EPA NSW Boosts Recycling Networks With $1m In Grants

Building and construction waste
The NSW Environment Minister announces $1 million in grants will be shared between seven environmental consultants to establish business recycling and resource recovery networks across New South Wales.

The funding is from the second round of EPA NSW’s Circulate – Industrial Ecology grants program. This four-year, $4.2 million program is designed to support business networks across NSW. It aims to help recipients develop synergies with similar industries and identify waste reuse and recycling projects, which increase efficiency and save money by reducing waste sent to landfill.

NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman said: “Too often recyclable waste ended up in landfill, which wastes resources and money spent on unnecessary landfilling charges.

“By helping businesses to identify waste circulation opportunities with other businesses, we are not only helping to save limited landfill space but are also enabling businesses to tap into a new recycling resource pool.”

EPA NSW estimates that up to 70 per cent of the waste that businesses send to landfill could be recycled. It says that the Circulate grants have the potential to help companies divert almost 47,000 tonnes of waste from landfill over the course of the program, by tapping into recyclables, such as construction project waste, timber, organics, plastics and packaging, that can be recycled into other products, like mulch, compost, animal bedding, refurbished timber pallets and new building products.

“There is a huge untapped potential for businesses to improve recycling in NSW and that is why the NSW Government has committed $35 million to the business recycling program,” added Mr Speakman. “With initiatives like Circulate, we are making it easier and more efficient for businesses in NSW to recycle by connecting them with opportunities that they may not have previously known about.”

The recipients of round 2 Circulate grants are as follows:

  • Edge Environment, Sydney Region, $182,000 to target building operations waste
  • WildBlue Global Consulting, Hunter Region, $153,000 to target wood and pallet waste
  • Cross Connections Consulting, Hunter Region, $150,400 to target packaging, logistics and building operations waste
  • Engenuity Solutions, South East Region, $147,482 to target timber waste
  • Stephen Mitchell Associates, Sydney Region, $143,225 to target timber waste
  • Edge Environment, Sydney Region, $110,000 to target food supply chain waste
  • Advitech, Murray Region, $87,650 to target plastics waste.

For more information about Circulate and other Business Recycling Programs visit the EPA NSW website.

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