Investing in Australia's waste and recycling infrastructure

The Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) is a national initiative that is expanding Australia’s capacity to sort, process and remanufacture glass, plastic, tyres, paper and cardboard.

The additional recycling capacity funded by the RMF supports Australia to regulate the export of waste glass, plastic, tyres, paper and cardboard. Increased recycling capacity supports the circular economy, by allowing more products to be reused, recycled or remanufactured when they are no longer useful or required for their initial purpose.

The Australian Government is investing $250 million into new and upgraded recycling infrastructure through the RMF. The Fund will see over $1 billion of investment in recycling infrastructure, with contributions from the states and territories and industry. RMF projects already announced will add over one million tonnes of processing capacity every year.

How the RMF works

Australian Government funding is provided to the states and territories under the Federation Funding Agreement – Environment, and the National Partnership on Recycling Infrastructure.

The signed National Partnership on Recycling Infrastructure, and state and territory Schedules are published on the Council on Federal Financial Relations website.

RMF grants

Under the RMF grant stream, the allocation of funding to projects is decided by state and territory governments, based on the gaps they identify in recycling capacity.

Advanced recycling solutions for hard-to-recycle plastics

The Australian Government provided a further $60 million to the RMF through the Plastics Technology stream in the October 2022 Federal Budget. This brings the Commonwealth investment in the RMF to $250 million. The additional $60 million is to be provided over 4 years from 2022–23 and will be invested in state-of-the-art advanced recycling solutions for hard-to-recycle plastics. This will build Australia’s capability for hard-to-recycle plastics and address our low plastics recycling rates.

Details on how the Plastics Technology stream will be implemented will be available in due course.

A national solution for paper recycling

Targeted funding for projects under the RMF National Paper Solution stream is improving Australia’s domestic paper and cardboard processing capacity.

This funding addresses specific challenges including the high costs of paper and cardboard recycling infrastructure projects.

An independent panel, with advice from industry experts, assessed projects proposed by the states and territories.

Supporting waste infrastructure in regional and remote Australia

Managing waste in regional and remote locations presents a range of challenges. These challenges mean that regional and remote areas often do not have kerbside waste collection or access to recycling and remanufacturing centres.

The 2019 National Waste Policy Action Plan aims to achieve an 80% average resource recovery rate from all waste streams following the waste hierarchy by 2030.

To achieve this target, regional and remote areas require better access to waste processing capabilities.

To help reach this target, governments and industry are investing in projects to build recycling capability and capacity in regional and remote locations around Australia, providing better access to waste processing.

Small organisations, such as small and medium businesses, not-for-profits, local government, community groups and First Nations people were encouraged to apply for funding.

RMF project details

Details on projects funded through the RMF can be found on the RMF Data Viewer. Information will be updated as outcomes of new grant rounds are announced and deeds are signed between state or territory governments and proponents.

Further information

• RMF Data Viewer
• Waste exports

State and territory contacts

For further information about the RMF in your state or territory, including rounds currently open for application, please contact your local authority.