WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW MARCH 2022

Waste Management Review

MARCH 2022

2022 | MARCH | ISSUE 60

Supporting a FOGO focus SUEZ’s Eastern Creek Site Supervisor Teri Te Whiu on the positive impact stirred by the introduction of Focus Enviro machinery.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au

FEATURES Developing a sustainable energy future Unlocking new methods of resource recycling A new textile solution for residents Creating the best Container Deposit Scheme

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COVER STORY SUPPORTING A FOGO FOCUS

Veolia Eastern Creek Site Supervisor Teri Te Whiu talks about the positive impact the introduction of Focus Enviro machinery has had.

FUTURE-FOCUSED Babcock & Wilcox is unlocking new ways to recycle resources.

“MY SITE NOW CONSIDERS FOCUS ENVIRO A PART OF OUR TEAM. THEY HAVE COME OUT AND CREATED GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR OPERATORS, AS WELL AS MYSELF.” - Teri Te Whiu, Site Supervisor at Eastern Creek.

In this issue Features

13 FEATURE NEWS

An industry-led national recycling initiative is giving unwanted shoes a new lease on life.

22 INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Waste Recycling Industry Association Northern Territory CEO Rick Ralph shares his views on the region’s waste management industry.

24 UP FRONT

WMR looks at the role Waste-toEnergy could play in the future.

29

LEADING THE CHALLENGE

Hitachi Zosen Inova is setting the standard in developing waste plants and sustainable energy for the future.

32 SWITCHED ON

ResourceCo is planning a multiproject expansion to harness the energy of construction and demolition waste across Australia.

35

FUTURE-FOCUSED

38

FROM GOOD TO GREAT

Babcock & Wilcox is unlocking new ways to recycle resources.

Two Australian Container Deposit Schemes are positioned to be the best in the country.

CHANGE, A BIG 41 SMALL 54 CRUSHING IT DIFFERENCE A look at how the NSW Return and Earn scheme is setting the benchmark for Container Deposit Schemes.

Astec Australia is about to bring the next generation track-mounted cone plant, the FT200DF, to the Australian market.

PARTNERS FOR 44 CHANGE

56 EXCEEDING REQUIREMENTS

46 IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT

58 FLEXIBILITY REALISED

Queensland’s Containers for Change scheme is bolstering its social responsibility to help the environment and local charities.

An EcoBatt battery collector takes WMR along for the ride as he picks up batteries from supermarkets and clients across Victoria.

48 A NEW GENERATION

Fraser Coast Regional Council is achieving its goal to quadruple available space at its Saltwater Creek landfill, thanks to a new Bomag compactor.

50 CULTIVATING CHANGE

Bio Gro recovery is helping to lead the way for managing waste and conserving resources.

RISK 52 INTELLIGENT MITIGATION

PRM Engineering Services’ Sentinel VISION AI is providing an artificial intelligence solution to incident prevention.

The MH3022 Material Handler has been configured to meet the demands of the Australian waste industry.

Mick Benton of Forest Enterprises Development & Consulting explains how the Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder has boosted his operation.

WASTE BACK 61 PUTTING TO WORK Terex Recycling Systems is providing a solution for organisations to cope with increasing demands of waste.

62 COUNCIL IN FOCUS The City of Darebin looks at the future of textile recycling in the community.

Regulars

64 PRODUCT SHOWCASE 65 LAST WORD www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 3

PUBLISHER

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Sarah Baker sarah.baker@Baker.com.au

MANAGING EDITOR

Mike Wheeler mike.wheeler@primecreative.com.au

From the Editor

A waste opportunity Look up the meaning of waste and you’ll find it is “everything that no longer has a use or purpose”.

By that definition alone, Australia shouldn’t have a waste problem – there is very little that we throw away that no longer has a purpose.

