Sydney recycling facility launched to give e-waste a new life

The University of NSW (UNSW) has announced that its plastics recycling technology is now in use at a recycling centre in Sydney’s Lane Cove. The facility aims to help tackle Australia’s e-waste problem by converting discarded plastics from electronics into high-value 3D printing filament. This is the first commercial use of UNSW’s Plastics Filament MICROfactorie technology outside its SMaRT Centre.

On average, each Australian produces 20 kg of e-waste a year, compared with the global average of 7 kg, with most of it ending up in landfill.

Now, electronic waste recycler Renew IT has added the UNSW-designed MICROfactorie technology to its facility in Lane Cove. It will recycle the hard plastics from items like old printers and computers into valuable filament that will be used for 3D manufacturing and printing.

Developed by and licensed to the UNSW Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre, the Plastics MICROfactorie module is the first commercial operation and use of the technology in the world outside of the UNSW SMaRT Centre.

“I’m excited by the positive impact that’s come from UNSW’s research, innovation and collaborative partnerships,” said UNSW Sydney Vice Chancellor and President Professor Attila Brungs. “This facility has already demonstrated significant economic, social and environmental benefits, so far keeping 50.4 tonnes of plastic waste out of landfill and incinerators.

“New jobs and revenue have also been created, and the technology is creating a circular economy where materials are used over and over again, maximising the value of our resources.”

UNSW SMaRT Centre Founder and Director Professor Veena Sahajwalla has spent a decade developing the technology that is now being rolled out in the MICROfactorie.

“Recovering materials from waste has a big role to play as we move towards a sustainable future and reduce our carbon output,” she said. “Many of the materials needed for our future needs are finite in supply, so using innovative technologies to reform waste into value-added feedstock for remanufacturing means we can also accelerate our sovereign manufacturing capability. Waste itself can, and must, be seen as a resource with economic and social benefits as we strive to be more sustainable.”

Australia generates more than 500,000 tonnes of e-waste annually, according to the latest data from the federal government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The national recycling rate for this waste is just 12%. By 2030 it’s expected the amount of e-waste will increase by 30% to 657,000 tonnes.

While e-waste is supposed to be disposed of at special drop-off points, it often ends up in kerbside rubbish collection, resulting in costly clean-up bills, stockpiles of waste and sporadic fires.

Meanwhile, 3D printer filament, which is increasingly in demand, is currently almost entirely imported to Australia. It’s made from petrochemicals, so making it locally from recycled plastics will reduce the environmental impact.

Sahajwalla said 3D printing is becoming widespread, from schools to manufacturing facilities, and this collaboration is an example of waste being remade into a valuable commodity.

“ABS hard plastics are currently recycled as pellets for remanufacturing, but this is very low value and energy intensive, selling at around $2 per kilo, so not a lot of it occurs compared to the amount of this plastic available. 3D printer filament sells for a lot more and so this solution is a high-value solution delivering real circular economy benefits,” she said.

Image caption: A recycled plastic filament that can be used for 3D printing. Photo: UNSW