WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TYRE RECYCLING
Driving change A NEW TYRE RECYCLING FACILITY IN VICTORIA IS PUTTING PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT FIRST.
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ax Lam wants to do things differently. The Director of Autocycle International has a vision for a safe and sustainable future for tyre recycling in Australia and is setting the bar high at a new plant in the Melbourne suburb of Altona North. For Max, it’s not all about profit, it’s about making a difference to the environment. And he’s surrounding himself with a team that shares the same values – from plant operators to product suppliers and collection contractors. “We want to ensure we are a peoplefirst business, from the welfare of our employees to the safety of truck drivers,” Max says. “Profits are important, but it shouldn’t be the most important thing. We want people who have the same value in terms of how they see recycling. Should the business be about making a profit, or making a difference to the environment? “What’s really important, is the team shares the same values as ours.” Liam O’Keefe, Senior Strategy Manager at Tyre Stewardship Australia, says the “unequivocal investment in resources and commitment to transparency and compliance” sets Autocycle International apart. Max is a seasoned environmental consultant and for more than 10 years has worked in contaminated land management and compliance issues. He’s developed a network within the waste disposal industry and says he sensed a transformation of the industry several years ago, with many
Max Lam and guests at the soft launch of the Altona North facility.
transferring their knowledge and skills to recycling. With the introduction of government legislation and initiatives to tackle Australia’s waste, including a ban on the export of whole baled tyres, which came into effect on 1 December 2021, Max saw an opportunity. Fortuitously, Doris Feng, whose family is involved in paper recycling in China, was looking to expand into Australia. For nearly 20 years the family business, UFO Tyres Industrial Pty Ltd, has also manufactured tyres from reclaimed rubber. While he believes the Australia paper recycling space is full, Max says he is confident he and business partner Doris can make a difference in tyre recycling in Australia. Autocycle International’s Altona North plant is designed by Eldan Recycling to recycle end-of-life passenger and truck tyres into a range of rubber products from 30 mesh
rubber powder to 20mm rubber chips suitable for both Australian and international markets. Max says Eldan Recycling’s reputation was a major motivator when choosing a company to build the processing plant. “Not coming from a tyre recycling background, this is all new for me,” Max says. “Eldan and Carsten Nielsen (Technical Specialist and Area Sales Manager) provided a lot of extra support to make sure we understood the plant and what would work best for our situation.” Carsten says there were numerous meetings via Teams and WhatsApp to determine the best solution for Autocycle. An Eldan Recycling project manager supported Max and the team through the entire build, from providing machine specifications to factory floor and foundation plans and duct installation – without being able to set foot on site.
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13 50 / WMR / April 2022
WMR 2021
