The Tasmanian government is seeking a commercial partner to transform end-of life tyres into road surfacing.

Environment minster Roger Jaensch says the Roads to Resource Recovery, Waste Tyre Reprocessing Grant Program will boost the state’s resource recovery sector and help drive the establishment of a circular economy in the state.

Under the program, the state government will provide a one-off grant of up to $3 million to partner with industry to develop a rubber crumbing plant to produce materials for reuse in road surfacing across Tasmania – using  waste tyres generated and reprocessed in Tasmania.

Other sustainable solutions for end-of-life tyre recovery will also be considered.

Tasmania is well-placed to take advantage of the global shift to circular economies, Mr Jaensch says, and the government has already moved to boost plastics and organics recycling, introduced a container refund scheme and would soon phase out single use plastics.

“We know one of the best ways to improve resource recovery for any material is to develop markets and create the conditions where there is more demand for recycled products,” he said in a statement.

Applicants for the grant must be accredited under the National Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme and will have to fund at least half the total cost of the project.

Expressions of Interest will be accepted from 15 December and close on January 30 2023.

More information is available here.

A link for online applications will be available  on the Department of Natural Resources website shortly.