Millions are being poured into the Victorian recycling sector. 

The Federal and Victorian governments say they are turbo-charging Victoria’s recycling infrastructure, with a major investment that will double the state’s domestic glass recycling capacity, increase its plastic recycling by 40 per cent.

Ministers have announced $8.1 million in first round funding for seven glass and plastics projects under a joint $46 million recycling infrastructure initiative.

The projects include a new metropolitan processing plant that will accept 140,000 tonnes of glass each year, a regional facility to separate glass kerbside co-mingled material, and equipment to produce a new patented system for concrete slab foundations made from 100 per cent recycled plastic (processing 1,655 tonnes of plastic each year).

A further $38 million of RMF co-funding with Victoria will be available through a new round under the Recycling Victoria Infrastructure Fund (RVIF) which will open for applications on March 22 and close on May 7 this year.

Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said the new infrastructure and sorting technology will massively increase Victoria’s recycling capacity.

“Not only will these seven projects announced today create jobs, but they’ll redirect 205,000 tonnes of glass and 23,000 tonnes of plastic out of landfill every year – it’s a massive gamechanger,” she said.

“It means more jars, bottles and fibreglass made of recycled glass and plastic, which will also be used to build new roads and footpaths throughout Victoria.

“Our investment in this new infrastructure is a big step in the right direction, generating more local jobs and new value from what would otherwise be waste.”