We've always emphasised the importance of reducing waste through minimizing consumption and re-use… and in cases where re-use isn’t feasible, we foster innovation.

Spanning from Container Deposit Scheme, waste oil recycling, advanced plastic recycling facilities and ongoing work with recycling bodies, Lifecycles has helped the recycling industry in more than one way and we’re proud to share some highlights.

Container Deposit Scheme (CDS):

The Container Deposit Scheme (CDS), launched by the ACT Government in 2018 and managed by Exchange for Change, is a project that encourages participants to return empty drink containers at designated points in Canberra, offering a 10-cent refund per item. Lifecycles played a pivotal role in devising the calculations for CDS in ACT and NSW, establishing a foundation for the environmental benefits of material recovery and circulation. Other state governments quickly followed suit - with Victoria only recently launching their programme and Tasmania set to launch in early 2024. This initiative positions Australia as the first continent to adopt Cash for Containers.

See more information here: https://www.cleanup.org.au/containerdepositscheme

Waste Oil Recycling:

Waste oil recycling involves the re-refining of used oil products to extend their life and diminish their environmental footprint. Annually around 500 million litres of lubricating oil is sold in Australia. Considering that it takes one litre of oil to contaminate one million litres of water and a single automotive oil change produces 4 to 5 litres of used oil, we need to recover as much as possible.

We take pride in our collaboration with Southern Oil Refinery promoting the most beneficial reuse of waste oils as new base and fuel oils. These initiatives not only lessen Australia’s reliance on virgin crude oil (by about 900,000 barrels) and environmental impacts but also cut consumer costs.

Advanced plastic recycling facilities:

Advanced plastic recycling facilities: In response to challenges like the RedCycle collapse, we've collaborated with innovative firms like Samsara Eco. Our custom LCA tool empowers Samsara Eco to assess the effects of different inputs and locations. The tool will be a vital component in informing Samsara Eco as the company scales up and works towards achieving its key milestone of recycling 1.5 million tonnes of plastic per annum by 2030.

Lifecycles contributed to a feasibility study for Licella that examined the potential and significant advantages of advanced recycling in Australia. Victoria is poised to play a leading role in establishing an advanced manufacturing industry. Thanks to the recent backing from Amcor and Mondelēz International, Advanced Recycling Victoria, the country's inaugural Cat-HTR advanced plastic recycling facility, is projected to process 12,000 tonnes of end-of-life plastics each year.

Recycling programs

Since 2016, we've partnered with ANZRP, calculating the carbon footprint of recycling mixed television and computer waste. The impact is significant – recycling one tonne of e-waste with ANZRP saves 1,358 kgCO2e emissions (FY22 Report). This equates to avoiding 29,143 tCO2e emissions. ANZRP uses this data to engage members and stakeholders, fostering improvements in environmental performance.