Tag: recycling
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Shop ’til we drop: SA’s mass clothing recycling weekend tackles dire dumping figures
In a state-wide bid to save thousands of tonnes of unwanted clothes from landfill, a Set Your Clothes Free event for pre-loved clothing and footwear suitable for donation, along with household linens like bedding, bath towels, tablecloths and curtains, is happening at 13 sites. Linens in good condition would be offered for free to charities,…
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Soft plastics recycling looks set to return to supermarkets. Cutting back on plastic would be even better
Imagine the weight of three Sydney Harbour Bridges. Between 2022 and 2023, product manufacturers were responsible for 540,000 tonnes (or three Sydney Harbour Bridges) of soft plastic packaging in Australia. Even worse, only 6% was recovered for recycling. Following the spectacular collapse of REDcycle’s recycling program a few years ago, Australians discovered that instead of…
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Feds back $40 million soft plastic recycling centre at Kilburn
Recycling Plastics Australia has received $20 million from the federal government to advance its new facility that’s tipped to divert 14,000 tonnes of soft plastics from local landfills each year. Announced today, the Kilburn-based business is one of the first recipients of funding under the new Recycling Modernisations Fund Plastics Technology stream – a $60…
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Wheels go round and round: Recycling lithium batteries is new way to beat fires
The Battery Stewardship Council revealed it had signed up three electric bicycle and scooter brands to its its B-cycle program and was holding discussions with other manufacturers and retailers to widen collections. The announcement comes days after Australia’s state and federal environment ministers met to address the rising threat of fires caused by incorrect battery…
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Briefcase: Business Snippets from around South Australia
UniSA study recommends how to dispose of 80 million solar panels Adelaide-based start-up awarded grant to prevent leading cause of blindness AML3D Limited gains access sales in the United States defence sector Electric triple road train hits South Australian roads Investments in Australian start-ups on the decline Fleet Space Technologies signs multi-million dollar defence agreement…
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Failed recycling scheme still causing headaches
The REDcycle program was wound up in November 2022 after it emerged plastics consumers had returned to supermarkets to be recycled were instead put into storage. The retailers involved say they had no knowledge of what was really happening but have since found stockpiles at 44 sites in six states around Australia. There are 19 sites…
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The last straw: Despite bans on single-use plastics, we’re making more than ever
The latest Plastic Waste Makers index says despite growing consumer concern and regulation, the world’s plastic waste problem is getting worse, not better. The index – published on Monday by mining billionaire Andrew Forrest’s philanthropic Minderoo Foundation – says the world generated 139 million metric tonnes of single-use plastic waste in 2021. That’s 6 million…
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Confectioner’s sweet solution to plastic waste could spark change
From April 2023, Mars Wrigley, the company behind Mars Bars, Milky Way and Snickers, will roll out paper packaging that can be recycled in kerbside recycling bins. This comes after two years of research in Australia. “The Ballarat-based R&D team leading this project is pioneering paper-based sustainable packaging solutions for the Mars Wrigley business globally,”…
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SA recycling system set for overhaul
Environment Minister Susan Close said the state government will release draft legislation later this year detailing a significant overhaul of the state’s recycling system in a bid to make the scheme more accessible. It follows the release of a major consultation report, commissioned in January 2019, on proposed reforms to South Australia’s Container Deposit Scheme…
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Plastic eating system looks to commercial ramp up
The process developed by scientist David Thompson and his company Alkane R&D is being scaled up with plans to treat up to 50 tonnes per week in one system. The units have so far proven successful at breaking down several common household plastics including polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. Major food processor Thomas Foods International has…