Whether it’s turning unwanted sports shoes into gym mats, recycled concrete into aggregate materials or organic waste into biofuel – there is a tonne of opportunity. Advances in technology, research and forward thinkers continue to change the landscape and find new ways to recover valuable resources.

Perhaps then, it’s time to change our vocabulary to reflect our path toward a circular economy.

Suzanne Toumbourou, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Council of Recycling best sums it up when she says, “governments, industry and the community need to stop thinking ‘waste’ and start seeing ‘resource potential’.”

Outlining the organisation’s 2022 strategy (page 65), Suzanne says the word ‘waste’ has not served the resource recovery or recycling industry well.

“It implies that resources once used, hold no further value.”

There’s plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise, none more so than in waste-to-energy. In this edition of WMR, Henry Anning, ResourceCo’s Chief Executive Officer Energy Systems, shares the company’s plans to build a $50 million waste-to-energy facility in Queensland to process commercial and industrial and mixed construction and demolition waste into Process Engineered Fuel (PEF) (page 32).

Global cleantech company Hitachi Zosen Inova is building plants for the future, developing equipment that can recover salts from flue gas treatment residues (page 29), while clean energy provider Babcock & Wilcox is moving the goal posts and pairing decarbonisation solutions and hydrogen facilities with waste-to-energy (page 35).

We might be one of only a handful of developed countries still to dip our toes into the waters of WtE but we’re certainly poised to make a splash.

Lisa Korycki

6 / WMR / March 2022

EDITOR

Lisa Korycki lisa.korycki@primecreative.com.au

JOURNALIST

Tom O’Keane tom.okeane@primecreative.com.au

DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

ART DIRECTOR

Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au

DESIGN

Kerry Pert, Aisling McComiskey

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Chelsea Daniel-Young chelsea.daniel@primecreative.com.au p: +61 425 699 878

CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

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The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in Waste Management Review are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS. TODAY

News

Thirteen new waste projects announced for Victoria The Federal and Victorian governments have jointly announced 13 new projects that will convert 136,000 tonnes of plastics, paper, glass and tyres into new products while creating jobs and investment in the Victorian economy.

Federal Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley and Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio, announced $36.5 million in joint funding for projects under the Australian Government’s Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) and the Victorian Government’s Recycling Victoria Infrastructure Fund.

Ley said the round of projects would help support the state’s

recycling efforts, as well as the transition to a circular economy.

“This latest round of projects includes a joint PET recycling venture that will process the raw plastic equivalent of one billion drink bottles each year to produce over 22,000 tonnes of recycled PET bottles and food packaging,” Ley said. “It also includes remanufacturing projects, and new products that will re-make waste into garden pots, railway sleepers and corrugated pipe.”

The new processing and remanufacturing technology is expected to create jobs, divert more recyclable material from landfill and tackle climate change. The 13 projects are also expected to

generate more than $86 million in industry investment.

The $190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund investment, and measures to support Australia’s National Waste Policy Action Plan, will create about 10,000 new jobs within Australia during the next 10 years.

The Recycling Victoria Infrastructure Fund is part of the Victorian Government’s $515 million investment to deliver the transformation of the state’s waste and recycling industry. This includes $380 million to deliver Recycling Victoria: a new economy, the state’s 10-year plan to reduce waste, create jobs in new industries and drive more value from resources.

Construction complete on $10m Tasmanian landfill cell project The City of Launceston in Tasmania has completed the construction of a new landfill cell at the Launceston Waste Centre, the latest in a series of cells that will serve the region’s waste needs for the next three decades.

Construction started on the new cell in February 2021. It is the largest ever cell constructed by the City of Launceston and covers an area of 32,000 square metres.

Improvements have also been made to additional infrastructure

8 / WMR / March 2022

including access roads and leachate transfer systems, bringing the council’s total investment in the project to more than $10 million.

The new landfill cell has been integrated into the Launceston Waste Centre’s existing methane gas capture system, which generates electricity from buried waste and mitigates an estimated 50 per cent of the site’s annual carbon emissions.

Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the design and construction of landfill cells were among the most technically complex engineering projects overseen by the council.

Construction of the new landfill cell was carried out as part of the City of Launceston’s Accelerated Capital Works Program, an initiative of the Community Care and Recovery Package, Tasmania’s largest local government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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News

First reverse vending machine for ACT container scheme Canberra’s first reverse vending machine is operating at Erindale Shopping Centre in Wanniassa, as part of the ACT’s Container Deposit Scheme.

Chris Steel, Minister for Transport and City Services, said Canberrans are doing a great job recycling their containers, with more than 298 million returned since the scheme began in 2018.

“There are still many containers that are not being recycled through the scheme and we are looking at ways to make it more convenient

and accessible to the public to get their deposit back,” Steel said.

“A new reverse vending machine will be tested at Erindale to see if it provides a convenient alternative, in addition to the existing Return-it collection shopfronts and drop-off points around Canberra.”

The machines allow people to insert intact and non-crushed containers, which are automatically counted and sorted with an immediate refund paid directly into their account.

The trial return point is open seven days a week, with on-site customer assistance from 9am to 5.30pm for the first three months.

The machine is capable of holding up to 8000 intact and non-crushed containers at once and requires only 10 minutes to be emptied.

The trial of reverse vending machines increases the number of container return locations across Canberra to 20.

The trial will run for six-months from January, informing future use of the technology in the ACT.

WRIQ appoints new CEO Dr Georgina Davis is the new Chief Executive Officer of the Waste Recycling Industry Association Queensland (WRIQ).

Her appointment follows the resignation of Mark Smith after two years in the top job.

Richard Taylor, WRIQ president, said Smith presided over perhaps two of the most difficult years the association has faced, with the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting day-to-day lives in ways unimaginable before 2020.

“Despite these obstacles, Mark can be very proud of his achievements during this time,” Taylor said.

He said Dr Georgina Davis is well known in the recycling industry and to the association’s membership, having been involved with the association for many years.

10 / WMR / March 2022

She is the founder of the Waste to Opportunity Enterprise, and is finishing a period as CEO of the Queensland Farmers Federation, a position with many similarities to the WRIQ CEO role and with many of the same stakeholders, including government departments and elected members.

Davis is highly qualified in the fields of environmental engineering and education and has more than 25 years’ experience in the waste management and resource recovery sector.

She is a Chartered Waste Manager and Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and holds several board positions and various roles on government bodies and statutory authorities. She took the reins of WRIQ in January.

New WRIQ CEO Dr Georgina Davis.

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FEATURE NEWS

Sole traders TreadLightly aims to recycle more than one million pairs of sporting and athletic shoes by June 2023.

AUSTRALIAN SPORTING GOODS ASSOCIATION IS WALKING THE WALK WHEN IT COMES TO RECYCLING AND SUSTAINABILITY. SHAUN BAJADA, ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EXPLAINS.

N

ew research shows Australians are stockpiling more than 100 million unused shoes – posing major landfill and environmental concerns.

TreadLightly, a new industry-led national recycling initiative powered by the Australian Sporting Goods Association (ASGA) and recycler Save Our Soles (SOS), is giving unwanted sports and active lifestyle shoes a new lease on life as mats and flooring for retail stores, gyms and playgrounds.

“TreadLightly exists to solve a very real industry issue,” says Shaun Bajada, ASGA Executive Director. “We’re committed to working closely with retailers, manufacturers and consumers

to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint and to stop millions of shoes ending up as landfill every year.

“Over 110 million shoes make their way to Australian shores each year, of which 25 million are sporting and athletic lifestyle footwear. The wider industry, as well as consumers, want to do more to reduce their environmental impact and TreadLightly makes it easy for everyone to do their bit for the planet.”

