$2 million funding boost for recycling infrastructure in Victoria
By Rachael Ridley 30 August 2022
The Federal and Victorian Governments are co-investing $2 million to boost Victoria’s recycling and remanufacturing of plastic, paper, cardboard, and tyres.
Victorian businesses and local councils can now apply for the third round of the Victorian Circular Economy Recycling Modernisation Fund to install new recycling and remanufacturing technology or to upgrade existing recycling facilities. Each project can receive a grant between $50,000 and $500,000.
The Victorian Circular Economy Recycling Modernisation Fund (previously referred to as Recycling Victoria – Recycling Modernisation Fund) aims to build the capacity, capability, and resilience of Victoria’s resource recovery sector and increase the quality of recycled materials for remanufacturing.
Victorian Minister for the Environment and Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio said the additional funding will support businesses and local councils as they respond to the national export ban on certain waste materials.
“We are delivering the biggest transformation and reform of Victoria’s waste and recycling sector ever, diverting 80 per cent of waste from landfill by 2030 and creating jobs for Victorians,” Minister D’Ambrosio said.
The $190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund investment will support approximately 10,000 new jobs all around Australia over the next ten years.
The $2 million in funding builds on more than $68 million in joint Australian and Victorian Government funding that has already been awarded to 21 infrastructure projects across Victoria. These projects are expected to support over 270 new ongoing full-time jobs and process an additional 322,000 tonnes of glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, and tyre waste each year.
Businesses and councils applying for a grant must have their project meet one or more of the following objectives:
improve recycling outcomes by addressing critical infrastructure gaps in Australia’s waste management and resource recovery system including addressing Australia's regional and rural waste challenges
increase the capacity for domestic reprocessing and manufacturing of materials affected by the national waste export ban, container deposit system and Victoria’s kerbside reform transition
increase the recovery and local reprocessing of the priority materials paper, cardboard, plastic, and tyres
manage the priority materials in line with the waste hierarchy and export ban (excluding glass)
increase the use and market demand of recovered materials in manufacturing and to make new products
create jobs in the resource recovery sector
increase other economic development opportunities such as economic performance and growth of hubs
reduce the amount and environmental impact of waste going to landfill.
Applications close on 27 September 2022. To find out more about the application process, visit Sustainability Victoria.
Rachael manages the Business Recycling and Recycling Near You websites. Rachael joined Planet Ark in early 2019 after eight years working in media and publishing as a producer, editor and writer. Rachael loves using her skills in content creation and communication to instigate positive environmental behaviour change. Outside of work, Rachael enjoys spending time in nature, listening to music and patting dogs.
