Tasmanian company Envorinex is turning thousands of tonnes of plastic from the state’s farming and fishing industry into a range of building products.
Environix, based in the state’s north-east, is converting the plastic from salmon pens, silage wrap and irrigation from the mining sector, and is now looking to expand interstate, ABC News reported.
The company’s managing director Jenny Brown told ABC News they were spending millions of dollars upgrading their own plant, while there was demand elsewhere to establish more sites.
“We have been approached by New Zealand, but that’s a very small industry,” Ms Brown said.
“We’ve also been approached by Port Lincoln as well, for their tuna industry.
“Very similar to our salmon industry, they have the same sort of pens, they have the nets, so the same sort of waste issues, but they also have their oyster industry.
“So all of their oyster baskets, floats … We’re currently doing a feasibility study on that.”
ABC News reported Envorinex recently signed a contract with Tasmanian salmon producer Tassal to recycle its fish pens.
Plastic from the pens is turned into a range of products including square, sustainable drainage systems which can replace concrete or asphalt.
Other waste is moulded into septic systems exported to Papa New Guinea and Fiji, while excess recycled material is sold interstate for high density polyethylene – the most common plastic used in packaging.
The organisation has also developed matting shipped to Scotland for oil rigs, as well as being used locally on fishing boats and inside dairies.
“If someone comes to us and says ‘can we recycle’ we need to find a market for that product,” Ms Brown said.
Envorinex is also gathering bulk fertiliser bags and silage wrap from farmers for a $1.6 million processing line, to be
Byan Baxter from Pipers River told ABC News he would contribute to the stockpile.
“We don’t want to burn it and landfill is a waste,” he said.
“But in here, they’re doing such a wonderful job. Well, they’re going to when they get this line going; it’ll all be recycled.”