Plans for a large-scale advanced soft plastics recycling facility in Australia have progressed, as Cleanaway and Viva Energy have successfully completed a pre-feasibility study for the initiative.

Source: CStore

The proposed facility aims to transform soft plastics into food-grade recycled material, leveraging Cleanaway’s collection network alongside Viva Energy’s refining and polymerization expertise. On April 3, 2025, the companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding and will now embark on a 12-month feasibility and engineering study.

Lachlan Pfeiffer, Chief Strategy Officer at Viva Energy, highlighted the evident need and demand for this infrastructure in Australia, spurred by an increasing awareness of the necessity for a domestic circular solution to the soft plastic issue.

This upcoming phase will concentrate on sorting plastics and converting them into pyrolysis oil. It will involve collaboration with technology providers and engineering firms to develop an integrated concept design while evaluating capital and delivery costs.

The Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) stage is anticipated to commence in 2026, contingent upon the finalization of the Australian Government’s packaging reform, known as the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme.

Frank Lintvelt, Executive General Manager of Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions at Cleanaway, stated they aim to create a pathway toward a fully circular solution for soft plastics in Australia.