One more step towards a circular economy: recycling plastic waste at GCCM
Within the scope of GCCM’s Closing The Loop Project, the Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard is committed to reducing the impact of their waste streams on their health and the environment. In July, and with the collaboration of most of their onsite marine trades, GCCM is introducing a business initiative to eliminate unnecessary plastic waste from landfill.
In partnership with some external companies and the Gold Coast Scouts, GCCM will be recycling most of their plastic waste.
Bins will be distributed to their onsite professionals that have specific plastic waste and they will be collected for industrial recycling.
These are the plastics that they will be able to recover for recycling and remanufacturing:
- Plastic Pipes (#2 HDPE)
- Mobile Garbage Bins (#2 HDPE)
- Crates (#2 HDPE)
- Plastic film and packaging (#4 LDPE)
- Shrink wrap (#4 LDPE)
- Granulated Plastic (LDPE, HDPE, PP)
- Plastic Offcuts (LDPE, HDPE, PP)
- Water Tanks (MDPE)
- Buckets (PP)
- Reject battery casings (PP)
PET (plastic #1), are placed in the Scouts bin for recycling through the container deposit scheme.
Polystyrene (plastic #6) will be collected separately, so it does not break down and contaminate other types of plastics.
Recycling process
The plastics will be recycled into resin to produce root guard, slip sheet, damp course, pallet pads, brick straps, hoarding panels, and cable cover. Here is an example of how HDPE is recycled:
This project is part of GCCM’s broader effort to tackle one material at a time. If you have further suggestions about ways to free up plastic waste, please get in touch to let them know how to keep Closing the Loop on Waste at GCCM.
Congratulations to the Gold Coast City Marina and all their associated stakeholders for this marvellous initiative.
