@AuManufacturing Conversations

@AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski is a regular interview program, bringing you discussions with the men and women who are contributing to a critical part of the economy -- one that leads private sector R&D investment, employs well over a million Australians, and is just plain important to have around, as we’ve all been reminded in recent years. We hope to capture something of the variety to manufacturing, its place in the nation, its changing nature, and some of the personalities within it. From the boutique to the billion dollar, if it's manufacturing and it's Australian, then it likely matters to us. This podcast is an extension of the @AuManufacturing news and analysis website and the community around it, and aims to complement what's written online at www.aumanufacturing.com.au.

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@AuManufacturing Conversations

Episode 81 -- Brad Scott from Transmutation

January 27, 2024 • @AuManufacturing • Season 3 • Episode 3

Welcome to this special episode of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, one which we're running as part of our quest to identify Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers.

The 50 Most Innovative is an annual campaign by @AuManufacturing. This time around it has been made possible through the generous support of MYOB, CSIRO, and the NSW government’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility.

Episode guide

0:54 – A manufacturer, recycler and – at heart – an R&D business.

1:52 – How a lifestyle shift moved Scott from Queensland to South Australia and led to a new business.

3:10 – Inspiration from the Precious Plastic open source hardware-building project.

4:17 – Getting back to chemistry.

5:08 – Tinkering with machinery and different types of collected plastics. Finding polystyrene as a niche.

7:04 – Linking up with Country Road, with things snowballing after a small story on the ABC.

8:48 – A serendipitous meeting at “the magic shop” with Graham Rowe from Dulux Powders.

9:46 – The importance of Rowe’s advocacy inside Dulux.

11:10 – The scale of the problem with waste from powder coating and the difficulties associated with it.

14:02 – The PostPrime material and its first application in bar chairs for concrete pouring, plus some thoughts on the importance of identifying market need for a recycled product.

16:35 – Patenting what they believe is a world first and some further considerations in designing the product.

17:52 – Getting investment, linking with partners, and preparing to scale.

19:20 – A little more on structuring themselves to scale up. Starting the Micro Recyclers Association and supplying them with resins.

20:54 – Recomposition and retail. “If you don’t sell it, it’s not a circular economy.”

22:00 – Some thoughts on defining innovation. Being novel and having utility.

23:30 – The importance of stewardship needs more attention. Some comments on how to design for circularity.

Further reading

Transmutation's website
We are trying to identify Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers. Nominate now
REDcycle’s collapse is more proof that plastic recycling is a broken system
Sending a computer-designed “Pac-Man” army into the war on waste
Plastics recyclers need to emphasise value rather than cost
Celebrating Australian Made – recycled plastics are a new frontier for innovation

People on this episode

Brent Balinski

Host