Page 42 - Plastics News August 2022

IN THE NEWS

Wasteaid Wins Funding to Combat Plastic Waste In Australian and Act
South Africa Governments To

Develop Recycling

Facility

he Australian Government has
Tpartnered with the Australian
Capital Territory (ACT) Govern-
ment to develop a recycling facility
in the country.
ritish non-go v ernmental in households. The two governments co-invested
Borganisation (NGO) WasteAid has The trial is intended to raise awareness A$23m ($15.9m) through the Aus-
secured funding to support the circular of problems triggered by littered flexible tralian Government’s Recycling
economy in South Africa. plastics and encourage people to recycle Modernisation Fund (RMF) to de-
The NGO received the funding through more widely. velop the material recovery facility
the International Circular Plastic In addition, the NGO will partner with (MRF).
Flagship Projects Competition, which DARDLEA to look at ways to increase Located in Hume next to an existing
was developed and delivered by the Waste the capacity of local collection and MRF, the facility is intended to drive
Resources Action Programme (WRAP) processing. the ACT’s circular economy by pro-
and UK Research and Innovation viding advanced waste management
(UKRI). The two parties will also collaborate with and recycling facilities.
The funding will be used to support local processors to increase their capacity Australian Environment and Wa-
a feasibility study by WasteAid into with the aim of improving circularity ter Minister Tanya Plibersek said:
developing a circular economy in and strengthening the waste value chain. “We are committed to halving the
Mpumalanga, South Africa. WasteAid circular economy network amount of organic waste sent to
WasteAid will partner with the University director Michelle Wilson said: “We landfill nationally by 2030.
of Portsmouth and Mpumalanga’s are honoured to be one of the projects “This not only keeps the value of our
Department of Agriculture, Rural selected to be part of the Plastics food waste in the Australian econo-
Development, Land and Environmental Challenge Competition and look my but also helps to reduce Austral-
Affairs (DARDLEA) to combat plastic forward to working with the University ia’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
pollution. of Portsmouth and the local Municipality ACT Government Transport and
The project aims to help reduce flexible in South Africa to test methods that will City Services Minister Chris Steel
packet litter, identify gaps and challenges improve the recovery rates of recycled said: “Building a brand new, mod-
at all points of the recycling process, and plastic, as well as closing the loop on ern MRF facility, adjacent to the
develop local and regional end markets materials locally.” old facility, will ensure the ACT has
for recyclable materials. WasteAid is one of six organisations an entirely new state-of-the-art re-
WasteAid will work with the University that have secured funding through the cycling infrastructure as our region
of Portsmouth to pilot participatory International Circular Plastic Flagship grows.
approaches to improve waste segregation Projects Competition.

42 PLASTICS NEWS August 2022