Veolia and Dulverton in multi-million dollar recycling overhaul

A multi-million dollar investment by Veolia in collaboration with Dulverton Waste Management and the City of Launceston Council is set to overhaul recycling in Northern Tasmania. 

Veolia has submitted a planning proposal for a state-of-the-art Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) at the existing Spreyton MRF site. The $24 million facility will incorporate the latest sorting technology with manual quality control, ensuring the highest quality end materials for recycling.

Of particular note is the inclusion of the sorting technology that will ensure efficient separation and recovery through automated technology that can detect separate plastics and plastics based on fibre quality. 

The facility will also include glass beneficiation processing, removing bottle tops and labels made from different materials, like metal or plastic. This process will increase the quality of recycled glass to maximise reuse into new products.

Once completed, the MRF will cater for around 200,000 residents across multiple local councils. With capacity to process 20,000 tonnes of recyclables annually – an almost three-fold increase on existing capacity – the new facility will capably serve the needs of the northern half of the state well into the future. 

Craig Barker, Veolia’s chief operating officer for resource recovery, said a single facility for the north of the state would maximise materials recovery, allowing councils to share in the environmental improvements.

“The synergies of combining recycling tonnages in the north of the state will create collection and technology efficiencies at a significant cost saving to the community,” he said. “It’s a win for recycling and residents alike, demonstrating the value of councils taking a progressive joint approach.”

Veronica Schilling, CEO at Dulverton Waste Management, praised the announcement as a testament of the power of collaboration between Dulverton, City of Launceston Council, Veolia and the other regional councils.

“This project is the result of Northern Tasmanian Councils working together for the community and shows the great outcomes that can result,” she said. 

Veolia has established itself as a leading Tasmanian environmental service provider, operating in the state for over 30 years. The new MRF will increase the established operations in the north of the state and further Veolia’s efforts in optimised resource management.

Construction is anticipated to commence in May 2023 with an estimated completion date of 1 July 2024. 

<ENDS>