Closing the loop on complex consumer products

Australians are some of the world's highest consumers of technology and e-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the country. E-waste is growing three times faster than general waste with around 554,000 tonnes of electronic and electrical waste generated in Australia every year.

Through their product take-back, resource recovery and reuse initiatives, Close the Loop has diverted millions of products from landfill and converted them into valuable new materials. The company was also among the first to promote the idea of product stewardship in Australia.

One of the earliest product stewardship schemes in the country, Cartridges 4 Planet Ark, was established in 2003 in collaboration with Planet Ark. The program offers Australians a free, easy and environmentally accredited way to dispose of their printer cartridges. The program comes with a zero waste to landfill certification that, so far, has seen 46 million cartridges be turned into new products.

Using printer cartridges and soft plastics, Close the Loop has developed TonerPlas, a 100 per cent recycled asphalt additive, pens made from recycled printer cartridge ink and eWood, a timber alternative made from recycled rigid plastics.

Today, manufacturers of all types turn to Close the Loop to minimise waste and work towards a circular economy. Close the Loop uses circular economy principles to help companies make the most of their valuable resources, transforming items that would normally end up in landfill into useful commodities that can be returned to the supply chain.

Beyond the materials Close the Loop has kept out of landfill, its commitment to zero waste has led to innovations which are adding value to previously worthless material.

Close the Loop’s achievement and dedication to circular business models was globally recognised when the company was the only Australian finalist in the coveted ‘Circular Awards’ presented by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2019.