the circularity of material in NSW.

The program will focus on enhancing the capacity to measure microplastics within the terrestrial environment of New South Wales (NSW). The evaluation of existing microplastic measurement techniques will be crucial to compare scalable methodologies across various land-based waste matrices. The academic community has also called for efforts to fill the gaps in our understanding and our capabilities to effectively measure terrestrial microplastics^[1].

This program seeks to bolster the capacity for measuring microplastics in the NSW terrestrial environment. Through comprehensive evaluation and optimisation of measurement techniques, coupled with rigorous assessment of outgoing plastics, the program aims to contribute to the protection of the environment and public health from the adverse effects of plastic pollution.

Your research should include:

1. analysis of current terrestrial microplastics test methods across a range of different waste matrices
2. evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of different microplastics measurement techniques
3. development of a scalable optimised methodology to measure microplastics across a range of waste matrices.

[1] Dissanayake, PD, Kim, S, Sarkar, B, Oleszczuk, P, Sang, MK, Haque, MN, Ahn, JH, Bank, MS & Ok, YS 2022, 'Effects of microplastics on the terrestrial environment: A critical review', Environmental Research, vol. 209, 112734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.112734

The PRP grants will support research and development (R&D) projects that provide an improved understanding of, and scalable solutions for problematic plastic and plastic additives. Research and development is defined as the practical application of academic research that results in something that is new, unique or adds value to an existing solution. For example, innovation projects could involve applying new processes, methodologies, or techniques, or which build on previous ideas or programs to create additional value.

To be eligible for funding under the PRP, projects must be able to contribute to achieving at least one of the three Objective Streams and deliver measurable targets. PRP projects can be delivered by an individual or collaboration of NSW-registered universities or NSW-registered Government Research Departments. These NSW-registered organisations may partner with organisations registered outside of NSW.

Eligible R&D projects will entail primary research, not yet undertaken by the applicant organisation or by their partner organisation/s. While the EPA welcomes research into new areas, it will permit further development of existing research if it develops the knowledge base beyond what is available at the time of receiving the applicant’s R&D proposal.

If the PRP is oversubscribed, a reserve list of eligible candidates will be identified for additional grant funding if it becomes available.

What can be funded

• Projects that tackle one or more of the following three streams:
• Stream 1: Improved understanding of potentially harmful chemicals in NSW plastic products,
• Stream 2: Improved understanding of factors that impact the quality and circularity of plastics,
• Stream 3: Capacity to measure microplastics within the NSW terrestrial environment.
• Research and development projects designed and managed by NSW Universities,
• Research and development designed and managed by NSW-registered government research facilities,
• Projects that are assigned to a PhD candidate,
• Projects that are assigned to one or more post-doctoral researcher.

What can’t be funded

• Projects investigating materials other than plastic
• Projects that are already underway
• Research projects that have already received funding and no new work is being proposed
• Projects not able to be completed by May 2027
• Commercial activities
• Primary organisations registered outside of NSW
• Projects that do not align with the objectives and policies of the NSW EPA, WaSM or the NSW Plastics Action Plan, and/or do not contribute to achieving the NSW Government’s waste priorities and targets or cannot be measured or quantified
• Financial co-contribution to other grants, including, but not limited to, contestable grants being delivered under the WaSM strategy, the NSW Plastics Action Plan, and other relevant strategies
• Legal advice
• Collection and transportation of materials that cannot be recycled or diverted from landfill (e.g., asbestos) or the clean-up of litter or illegally dumped materials other than for academic research, and in full compliance with the strictest hazardous waste management protocols
• Ongoing delivery of pre-existing academic research programs including those previously funded by the NSW EPA Better Waste and Recycling Fund

Special considerations

• Project funding co-contributions are welcome.
  • In-kind co-contributions are permissible.
  • Additional funding from other sources may be used together with the PRP grants to enhance the program's outcomes. Eligible organisations must state in their grant application if they have secured funding for the same project through another source. The applicant must justify and maintain any relevant project and funding boundaries.
• NSW (primary) applicants are welcome to leverage partnerships outside of NSW providing the NSW-based organisation remains the principal partner,
• Applicants may wish to collaborate with commercial partners. This is permissible provided the outcomes of the project’s activities align with the PRP’s objectives.

