Visy breaks ground on its largest ever investment

Australian packaging and recycling giant Visy has begun construction on a new $500 million glass manufacturing and recycling facility on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

The new site, in Stapylton, will create about 600 jobs during construction, 200 new full-time ‘green collar’ manufacturing jobs, and aims to produce around 1 billion bottles a year with the potential to recycle up to 200,000 tonnes of glass annually.

This latest development follows similar Queensland-focussed investments in a new $150 million cardboard box factory at Hemmant and $48 million in upgrades to Visy’s material recovery facility on Gibson Island.

Construction is slated for completion in 2025, with the new factory bringing Visy’s total Queensland workforce to more than 1,000 people.

Visy said the facility’s viability is underpinned by long-term contracts, including its partnership with Asahi Beverages, as well as agreements with other beverage manufacturers such as Lion, Coca-Cola, CUB and Bundaberg Brewed Drinks.

Visy Executive Chairman Anthony Pratt said this new factory is the company’s largest single investment, representing a massive boost to the state’s manufacturing and recycling capabilities.

Pratt said: “Recycling is an important weapon against climate change and the technology employed in this factory will help Australia to go from an average of 30% recycled glass content in bottles to 70%, which is moving towards world’s-best practice.

“This ensures the majority of Queensland’s recyclable recovered glass containers from the state’s Container Deposit Scheme and kerbside recycling bins can be remanufactured right here in Queensland.”

He said that as part of the investment, Visy will also relocate its existing glass re-manufacturing operations from South Brisbane to the new Stapylton facility, allowing the site on the Brisbane River to be used as the International Broadcasting Centre for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called the project ground-breaking, stating it will enhance the state’s export capabilities.

Palaszczuk said: “Queensland is currently a net importer of glass packaging and currently doesn’t manufacture enough to supply the local market.

“This new facility will not only make Queensland glass packaging self-sufficient but also sets us up to be a net exporter.

“It will also divert up to 40,000 tonnes of glass – the equivalent of about 200 million bottles – out of landfill.”

Queensland’s Minister for the Environment, Meaghan Scanlon said the facility would single-handedly massively boost the state’s recycling capabilities while making manufacturing more sustainable.

Scanlon said: “Recycled glass from the facility will be used to make sustainable bottles and jars for Queensland’s growing food and beverage industry.

“The new facility will help Visy and its’ customers support Queensland’s clean energy future by increasing recycled content in glass packaging, while reducing emissions.”

The Stapylton manufacturing and recycling facility is part of Visy’s 2021 pledge to invest $2 billion in recycling and clean energy infrastructure over the next decade.

Picture: Visy