New recycling facility to remanufacture waste plastics

Published on 09 February 2022

Council has entered a partnership with the UNSW SMaRT Centre to construct a new recycling facility called MICROFactorie.  

The new facility will remanufacture approx. 14 tonnes of waste plastics into filament for 3D printing per year, and approx. 450 tonnes of glass and mattresses per year into green ceramic tiles and other forms of furnishings.  

Shoalhaven City Mayor, Amanda Findley said, “Products like tiles, kitchen benches and tabletops will be available to be purchased and used in homes.” 

“The project is considered groundbreaking because it solves an issue with previously unrecyclable broken and dirty glass fragments.” 

“Whilst there are other glass processing facilities in Australia, this new facility uses a unique washing process.  Once again, the Shoalhaven is leading the way with using innovative and cutting-edge technology to solve our growing waste problem,” Mayor Findley said.   

The UNSW SMaRT Centre is a leading national research centre that works in collaboration with industry to ensure new recycling science is translated into real-world environmental and economic benefits.  

Council will commence the construction of the Green ceramics MICROFactorie in early 2022 and anticipates the new facility to be completed by late 2022. 

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