In Australia, Sims Limited (“Sims” or the “Company”) recently announced planning development approval was granted by the Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government for its pilot Resource Renewal facility at Rocklea in Queensland.
The Rocklea pilot facility is expected to be operational in 2022. It will focus primarily on research and development to advance the technology used across the programme.
To create a world without waste to preserve our planet Sims will create new, useful products from the material left over following metals recycling (auto shredder residue (ASR)).
The company are proposing to use its existing metals recycling operation in Rocklea, Queensland as the location for a small pilot resource renewal facility where they will undertake highly controlled research and development to advance its technology and the circular economy.
Sims are proposing to use their existing recycling operation in Rocklea, Queensland as the location for a small pilot resource renewal facility where will undertake research and development to advance Sims technology and the circular economy.
The highly controlled research and development Sims are proposing will enable them to test the commercial viability of developing new products from the material left over following its metal recycling process, which is currently sent to landfill. This will help Sims achieve its objective of transforming one million tonnes of ASR material every year into new, useful products for society by 2030. Its aim is to deliver a leading circular business model that creates value for its business and society and the proposed pilot facility is a critical step in enabling Sims to close the loop on its waste and ensure it is not left for future generations to manage.
Sims Resource Renewal plans to build several facilities around the world by 2030 to enable the company to transform more than one million tonnes of the material left over following metal recycling into new, useful products for society each year.
Following a commercial demonstration in Oregon, USA and an investigation into potential output products, Sims also announced that it plans to produce hydrogen for industrial use at its proposed facility at Campbellfield in Victoria.
Commenting on the announcement, Alistair Field, CEO and Managing Director said:
“Sims Resource Renewal is about creating a truly closed-loop in metals recycling and a genuinely circular business model.”
Producing hydrogen supports the transition to a more sustainable energy landscape, and it enables Sims to advance its purpose to create a world without waste to preserve our planet.
Sims Resource Renewal will use green energy to power its proposed Campbellfield facility.
At Campbellfield, Sims will continue with its plans to produce materials for construction, helping to increase the use of recycled materials in critical infrastructure, such as roads.