More than 16,000 tonnes of soft and hard-to-recycle plastics will be recycled each year at four sites including Pakenham and Dandenong.
The State and Federal governments announced $3.5 million for the four projects through the Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) on Monday 19 January.
They include a soft-plastic infra-red sorting process at APR in Dandenong.
The new process from Norway will improve sorting and recycling capability including for end-of-life soft plastics.
There will also be an upgrade to recycling facilities at Australian Soft Plastics Recycling in Pakenham.
This will improve the recycling of low-density polyethylene films such as pallet wrap from supermarket warehouses, including a better quality recycled product.
The RMF will also fund the recycling of bags used to transport seeds, fertilizer, pesticides and stockfeed at Pact Recycling in Cheltenham and an upgrade to recover low-density plastics at RE4ORM in Barnawartha to manufacture recycled products.
Combined, the four projects are expected to increase plastics recycling by 16,700 tonnes a year.
“Plastics remain a complex waste challenge,” federal Environment minister Murray Watt said.
“By building recycling capability here in Victoria, we’re making real progress in recovering materials that would otherwise go to landfill.
“The Albanese Government has committed to doubling circularity by 2035. These projects are a strong example of the Recycling Modernisation Fund in action – helping to keep plastic out of landfill and in productive use.”
Victoria’s Environment Minister Steve Dimpoulos said it was an investment in a “cleaner future”.
“We are working together with a reliable partner in Canberra to deliver what matters in Victoria, keeping our environment clean, diverting waste from landfill and creating new jobs throughout Victoria.”
Isaacs federal MP Mark Dreyfus said the funding was a “great step forward” to help Victoria recycle more hard-to-recycle plastics into new products that would otherwise go to landfill.
The RMF is supporting 27 projects in Victoria, including these four projects, with $79 million in joint funding.
They are expected to add 328,000 tonnes of recycling capacity each year and lead to $226.5 million in investment in recycling infrastructure.
Round six of the RMF has opened, offering $4 million in joint funding to businesses, social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations and local government organisations.
Applications close on 1 July or when funding is fully allocated.
