South Australia’s recycling industry will receive a $30 million boost with the Federal and State Governments signing up to a National Partnership on Recycling Infrastructure. The partnership is the result of the $190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) which will generate more than $600 million in infrastructure investment for Australia’s waste management and resource recovery sector.
ASX-listed Bingo Industries is the subject of an $2 billion-plus offer by a consortium led by Australian private equity firm CPE Capital.
As the UK battles the unrelenting march of COVID, organisations including the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust are recycling their disposable masks into material that can be used to make new products like bottles, bins and furniture.
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has published ‘Australian packaging consumption and recycling data 2018–19’ a new report tracking Australia’s progress towards the 2025 National Packaging Targets (2025 Targets).
A major new report from Infrastructure Australia has found that the Australian infrastructure sector responded well to the challenges of COVID-19, while the pandemic accelerated structural trends such as digitisation, more local and regional infrastructure use, as well as service innovations and adaptations.
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A major investment that will double Victoria’s domestic glass recycling capacity, increase its plastic recycling by 40 per cent and create 350 jobs is being underwritten by the Federal and State Governments.
UK-based start-up Lasso Loop Recycling is working on a machine that collects, cleans and sorts garbage for recycling, that resembles an everyday kitchen appliance.
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Australian paint manufacturers have asked Australia’s consumer watchdog to extend a 15c per litre levy on paint sold in the country to increase the success of its used paint disposal and recycling scheme Paintback.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s current levy, introduced when the paint stewardship scheme was established in 2016, aimed to promote the safe disposal of unwanted architectural and decorative paint in Australia.
At the time, Australian Paint Manufacturers’ Federation (APMF) members, responsible for more than 90 per cent (by volume) of paint sold in Australia, estimated about half of all waste paint was not disposed of properly.
Levy ends June 1
Initial aims were to establish fixed and mobile unwanted paint collection points within a reasonable distance of 85 per cent of Australians by 2021. The current levy authorisation ends on June 1 this year (2021).
Paintback chief executive Karen Gomez said the Scheme has over-delivered on access with waste disposal and collections points available to 88 per cent of the Australian population. This has enabled 21 million kilograms of unwanted paint and packaging to be disposed responsibly, away from landfill and waterways. The levy extension will take the scheme further – supporting operations and important research activities to establish a circular economy for used paint and packaging.
“Paintback is a well-functioning, innovative model that the Australian paint industry seeks to extend,’’ Gomez said. “The momentum we have built, despite interruptions to our usual operations due to the pandemic, saw Paintback collect over 8,100 tonnes of used paint and packaging nationally in 2019/20, exceeding expectations and delivering a net environmental benefit by avoiding inappropriate disposal of unwanted paint. It brings together the best and the brightest through our industry-led scheme, creating a responsible life cycle for products that would otherwise be discarded,’’ she said.
Gomez added that the paint industry has also applied for a new 10-year authorisation with the ACCC to continue the 15c per litre funding. The ACCC may grant an authorisation when it is satisfied that the public benefit from the conduct outweighs any public detriment.
The BioBag Group, part owner of BioBag World, has been acquired by Novamont the Italian supplier of the Mater-Bi resin material that comprises the BioBags product.
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Queensland based Finn Biogas, has received funding to test an economically viable way to break down organic waste from buildings. Twenty-three small and medium businesses are sharing in more than $2 million from the federal Government to test their great ideas on how to improve the natural environment.