Funding allocation

• The EPA has allocated a total of $1,250,000 to the PRP grants, available to June 2027.
• The minimum amount an individual grantee can be awarded is $250,000. This minimum amount will not change regardless of whether the proposed project seeks to address one or more of the three objective streams.
• The maximum amount an individual grantee can be awarded is $500,000. This maximum amount will not change regardless of whether the proposed project seeks to address one or more of the three objective streams.
• While co-contributions (including in kind co-contributions) are not mandatory, they will be assessed favourably.
• The EPA will award funding in stages across 3 milestones:

*Note: Final Report must be submitted no later than May 2027 to ensure the final payment is made by the end of June 2027.

Application time-frame

One round of funding will be available. Applications will open to eligible candidates from July 2024.

Grant applications will be open for 6 weeks. The final deadline to apply is to be confirmed, subject to approval.

Program launch: key dates

Please note that the timeline above is estimated and may be subject to change.

Application form

Applications must be submitted to the EPA using the SmartyGrants platform. You will receive an acknowledgement of your application form after the submission via SmartyGrants. If you do not receive an acknowledgement email, contact the Business Programs Unit at bin.trim@epa.nsw.gov.au to ensure your application has been received.

Follow the URL to access SmartyGrants’ Help Guide for Applicants: https://applicanthelp.smartygrants.com.au/help-guide-for-applicants/

The application form consists of two parts:

1. Section A: General applicant(s) details
2. Section B: Project plan, which includes:
   • Project description, including project need. Framing the problem statement in the context of one or more of the Objective Streams is critical to ensuring a good-quality application
   • Proposed start and end date
   • Implementation details (methodology)
   • Risk management mechanisms in place to address delays and other barriers to success
   • Amount of funding sought and if other financial or in-kind contributions are being provided or sourced
   • Research and development proposal
   • Collaboration and building capacity proposal (if applicable)
   • Project impact – outcomes, scalability, and long-term impact
   • Monitoring and evaluation plan. Projects need to be quantifiable

Grant applications will be assessed against the selection criteria outlined in the guidelines (see Assessment criteria section below). All questions in the application form should be answered fully and should be prepared with these criteria in mind.

Eligible organisations can only be the lead applicant in one grant (project) application to the PRP.

Assessment criteria

The Technical Review Committee (TRC) will review all eligible applications based on the selection criteria below. The extent to which projects address each area of the criteria will determine the TRC’s scores and ranking of applications.

The Plastics Research Program (PRP) aims to drive scientific research within NSW universities and research institutions.

The program’s research priorities are (1) to assess the impact of potentially harmful chemicals in NSW plastic products, (2) delivering plastics circularity for NSW, and (3) to develop capacity to measure microplastics within the terrestrial environment.

Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy (WaSM) 2041

The strategy outlines the actions we will take to deliver on our long-term objectives to transition to a circular economy.

New South Wales is transitioning to a circular economy over the next 20 years. This means we will minimise what we throw away and use and reuse our resources efficiently, making them as productive as possible. We will end up with less waste, less emissions, less harm to our environment and more jobs. The move will boost innovation and help drive our economy.

We need to have the services and infrastructure in place to deal with our waste safely, to ensure it does not become a problem for future generations. We also need to collaborate with consumers, industries, and other governments to make the circular economy a reality.

The NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy (PDF 2.1MB) outlines the actions we will take over the next six years, the first phase of the strategy, to deliver on our long-term objectives.

These actions are backed by $356 million in funding to help deliver priority programs and policy reforms.

