NSW plastic recycling projects awarded $11 million in grants

Two plastic recycling projects in NSW have received grants to increase plastic recycling capacity, with iQRenew awarded $9.1 million for an infrastructure upgrade at its Kundle Kundle plant, and Tamworth Regional Council awarded $1.9 million for a new facility.

According to a joint statement from the NSW and federal environment ministers, Penny Sharpe and Murray Watt, the two projects will increase recycling capacity of hard-to-recycle plastics by over 17,000 tonnes annually.

iQRenew will invest in site infrastructure, including the upgrade of an existing sorting line and installing a new processing line, “allowing the site to produce resin suitable for use in various packaging applications as well as remanufacturing it into a diverse range of products.”

Tamworth Tamworth Regional Council and “11 surrounding local government areas and industry partners” will use the new facility to “process 7,000 tonnes per year of hard-to-recycle waste plastic such as crates and pallets” into new plastic products. 

A combined $11.2 million in government funding is made up of $5.6 million from the NSW Waste Less Recycle More initiative and the same amount from the federal Recycling Modernisation Fund, according to the statement. 

“Without action, Greater Sydney is on track to run out of landfill space by 2030,” said Sharpe. 

“By turning plastics that were once destined for landfill into valuable materials, we’re not only easing pressure on our waste systems but creating jobs and supporting regional economies.”

An estimated 10 ongoing jobs and up to 15 construction jobs would be created through the investment at iQRenew, and another 8 ongoing jobs and 20 construction jobs through the Tamworth project, the release claims.

Picture: credit Grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Further reading

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