New South Wales: $9 million investment in plastic recycling

More plastic will be recycled and turned into new products in New South Wales thanks to $9 million funding to support businesses transform their operations and access the latest plastic recycling technology.

James Griffin, Minister for the Environment, said the new Circular Plastics Program, part of the Circular Materials Fund, is all about boosting the circular economy for plastics in NSW.

“This program is a game changer for our state because it means we’ll be reducing the amount of plastic going to landfill, and turning it into a valuable resource instead,” Griffin said.

“At the moment, NSW produces about 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste every year, and about 10 per cent is recycled. That figure should be much higher and I want to see plastic being repurposed and reused as many times as possible, rather than ending up in landfill or the environment.

“Through this $9 million program, we’re giving eligible businesses the support they need to recycle and reuse more plastic when making new products.”

The Circular Plastics Program is part of the NSW Government’s target to triple the plastics recycling rate by 2030 and will be delivered by the NSW Environment Protection Authority.

The matched funding will support small and medium businesses that may otherwise be challenged by initial capital costs involved in creating circularity in their business.

The program is part of the NSW Government’s $356 million Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041, and the NSW Plastics Action Plan.

Expressions of interest close 17 November 2022.

For more information, visit: www.epa.nsw.gov.au/working-together/grants/infrastructure-fund/circular-plastics-program.

Insidewaste