New rubber crumb plant opens at Shoalhaven

Tyres once destined for landfill are being repurposed for use in road paving, artificial turf and kids’ playgrounds at a rubber crumb plant located at Shoalhaven in New South Wales.

The rubber crumb plant opened at Shoalhaven City Council’s West Nowra Recycling and Waste Depot on Thursday 19 September.

The council received a $514,000 grant, co-funded by the Federal Government’s Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) and the New South Wales Government’s Waste Less, Recycle More initiative.

Fiona Phillips, Federal Member for Gilmore, who opened the facility, said it would contribute to the council’s circular economy.

“This facility is a fantastic example of the kind of innovation we need to boost recycling in Australia,” she said.

“Not only is this great for the environment by saving used car, truck and machinery tyres from going into landfill, we are also creating a product that is really useful.”

The plant means council can increase the amount of waste rubber materials and regional tyres it recycles from 58 tonnes each year to 160 tonnes, with potential to increase to 270 tonnes per year.

The crumbing technology removes 99 per cent of all contaminants and provides council with a high purity product which is attractive to the recycled products market.

The facility will product crumbed rubber and mesh powder that is ready for use in local infrastructure projects, including roads as asphalt and bitumen.

The council aims to continue to increase landfill diversion rates in accordance with the New South Wales Government’s target of an 80 per cent average recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030.

The council’s other recycling operations include a MICROfactorie which re-manufactures recycled glass sand and textiles into green ceramics, a baling plant for paper, cardboard and plastics and an electrical cable recycling plant which diverts copper and mixed plastic granules from landfill.

Phillips said the Shoalhaven rubber crumb plant is one of 43 RMF projects in New South Wales.

“On completion, these projects are expected to add 197,000 tonnes of recycling capacity each year, support more than 790 ongoing and construction jobs, and invest more than $122 million in recycling infrastructure in the state,” she said.

For more information, https://www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/Home