Hazardous waste rarely attracts the same public attention as more visible recycling streams, yet some of the most complex environmental challenges lie in the safe management of regulated materials such as mercury.
These substances do not degrade over time and require specialised infrastructure, strict regulatory oversight and significant technical expertise to manage responsibly. For three decades, EcoCycle has focused on exactly that challenge.
Longevity in Australia’s waste and recycling sector is rarely achieved by accident. Over the past 30 years the industry has experienced significant regulatory reform, evolving environmental expectations and the emergence of increasingly complex waste streams requiring specialist handling.
Many operators have entered the market during favourable commodity cycles, only to exit again when conditions shifted.
Against this backdrop, EcoCycle’s 30th year of operation represents something different. Rather than pursuing scale alone, the company has built technical capability in some of the most highly regulated and technically complex areas of the recycling sector.
EcoCycle was founded in 1996, as a specialist recycler focused on complex and regulated waste streams. Today that focus continues to define the company’s role within Australia’s recycling landscape.
The company operates as part of the EcoCycle Group which includes EcoBatt (battery recycling), Eco E-Waste (electronic waste recycling) and Recycal (metals recycling), as well as manufacturing companies Castings Tasmania and ACL Metal Powders.
Doug Rowe, EcoCycle Group Chief Executive Officer, says the direction of the business was clear from the outset.
“From the beginning we focused on materials that carried genuine environmental risk if they were not managed properly,” he says. “Those waste streams require specialist knowledge, strict operational controls and a willingness to invest in the right infrastructure.
“That philosophy has guided EcoCycle’s development over the past three decades.”
Regulation and responsibility
When EcoCycle was established in the mid-1990s, the recycling sector was far less regulated than it is today. Much of the industry focused on relatively straightforward material recovery such as metals, paper and plastics.
Specialist recycling of hazardous materials represented a smaller and far more technically demanding segment of the market.
Over time, the importance of specialist recyclers has increased significantly. As environmental regulation strengthens and industries modernise, waste streams that once received limited attention are now recognised as requiring careful management and technical expertise.
Mercury is one such material.
Although mercury has been phased out of most modern products and industrial processes, its historical use across mining, oil and gas, laboratories, healthcare and manufacturing means it continues to appear in waste streams across a range of industries.
In many cases mercury is discovered during infrastructure upgrades, industrial decommissioning or environmental remediation projects where legacy contamination has remained undisturbed for decades.
Unlike many other materials, mercury does not degrade over time. If not properly treated it remains a long-term environmental and health risk.
Building expertise
EcoCycle has been involved in mercury recycling and recovery for three decades. The company has expanded its services to manage mercury arising from a wide range of sources including fluorescent lighting, dental amalgam, laboratory equipment and industrial processes.
Operating within these regulated waste streams requires strict controls across every stage of the recycling process. From collection and transport through to treatment and final disposal, each step must be carefully managed to ensure materials are handled safely and in accordance with environmental regulation.
Nick Dodd, EcoCycle General Manager says that discipline is fundamental when working with hazardous materials.
“In specialist recycling, particularly where hazardous substances are involved, every stage of the process needs to be built around safety, compliance and traceability,” he says. “That includes how materials are collected, how they are transported and how they are ultimately treated.”
He says it’s this operational discipline that has helped position EcoCycle as a long-standing operator in the management of mercury and other regulated waste streams.
Investing in capability
Operating within hazardous waste recycling also requires a level of accountability and transparency that extends well beyond conventional recycling operations.
Facilities must operate under strict environmental licensing conditions, processing equipment must be purpose designed for the materials being treated, and operational systems must withstand regular auditing and regulatory scrutiny.
Tom Susen, EcoCycle Group Risk and Compliance Manager says working within regulated waste streams requires a high level of operational oversight.
“Every process must be clearly documented and auditable,” Tom says.
“From how materials are received through to how they are treated and recorded, compliance frameworks are designed to ensure these materials are managed safely and responsibly.”
EcoCycle operates under certified management systems including ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, supporting consistent quality control, environmental management and workplace safety across its operations.
Maintaining those standards has always been central to how the business operates.
Across its facilities, EcoCycle maintains structured environmental controls, documented operating procedures and certified management systems designed to ensure regulated materials are handled safely and in accordance with applicable legislation and licence conditions.
Each stage of the process, from collection and transport through to treatment and final disposition, is recorded through controlled systems that provide clear traceability and oversight.
Tom says this level of operational discipline reflects the realities of working in highly regulated waste streams, where regulatory authorities, industry clients and the broader community all expect strong governance and demonstrable compliance.
Maintaining that confidence requires constant diligence.
“In specialist recycling, trust is built on transparency and consistency,” Tom says. “Our operations are regularly audited, our systems are designed to meet strict regulatory expectations, and we continually review our processes to ensure they remain aligned with current best practice.”
