Papyrus Australia has created a process that converts waste from banana plantations into biodegradable blast collars, which it now supplies to Australia’s mining industry.
After a series of joint laboratory and on-site trials, Papyrus Australia signed a A$4.2m ($3m) deal in November to supply TBS Mining Solutions, part of Aquirian, with a biodegradable alternative to its Collar Keeper product.
The company has since manufactured several hundred units and provided them to TBS to support expanded field evaluations.
In open-cut mining, blast collars are an essential component of drilling and blasting operations.
They are placed into drill-holes to help maintain hole condition prior to firing and to support more consistent blasting outcomes.
Papyrus has delivered an initial batch of collars that will undergo final in-field acceptance testing by the customer.
The Australian banana industry generates substantial volumes of organic byproducts each year, particularly unused stems, stalks and leaves.
Much of this material is left to break down in plantations, releasing methane into the atmosphere, estimated to be a CO₂-equivalent measured in thousands of tonnes.
This makes the sector well suited to circular economy investment that can turn agricultural waste into higher-value products.
Papyrus Australia, led by South Australian innovator and commercialisation specialist Al Jawhari, has secured a A$250,000 matched-funding grant under the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Programme.
The funding is intended to accelerate early commercialisation of the company’s proprietary banana-fibre processing technology, helping take it from proof-of-concept to scalable production.
It also enables access to the Rapid Prototyping and R&D Facility at the University of Adelaide.
Papyrus Australia CEO Daniel Schmidt said: “The Biodegradable Collar Keeper will be manufactured using our proprietary technology, which is designed for low-impact conversion of the plantation waste material into a valuable fibre resource.
“For the banana industry, Papyrus Australia also represents a viable opportunity to help the industry utilise its plantation waste.”
