Paper pulper boosts recycling capacity
Victoria’s capacity to recycle paper and cardboard has this week received a significant boost with Visy unveiling a new drum pulper at their paper mill in Melbourne’s north.
The Australian-first technology will enable us to recycle 40% more paper and cardboard, ensuring more materials collected from Victorian households can be made into new paper-based products like pizza boxes or plasterboard lining.
With traditional paper recycling methods, fibres are lost, leaving less material behind for us to reuse.
The gentle drum pulper continuously rotates, reducing the loss of these fibres during the pulping process.
This technology can also reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions compared to other types of pulpers.
Visy Executive Chairman Anthony Pratt said the drum pulper represents the most advanced paper recycling in the world.
“It will double Visy’s kerbside recycling capability in Victoria, diverting up to 180,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard annually from Victoria’s landfills or exports, which is the equivalent of approximately 400 Olympic swimming pools,”
The drum pulper has been supported by a grant from the Recycling Modernisation Fund, which is co-funded by the Australian and Victorian governments.