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Planet Ark welcomes Ecycle Solutions as a sponsor of Business Recycling and Recycling Near You
By Rachael Ridley 1 September 2021
The sponsorship will help increase recycling of electronic waste and expanded polystyrene in Australia.
Two of Planet Ark’s most popular programs, Business Recycling and Recycling Near You, have recently welcomed a new sponsor. Ecycle Solutions is one of Australia’s largest recyclers of electronics and expanded polystyrene, offering accessible recycling solutions to these problematic waste streams.
Deputy CEO of Planet Ark, Rebecca Gilling, said Planet Ark is thrilled to have the support of Ecycle Solutions as a sponsor of Recycling Near You and Business Recycling.
“Providing comprehensive and compliant recycling solutions for electronics and expanded polystyrene, Ecycle Solutions has become a crucial part of the collection and recycling picture in Australia. We look forward to working with its team to improve recycling rates across these important product categories,” said Ms Gilling.
As a co-regulator of the Federal Government’s National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, Ecycle Solutions provides the public with free drop-off points for compliant electronics including televisions, computers, computer accessories and printers. With an expansive logistics network covering 97 per cent of the country, Ecycle Solutions also offers a collection service that is free of charge for all businesses and industries for compliant electronics and affordable for expanded polystyrene.
“[The sponsorship] is a great opportunity for both organisations to increase the reach across Australia for the collection and recycling of electronic waste and polystyrene,” said Chris Tangey, General Manager of Ecycle Solutions.
How to recycle electronics
Local drop-off points for electronics are listed as part of Planet Ark’s Recycling Near You program, enabling the general public and small businesses to responsibly recycle their end-of-life electronic waste at one of more than 150 locations across Australia.
Ecycle Solutions accepts a variety of items for recycling including computers, computer accessories, televisions, and printers. The public can drop off these items for free at participating collection sites, avoiding landfill fees and ensuring they’re recycled into something new, keeping the materials in use for as long as possible.
Businesses with more than two electronic items to recycle can book a free collection through Ecycle Solutions.
How to recycle expanded polystyrene
With the Australian Government’s National Plastic Plan set to phase out problematic and unnecessary uses of expanded polystyrene (EPS) by the end of 2022, reducing the amount of EPS heading to landfill is a priority concern for many businesses and councils.
EPS is a highly problematic waste stream that takes hundreds of years to breakdown in landfill. Despite 98 per cent of the plastic packaging being air, EPS takes up large amounts of space in landfills where it can easily be blown away and enter our waterways and natural environment. EPS is uniquely recyclable and can be fully reprocessed, which diverts waste from landfill and helps reduce demand for petroleum from which polystyrene is derived.
As the largest commercial recycler of EPS in Australia, Ecycle Solutions collects EPS from businesses at an affordable rate that can save businesses up to 70 per cent on disposal costs. Ecycle Solutions recycles the EPS using ‘hot melt’ extrusion machines which melts the packaging, turning into new products such as outdoor furniture, decking, picture frames and skirting boards.
Rachael manages the Business Recycling and Recycling Near You websites. Rachael joined Planet Ark in early 2019 after eight years working in media and publishing as a producer, editor and writer. Rachael loves using her skills in content creation and communication to instigate positive environmental behaviour change. Outside of work, Rachael enjoys spending time in nature, listening to music and patting dogs.
