More than 10,000 TONNES of recycling will be dumped in landfill after waste company collapses 

Thousands of tonnes of recyclables left rotting inside a large shed in Adelaide for more than two years will be dumped in landfill.

Recycling company SKM Group left more than 10,000 tonnes of co-mingled material inside nearly 400 shipping containers at its Wingfield and Lonsdale depots when it collapsed last year.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has granted an exemption to waste industry giant Cleanaway to take the recycling to its landfill at Inkerman, north of the city.

Environment Minister David Speirs says it is unfortunate the material has become too deteriorated to be processed or remanufactured.

‘All avenues to recycle the materials were explored but unfortunately there were no other viable options in the immediate future,’ he said on Friday.

‘An independent waste expert examined the material and determined with current South Australian technology, the material is not suitable for recovery at this time due to degradation.

‘Leaving the materials stored at the Wingfield and Lonsdale sites is also unacceptable as they will continue to deteriorate.’

The recycling industry was plunged into crisis in July when SKM Group went into receivership with debts of more than $100 million.

The company employed about 170 permanent staff and processed recycling from councils in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Cleanaway acquired SKM’s assets in October, and Adelaide councils contracted with the group have now signed up with other waste management companies