That commitment has also driven significant investment in new infrastructure and technology. Over the past decade EcoCycle has continued to upgrade equipment, refine processing systems and introduce new facilities designed to improve environmental outcomes and operational safety.
Doug says the evolution of technology has significantly reshaped how hazardous materials are managed.
“The way regulated waste is handled today is very different to how it was done ten or even five years ago,” he says.
“Technology continues to advance and environmental expectations continue to rise. Our approach has always been to invest early in infrastructure and systems so that we remain aligned with best practice.
“Recycling is a challenging business, with co-mingled and mixed materials causing some recyclable items to become unrecyclable. Technology is helping, but education also plays a pivotal role in sorting waste streams to ensure recycling companies can achieve better outcomes.”
Industry scrutiny and transparency
As with many industries undergoing rapid change, the recycling sector can occasionally attract commentary and criticism. Doug says EcoCycle’s approach has been to remain focused on transparency and professionalism rather than speculation.
Over the years many clients, regulators and industry partners have visited EcoCycle’s facilities and observed first-hand the infrastructure, environmental controls and operational discipline required to manage hazardous materials responsibly.
Those first-hand experiences, together with decades of operational history, continue to underpin the confidence placed in the company’s work.
Doug says that maintaining trust ultimately comes down to consistency and accountability.
“Operating in highly regulated waste streams means your processes, infrastructure and decisions are constantly subject to scrutiny,” he says.
“Transparency and professionalism are fundamental to how we operate. Over time, people who see our facilities and systems first-hand understand the level of care and discipline required to manage these materials safely.
“We’ve never claimed to be perfect, but we are constantly striving to improve and get as close to it as we can.”
In an industry where environmental responsibility is paramount, he says long-term performance often speaks louder than commentary.
Addressing Australia’s mercury legacy
Although mercury use has declined significantly in recent decades, large volumes of legacy material remain embedded across industrial infrastructure and waste streams.
In the oil and gas sector, mercury can accumulate in processing equipment. Mining and resource operations may encounter mercury contamination during remediation works. Healthcare facilities and laboratories continue to generate mercury-containing waste through the disposal of older equipment and materials.
Historically Australia has had limited options for managing elemental mercury once recovered. In many cases the material has been stored indefinitely or transported overseas for treatment.
Both approaches present challenges. Long-term storage requires ongoing monitoring and regulatory oversight, while exporting hazardous materials introduces additional logistical complexity and risk.
Increasingly, attention has turned to the importance of developing domestic capability to permanently treat mercury within Australia.
Mercury conversion in WA
A significant step forward has been EcoCycle’s investment in a specialised Mercury Conversion Plant located in Western Australia.
The facility enables elemental mercury to be chemically converted into mercury sulphide, a stable solid compound. Through this process the mercury’s chemical structure is fundamentally altered, removing its volatility and significantly reducing the environmental risks associated with long-term storage.
Facilities capable of undertaking this type of mercury conversion are relatively uncommon, particularly within the Southern Hemisphere.
Doug says EcoCycle’s Western Australian plant is the only facility in the region capable of performing this specialised treatment.
He believes developing domestic treatment capability represents an important step in addressing Australia’s legacy mercury challenge.
“For many years the options available to industry were limited to storing mercury or exporting it,” he says.
“Being able to permanently treat that material here in Australia, under Australian environmental controls, allows organisations to resolve the issue responsibly while maintaining full regulatory oversight.”
The facility also supports Australia’s obligations under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which seeks to reduce global mercury pollution and ensure environmentally sound management of mercury waste.
Experience developed over decades
After three decades operating in regulated waste streams, EcoCycle has developed decades of operational experience working within hazardous material recycling.
In addition to mercury recycling, the company provides specialist services across fluorescent lighting recycling, dental amalgam recovery, X-ray recycling and the management of complex industrial materials.
Spyro Kalos, EcoCycle National Partnerships Manager, says that experience plays an important role when working with industry.
“Our clients are often dealing with materials that carry significant environmental and regulatory responsibility,” Spyro says. “They need confidence that the recycler they work with understands both the technical requirements and the regulatory framework that applies.”
Looking ahead
Australia’s recycling sector is entering a period of rapid change as electrification, new technologies and evolving environmental regulations introduce increasingly complex materials into the waste stream.
Doug says managing these materials safely will require specialist infrastructure, technical expertise and strong compliance frameworks.
As part of the EcoCycle Group, EcoCycle will continue to focus on waste streams that require precisely that level of capability.
“Specialist recycling is not always the easiest path,” Doug says. “But it is an essential one.
“If materials carry environmental risk they need to be managed properly, and that responsibility does not disappear over time.”
For more information, visit: www.ecocycle.com.au
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