The SA Government has approved funding for nine recycling infrastructure projects, totalling more than $2.5 million and expected to create more than 60 jobs.
The funding is part of the government’s $12.4 million support package for the recycling industry and local government in response to China’s National Sword Policy announced in May 2018.
The $2.5 million funding delivered through Green Industries SA is expected to create and maintain more than 60 jobs, and covers a broad range of recycling, waste management and resource recovery projects including $1.5 million for infrastructure to improve recycling quality in recycling sorting facilities across South Australia.
Some of the projects include $300,000 to improve compost quality, $500,000 for innovative polyvinyl chloride (PVC) recycling systems and more than $400,000 for infrastructure to assist with directly recovering and recycling plastic waste and other materials.
More than $200,000 has also been awarded to The Salvation Army to help divert unusable donated goods from landfill to energy recovery and create two new jobs.
A further funding round is now available to further support recycling infrastructure in South Australia.
Environment Minister David Spears said the charitable sector plays an important role in supporting resource efficiency principles and the circular economy. Re-use keeps materials circulating within the economy for longer.
“By prolonging their lifespan and making better use of the raw materials we’re embracing a more circular and sustainable vision for our state,” he said.
He said the government funding of more than $2.7 million has been matched by the applicants, unlocking more than $8.78 million of investment for 10 projects that support an estimated 64.5 full time jobs.
“This investment is in addition to $3.245 million announced in October 2018, bringing the total investment so far to $5.967 million the state government has offered in the last few months to support South Australia’s recycling industry and local job creation,” he said.
“This investment in the remanufacturing, re-use, and recovery sector helps maintain our world leading diversion results, where 83.4 per cent of all our waste is diverted from landfill.”
He said that China’s National Sword policy prohibiting the import of certain waste and recyclables was a catalyst to increase the quality of our recycled materials and develop local markets as a priority.