Recyclers BlockTexx and Indonesia’s Asia Pacific Fibers partner on polyester yarns

Indonesia’s Asia Pacific Fibers (APF) and textile recycler BlockTexx have announced “a working partnership” to develop a variety of filament yarns made of recycled polyester and co-market these to global fashion and textile industry clients. Graham Ross, Co-founder of BlockTexx, said, “BlockTexx’s mission has been to develop low emissions technology to deliver commercial scale recycled…

Details

Snowy 2.0 cost blowouts might be OK if the scheme stored power more cheaply than batteries. But it won’t

By Bruce Mountain, Victoria University Two years ago, Snowy Hydro announced a reset for its troubled Snowy 2.0 giant pumped hydro project amid cost blowouts. The supposed final cost was A$12 billion. Last week, Snowy Hydro acknowledged this figure was no longer viable after a cost reassessment. I estimate the final cost will be well…

Details

Grants up to $50,000 available to help commercialise recycled products

Grants of between $15,000 and $50,000 are available through Sustainability Victoria’s Market Accelerator program, which aims to assist businesses, social enterprises and others in commercialising recycled material-based innovations.  According to a statement from the Victorian government agency on Monday, the program is designed to help validate and commercialise products and processes using priority recycled  materials,…

Details

Energy, timber costs made the last five years tough for paperboard container makers: report

Revenues for the Australian paperboard container manufacturing industry are approximately $452 million per annum currently, according to new market research, which also finds that this figure declined by 1.4 per cent on average each year between 2020 and 2025.  The newly-updated Paperboard Container Manufacturing in Australia – Market Research Report (2015-2030) by IBISWorld counted 70…

Details

Instant noodle factory to open at upcoming Pakenham industrial estate

Ballarat Food Manufacturing, a subsidiary of the Yida Group, will move into Brookfield Properties’ Cardinia Logistics Estate at Pakenham, Victoria, with production expected to begin in mid-2026. According to a statement from real estate developer and operator Brookfield on Tuesday, the food company has secured a five-year lease for its first manufacturing site in Australia.…

Details

Scientists from Monash milk microbes for tunable bioplastic blends

Researchers at Monash University have demonstrated a way to manufacture bioplastic films with customisable properties, using natural polymers produced by soil-dwelling microbes. According to a statement from the university on Friday, researchers were able to produce films out of the bioplastic PHA “that behave like conventional plastics and can be molded into other shapes or…

Details

Consultations begin on the “an exciting new commercial opportunity” of bioenergy feedstocks

Consultation has begun on the federal government’s National Bioenergy Feedstock Strategy, following the announcement last month of $1.1 billion in funding for low-carbon liquid fuels. According to a statement from agriculture minister Julie Collins on Thursday, bioenergy will be “an important part” of decarbonising the economy, and that it requires a consistent supply of feedstocks,…

Details

Lessons begin at Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence

An event was attended on Thursday inaugurating Melbourne Polytechnic’s Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence, which is being built with $50 million of federal and state government support. The site at Heidelberg aims to address Australia’s housing challenges through training that keeps pace with the adoption of new technologies which draw from manufacturing, such…

Details