Friday 9 July 2021
Victorian resource recovery company Repurpose It has taken a significant step towards its ambition to completely eliminate waste through a closed loop economy, by intensifying its focus on organic waste and recovering resources to give them new life.
Having made its mark on Victoria’s sustainability agenda by reducing the construction industry’s reliance on natural resources, Repurpose It has announced its acquisition of organic landscape supplier, Bark King. The acquisition will expand the portfolio of resources they recover, enabling Repurpose It to diversify and enter the direct-to-consumer market, creating an end-to-end resource recovery lifecycle.
Each year Victoria generates 1,500,000 tonnes of organic waste which represents approximately 40% of the key waste streams being sent to Victorian landfills, and according to Repurpose It CEO George Hatzimanolis, the problem will grow unless we invest in resource recovery now.
“In the past year Bark King has recycled more than 50,000 tonnes of organic waste and with our track record of using innovation and best in class technology, Repurpose It plans to supercharge this impact, increasing to 200,000 tonnes in the next twelve to 18 months supporting the government’s ambition to divert 80% of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030,” said Hatzimanolis.
The acquisition will also expand Repurpose It’s geographical footprint, with two new sites in South East Melbourne, including timber and mulch recycling stations and Bark King’s distribution networks.
“Our aim is to lead Victoria’s resource recovery sector by diverting all organic waste from landfill to ultimately eliminate Victoria’s waste problem. The acquisition enables us to create a unique model in which we play a role across all touch points from receiving organic waste right through to distributing the resources we recover to the end consumer. This closed loop model requires us to take responsibility for the waste we receive and resources we recover in a way that is unique to our industry.”
“As we become custodians of this long standing brand, heavily engrained in sustainability and quality landscape materials, we will be able to provide our clients with closed loop solutions and continue to be an example of a local circular economy.”
“We see a future where businesses and consumers decide how they procure waste services and materials with a strong focus on sustainability and the circular economy. We are committed to delivering a shared value approach to the environment, society and our shareholders. The opportunity to not dispose of waste but to repurpose it and give it new life is here now. That’s the future and we’re doing it today,” said Hatzimanolis.
This is a landmark step for the future of Repurpose It and the acceleration of the circular economy in Victoria. We are honoured to welcome the experience of Bark King’s founding family into the Repurpose It business.