Sustainable Plastics - March/April 2023 - 32

inside at... Samsara Eco
continued from page 31
coupling the chemical industry
from fossil fuel resources.
Keeping it affordable
The feedstock for the technology
is consumer waste that is
not suitable for mechanical recycling,
said Burtenshaw-Davies.
However, the company will
not engage in waste collection
and sorting activities. To ensure
a constant supply of waste,
Samsara plans to work with existing
council collection schemes
in which the waste goes to municipal
recycling facilities and
with Australian recyclers.
" These recyclers separate
mixed bales into single streams,
and we can take the streams
that the mechanical recyclers
can't use. By doing this, we create
value for what was previously
waste, " Burtenshaw-Davies said.
Once the new facility starts
up next year, the company will
work with the recycling sector
in Australia to arrive at a collaboration
that works for everyone,
Burtenshaw-Davies noted.
" We'll be looking for recyclers
Our team took general
equipment, reappropriated
from other sectors, and used
it for this process. It's how
we've kept it affordable, plus
by repurposing existing
equipment we've been able to
scale fast. "
Ellen Burtenshaw-Davies
who can sell us the material we
need at the right price, " she said.
She added that the reason
the facility will be able to be built
so quickly is because the 'techno-economics'
make sense. Initially,
when the process was invented,
the decision was made
to use existing equipment. " It
didn't have to necessarily be
equipment specifically for recycling, "
said Burtenshaw-Davies.
" Our team took general equipment,
reappropriated from other
sectors, and used it for this
process. It's how we've kept it
affordable, plus by repurposing
existing equipment we've been
able to scale fast. "
It also means that when parts
break, they are easily replaced,
because the equipment being
used is validated and well established:
" In other words, we're
derisking the model as well, "
said Burtenshaw-Davies.
Looking ahead
Although still young, Samsara's
ambitions already extend beyond
Australia. The company,
which expects to be profitable
from it's first commercial facility,
plans to license the technology,
enabling it to be rolled out
internationally.
The company currently has
two business development
managers who are exploring
potential markets abroad. One
is focusing on North America
and Europe, and the other on
the Asia-Pacific region.
" A lot of the decision-making
in that respect is being guided
by the legislation and mandates
in the different regions, " said
Burtenshaw-Davies. " It's why
we're looking at Europe as the
first international start point.
Europe has much stronger mandates;
in addition, there are also
feedstock options that makes it
more sensible to start there. "
Meanwhile, she added,
they're out there talking about
what they do and what they
can do to make people aware
that the technology can make
a difference. " We can actually
transition to a more sustainable
plastics economy and to a circular
plastics economy, but we
need to create the right conditions
to do so. There's a lot that
still needs to happen. "
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32
March/April 2023
15.03.23 14:41
Sustainable Plastics - March/April 2023

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