Some of our key reforms include:

• phasing out problematic single-use plastic items
• financial incentives for manufacturers and producers to design out problematic plastics
• having government agencies prefer recycled content
• mandating the separation of food and garden organics for households and selected businesses
• incentivising biogas generation from waste materials

Our targets

• reduce total waste generated by 10% per person by 2030
• achieve an average 80% recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030
• significantly increase the use of recycled content by governments and industry
• phase out problematic and unnecessary plastics by 2025
• halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030
• reduce overall litter by 60% by 2030 and plastics litter by 30% by 2025
• triple the plastics recycling rate by 2030

The EPA Waste Delivery Plan (PDF 4.8MB) provides more detailed information on each initiative within the Strategy and the NSW Plastics Action Plan.

NSW Plastics Action Plan

The NSW Plastics Action Plan sets out the first six actions to achieve four long term outcomes to better manage plastics and reduce the impact they have on the environment.

The NSW Plastics Action Plan (PDF 2.1MB) was launched in June 2021 to manage plastic throughout its lifecycle – from generation through to production, supply and reducing plastic waste. It forms a key part of the NSW Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 and outlines a comprehensive suite of actions to address plastic at all points of the plastics lifecycle, from production and consumption to disposal and recycling.

The 4 long-term outcomes set out in the plan aim to:

• reduce plastic waste generation
• make the most of our plastic resources
• reduce plastic leakage
• improve our understanding of the future of plastics.

These outcomes will be achieved through the phase out of certain problematic or unnecessary plastic products, accelerating the transition to more sustainable and less harmful plastic products by funding innovation and research, and better managing the leakage of problem plastic litter.

Phase-out of single-use plastic items

The Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021 gives effect to the government's commitment to phase out the supply of certain problematic single-use plastic items and set a design standard to prevent the supply of plastic microbeads in some rinse off personal care products. We granted an exemption to permit the supply of single-use plastic straws to people with a disability or other medical need.

Until 1 January 2025, the bans do not apply to integrated packaging.

The EPA is the sole regulator of the Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021 (PRCE Act), and we play a pivotal role in delivering this legislation including by regulating and monitoring certain types of plastic items supplied into or within NSW. The definitions of each item are contained in Schedule 1.

To further support the key outcomes from the NSW Plastics Action Plan, we will also provide incentives for industry (such as grants) to encourage greater innovation and investment in sustainable alternatives and increase the reuse and recovery of plastics.

We are collaborating with stakeholders, such as suppliers and retailers, in raising awareness of, and ensuring compliance with, the plastics phase-outs. This important work ensures we continue to deliver on our purpose to ensure a healthy and thriving environment for the future.

If you have questions or concerns about compliance with the plastics phase-outs, please contact plastics@epa.nsw.gov.au

Our targets

Under the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy: Stage 1 2021–2027, NSW has adopted several targets. The actions outlined in this plan will help us to meet these targets, including to:

• phase out problematic and unnecessary plastics by 2025
• reduce the total waste generated in Australia by 10% per person by 2030
• achieve an average 80% recovery rate of resources from all waste streams by 2030
• significantly increase the use of recycled content by government and industry
• reduce plastic litter items by 30% by 2025
• reduce the overall litter by 60% by 2030
• triple the plastics recycling rate by 2030.

We are working towards national waste targets including:

• phase out problematic and unnecessary plastics by 2025
• ban the export of waste plastic, paper, glass, and tyres, starting in 2021
• reduce the total waste generated in Australia by 10% per person by 2030
• recover an average 80% of resources from all waste streams by 2030
• significantly increase the use of recycled content by government and industry.

The Plan presents a package of actions supported by analysis of the economic and technical feasibility, costs, and benefits.

The proposed actions will allow NSW to become a leader in managing plastics; eliminating harmful plastics, cleaning up plastic pollution and using our knowledge to get the most value out of our plastic resources.