Materials Recovery Facility
A feasible way to improve our plastic recycling
The upgraded Materials Recovery Facility, commissioned in 2021, is designed to handle up to 30,000 tonnes of recyclables annually. The facility incorporates state-of-the-art technology to sort and process various materials, including high-quality paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, steel, and aluminium.
Embedding technology to yield better results
The facility uses state-of-the-art optical sorting technology combined with advanced AI algorithms to precisely identify and separate different types of materials such as plastic, glass, and metal. These cutting-edge systems can process up to 300 containers per minute, ensuring that the recycling process is not only efficient but also highly effective in minimising waste and maximising resource recovery.
Last year, Cairns achieved its lowest landfill rate in nearly a decade, with 138 fewer trucks heading to the landfill over the past two years. The MRF has not only improved waste diversion from landfills but also enhanced the quality of recycled materials, reducing contamination to less than 3% last year.
“The MRF is effectively the home of recycling for the Cairns region. All the materials from residents’ yellow-lid recycling bins are processed here. The upgraded facility boasts impressive technology, such as optical sorting and AI systems, which have significantly improved our resource recovery rates from 59% to 85% annually.”
Scott Paterson, Waste Education Officer, Cairns Regional Council