Liberal Democrats Senator Duncan Spender has called for an end to the wasteful spending of taxpayers' money on recycling initiatives.
"Recycling itself can be good for the environment, but it should be private business or an individual's choice whether they want to spend their money on it, not the governments," he said.
"Both the major parties have already jumped on the recycling bandwagon this campaign.
"The Liberals have pledged $203 million to promote recycling and give concessions to private companies who make products from recycled material.
"Labor have promised $60 million to create a national recycling fund, ban mircobeads found in many chemist items and force a phase-out of single-use plastic bags.
"Both policies should be thrown on the scrap heap.
"It isn't only federal governments wasting other people's money to be seen as environmentally friendly.
"Councils have used ratepayers' money to invest in recycling education programs and pay for kerbside recycling, while state governments have used state taxes to fund bottle recycling schemes. Some states have gone so far as to ban plastic straws, despite their common and necessary use in aged care homes.
"Just last year, the Menzies Research Centre found that recycling is an exercise in futility that is increasing, not reducing, pollution and doubling the cost of waste disposal.
"Enough is enough: governments need to stop funding feel-good recycling programs and allow private enterprises to step in and provide services, if there is a high demand for it."
