Jennifer Pittorino
The inner-west has once again been the decided location for a multi-million-dollar facility which is causing concern from residents.
Australia’s first soft plastics and e-waste recycling facility has opened in Tottenham and will turn hard-to-recycle items into a new concrete material.
Nearby Brooklyn resident Carmen Largaiolli said she was worried about the impact of the $2.5 million facility given Maribyrnong’s existing pollution.
“The operation is approximately 1600 metres north of Brooklyn which is already one of Australia’s pollution hotspots,” she said.
“And adjacent to Sunshine residential homes and a major shopping centre.”
Ms Largaiolli said she only heard about the facility for the first tome last week and questioned whether there was any community consultation about the development.
The state government said the CDRC Global facility will process soft and hard plastics found in e-waste into an environmentally friendly product called RESIN8 that can be used in concrete, masonry bricks, blocks, pavers and asphalt.
According to the state government, at full capacity the facility will process about 6650 tonnes of hard and soft plastics each year, the equivalent of about 330 garbage trucks which Ms Largaiolli said she doesn’t believe is accurate.
“I don’t believe the 330 figure. I think it will be something like double,” she said.
The state government said RESIN8 is being trialled by Hobsons Bay council, where 1350 kilograms of soft plastics will be turned into asphalt for a local road project.
Hobsons Bay council , Maribyrnong council and the state government were contacted for comment.
