The northern suburbs of Melbourne are now home to a $20 million plastic recycling plant that aims to transform plastic waste into a valuable material.
The Advanced Circular Polymers facility opened in Somerton on Friday, June 28, providing a means to both reduce plastic pollution and create a material for manufacturers in Australia and overseas. The new facility has the ability to process 10 per cent of all plastic waste across Victoria, turning around 70,000 tonnes of mixed household plastics out of landfill (the centre will also process plastic from commercial and industrial enterprises).
The new plant will be one of the most advanced of its kind in Australia and was supported by the Victorian government’s $25.3 million Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund.
Previously Australia exported much of its recyclable waste to China, until 2018 when the country banned 99 per cent of Australia’s recyclables from entering the country.