Orora opens $25m glass recycling facility near Gawler

A $25m recycling facility will process up to 150,000 tonnes of glass each year following its opening on Wednesday, boosting jobs in the area. And another $40m upgrade is on its way.

A $25 million recycling facility capable of processing up to 150,000 tonnes of recycled glass each year has opened near Gawler.

Packaging company Orora has started operating the facility at its state-of-the-art manufacturing hub in Kingsford, where it makes wine, beer and other glass bottles for companies including Treasury Wine Estates and Coopers.

The new glass beneficiation plant will remove impurities from used broken glass through crushing, cleaning and sorting, before using the crushed contaminant-free glass, known as cullet, to manufacture new products.

Orora chief executive Brian Lowe said the process would significantly increase the level of recycled content in the company’s glass products.

“Our new world-class beneficiation plant is a significant achievement as it will increase the amount of recycled glass used in our manufactured products, allowing us to process up to 150,000 tonnes each year – that’s equivalent to approximately 330 million wine bottles or 750 million beer bottles,” he said.

Orora's new $25m glass beneficiation plant in Kingsford, near Gawler. Picture: Supplied by Orora

“Not only does this progress Orora’s sustainability agenda, it enhances our ability to support our customers’ sustainability goals, in turn contributing to the circular economy and the sustainability of the Australian glass industry.”

Construction of the recycling plant was supported by $8m in funding from the federal and state governments through the Recycling Modernisation Fund.

It will enable Orora to source greater volumes of used glass bottles through container deposit schemes in South Australia and Western Australia.

Environment Minister Susan Close said the project would make a significant contribution to the “sustainability of the glass industry in this state”.

The facility’s opening has generated 12 ongoing jobs and comes as Orora plans further upgrades at Gawler.

It recently secured $12.5m in federal government funding to go towards a new low-carbon glass melting furnace to replace its current gas furnace. The $40m oxygen-fuelled furnace upgrade is expected to be completed in 2024.

Orora has a goal to use 60 per cent recycled content in it glass containers by 2025, and is aiming for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Originally published as Orora opens $25m glass recycling facility near Gawler