Queensland recycling grants aim to boost recycling

The Queensland government has announced a $45 million package aimed at facilitating large scale, high recovery waste recycling projects, part of the state’s $2.1 billion waste and resource recovery package.

State Development Minister Grace Grace visited BMI Group’s Stapylton Resource Recovery Centre (pictured), which is diverting over 185,530 tonnes of waste from landfill every year by separating co-mingled construction and demolition waste like timber and concrete to produce materials for industry such as roadbase and chipped timber for landscaping soils.

The facility was partly funded by a $2 million grant from the government’s Resource Recovery Industry Development Program (RRIDP).

Grace said: “The recycling industry has told us that to achieve some of Queensland’s 2030 waste diversion targets, there is a need to concentrate effort towards large-scale projects with co-investment from the Miles Government – so that’s exactly what we are doing.

“Today we are unlocking $45 million in funding for projects tackling waste in three key areas: commercial and industrial waste, renewable energy technologies, and electrical and electronic products and batteries.

“This funding will provide critical assistance to industry to grow its reprocessing and recycling capacity and prevent solar panels and other materials ending up in landfill.”

By 2030, Queensland aims to recover 80 per cent of all waste and achieve 65 per cent recycling rates across all waste types.

Programs announced previously have supported 48 projects to bring forward new technologies, diverted over 1.46 million tonnes of waste from landfill, according to the government.

Chief Operating Officer of the BMI Group Nick Badyk, said: “With $2 million in grant funding from the Queensland Government, BMI Group commissioned the $5.92 million Construction and Demolition (C&D) plant at our Stapylton Resource Recovery centre in April 2022.

“This has led to the creation of over 16 full time jobs across a number of skill sets, including engineering, plant and equipment operators and pickers, who are a critical component of our recycling effort.”

Picture: BMI Group/Stapylton Resource Recovery (QLD) Pty Ltd