NSSN announces $1.5 million project to deliver smart sensing solutions to the recycling industry
The NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN) is bringing together three research universities with major Australian recycling companies to develop novel solutions for sensing and treating residual contaminants on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic chips.
The $1.5 million industry-led initiative is one of the nine plastics recycling projects that received funding in the latest round of the federal government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) program. The project was awarded $650,000 in CRC-P funding.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the projects showed the great economic opportunities in waste recycling.
“Not only are these projects helping to ensure Australia has a more sustainable and prosperous future by reducing the impact of plastics on our environment, they are also opening further opportunities for new jobs,” Minister Andrews said.
Commonly used in packaging consumer goods, HDPE is a high quality material in demand for re-use. However, due to residual contaminants, under 20% of used HDPE is currently recycled.
Coordinated by the NSSN and led by PEGRAS Asia Pacific, major Australian recycling companies will work with university experts in sensors, polymers, systems engineering and environmental policy to overcome the HDPE contamination problem.
Managing Director and CEO at PEGRAS Asia Pacific Dr Stephanus Peters said the biggest problem in the recycling industry is that nothing is pure.
“Every bottle has a label on it, and every label has five or six layers and glue on it,” said Dr Peters. “This makes recycling a hard problem.”
The outcome of this $1.5 million smart sensing project will enable recycling companies to produce 100% recycled HDPE by eliminating the label adhesive contaminant that currently remains on the plastic flakes.
“If successful, this will be a world-first,” said Dr Peters. “We are closely watched by world leaders.”
The collaboration draws upon the research strengths of three NSSN member universities including the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the University of Sydney, and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
Sensing is the central technology for the project said Dr Donald McCallum, business development manager at NSSN.
“There are considerable gaps in the process engineering and the underlying sensing science required to sort polymers on the fly that industry needs,” said Dr McCallum.
“The sensing science will work closely with removal chemistry to get the technology out of the lab and into the industry sites.”
A consortium of nine leading research universities across NSW and ACT, the NSSN brings together expertise in academia, industry and government to position NSW and Australia as a global leader in smart sensing innovation.
Media: Shahrzad Abbasi — 0466548145