Sustainability, Environment and Conservation Minister Ian Hunter officially commissioned the Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority’s (NAWMA) new recycling facility at its Edinburgh site today.

The $8.4 million facility will process up to 20 tonnes of recyclable material per hour to be made into new products.

The commissioning of the Material Recovery Facility follows the recent announcement that Australia’s first combined landfill gas-to-energy and solar power plant will be established at NAWMA’s Uleybury landfill.

Integrating a solar farm with the landfill gas renewable energy facility will generate enough electricity to power around 1,800 homes while preventing thousands of tonnes of carbon being emitted into the atmosphere each year.

NAWMA Chair, Brian Cunningham said NAWMA recently made a strategic investment of $4.05 million for the Edinburgh site with a further $4 million to develop the Material Recovery Facility and Environment Education Centre.

“Our emphasis on resource recovery and regeneration will deliver local benefits including helping our constituent Councils to minimise costs and improve environmental outcomes with flow on benefits to residents,” Mr Cunningham said.

Minister Hunter stated that vision and innovation were the driving forces for NAWMA to ensure the 250,000 residents in 110,000 households in the region were active participants in world’s best practice in waste management and resource recovery.

“This facility shows that you can create jobs, grow the economy while at the same time protecting the environment,” Minister Hunter said.

“This Government has worked with the community and the industry to help achieve the best recycling rates in the country. This effort has helped create a $1 billion industry that employs almost 5,000 South Australians.

“I am keen to see this sector grow, to reduce, reuse and recycle more while creating jobs and we are working with the sector to achieve this,” he said.

Local Member of Parliament, Mr Tony Piccolo said NAWMA’s facility is helping to create local jobs and showing the potential this sector has in Adelaide’s northern regions.

“The facility was supported by a $300,000 grant from the South Australian government,” Mr Piccolo said.

“This is one example of projects that the Government, through Green Industries SA, is partnering with to help leverage private investment, recover more waste and help create jobs.

“Our State has a strong record of recycling and resource recovery and this Government is passionate and committed to ensuring we continue to lead the nation in waste management.

“Importantly, maintaining this leadership helps underpin our reputation as a clean, green state,” he said.