The Solving Plastic Waste Cooperative Research Centre was today [12 Dec 2023] announced as one of the successful Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) to be supported by the Federal Government.
Minister for Industry and Science The Honourable Ed Husic confirmed the Solving Plastic Waste CRC, one of two national CRCs to be funded in the current CRC Program selection round, would be established with $40 million in federal funding. The total resources available to the Solving Plastic Waste CRC is $140.6 million, including the CRC Program grant and contributions from partners.
The bid was led by Griffith University and brings together industry, government and the research sector to establish a CRC that will assist in solving Australia’s plastic waste problem by enhancing end-user driven collaboration which addresses the current challenges across the entire plastics value chain.
The timelines for the selection round are shown below:
The challenge of plastic waste pollution
Plastics are essential for producing many products used across most sectors of the global economy. However, the existing linear plastic value chain, where plastic products are designed for performance but not for recovery or reuse, is unsustainable with most of their economic value lost at end-of-life. The results are plastic waste pollution, a major environmental challenge of this century, and related concerns about the health risks posed by microplastics.
There is a global effort to eliminate plastic waste and create a circular economy for plastics. This has the commitment of the Australian Government which has joined the High Ambition Coalition with the goal of ending plastic pollution by 2040. Furthermore, all Australian Environment Ministers have agreed to work with the private sector to design out waste and pollution, keep materials in use and foster markets to achieve a circular economy by 2030.
Description of the proposed CRC
The Solving Plastic Waste CRC will ensure that focused, industry-driven collaboration between the research sector, governments and the entire plastics value chain is effectively enabled over the next decade to transform the way plastic products are designed, manufactured, used, recovered, and recycled, and how microplastic soil pollution is remediated. This will be achieved by developing improved product designs, new materials, technologies, and processes, and by exploring new business models and economic systems.
It will accelerate Australia’s progress towards its targets of eliminating plastic pollution, establishing a circular and climate neutral economy for plastics, and growing a competitive, sustainable advanced manufacturing sector.
Partners
The partners relevant to the CRC bid span the entire plastic value chain and include: plastic manufacturers, plastic processors, major brand owners, recycling companies, relevant industry associations, and councils. They also include governments, industry bodies, non-government organisations, and universities.
Some partners in the application to establish the Solving Plastic Waste CRC are shown below:
If you are interested in learning more about the CRC and becoming a partner, please contact us.