Sycle
C&D Waste Processing
M&K Waste Processing Plant
Melbourne, Australia
Introducing
Melbourne’s west is home to a bold new idea: that waste is not an endpoint, but a beginning. Victorian company Sycle, part of the ASX-listed Symal Group, is reshaping the waste industry by treating waste management as a manufacturing process. At its core is a simple but powerful shift in thinking — to extract, remanufacture, and deliver valuable commodities from construction and demolition waste streams, rather than viewing them as material destined for landfill.
This vision is being realised at Sycle’s Sunshine resource recovery facility, where a new plant supplied by FOCUS Enviro is helping the company separate, recover, and remanufacture high-value commodities from mixed skip bin waste.
Project Highlights
Key outcomes and benefits of the project
Sycle is redefining waste management as a manufacturing process, transforming construction and demolition waste into high-value commodities such as mulch, recycled aggregates, gypsum, and alternative fuels.
The Sunshine resource recovery facility, supplied by FOCUS Enviro, separates nearly 100% of skip bin contents back into their original material types and has capacity to process over 100,000 tonnes annually.
Sycle’s long-term vision is to create a Melbourne-based circular precinct, focused on producing world-first low-carbon building products and positioning Ascot Bin Hire as Australia’s most sustainable bin business.
Flipping the script on Waste recycling
Traditionally, the waste sector has been defined by collections and stockpiles. Sycle Executive General Manager, Aristos Karavias, says the time has come to change that.
“We want to be great at recycling and diverting waste from landfills, but more importantly, the next innovation wave is all about the circular economy and remanufacturing. Commodities that stem from waste streams have the same capability as virgin resources,” Aristos says. Launched in March 2023, Sycle has grown to a team of more than 110 and continues to expand rapidly. The company operates two main waste streams: one for skip bin waste, and another for soils, rock, and concrete. At the Sunshine site, FOCUS Enviro’s tailored recovery plant is central to unlocking new value from skip bin waste streams.
Manufacturing value from waste
The Sunshine facility processes construction, demolition, and industrial waste such as paper, cardboard, plastic, timber, concrete, and plaster. Through FOCUS Enviro’s integrated system, almost 100 per cent of skip bin contents are separated back into their original material types.
The process includes:
- Screening out soil and small rocks
- Wind shifters removing light materials like plastic, paper, and cardboard
- Magnets capturing ferrous metals
- A picking station separating treated/untreated timber and plaster
- Crushing rubble, concrete, and rock into usable aggregate
With sufficient waste supply, the facility is capable of processing more than 100,000 tonnes annually.
Sycle has already developed end markets for its recovered materials: clean timber is turned into coloured mulch, gypsum from plasterboard is reused in plaster manufacturing and agriculture, and a new plant at Sunshine will process treated timber, plastics, paper, and cardboard into an alternative fuel that can replace coal in cement kilns, delivering major carbon reduction benefits.
A partnership for progress
Aristos says the decision to partner with FOCUS Enviro was driven by quality and value.
“Any technology that they supply is of an extremely high quality, so you’re producing a very high-quality product. And it’s not attached to a hefty price tag. I can’t say there’s any other supplier who can provide this quality for what we paid,” he says.
FOCUS Enviro Sales and Aftersales specialist Ryan McParland says the Sycle project highlights the growing demand for waste processing systems that go beyond recycling to enable true circularity.
“Working with Ari and the team at Sycle has been our pleasure. Their fresh-thinking approach into recycling and secondary use materials markets is leading the change in Victoria and setting new standards in processing excellence,” Ryan says.
“It’s not enough to build the world’s toughest recycling plant — it needs to come with an exceptional aftercare support system delivered by people and partnerships that live and breathe recycling. That’s what we’re committed to delivering alongside Sycle.”
Looking ahead
Sycle’s long-term ambition is to establish a circular precinct in Melbourne, focused on heavy manufacturing and the creation of world-first, low-carbon building products from construction waste. The company also plans to expand its Ascot Bin Hire operation into Australia’s most sustainable bin business, with the potential to grow interstate.
For Aristos, the mission is clear:
“We want to be seen not as a traditional recycling company, but as a company that applies material science and product manufacturing expertise to transform waste streams into valuable commodities. We’ve set ourselves the challenge of reducing what goes to landfill and getting ahead of the curve.”
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Relevant Products
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C&D Waste Recovery Plant
Customised modular recovery system that offers reliability, durability and flexibility
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