Planex is collaborating with Sustainability Victoria (SV) to make significant reductions in its use of new materials as well as waste generation, thereby, increasing material efficiency.
As part of the initiative, we reduced our waste of a polymer known as powder-coat powder by using it to manufacture a new type of counterweight for our furniture; this also meant it was not dumped in landfill. This addressed the last major issue in our supply chain and stewardship of materials – namely, the re-use of the powder that was wasted and could not be recycled until this project.
Using the powder in this way will save two-thirds of our waste powder from ending up in landfill as well as two-thirds of new steel going into the counterweights. This also means our gas usage will be reduced from not having to heat-treat as much waste powder as before.
The project reduces our factory’s total GHG output by 6%.
Planex now re-uses most of its waste powder instead of sending it to landfill. The remaining unused powder is the subject of further research, with the study aiming to demonstrate that the waste powder can be pyrolysed to extract valuable raw materials for re-use instead of being sent to landfill.
Initiated and driven by Planex, the research is a co-funded collaboration between the Commonwealth Government (Innovation Connections) and industry (Planex, Dulux, AkzoNobel, AISF).
Read the full report here.
