Sircel acquires e-waste processor Scipher Technologies

Australian-owned green technology company Sircel has become the largest e-waste processor in Australia with the acquisition of Scipher Technologies.

With six operational sites across Victoria, regional New South Wales, Sydney and Brisbane, Sircel has the capacity to take on the largest volume of e-waste processing, diverting up to 100 per cent of e-waste from landfill. All recovered green commodities are then distributed back into the circular economy.

Scipher Technologies, which was placed into voluntary administration earlier this year, has been a key player in growing the e-waste recycling market in Australia.

Effective immediately, 40 employees of Scipher join the Sircel team, which now employs more than 80 staff and will continue to deliver recycling services at the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) licensed site in Dandenong, under the Sircel banner.

The addition of Scipher’s assets and capabilities, particularly in television recycling, will enable Sircel to deepen the specialist expertise it provides to customers across Australia and add increased capacity to Sircel’s processing capability. For Scipher’s customer base, it gives them access to an end-to-end e-waste processor and the ability to offer a national service.

E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream globally, with the United Nations expecting it to reach 74 million tonnes a year by 2030. Australia is among the world’s worst producer of e-waste at 21.7 kilograms per capita.

Anthony Karam, Chief Executive Officer of Sircel, said the acquisition means Sircel now has the mechanical facilities and machinery to process larger volumes than all known Australian e-waste recyclers and processors.

“Combined with our proprietary metals recovery process, which enables the highest rates of commodity recovery, we can help big companies and any organisation that generates e-waste to improve sustainability by diverting an entire waste stream from landfill while supporting the circular economy,” he said.

“This acquisition is another exciting milestone in the expansion of Sircel and further strengthens our mission to ensure the future of e-waste is no ‘waste’ at all.”

Post acquisition, Sircel will continue conversations with the EPA on the establishment of Australia’s first solar panel processing capability at the Parkes facility in New South Wales which is situated in the designated Recycling Special Activation Precinct.