Solving Australia's plastic waste problems

07 February 2024
Close up of hand showing a large amount of micro plastic in the sand at the ocean edge
Close up of hand showing a large amount of micro plastic in the sand at the ocean's edge

By Isis Symes

A Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) that aims to solve Australia's plastic waste problem will be established, thanks to $140 million in funding from government, industry and university partners.

Led by Griffith University, the Solving Plastic Waste Cooperative Research Centre will bring together industry, government and research sector partners including CQUniversity, to establish the CRC that will enhance end-user driven collaboration to address the current challenges across the entire plastics value chain. 

CQUniversity Vice-President of Research Professor Grant Stanley welcomed the funding and said a portion of the funds would allow CQUniversity to undertake comprehensive analysis of the plastic recycling process. 

"Our research with industry partners will inform recycling ability within Australia's future post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics recycling and remanufacturing,” Professor Stanley said. 

"I look forward to seeing how the CRC will support research and development to measure the presence of microplastics in agricultural soils, hopefully leading to behaviour change in the sector around ag plastics such as trickle tape and plastic mulch."

Lead for CQUniversity's Fuel and Energy Research Group Professor Mohammad Rasul further added that CQUniversity would also contribute to "maximising the recovery and value of end-of-life plastics including waste plastic sorting."

Solving Plastic Waste CRC Research Director Professor Chengrong Chen from Griffith University said the Solving Plastic Waste CRC would work with the plastic sector to accelerate Australia's progress towards eliminating plastic pollution, establishing a circular and climate neutral plastic economy, while growing its advanced manufacturing sector. 

“It will deliver major economic and environmental benefits and support training for careers in Australia's transformed plastics industry.” 

The Solving Plastic Waste CRC is a collaboration involving eleven Australian universities, CSIRO and more than 33 industry and other end-user partners.