Page 34 - Plastics News January 2020

internAtionAL news

Detroit receives significant Australia launches $69m fund to

recycling investment increase recycling rates

he US city of Detroit is receiving nearly $1 million in he Government of Australia has launched a A$100m
Tgrants to support the largest expansion of recycling in T($68.6m) fund aimed at increasing recycling
its history as part of a $2.2m public-private collaboration rates in the country.The grant is part of the A$167m
to increase recycling education state-wide in 2020. The ($114.6m) investment plan to support the country’s
ground-breaking news was announced by Liesl Clark, recycling rates, as well as cut plastic and food waste
dir ecto r f o r by 50% by 2030.The fund is available to project teams
Great Lakes and that are working on solutions for raising recycling
rates, developing products using recycled waste and
Energy (EGLE) promoting innovation.Australia Environment Minister
at the Michigan Sussan Ley said: “Australians want to be confident
Department of that when we put things in our recycling bin or deliver
Environment. them to a collection centre, that they will be recycled
Funded by EGLE and not dumped in landfill or simply sent overseas.”
and the national According to Australia Minister for Energy and Emissions
no n-pr o f it Reduction Angus Taylor, the Clean Energy Finance
The Recycling Corporation (CEFC) will manage the fund. Established
Partnership, the in 2012 to increase the cash flow into the clean energy
projectwill help sector, CEFC secured clean energy projects worth
build on the success of Michigan’s award-winning Know $24bn ($16.6bn) in Australia. Senator Mathias Cormann
It Before You Throw It recycling education campaign that said: “The Australian Recycling Investment Fund will
EGLE launched last year. “We are committed to informing provide the CEFC with the capacity to support waste
and recycling technologies by making investments,
and inspiring more people than ever before in Detroit and which attract private sector support and by working
across Michigan about how to recycle better,” Clark said with strategic financing partners to attract additional
during a morning news conference. “Increasing recycling investments into this sector. “Australia has a strong
and improving the quality of materials we’re recycling track record on recycling and waste reduction but we
is not only the right thing to do for our environment,
but it also saves energy, reduces water use, decreases
greenhouse gases, conserves resources and translates
into local jobs,” she added. State legislators want to
double Michigan’s recycling rate to 30 per cent by 2025
and ultimately reach 45 per cent annually. Michigan’s
current 15 per cent recycling rate is the lowest in
the Great Lakes region and ranks among the nation’s
lowest. Equally important, EGLE and its campaign
partners across the state are promoting awareness of
cleaner recycling practices to reduce the amount of
contaminated materials improperly going into recycling are always looking for ways to improve, to secure a
bins. The collaboration between Detroit, EGLE and The cleaner, greener Australia for future generations.” The
Recycling Partnership, with special support from the latest funding will support the Council of Australian
PepsiCo Foundation, will increase residential access to Governments’ commitment to ban the country’s waste
recycling and collection capacity in Detroit through the exports. Applications that address Australia’s waste
purchase of 16,400 kerbside recycling carts and nearly and recycling challenges are invited for submission
4,000 multifamily containers. to the CEFC.

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