Veolia has signed a $109 million contract to build, operate and maintain a state-of-the-art materials recovery facility (MRF) in Hume, ACT.
Up to 115,000 tonnes of mixed recyclables is expected to be processed annually, resulting in 3.365 metric tonnes reduction in greenhouse gas emission over 20 years in operation.
The new facility is the latest investment by Veolia as part of its global GreenUp strategy to depollute, decarbonise and regenerate the environment. It marks the first of many strategic investments being made by Veolia across the country in 2025, with Australia listed as a priority growth area for the Group.
Canberra’s new MRF will separate and sort paper and cardboard, glass, plastic, steel, and aluminium.
The MRF's advanced sorting technology, equipped with sophisticated automatic recognition, uses screens to separate paper, laser optical identification with air jets to separate plastics, and powerful magnets to extract metals. It also includes a glass processing plant that removes impurities from used or broken glass and crushes it into small pieces that can be made into new glass products.
These advanced technologies have been adapted from Veolia’s best global operations, which are designed to remove contaminants, which include items that can’t be recycled due to how they are made or non-recyclable materials mistakenly put in the recycling bin.
Removing these contaminants ensures the highest quality materials remain for processing into new products.
“As the global champion of ecological transformation, Veolia will bring world-leading technology to Canberra that will make this MRF one of the most advanced in Australia and produce the highest purity materials for recycling and resource recovery,” said Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia.
“This project is part of our GreenUp strategy to invest more in Australia, a priority geographical area for Veolia. The momentum is already very strong – in the first year of GreenUp, Veolia Australia delivered a 7.7 per cent growth in revenue.
“This new state-of-the-art MRF will increase local recycling capacity, reduce transport emissions by sorting recycled items locally in Canberra, and provide more jobs for the ACT’s growing circular economy.”
During the construction phase it will create 112 jobs for locals and once completed it will deliver 24 permanent roles as part of the facility’s operations.
The new facility has been designed with state-of-the-art fire detection, mitigation and control systems to safeguard the site from fires, which can be caused by items such as lithium batteries or gas bottles that find their way into the recycling stream.
According to Veolia, non-recyclable or flammable items should not be disposed of in recycling bins, but it does happen from time to time, warranting the need for these additional safety measures.
Additionally, $28 million over the life of the agreement will be set aside for recycling education programs targeted at school children and an education centre, so that members of the community can visit for tours to learn more on a weekly basis.
The construction program is expected to take 38 months. This includes the demolition of the previous resource recovery facility, which will commence in July this year. Construction of the new facility will commence in 2026.
The new facility is also expected to recover the resources of neighbouring NSW councils, including the Southern Tablelands and South Coast, making it a significant driver of recycling across the region.
The new MRF is supported by the Australian and ACT governments through the Recycling Modernisation Fund, which is a national initiative expanding Australia’s capacity to sort, process and remanufacture glass, plastic, tyres, paper and cardboard.
When combined with co-investment from all states, territories and industry, the Recycling Modernisation Fund will give a $1 billion boost to Australian recycling.
