ABOUT 36 tonnes of recycling material a day is being diverted to a recycling centre in western Sydney following the Boxing Day fire at the Hume Material Recovery Facility.

Despite investigations, the ACT government says a definitive cause of the fire may not be established. The fire destroyed most of the recycling centre, however the outside baling and storage areas were not affected.

Glass containers returned through the ACT Container Deposit Scheme are being stored onsite, while longer-term arrangements are put in place.

Clean up work continues on the current site and this is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, subject to final structural engineers’ reports.

In the medium-term it is likely the MRF site, once made safe, will be operational in some capacity. At a minimum, the site could be used as a transfer station to other recycling facilities while work continues on the previously announced development of a new MRF for the ACT.