More consumption, more demand for resources, more waste: why urban mining’s time has come

By Michael Odei Erdiaw-Kwasie, Charles Darwin University; Matthew Abunyewah, Charles Darwin University, and Patrick Brandful Cobbinah, The University of Melbourne Pollution and waste, climate change and biodiversity loss are creating a triple planetary crisis. In response, UN Environment Programme executive director Inger Andersen has called for waste to be redefined as a valuable resource instead…

Things come around for Original Engines Co

By Brent Balinski It was last year at Amsterdam’s Rematec, the premier remanufacturing show, when the proverbial lightbulb went on for Colin Doherty (pictured below). The Managing Director of Original Engines Co saw clearly that his business was a real part of the circular economy and decarbonisation movements. “Here in Australia it’s not known about…

Samsara Eco raises $100m to recycle plastics

Plastic recycling startup Samsara Eco has raised $100 million in its latest funding round. Led by global investment company, Temasek and Australian deep tech investment fund, Main Sequence, funds also came from Wollemi Capital, lululemon, Hitachi Ventures, Titanium Ventures (formerly Telstra Ventures) and DCVC. The capital will help Samsara Eco scale its enzymatic recycling capabilities,…

Envirostream agreement to supply battery material for Korean customer

Lithium Australia subsidiary Envirostream has signed a new three-year Mixed Metal Dust (MMD) off-take agreement to supply leading South Korean battery recycler SungEel HiTech. SungEel HiTech will purchase a minimum of 60 percent of Envirostream’s annual MMD production from its battery recycling facility in Melbourne. The facility utilises ANSTO/Lithium technology which recovers 95 per cent…

Dulux Powder Coatings joins national recycling group

Architectural and industrial supplier Dulux Powder Coatings has joined the The Australian Micro Recyclers Association (AMRA), a group dedicated to growing decentralised recycling and manufacturing around Australia. In a statement on Wednesday, Dulux said that membership would assist it in meeting sustainability goals “by reducing carbon emissions and waste to landfill, with a priority on…

Renewable Metals recycling plant to be built in the UK

The largest end-of-life vehicle recycler in the UK, EMR has acquired ‘a significant stake’ in Australian recycling company Renewable Metals in a multi-million dollar deal which will see a novel demonstration-scale battery shredding and critical minerals refining plant built in the UK. Renewable Metals has developed a highly differentiated recycling process which has fewer steps…