- Pact Group achieves recycling breakthrough to manufacture its iconic SULO bins with up to 100%* recycled plastic.
- The new SULO bins are made using recycled plastic packaging waste from household recycling bins and recycled end-of-life mobile garbage bins.
Pact Group, a leading plastic recycler and packaging goods manufacturer, has achieved a milestone in its circular economy vision by producing the iconic SULO mobile garbage bins (MGBs) with up to 100%* recycled plastic.
After extensive testing and trials, Pact is now able to use recycled household packaging waste, such as empty shampoo, detergent and sauce bottles, and lids from jars and bottles to make the new SULO MGBs.
The packaging waste is recycled at the Pact-operated Circular Plastics Australia (CPA) recycling facility in Laverton, VIC, which is a joint venture with Cleanaway Waste Management. The plastic bottles, jars and lids are sorted, shredded and washed in the state-of-the-art facility before being turned into a high-quality resin suitable for SULO bin manufacturing.
The resin is blended with recycled plastic pellets from end-of-life MGBs which are collected from local councils and waste management companies across Australia and processed at Pact recycling facilities in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
The new recycled 120L and 240L SULO MGBs are manufactured in dark colours such as black and dark green which enables them to be made with up to 100%* recycled plastic. This reduces the need to use virgin resin sourced from fossil fuels.
Using recycled resin to manufacture new MGBs can also significantly reduce the carbon emissions as well as the water usage from the manufacturing process. Using up to 100%* recycled content instead of virgin resin in the manufacture of 50,000 240L MGBs can cut CO² emissions by 478 tonnes and save 23.4 million litres of water. [1] This is equivalent to planting 717 trees[2] and filling nine Olympic size swimming pools [3].
Pact manufactures its SULO bins using the latest fully automated injection moulding, blending and material handling machinery at its manufacturing plants in Melbourne and Somersby, NSW.
SULO bins are used for general waste, recycling, food and garden organics (FOGO), and glass collection and have been rolled out to more than 200 local councils across Australia as well as for commercial customers. To date, Pact has delivered more than 20 million MGBs into the Australian market.
SULO’s recycled MGBs meet the same quality and performance standards as MGBs made with virgin resin or a combination of virgin and recycled resin and are in turn recyclable at the end of their life.
Shareef Khan, Executive General Manager Pact Recycling & Reuse, said making SULO bins from up to 100%* recycled plastic is a game-changer for the waste management industry.
“By using discarded plastic packaging in addition to the norm of using old mobile garbage bins, we are able to provide a reliable and high-quality source of recycled plastic to make new SULO bins and reduce our environmental impact,” Mr Khan said.
“We have created a circular economy for kerbside bins, and the plastic waste that householders put in them, by creating new products from old ones.”
[1] Based on 240L two-wheeled black or grey mobile garbage bins (excluding lids, wheels and axles) comprising up to 100%* recycled HDPE resin compared with the same bins manufactured from virgin (i.e. newly made) HDPE resin. Comparison made using SULO carbon calculator
[2] This figure represents the number of trees planted and grown to maturity that would be needed to absorb the relevant amount of carbon dioxide saved.
[3] Based on FINA specifications for Olympic standard pools (50m x 25m) with a depth of 2m.
*Recycled content depends on bin colour and excludes lid, wheels and axles