Ecocycle and its sister company Recycal are continuing their transition to environmental sustainability. Few groups have invested as heavily in ensuring world best practice in their processing operations. With the support of the Tasmanian government, Recycal can now shred all the unprocessed scrap generated in Tasmania. Importantly, scrap no longer has to be sent overseas or to the mainland, saving millions in freight equalisation subsidies.
Rocherlea Upgrade
Moreover, the group has invested $29 million into its current Rocherlea site with a further $23 million earmarked for a floc processing plant. It should be noted, that the new plant will recover metals as small as one millimetre. A capability unprecedented in the Southern Hemisphere. Undoubtedly this will reduce the number of valuable metals that will end up in landfill. A by-product of the process will be a non-hazardous floc which can be safely disposed from the shredder into standard landfill.
According to Recycal State Manager, Brett Rowe “We have made the concept of a circular economy a reality”. “We already use recovered minerals and metals to reduce our reliance on virgin materials”. “Many of these recovered materials are used at our sister operation Castings Tasmania and ACL Metal Powers”.
Furthermore, Reycal’s infrastructure at Rocherlea is world class along with fully concreted yards, stormwater pits with removable grates, triple inceptor pits, with cyclonic HumeCeptor unit that polish the storm water before it leaves the site.
Recycal’s infrastructure means that contamination of dirt -based yards are a thing of the past. 20 hydrant outlets are strategically positioned around the site with water cannons in high-risk areas. Additionally, Ai camera technology assists the management of security, fire prevention and overall safety on the site 24/7.
Since 2016, the group has adhered to the ISO management system and proudly holds ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 accreditations. Management is currently working to obtain R2 accreditation.
New Investments
The Ecocycle group, of which Recycal is part, has made several important infrastructure announcements. This includes a new Lithium Battery Recycling Plant that is due to be commissioned in early 2026. A facility which will have the capacity to process 30,000 tonnes of batteries per annum. A new mercury retirement facility is also to be installed into Ecocycle’s Kwinana Beach facility in WA to turn elementary mercury into mercury sulphide.
Recycal and its sister operations have an operating philosophy of continued improvement and forward-thinking. The company is a strong supporter of sustainable development in Tasmania. Its commitment to capital investment and investment structure, despite a challenging economy, is reflective of its vision of a cleaner, greener country, with Tasmania one of the major recipients of its investments.
“We aim to set new standards for sustainability and efficiency in the recycling industry nationwide”. Brett says.
