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.

In this episode, BlockTexx co-founder Graham Ross tells us about a passion for marathons and triathlons brought him to sustainability in textiles, why recycling is a great way to go broke if you don’t do it right, what needs to change to improve the way industry and researchers work together, and more.

Episode guide

0:56 – How they got started and what they do: chemical separation allowing them to take polyester and cotton apart. 

3:45 - SOFT and how it works.

6:10 – Recovery rates and not creating another waste stream.

8:44 – Making a viable business within recycling is a challenge. Here’s how they approached it.

11:10 – The two products they can create from mixed fabrics. Plus downstream products like hydro-mulch and building materials.

13:30 – We need more recyclers, and more recyclers working together.

15:30 – Planning to expand via a licensing model and why it makes sense.

17:36 – Innovation is hard, especially so in manufacturing.

 20:45 – Something that benefits society, changing its direction in a positive way.

22:38 – How they approached collaborating with QUT, CSIRO and others, why it mattered, and how you can get business and researchers to cooperate more effectively.

24:20 – Potential and unnecessary arguments over IP when a technology is nowhere near being commercial, and how to avoid them.

26:43 – Innovation should be a business mandate, not a “nice to have”.

Further reading

BlockTexx's website

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed
Brands are leaning on ‘recycled’ clothes to meet sustainability goals. How are they made? And why is recycling them further so hard?
Winning scaleup businesses named at Australian Technologies Competition 2021
Companies awarded $8.4 m in commercialisation grants
Logan to investigate new innovation precinct