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InfraBuild Recycling: Local operation, global impact

10 November 2019

InfraBuild Recycling’s branch network does its part to promote sustainable re-use of steel, not just during National Recycling Week, but every week. 

National Recycling Week falls once a year every November, but the recycling of steel is a year-round concern for InfraBuild Recycling. 

Formerly known as LIBERTY OneSteel Recycling, InfraBuild Recycling provides a significant contribution to the raw material requirements of the steel industry and helps keep waste out of landfill. It ensures the safe and effective environmental management of metal recycling by handling, collecting, processing and distributing (for sale) ferrous and non-ferrous metals to be recycled. 

InfraBuild Recycling’s sites all around Australia are responsible for processing approximately 1.4 million tonnes of ferrous and non-ferrous metal for recycling every year. As a major metals recycling suppy chain InfraBuild Recycling plays a key role in the circular economy, which promotes the use of resources such as steel for as long as possible and the subsequent recovery and re-use of those resources to extract their full value. It also recognises that dematerialisation (the use of less steel to achieve the same outcome) is a key part of making our built environment more sustainable.

Sources of metal for recycling

InfraBuild Recycling NSW Trading Manager Greg Cook says InfraBuild Recycling’s branch network accepts metals for recycling from a variety of sources.

“We take scrap from residences, metal merchants, automotive dismantlers, demolition and construction companies, farmers and manufacturers who generate scrap metals,” he says.” If you have an old stove, washing machine, lead batteries, copper wire, aluminium or brass, require a permanent bin or need a large site clean-up, just give us a call.” 

He explains that private and business customers can deliver directly to InfraBuild Recycling’s sites. Off-site services are also offered, including the placement of bins for the collection of metal for recycling and site clean-ups for industrial customers.

“For larger parcels we can work at your site using a mobile plant such as excavators, balers and oxy-cutters,” Greg says.

Once at an InfraBuild Recycling site, the metal is processed using a static shear machine or a mobile shear. An oxy-cutter is used for items that are too large to shear.  

Greg explains that the bulk of non-ferrous recycled metal will then go into containers for export, while ferrous recycled metal goes to local mills.

“After processing, recycled metals are sold to both Australian and international markets as well as our company-owned, Australian-based domestic steel mills, including at Rooty Hill in Sydney and Laverton in Victoria,” Greg says.

It’s a global operation that has its roots in local recycling efforts and with sustainability as its driving force. 

To find out more about InfraBuild Recycling, please contact your nearest branch

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