SaveBOARD, a packaging waste company, has launched its first beverage carton recycling facility in Australia today.
Situated in Warragamba, southwest of Sydney, the new $5.5 million facility was established to manufacture construction products using beverage cartons that would otherwise end up in landfills.
The first-of-its-kind facility will employ up to 12 local staff to operate the plant and process up to 4,000 tonnes of materials annually.
Construction products manufactured in the Sydney factory are expected to serve as a sturdy, lightweight alternative to conventional plasterboard, plywood, or particle board and are all 100 per cent recyclable.
The industry-led project is supported by the Australian government’s Recycling Modernisation Fund and the NSW government’s Waste Less, Recycle More initiative. It also marks the first collaboration between Tetra Pak and SIG Combibloc in Australia under the umbrella of the Global Recycling Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the facility today, saveBOARD CEO and Co-Founder Paul Charteris said the facility is expected to boost the construction industry’s transition towards more sustainable practices, while also showing consumers the importance and value of recycling.
“We’re incredibly proud to be part of this sustainability journey alongside saveBOARD, as we look at even more innovative ways we can convert carton packaging waste into useful applications, and contribute to a strong circular economy,” said Andrew Pooch, managing director of Tetra Pak Australia and New Zealand.
“This is part of our ongoing sustainability commitment, as we look to enable more packaging to become 100 per cent recyclable or reusable, in line with the 2025 National Packaging Targets. By partnering with saveBOARD, we’re showing that innovation in recycling comes in many forms, and consumers can see first-hand how they can contribute to a more sustainable future,” Pooch added.
SaveBOARD is slated to open another beverage carton recycling facility in Cambellfield, Victoria, in late 2024 after the company received $1 million in funding from the Victorian government.
