Longterm Thinking for Engineering Success – Podcast

Josh Robinson, founder of JR Hammer, is a story that turns everything you thought you knew about recycling upside down.
When China slammed its doors shut to the world's recyclables in 2018, Australia's scrap industry panicked. Hundreds of tons of copper cables suddenly had nowhere to go. Most saw disaster. Josh saw opportunity.


"Working in sustainability, if you're shipping things offshore just to ship them back again, you're defeating the purpose," Josh told me, with the clarity of someone who's found his mission.

His ability to create value from what others threw away fascinated me. While everyone focused on the copper, Josh tackled the forgotten half of every cable – the PVC insulation typically sent to landfill. In an industry where recovery rates hover at a dismal 2-5%, Josh's innovations now achieve over 90%.

The journey wasn't smooth. Italian technicians installing his equipment literally fled Australia with two hours' notice when pandemic borders closed, leaving Josh barely trained on complex machinery he'd have to operate alone for months.

His persistence is changing an industry. JR Hammer has secured federal grants, pioneered Australia's first operational solar PVC recycling plant, and earned recognition that competitors can't match.

Whether you're interested in circular economy innovations, spotting market opportunities others miss, or simply curious about turning environmental problems into commercial solutions, Josh's story offers a masterclass in purpose-driven entrepreneurship that actually works.