It comes after Kurrajong Recyclers boss Tim Macgillycuddy told The Daily Advertiser that China’s National Sword policy meant certain plastics had to be sorted out of recycling and sent to landfill, which Kurrajong had to pay for at full commercial rates.

In response to a number of enquiries Wagga City Council and Kurrajong Recyclers issued a joint statement late on Tuesday, saying that residents should continue to sort their recyclable material as normal as any change may only be short term.

The statement, issued after discussions between Kurrajong and council, said “Kurrajong Recyclers factored weighbridge charges at Gregadoo Waste Management Centre into their costings when they tendered for the acceptance and processing of Wagga’s recyclable material last year”.

However, China only started strictly enforcing the National Sword policy this year, after Kurrajong was awarded the contract.

The biggest problem for Kurrajong Recyclers and the broader Australian waste industry was a particular type of PET plastic container that had a PVC coating, such as biscuit trays or strawberry punnets, that was no longer being accepted by China. There was no demand for the material in the domestic plastic industry at present.

Council and Kurrajong Recyclers have met regularly to monitor the impacts of National Sword, the statement said, with meetings set to continue.