TreadLightly involves pre-loved sports shoes being dropped off at a designated collection unit at participating retailers. Footwear is collected and sent to a recycling plant in Australia for sorting, break-down and

processing. Reusable components are extracted, including rubber, leather and fibres, and reclaimed materials are used to manufacture new products.

The program, backed by Federal Government, aims to recycle more than one million pairs of sporting and athletic shoes by June 2023 to save more than 400 tonnes of footwear going to landfill.

It might sound ambitious, but Shaun says the program is already walking tall – just three months in – and 40 tonnes of pre-loved shoes were collected nationally.

Shaun says 100,000 pairs of shoes were recycled through a pilot program during the COVID-19 pandemic

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FEATURE NEWS

Unwanted sports and active lifestyle shoes are being given a new lease on life as flooring for retail stores, gyms and playgrounds.

and the first of many lockdowns in Victoria in 2020.

“It showed there was an appetite still to recycle shoes,” he says. “This is the start of a program that’s going to make a difference and only get bigger. This is really what an industry association is all about, bringing in multiple brands and competitors for a common good.”

Shoe components can take more than 1000 years to break down. In September 2021, research by market research agency 10 THOUSAND FEET, commissioned by TreadLightly, found that the average Australian admits to owning about five pairs of shoes they don’t wear – the equivalent of 100 million shoes that could go to landfill.

Nearly a quarter of respondents (24 per cent) keep their old shoes, with many people admitting it’s for a rainy day or for sentimental reasons, while half of respondents (51 per cent) confess to simply throwing their unwanted shoes in the rubbish.

“This research highlights just how many shoes are collecting dust at home, and how many shoes end up in the rubbish because we don’t know what else to do with them,” says Shaun.

He is encouraging everyone to “look around your home for any unwanted sports of active lifestyle shoes, from sneakers and trainers to golf shoes”, and take them into participating TreadLightly retailers.

So far more than 400 locations across Australia are involved in the program. Collection partners include adidas, Asics, Converse, Globe, Rebel, SportsPower and The Athlete’s Foot.

“At the heart of the program, we want to make it easy for collection sites to manage and be a part of,” Shaun says. “We also want to make this truly circular in nature and highlight how easy it is.

“We’ve been able to achieve this through collaboration. It’s great for partners because they can tell their own story about sustainability, but they’re also part of a bigger story.

“The end goal is to create a program that’s self-sustaining by the brands, that is free and easy for consumers and it becomes as easy as recycling paper and glass and plastic. We want this to be around forever.”

Rita Kimmerle, Group Sustainability Manager for Accent Group says

TreadLightly aligns with the company’s own objectives for sustainability and recycling.

She advocated for a group-wide commitment to TreadLightly when she joined the company last year.

“We conducted a team engagement survey in June (2021) which provided the opportunity for team members to give feedback across a range of areas, including sustainability,” Rita says.

“It’s very clear our team members are very much supportive and engaged in sustainability initiatives.

“Our association with TreadLightly has really put a ‘fire in the belly’ to move forward with our sustainability initiatives.”

Rita says while collection points for recycled goods are not new for customers – think soft plastics recycling at Coles or Woolworths and the opportunity to recycle sheets and towels at Sheridan – she expected a “slower burn” for the collection point program.

However, this was not the case. The program has been successful.

Accent Group has now extended the program beyond retail stores and into its warehouses.

Faulty shoes, or shoes not able to be sold, are donated to charity organisations for distribution. However, any shoes not fit to be donated are sent to TreadLightly for recycling.

A new initiative, being trialled in The Athlete’s Foot outlet stores, also offers some “less than perfect” shoes at a discount price.

“We’re trialling a number of initiatives,” Rita says. “Repurposing is also a key for us.

“Our sustainability program has made a significant impact on our team and customers and shows that, for us, recycling and repurposing is more than just putting a few recycling bins outside.

It’s something we can really foster in the community.”

