NSW companies awarded $731,000 in circular economy-related grants

Grants totalling $731,000 have been awarded to seven enterprises under the NSW government’s Circulate Program, managed by the state’s EPA, aiming to decrease waste of glass, textiles, food and other materials.

According to the EPA’s Director Circular Economy Programs, Kathy Giunta, the grants supported businesses recycling and repurposing material which would previously have ended up in landfill.

A grant of $134,500 was awarded to A Plastic Blueprint, which assists businesses to run their own soft plastic recycling programs. (See list of projects supported below.)

“This is the circular economy in action and displays how NSW businesses are innovating by finding new and exciting uses for plastic waste,” said Giunta.

“Other projects will promote glass recycling, repurpose old textiles and help reduce food going to landfill.”

Picture: ABC News

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Projects supported (source: www.epa.nsw.gov.au)

1. Circular Hub – A Plastic Blueprint – Newcastle, Sydney and regional NSW – $134,500

The Plastic Blueprint is a digital platform that will enable businesses to access a step-by-step guide, resources and all the tools needed to implement an effective soft plastics reduction and recycling program within their organisation.

2. Edge Environment – Paving the way for glass recycling – Orange, Parramatta – $40,800

This project will demonstrate the environmental benefits and address barriers to the uptake of recycled glass in infrastructure projects. Funding will support the development of an Environmental Product Declaration for the use of recycled glass fines as a replacement for virgin sand as a raw material in State Significant Infrastructure projects.

3. Yume Food – Eliminating food waste in manufacturing – Various NSW locations – $100,000

Funding will assist Yume Food, a social enterprise, to extend its online marketplace connecting suppliers of quality surplus food with buyers. Edible food will be repurposed, providing a permanent diversion of food waste from landfill.

4. Circular Centre – Circular Textile Waste Service – Ballina, Orange, Sydney locations – $150,000

This project provides a value chain of partnerships that capture, sort, dismantle and repurpose denim and PPE textiles many times over. Textiles will be redesigned into new clothing and remanufactured into other new products in the auto, architectural, building, fashion and interiors industries.

5. Valera Recycling – Recycling contaminated hard plastics – Central Coast, Illawarra, Sydney locations – $146,000

This project will see the recycling of 600 tonnes of contaminated hard plastics using specialist plastic washing and shredding systems.

6. WildBlueGlobal Consulting – Recycling in the hydroponics industry – Central Coast, Dungog, Lake Macquarie – $80,000

Working with a major vegetable grower, this project will involve the recycling of the rockwool growing medium and plastic packaging from hydroponic cropping.

7. Textile Recyclers – Textile recycling – Liverpool – $80,000

This project will help three Australian companies, Sheridan, Manrags and Uniqlo keep unwanted textiles out of landfill via recycling.