Tasmania’s recycling industry will receive up to $16 million in new investment over the next four years under a national partnership agreement signed last week.
Under the agreement, the Tasmanian Government will provide up to $5.5 million in grants, with the Federal Government matching this dollar-for-dollar through its Recycling Modernisation Fund.
The grants will be used to enable the creation of high-quality recyclables suitable for manufacturing into new products.
Tasmanian Minister for Environment and Parks Roger Jaensch said that with additional matching funding from industry, the overall amount invested into the resource recovery industry will likely be around $16 million.
“This is a substantial investment in recycling in Tasmania that will help to grow the resource recovery sector and create a circular economy in Tasmania,” he said.
Assistant Federal Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Trevor Evans said the investment will create a high-quality recycled material which will then be available for industry to make into new products.
“Tasmanians need to know that their waste is a valuable product, not a problem that needs to be solved or put into the ground. Our Recycling Modernisation Fund recognises that and will make sure that Tasmania reaps the benefits,” he said.
Further details of the grants program will be released shortly, with applications to open before Christmas.