Water, energy, and waste management provider Veolia will design, build and operate Canberra’s newest recycling facility under a long-term contract for 20 years.
The facility will be capable of processing up to 115,000 tonnes of mixed recyclables per year, supporting population growth and changing consumer behaviour that is contributing to increases in recoverable material over time.
It will have the capability to better separate, identify, sort and segregate recycling to higher purity levels, reducing contaminants for better quality end market products.
Equipped with automatic recognition, the state-of-the-art facility will use screens to separate paper, laser optical identification with air jets to separate plastics, and powerful magnets to extract metals.
Glass crushing and washing facilities will provide quality crushed glass that can be used in a wider range of products.
Container recycling baling processes for Container Deposit Scheme materials will also be expanded at the new facility.
The new recycling facility is funded via a joint investment of $26 million from the ACT and Australian governments.
The construction program includes the demolition of the previous material recovery facility, which is expected to commence around mid-2025. Construction of the new facility is expected to start in 2026.
Until the new facility is complete, recycling services will continue to be delivered by the current contractor, Re.Group.
Tara Cheyne, Minister for City and Government Services, ACT Government, said the facility will ensure the ACT has infrastructure designed to meet the needs of the growing region.
“The ACT continues to send approximately 50,000 tonnes of mixed-use recyclables interstate for processing each year.
“The latest technology will deliver the capacity to sort, separate, and process materials for the whole Canberra region, improving resource recovery rates and producing higher quality end products,” said Cheyne.
“In addition to the enhanced technical features, the facility will also see the construction of a new education space providing an opportunity for the community and school groups to visit and learn about the circular economy and how recyclable products are processed, to be transformed into renewed items.”
Richard Kirkman, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Veolia, said, Veolia will bring world-leading technology to Canberra that will make this materials recovery facility one of the most advanced in Australia.
“In one fell swoop it will increase local recycling capacity, reduce transport emissions by sorting recycled items locally in Canberra rather than sending them interstate – as currently occurs – and provide more jobs for the ACT’s growing circular economy,” said Kirkman.
“During the construction phase it will create 112 jobs for locals and once completed it will deliver 24 permanent roles as part of the facility’s operations.”
For more information, www.veolia.com/en
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