Perth startup Uluu, which has developed a process to create bioplastics out of fermented seaweed, has announced a $16 million Series A funding round, led by Germany’s Burda Principal Investments. According to a statement on Thursday from the company, the raise will support construction of a demonstration plant and scaling up its technology, which “has…
Researchers at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) are looking to further develop a lab-level technology for upcycling mixed plastics into valuable carbon nanomaterials and hydrogen. According to a statement from UniSQ on Wednesday, the team is working with plastic recycler Australia Sunlight Group (ASG) on the problem, with support from the AU-UK Hydrogen Energy…
By Melanie MacGregor, Flinders University Progress towards a legally binding global treaty on plastics pollution stalled and went into reverse this week. The United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, ran overtime. It’s likely to conclude this evening, without agreement. This is an incredibly disappointing result. As a member of the Scientists’ Coalition…
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…
Chemical manufacturing is an energy-intensive industry. A team of chemists is designing a technique that could power the necessary reactions with sunlight or LEDs.
A satellite imagery tool developed by RMIT University scientists and able to spot plastic rubbish beaches has been successfully field tested on a remote stretch of coastline, according to the university. In a statement on Thursday, RMIT said the satellite imagery tool “picks up differences in how sand, water and plastics reflect light,” and is…
Packaging manufacturer and recycler Pact Group has developed new methods which allow its iconic Sulo kerbside bins to become something of a pin-up for the circular economy. The Sulo bins, which collect waste of various types will now collect plastic waste which will then be turned into…more Sulo bins. The recycling breakthrough has already seen…
More than 14,000 tonnes of soft plastics will be diverted from South Australian landfills every year, thanks to a $20 million investment in advanced recycling technology by the Australian Government. Recycling Plastics Australia in Kilburn will clean and purify soft plastics such as shopping bags, chip packets and food wrappers to create feedstock for new…
UNSW Sydney’s Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology (SMaRT) and IT asset management company Renew IT have announced that a new factory has begun turning hard plastics from e-waste into 3D printing feedstock. A Plastics Filament MICROfactorie module, developed by UNSW Sydney researchers, has been installed at Renew IT’s warehouse in Lane Cove, on…
While issues such as quantum computing attract political action, Australia is losing the sovereign ability to manufacture even basic products such as plastics and downstream products such as paint. According to Shane West, the closure of plastic raw material production by Qenos requires government intervention. How to respond to the loss of Qenos – Australia…