In a bold step towards sustainability, the Australian federal and Western Australian Labor governments are jointly investing AUD $44.1 million into nine innovative recycling projects aimed at transforming waste management across Perth and regional Western Australia. These projects are set to divert an impressive 143,000 tonnes of waste from landfills each year while creating 246 new jobs.

Key initiatives include the establishment of advanced recycling facilities that will process plastics, tyres, paper, and cardboard into high-value products like premium plastic pipes. A standout project is a tyre recycling and devulcanization plant that will handle 12,000 tonnes of off-the-road tyres, turning them into reusable rubber materials, significantly reducing waste and contributing to a more sustainable rubber supply chain.

This effort is part of Australia’s larger push to modernize its recycling infrastructure under the Recycling Modernisation Fund. With the help of industry partners, who are contributing an additional AUD $55.7 million, the initiative is accelerating the country’s transition to a circular economy. The overall impact is transformative, with national recycling capacity boosted by over one million tonnes annually and the creation of thousands of new jobs.

Australia’s commitment to a sustainable future is reflected in this co-investment, which forms part of a broader AUD $1 billion boost to the recycling sector. By modernizing recycling facilities and increasing capacity, the initiative ensures that products at the end of their lifecycle are reused, recycled, or remanufactured rather than ending up in landfills. Nationally, this initiative will generate over 3,000 jobs, including 540 in Western Australia, while driving the creation of sustainable solutions that align with the country’s environmental goals.

Western Australia’s tire and plastic recycling push is a major milestone in building a more sustainable future and a circular economy that thrives on innovation and responsibility.