Manufacturing-focused recycling technology company RESIN8 has unveiled a process that it says can convert hard-to-recycle plastics into construction-grade materials designed to remain recyclable at the end of their life, as Australia’s national soft plastics recycling scheme resumes operations.
The announcement comes as Sustainable Concrete Group (SCG), backed by Young Rich Lister Oscar Ledlin, and Transmutation Pty Ltd acquired a majority stake in RESIN8, marking SCG’s second acquisition in the circular recycling sector this year.
According to RESIN8, its patented technology converts mixed soft and hard plastics, as well as e-waste-derived plastics, into a hybrid mineral-polymer material that can be used as an alternative aggregate in concrete and asphalt manufacturing.
The company said the process changes the behaviour of plastic resins by encapsulating them within a mineral structure, allowing the resulting material to be recycled again after use rather than being sent to landfill.
The company said conventional uses of end-of-life plastics in roads and concrete products can limit future recycling opportunities because the materials are considered contaminated once demolished or excavated.
RESIN8 said its approach aims to avoid that outcome by creating an aggregate that no longer behaves like plastic.
The technology currently has the capacity to process 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually, with potential to scale to 50,000 tonnes as Australia’s soft plastics recycling infrastructure expands.
RESIN8 said its product can accept mixed plastic waste streams across resin types one to seven and can replace between 2 and 20 per cent of aggregate in structural concrete, and up to 50 per cent in non-structural applications.
The company also said the material is lighter than traditional aggregate and can contribute to lower transport emissions while improving thermal and acoustic insulation properties.
SCG Co-Founder Oscar Ledlin said the acquisition aligns with the group’s strategy of developing a circular construction materials ecosystem.
“Currently less than 20 per cent of Australia’s plastic waste is recycled. This figure is simply unsustainable,” Ledlin said.
“The construction industry is one of the largest industries driving the GDP and we have the means and the capacity to meaningfully move the dial to ensure more of our waste is recycled appropriately.”
Ledlin said RESIN8 provides an alternative pathway for plastics and other materials that would otherwise be sent to landfill.
“Currently businesses and recycling outfits are paying to send their hard-to-recycling plastics and glass to landfill. Sustainable Concrete Group and now RESIN8 offer a more sustainable alternative that can recycle and re-use these products in large volumes,” he said.
“RESIN8 is used in concrete and asphalt projects as a direct replacement for extracted quarry materials, closing the loop on hard-to-recycle plastics by turning them into essential construction inputs.”
He added that the technology was designed to prevent pathways to microplastic and leachate production while enabling repeated recycling of the resulting aggregate.
“This acquisition forms a critical pillar in SCG’s strategy to build a fully circular construction materials platform, combining recycled sand, low-carbon additives and now plastic-derived aggregates to accelerate the transition to greener infrastructure,” Ledlin said.
RESIN8 was established in 2023 by the Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP) in partnership with CRDC Circular Solutions. ANZRP collects around 4,500 tonnes of plastic annually from e-waste streams, which RESIN8 uses alongside soft plastics in its manufacturing process.
Under the acquisition, Transmutation Pty Ltd and Sustainable Concrete Group will operate the business as a joint venture known as SCG Transmutation Pty Ltd.
