NSW provides significant support for infrastructure

Successful projects span a range of processes and target materials:

• 12 plastic recovery and reprocessing projects;
• 4 tyre projects;
• 3 MRF projects;
• 3 glass projects;
• 1 micro factory to innovate recovery; and
• 1 fibre project.

While the MRF projects are essentially replacing existing capacity, the other projects are generally new capacity in NSW. As such they offer part of the solution to filling the infrastructure void created by the export ban on glass, plastic, fibre and tyres.

Commenting on the awards, MRA Managing Director Mike Ritchie commended the NSW Government and said that these grants focus on real world recycling of plastic, glass and tyres. He went on to add that:

Although the NSW levy raises $800m per year for recycling purposes, the 20 year plan commits just $60m/year for 6 years to resource recovery programs. That needs to be remedied by Minister Kean and the Treasurer.

MRA supports the grants program and calls on the government to repeat the grants quickly to avoid the stockpiling or landfilling of these streams as the bans kick in. Even with the grant money flowing quickly, there will still be a gap between production and recovery of these streams.

Once more, the MRA team has been heavily involved in the grants process, assisting seven of the grant recipients listed below to secure a total of $24 (close to a third of all available funding).