Joint media release with the Minister for the Environment the Hon Sussan Ley MP

The Morrison Government is driving Australia’s waste-recycling industry forward, investing almost $20 million in a series of projects which will create new jobs, grow our economy and help our environment.

Nine projects, which will see Australia reduce its plastic waste and boost plastics recycling, are being funded as part of round 8 of the Cooperative Research Centres
Projects (CRC-Ps).

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the projects showed the great economic opportunities in waste recycling.

“Not only are these projects helping to ensure Australia has a more sustainable and prosperous future by reducing the impact of plastics on our environment, they are also opening further opportunities for new jobs,” Minister Andrews said.

“This funding will support Australian businesses and researchers as they forge new markets to limit the use of plastics and create recycled products.”

Among the grants is $2.9 million to develop a plant in Victoria to turn the plastic waste from the rectification work of hazardous building cladding into recycled shoes and prefabricated building elements.

“Once they reach the end of their life, the shoes and building products can again be recycled, showing the circular economy of waste and recycling,” Minister Andrews said.

“This project demonstrates an enormous opportunity from using the waste materials as a result of replacing hazardous building cladding.”

Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said the grants underlined the Morrison Government commitment to growing Australia’s recycling capacity, creating jobs and ending problem plastic waste exports.

“We will host a Plastics Summit at Parliament House on 2 March that will bring together leading retailers, industry representatives from across the supply change, state and local government, infrastructure companies, researchers and school children as part of a national conversation on this issue.

“We know from working with industry that there are some amazing ideas to build on and these CRC-P grants help foster Australian innovation in what is a key area for our environment and our economy.”

Other successful projects are:

• $3 million to create green micro-factories to turn recycled waste plastics into engineered products.
• $2.7 million to transform plastic waste into lightweight prefabricated building products.
• $2.5 million to develop a mobile plastic recycling container facility for remote and Indigenous communities.
• $2.4 million to further test and develop a recycled plastic construction solution to be exported to global markets.
• $1.9 million to grow the production of diesel from landfill waste.
• $2 million to further develop technology which converts waste contaminated plastic to the feedstock for remanufacturing plastic.
• $1.8 million to scale-up patented bio-polymer technology enabling the recycling of comingled and contaminated waste plastics, without the need to sort the waste stream.
• $650,000 to increase the re-use of HDPE plastic.

$289 million has been committed to CRC-Ps since 2016. This commitment further builds on the Morrison Government’s plan to strengthen Australian industry and create 1.25 million new jobs in the next five years.

Information on how to apply, and details of previous grant recipients is available at www.business.gov.au/crc-p

Applications for Round 9 of the CRC-P grants will open on February 13 and close on March 19.

Media contacts:

Minister Andrews' office 02 6277 7070

Minister Ley's office 02 6277 7920