NSW's Special Activation Precincts will play an important role in the country's war on waste while bringing in millions of dollars of investment and revenue into regional NSW.
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That's the message from the Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation, who went to market for registrations of interest at the end of December.
"The global plastics recycling industry is worth $66.74 billion and we want to see regional NSW get a bigger slice of that pie," Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation acting CEO Nathan Rhodes said in a statement.
"In Australia, we generate about 3.4 million tonnes of plastics waste each year yet only 14 per cent of it is recycled."
The Special Activation Precincts - which will be located at Parkes, Wagga, Snowy Mountains, Moree, Williamtown and Narrabri - are underpinned by a commitment to circular economies and sustainability where one business' trash can become another's treasure.
"Not only does this make good environmental sense, but it's also good business and economic sense," Mr Rhodes said.
"We are focused on creating world-class, innovative precincts which challenge the status quo by ensuring resources are reused as many times as possible.
"And once that has been achieved, then we will look to use the end-product in other beneficial ways - such as generating power - instead of sending it to landfill."
It features Australia's first dedicated resource recovery and recycling sub-precinct with direct rail access, allowing businesses to receive and reprocess waste and resources.
It will also feature an energy-from-waste facility as an end-treatment for waste.
"An energy-from-waste facility will form an important component of the circular economy in the Parkes Special Activation Precinct," Mr Rhodes said.
"Waste will be recycled, used as a resource and - when it has reached the end of its life-span - become fuel for generating energy for the precinct."
The Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation is now seeking registrations from businesses interested in building and operating this facility.
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