Brands are leaning on ‘recycled’ clothes to meet sustainability goals. How are they made? And why is recycling them further so hard?

Recycling clothing isn’t like recycling paper, glass or metal. Clothes are endlessly variable and unpredictable. So they’re not ideal for recycling technologies, which require a steady and consistent source material. Even a seemingly simple garment may contain multiple materials, with fibre blends such as cotton/polyester and cotton/elastane being common.

Affinity windows revamps its glass house

Australian manufacturers change hands every day, but for Affinity Windows, part of BCG Australia WA, preparing for sale sparked a root and branch modernisation of operations. Peter Roberts reports. Affinity Windows is well known in Western Australia, supplying residential and commercial customers with aluminium windows, doors, security products, shower screens and robes. Fairly standard products…

Silicon Quantum Computing’s $130 million capital raise aims for quantum computer

Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) which plans to build a silicon quantum computer in Australia today announced the launch of its $130 million Series A capital raising to fund the company’s technical development, operations and strategic activities through to 2028. The Series A round follows SQC’s successful $83 million seed capital raising in 2017. Investors in…

It might seem a small loss, but Treg’s closure is a sad day for manufacturing nonetheless

On Friday a small Adelaide manufacturer announced it was closing, unremarkable perhaps because it happens every day. But manufacturing is suffering a death by a thousand such cuts, argues Peter Roberts. We have to do something to change the fortunes of our SMEs who, like the little company profiled here – are doing it tough.…

Albanese saves $2 billion in final deal scrapping the Attack class submarine

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a final settlement with France’s Naval Group which cuts $2 billion from the expected cost of Australia’s decision to scrap the purchase of Attack class submarines from France. Albanese today announced Australia will pay Naval Group an $830 million settlement of the cancelled a $90-billion contract, bringing the estimated…

Hydrogen power plus aluminium chassis bus launched

Canadian hydrogen fuel cell developer and Loop Energy and Sydney bus manufacturer Aluminium Revolutionary Chassis Company (ARCC) have announced they will enter the burgeoning low emissions bus market. ARRC will offer its Australian first lightweight bolted aluminium city bus chassis (main picture) mated with a pure electric or hydrogen fuel cell drive train. ARCC Managing…