Victoria-based TIC Group plans to have a Sydney mattress recycling plant operational by the end of the year after securing funding from the NSW Government.
As one of the awardees of the recently-announced “Innovation in Priority Problem Waste Management” grants, under the Waste Less Recycle More program, TIC Group has been allocated $794,000.
TIC Mattress Recycling Managing Director Michael Warren said it has also acquired the largest commercial mattress recycler in NSW this month and has secured an initial supply of about 70,000 mattresses annually for recycling. Mr Warren said TIC had acquired the Newcastle and Sydney-based mattress recycler Landsavers and retained the services of its key operators to assist with further growth in the NSW market
With TIC Group also putting the finishing the commissioning stage of its first plant in Victoria, which it recently relocated to a site in Tottenham, so it looks 2016 will be its year.
“This support from the NSW Government means we can fast-track establishing this world-leading and commercially proven technology,” Mr Warren said. “It is a vote of confidence in greater resource recovery and higher standards. The TIC process ensures more material recovery for recycling while minimising risks related to pollution and occupational health and safety.”
Mr Warren thanked the NSW Government and Office of Environment and Heritage for showing confidence in a more sustainable approach to mattress recycling.
“Anyone involved in this industry knows it has been held back by unsustainable business models, occupational health and safety risks and unethical operators. This marks a new era which will see increased mattress recovery and recycling which, with appropriate standards and specifications, will deliver triple bottom line benefits,” he added.
Using Netherlands-developed equipment, the TIC system automatically deconstructs up to 60 mattresses per hour with limited manual handling and produces streams of steel, foam and textiles for value adding.