THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
Minister for the Environment and Water
THE HON STEVE DIMOPOULOS MP
Minister for Environment
MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday, 5 March 2024
Six new projects to increase Victoria’s recycling capacity
Around 9,600 tonnes of material will be diverted from Victorian landfills every year thanks to the Federal and Victorian Labor governments investing $3.4 million for 6 new recycling projects.
This investment will improve Victoria’s recycling capabilities across Melbourne and in Ballarat.
In total, the 6 projects will support 15 construction jobs and create 38 ongoing positions.
The new and upgraded facilities will sort, process and recycle used plastics and paper into valuable new products, such as transport pallets.
Industry is playing its part and contributing an additional $13 million to these important projects.
The Recycling Modernisation Fund is accelerating Australia’s circular economy so that when a product is no longer useful or required for its initial purpose, it is either reused, recycled or remanufactured.
On completion, projects announced under the Recycling Modernisation Fund, across all jurisdictions, are expected to add 1.3 million tonnes of processing capacity every year, diverting valuable materials from landfill for reuse, and supporting new jobs.
When combined with co-investment from all states and industry, the Recycling Modernisation Fund will give a $1 billion boost to Australian recycling.
For more information about the Recycling Modernisation Fund visit: Investing in Australia's waste and recycling infrastructure - DCCEEW
Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek:
“Australians want to do their part to reduce their waste, reuse and recycle household products, and lighten their impact on the planet.
“This funding is supporting new recycling infrastructure, helping Victorians get value from precious materials that would otherwise go to waste.
“This is great for the environment, but it’s also great for the Victorian economy. For every job in landfill, there are 3 jobs in recycling.
"We want to better protect nature for our kids and grandkids – and that takes all levels of Government working together.”
Quotes attributable to Victorian Minister for Environment, Steve Dimopoulous:
“Reducing our use of new materials and recycling our waste is keeping litter out of landfill while creating more jobs for Victorians, and innovative projects like this are just one example of how we can make a real difference to the way we use and manage waste.
“We’ve invested a record $515 million to transform Victoria’s waste and recycling industry to drive progress towards a cleaner future for all with less waste and pollution – creating new industries and driving a sustainable and thriving circular, climate-resilient economy.”
ENDS
Background – funded projects
Australian Paper Recovery Pty Ltd (APR) in Dandenong South received $1 million to upgrade its sorting facility, and install a new infrared process to improve the separation and quality of difficult to recover plastics.
NCI Holdings Pty Ltd in Tullamarine received $175,810 to increase the use of post-consumer recycled content in the manufacture of impact-resistant paint pails to 50%.
Schutz Australia Pty Ltd Recycling in Laverton North received $1 million to install new equipment that will enable refinement of recovered high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from used Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) to produce clean pellets suitable to manufacture new IBCs and drums.
Repeat Plastics Australia Pty Ltd in Ballarat received $708,000 to increase operational capacity and capability to enable the production of large-scale manufacturing, industrial, commercial and civil products, such as transport pallets from recycled plastic.
Corex Recycling Pty Ltd in Dandenong South received $253,470 to install new equipment that will enable recovery of highly contaminated soft plastic waste and maintain the highest level of end product purity.
Y and Y Trading Pty Ltd in Truganina received $250,000 to expand Australia E-waste Recycling's capacity to separate plastics from e-waste and produce flake and pellets for reuse into new products.