14 / WMR / March 2022

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FEATURE NEWS

Springing to action to make a change A NEW PARTNERSHIP IS HELPING PUT AN AGE-OLD WASTE MANAGEMENT ISSUE TO BED.

D

ouglas Shire Council is teaming up with disability service provider Endeavour Foundation to reduce the number of mattresses going to landfill, while creating jobs for people with disability.

More than 1040 mattresses were sent to landfill in the region last year. The joint initiative aims to recycle about 70 per cent of those, and in the process save more than 693 cubic metres of waste from going to landfill annually.

Michael Kerr, Douglas Shire Mayor, says anyone who has ever moved house or replaced their mattress knows they are bulky items, but once dismantled, they are easily recyclable and lead to a significant reduction in waste.

“Once the springs, wood and other recyclable parts are pulled out, 100 mattresses can be reduced from 130 cubed metres of waste to just one cubed metre in waste,” he says. “Council is proud to join Endeavour Foundation and contribute to a really fantastic social outcome that also benefits our local environment.”

Providing work opportunities is one of three key platforms that Endeavour Foundation aims to fulfil in supporting people with disability.

The foundation has up to 2000 people employed in “business solutions” – anything from assembling wheelbarrows, to making beef jerky and waste minimisation projects.

Paul Gunn, Endeavour Foundation National B2B Account Manager, says

16 / WMR / March 2022

the mattress recycling initiative is a win for the environment and for employees with disability.

“Everybody now is more aware of minimising what goes into landfill both from a council point of view and the public questioning what their footprint is,” he says.

“For us, there’s the environmental impact but more importantly, its meaningful employment impact. We’re actively chasing these opportunities because it’s the right thing to do environmentally, and it provides another level of opportunity for people with disability to live their best lives.”

Paul Lydiard, a supported employee at Endeavour Foundation’s Mareeba Disability Enterprise says he enjoys dismantling mattresses, knowing it helps reduce landfill.

“It is fun and good to do the mattress recycling. It’s a different job to do,” Paul says. “I feel happy that I am helping the council to make space at the dump – it’s important.”

John Galligan dismantles and sorts e-waste in Townsville. He says that after working for 30 years he’s “getting [to be] an old boy now”.

“You take the screws out first and put them in the bucket. Cut the wires and take out the circuit boards. A magnet tells you if it is metal or not.”

John says the best part of the job is going to work.

In the 2020-21 financial year the Endeavour Foundation processed more

John Galligan has been dismantling e-waste for 30 years.

than 13,000 tonnes of waste including 2688 tonnes of cardboard, 1464 tonnes of paper, 900 tonnes of e-Waste, 395 tonnes of plastics, 1715 tonnes of glass and 1400 tonnes of household goods.

Through partnerships it has successfully established e-waste processing sites at Townsville, Redcliffe and Southport, providing employment to more than 80 locals with disability.

It is also one of the largest document destruction services in Queensland.

Paul Gunn says Endeavour Foundation employees work directly with councils across 27 waste transfer stations, managing about a dozen tip shops. The foundation is in discussions to extend its mattress dismantling program and other opportunities.

The foundation is being approached for customer-specific waste solutions, including recycling oil testing kits for a heavy machinery manufacturer.

“The long-term goal is to continue to expand our waste minimisation strategy and explore any avenue,” he says. “We like to think we can find a solution to any commercial customer’s need.”

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COVER STORY

Supporting a FOGO focus FOCUS ENVIRO IS SUPPORTING THE MACHINERY REQUIREMENTS OF SUEZ’S GREEN WASTE PROCESSING SITE AT EASTERN CREEK, IN NEW SOUTH WALES. SITE SUPERVISOR TERI TE WHIU EXPLAINS THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT THE MACHINES HAVE HAD.

T

he incorrect disposal and storage of green waste is a widespread issue in the waste sector, requiring alternative forms of processing and treatment.

