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UNSW SMaRT Centre's Plastics MICROfactorieTM Technology and commercial partnership with operator Renew IT was behind the winning of the ESG Award at the 2025 techpartner.news Impact Awards.
The award recognises the "the creation of a novel method of recycling plastic from e-waste into filament for 3D printers", which the SMaRT Centre has pioneered as part of its range of MICROfactorieTM Technologies that reform hard to recycle wastes into products and feedstock for remanufacturing.
Image caption: James Lancaster, CEO of Renew IT, accepting the award.
techpartner.news said: "Based in Sydney, Renew IT is an IT asset management specialist that also provides managed IT services and e-waste recycling.
"In partnership with the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the company funded the research and development of the Microfactorie, a small-footprint facility that converts acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastics into high-value 3D printer filament and injection moulding feedstock.
"The initiative was first piloted in 2023 after 18 months of research and development with the UNSW SMaRT Centre, led by sustainable materials expert Professor Veena Sahajwalla.
"Production was expanded in 2024 to operate 7 days a week, producing over 200 spools of filament a day.
"Renew IT claims that the Microfactorie diverts 4.2 tonnes of plastic waste from landfill each month, estimating that this also prevented over 34 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, based on lifecycle assessments of virgin plastic production versus recycled output.
"It produces 210 spools of filament a day, which are quality-tested and independently verified to meet industry-standards, which it sells at a profit, making it a more sustainable endeavour and demonstrating how environmental and commercial goals can align.
"The Microfactories are overseen with robust ESG frameworks that include traceability of recovered materials, reporting on environmental outcomes, and compliance with ISO standards ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety), as well as recycling certifications.
"All recovered plastics are traced from collection through processing and sale, with independent audits and lifecycle assessments conducted by university researchers and sustainability consultants.
"Reports on these ESG metrics also allow corporate clients to support their sustainability disclosures and Scope 3 emissions tracking.
"The company said it has had interest from schools, universities, manufacturers, and government agencies seeking low-carbon, locally made alternatives to virgin plastic."
Read the full techpartner.news story
Details of the March 2025 official opening:
Australia just grew its commitment to hard plastic recycling with a new facility open for business
UNSW Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Attila Brungs officially opens a UNSW Sydney-designed Plastics Filament MICROfactorieTM in Sydney.
Electronic waste recycler Renew IT has added the MICROfactorieTM module to its national headquartered facility in Lane Cove to reform the hard plastics normally discarded from e-waste into valuable filament for 3D manufacturing and printing.
Developed by and licensed to the UNSW Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre, the Plastics MICROfactorieTM module is the first commercial operation and use of the technology outside of the UNSW SMaRT Centre.
See the Waste Management Review news story
Professor Brungs said: “After an extensive testing and commissioning phase, I am pleased to open Renew IT’s Plastics MICROfactorieTM module,” he said.
“I’m excited by the positive impact that’s come as a result of UNSW’s research, innovation and collaborative partnerships. This facility has already demonstrated significant economic, social and environmental benefits, so far keeping 50.4 tonnes of plastic waste out of landfill and incinerators. New jobs and revenue have also been created, and the technology is creating a circular economy where materials are used over and over again, maximising the value of our resources.”
Renew IT CEO James Lancaster said the technology is a game changer for his organisation, enabling a more efficient method of using all of the resources found in complex e-waste items.
“Electronic goods are a growing waste problem and even though there have been some recent bans on allowing e-waste to go to landfill, that is where is often ends up. For us, the hard ABS plastics found in so many e-waste items don’t have a market, so this technology is game changer in addressing that problem.”
“If 3D printing feedstock can be competitively produced by recycling hard plastics, we shouldn’t be producing it with virgin materials and then importing it from overseas, where almost most of the filament in Australia comes from,” he said.
The Plastics MICROfactorieTM module is the latest of a number of MICROfactorieTM Technologies undergoing commercialisation by the UNSW SMaRT Centre, with a Green Ceramics MICROfactorieTM module operating in Nowra in regional NSW and a Green Aluminium MICROfactorieTM module under construction in Taree, NSW.
UNSW SMaRT Centre Founder and Director, Professor Veena Sahajwalla said: “Recovering materials from waste has a big role to play as we move towards a sustainable future and reducing our carbon footprint.
“Many of the materials needed for our future needs are finite in supply, so using innovative technologies to reform waste into value-added feedstock for remanufacturing means we can also accelerate our sovereign manufacturing capability. Waste itself can, and must, be seen as a resource with economic and social benefits as we strive to be more sustainable.”
Filament, while almost entirely imported to Australia, is made from petrochemicals, thus being able to locally make it from used plastics also reduces the environmental impacts from global freight. Veena said 3D printing is becoming widespread across society, from schools to manufacturing facilities able to create new parts and products locally which also reduces importation.
“ABS hard plastics are sometimes recycled as pellets for remanufacturing but this is very low value and energy intensive, selling at around $2 per kilo (Source: Alibaba March 2025), so not a lot of it occurs compared to the amount of this plastic available. Whereas filament sells for a lot more and so this solution is a high value solution delivering real circular economy benefits.
“I believe Plastics Filament MICROfactoriesTM have the potential to revolutionise 3D printer filament creation and I look forward to a time when 3D printing feedstock is sourced exclusively from recycled hard plastics,” she said.
Background:
Australia generates about 500,000 tonnes of e-waste annually, according to the latest available data from the federal government's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
That means each Australian produces about 20kg of e-waste a year, compared with the global average of 7kg. Onshore, Australia generated a total of 511,000 tonnes of e-waste with a recycle rate of 12%.
The amount of waste is projected to rise nearly 30 per cent by 2030 to 657,000 tonnes. It's supposed to be disposed of at special drop-off points, but it often ends up in kerbside rubbish collection, resulting in fires and costly clean-up bills.
Globally, there was approximately 62 million tonnes of e-waste generated with less than 22% being recycled, according to the Global E-waste Monitor 2024 Report.
Video of the Lane Cove Plastics MICROfactorieTM at https://youtu.be/fd0LDoG6ygQ.
Media contacts:
- UNSW SMaRT Centre and Prof Veena, contact Stuart Snell s.snell@unsw.edu.au and 0416650906
- Renew IT CEO James Lancaster, contact j.lancaster@renew-it.com and 0430 317 087.
Renew IT Founder and CEO James Lancaster and UNSW SMaRT Centre Founder and Director, Professor Veena Sahajwalla.