All the way from Perth to find a new home for 3 000 tonnes of plastics

The ISRI2023 Convention & Exhibition in Nashville welcomed a record 6 600 recycling professionals from 55 countries worldwide and among them was a newcomer from Australia.

Ashley Edwards works for CD Dodd, a scrap metal recycler based in Perth involved in the dismantling of a massive oilfield off the coast of western Australia. ‘We take care of the big cables from these installations, recovered from 72 metres deep,’ explains Edwards.

The long, thick cables contain 12 different layers, including steel, copper and several types of plastics. ‘We’re looking for a party that would be interested to buy these plastics – some 3 000 tonnes in total – and that’s why I came all the way to Nashville.’

Edwards only started at CD Dodd a couple of months ago. ‘This is my first job – I’m thrown in at the deep end but it’s very exciting for sure.’

The company is now working on four oil fields but ‘there are 20 to 40 installations more’ waiting to be dismantled in the future, he tells Recycling International. ‘This would mean also more plastics being processed.’