THE HISTORY OF REPLAS
From humble beginnings in Ballarat, to over thirty years of being Australian leaders in the recycled plastic manufacturing industry.
In the late 70’s, brothers Brad and Russell Muller started a business venture in Ballarat, Victoria, centred on developing kerbside collection and material recovery facilities, pioneering the kerbside recycling industry. For years, Russell and Brad experimented with a variety of mixed waste plastics, using modified second-hand machinery to suit the waste material.
With the reprocessing of waste plastic from kerbside collections and driven by the shear amount of waste going to landfill, Brad and Russell, along with friends George and Cathy Mingin, founded Australian Recycling Technologies (ART) on the 26th March 1991, and registered Replas Products to distinguish their products from competitors.
The team, with only 3 employees, developed technology and designed moulds and work procedures to take the plastic waste and reprocess it into useful items like inground hydrant and valve boxes and the famous Hume Setting, installed on the Hume and Western Highways.
PRESENT DAY
In 2010, Replas opened a distribution centre, known as The Replas Resource Centre (RRC) in Carrum Downs, Victoria. The establishment of the RRC has enabled the company to ensure consistent quality of service and product. Along with the RRC, the Sales Office is home to the Replas Environmental Centre (REC). The Replas Environmental Centre (REC) is one of the largest plastic recycling centres in the southern hemisphere. A visit to the REC offers an innovative and interactive learning experience and gives visitors an opportunity to discover some of the answers to the problems faced by our planet.
Replas now produces a range of over 200 products and has grown to become Australia’s leading mix plastic product manufacturers. Replas is also at the forefront of technology, now boasting a range of state-of-the-art machinery tended by the latest robotic technology.
At Replas, we see waste as a valuable resource, and are part of making this world more sustainable. What is the environmental cost in not being involved in the circular economy? By re-thinking your selection and procurement to recycled plastic products, you become the true recycler. Everyone touches plastic and we must be more accountable and responsible if we are to drive demand for recycled plastic products
Chris Smith presenting a terrific history and present day evolution of the recycling plastics industry. His talk resulted in many many questions and a great deal of discussion after the meeting had officially closed.
