iQRenew is proud to announce the opening of its new Soft Plastic Engineered Commodity (SPEC) Facility, located on the Mid North Coast of NSW. SPEC is Australia’s first purpose-built site for processing post-consumer soft plastics. Through advanced mechanical recycling processes, the facility is the missing link in Australia’s recycling infrastructure.
The SPEC facility is the culmination of over four years of rigorous testing, trials, investment and innovation, reflecting iQRenew’s dedication to addressing Australia’s recycling needs.
The facility sorts and processes 100% post-consumer soft plastics, making it well positioned to support the Curby CurbCycle ‘bag-in-a-bin’ program run by councils around the country and to support the future soft plastics collection scheme being developed by industry.
Danial Gallagher, CEO of iQRenew said “iQRenew is truly proud to be at the forefront of solutions for post-consumer soft plastics in Australia. The journey hasn’t been easy, but we are committed to building a robust value chain for this complex waste stream. My team has worked tirelessly to make SPEC, a reality. I extend my gratitude to them and our partners. Looking ahead, we hope for greater collaboration across the entire supply chain—from brand partners to government and industry bodies—so we can all work together to deliver a circular economy, fit for our future.”
SPEC has capacity to process 15 thousand tonnes of material annually. It transforms post-consumer soft plastic into high-grade feedstock tailored to various manufacturers needs:
- A-grade product is suitable for both chemical and mechanical processors and will enable the growth and development of this market in Australia.
- B-grade material is ideal for making recycled pellets for use in manufacturing plastic products. Examples of this include non-food grade films, construction and agricultural products and many other plastic items.
- C-grade material is suitable for products made from extrusion moulding such as park benches, bollards, fence posts and many other moulded products.
iQRenew is inviting all stakeholders and manufacturers to get in touch.
#AWRE24 CurbCycle NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Australian Government Tanya Plibersek MidCoast Council Central Coast Council Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) Australian Food and Grocery Council Coles Group Woolworths Group Wesfarmers Metcash ALDI Stores Australia Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association NSW & ACT (WCRA) Port Stephens Council Newcastle City Council Mosman Council Northern Beaches Council Tamworth Regional Council Planet Ark Tony Chappel Penny Sharpe Rebecca Vassarotti Kate Worden Leanne Linard MP nicholas duigan Steve Dimopoulos James Griffin MP Kellie Sloane MP
