Visy Industries, a prominent recycling and packaging firm headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, recently completed a substantial AUD$48 million ($31.2 million) upgrade to its recycling and remanufacturing campus located on Gibson Island in Queensland. This investment underscores Visy Executive Chairman Anthony Pratt’s commitment to environmental sustainability and job creation, with plans to invest AUD$2 billion ($1.3 billion) over the next decade, including AU$700 million ($455 million) specifically in Queensland.

The upgraded facility features cutting-edge optical paper sorting equipment, a significant addition aimed at enhancing the recycling capabilities of the campus. This new equipment is projected to divert an impressive 39,000 metric tons of curbside paper materials annually from landfills, furthering Visy’s mission of reducing reliance on landfills and mitigating emissions.

Anthony Pratt emphasizes the significance of this upgrade, stating, “This is a very proud day for our company because we’re not only manufacturers, we’re actually in the landfill avoidance business, which is good for greenhouse gas reduction as well. … As things decay in the landfill they produce methane gas, which is 84 times worse for climate change than carbon dioxide. So, recycling is an important weapon against climate change.”

The revamped campus is poised to transform these diverted materials into 100 percent recycled paper and corrugated boxes. These products will be utilized across Visy’s corrugated box plants, including the newly established plant in Hemmant, Queensland, Australia, contributing to the company’s sustainable packaging solutions.

Crucially, co-investment support from the Queensland Government played a pivotal role in making this upgrade possible, highlighting the collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors to drive environmental initiatives and bolster the manufacturing sector.

“This is a testament to our commitment to transforming Australia’s recycling and manufacturing sectors through these initiatives,” Pratt remarks.

The Gibson Island project not only marks a significant technological advancement but also has substantial economic implications. It created hundreds of jobs during the construction phase and continues to generate additional green-collar manufacturing jobs on-site, contributing to job growth and economic resilience in Queensland.

The completion of this upgrade signifies Visy’s unwavering dedication to sustainable practices, technological innovation, and job creation, positioning the company as a leader in Australia’s recycling and manufacturing landscape.