The Bligh government will tonight outline a state budget that includes a levy on landfill waste produced by businesses.
The levy, which would be introduced on 1 July 2011, will charge $35-$150 per tonne of waste, depending on how hazardous it is.
Don Parry, from Nambour-based Queensland Complete Printing Services, told ProPrint that the tax would have to be part of a multi-pronged approach to be effective in reducing waste levels.
"There's never one single answer, and if this is part of a cross-section of strategies, I won't have a problem with it," he said. "For instance, we need more education and we need more assistance in accessing recycling streams.
"But if it's just the tax, I don't think it's going to do what they want it to."
Parry has been involved in the Queensland government's ecoBiz program, which helps businesses improve their sustainability practices, and said that a tax may fail to recognise the difficulties some printers have with recycling.
"One of the difficulties I've had in helping businesses establish a waste-to-recycling stream is a lack of opportunity," he said. "Even though most businesses are keen, they don't always have a viable stream to get waste in."
"We've all got to reduce our waste, there's no doubt about that, but I'm not sure that levies are the total answer."
Parry did say that there was potential for the scheme to "provide a positive incentive" for printers to step up their recycling efforts. He added that Queensland Complete was unlikely to be affected by the tax, as its recycling rate is around 96%.
Fergies Print and Mail chief executive Richard Sloan echoed concerns that a waste tax was just another burden for businesses during the economic downturn.
"Any additional tax on business is not welcome at this moment," he said.
"We're all trying to become greener. We recycle an enormous amount of paper, we don't just push our off-cuts into landfill, and we're very conscious of how we can improve. But even we would accumulate a few tonnes over the course of a year."
Fergies has already achieved ISO 14001 and also participates in the ecoBiz program, so Sloan said it would be unfair to "penalise" businesses that are already attempting to green up.
"The government needs to give better consideration for businesses taking steps to improve their business," he said.
It is estimated that Queensland businesses produce 30 million tonnes of landfill waste each year. The government is aiming to curb that figure with the waste levy, which is also expected to deliver $380m in funds over four years.
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