SUEZ’s Eastern Creek site, in New South Wales, uses modern technology, machinery and skilled operators to provide sustainable outcomes for the local supply of green waste.

Teri Te Whiu, Site Supervisor, says the operation is helping to establish a circular economy, a market that is still in its infancy but is a priority area for SUEZ.

The Eastern Creek site looked to Focus Enviro when selecting new machinery.

18 / WMR / March 2022

“We receive green waste material, which we then recycle into top dresses and garden mixes and then distribute back to the community,” she says.

“These products are mainly coming from community parks, councils and transfer stations, as well as landscapers.”

Eastern Creek green waste service not only diverts materials away from landfill but also reduces the volume of methane gas released into the atmosphere – a double win for the environment.

Once received, green waste is sorted on site at the site’s picking station. It is here that contaminants such as paper and plastic are removed, to enable

efficient processing. Kerbside collections are also received at the site.

Teri explains it is at local council kerbside collections that green waste can become contaminated. She says this contamination, in many cases, can be attributed to a lack of knowledge surrounding the correct disposal of green waste.

“I think currently there isn’t enough education out there in the community regarding green waste.

This is an aspect which has heavily contributed to green waste still ending up in landfill,” Teri says. “Education is proving to be effective for streams

The Eastern Creek site has added the FTS65 Mulch Master and the TRT622 Tracked Trommel to its existing machinery.

such as cardboard, plastic and FOGO, but there is still more that I believe can be done to educate the community on the importance of responsibly processing green waste.

“If there was a greater understanding it would change the whole process. We spend a huge amount of time sorting through rubbish at our picking station.”

THE COVID-19 IMPACT Teri says that facilities such as the picking station were placed under greater pressure in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She believes that increased participation in mowing lawns, gardening and tree maintenance during COVID-19 lockdowns led to a significant rise in green waste volumes received at the facility.

“The demand placed on our facility hit us hard and fast,” she says. “The tonnage of material which was

coming in increased substantially. We also had to take in products from nearby transfer stations so they could sustain their operation.”

The influx of green waste materials also placed greater pressure on the storage capacity of the Eastern Creek site. New South Wales Environment Protection Authority regulations meant that stockpiling was limited at the site.

Teri says the culmination of these factors meant efficiency was paramount.

“One of the biggest challenges for our operation is limitations on stockpile heights. Currently we are only able to stack materials up to four metres,” Teri says. “Once we did start receiving larger amounts, the four-metre restriction put pressure on the facility.

“With this large amount coming in there was also the risk of fires due to stockpiling. Processing efficiency was definitely an important aspect.”

NECESSARY UPGRADES Teri says it was the culmination of these factors that led management to look at acquiring new machinery.

An infrastructure update was also required to support the skilled workforce needed to process material quicker, reducing downtime at the site.

“Mid 2020 was when we first started looking for machines,” Teri says. “We had just completed a round of organics processing, which allowed us to have more room on site to begin processing larger sales and composting orders.

“After the first surge of COVID-19 we realised that it would be better to have a proactive approach. So, I was looking for a machine which would alter our actual footprint on site, to satisfy our needs,” she says.

It was during this period that Teri came across Focus Enviro’s FTS65 Mulch Master. The FTS65 Mulch Master has a bespoke hopper, complete

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COVER STORY

with a forward and reverse auger, which it combines with a high-speed discharge conveyor thus ensuring an even spread of material. It also removes the need for separate feeders and stockpile units.

Teri says the introduction of an FTS65 Mulch Master at Eastern Creek has added greater flexibility to the site’s operation.

“The FTS65 Mulch Master is the new machine in our organic operation,” she says. “With an average throughput of 500m³/hr the FTS65 Mulch Master has allowed us to increase our ability to turn material, in comparison to what was achievable with the plant we previously operated. Its design provides optimum aeration of feed stock resulting in a dryer final product.”

“For me, it gives me the ability to manage run-off and leachate better.

It really contributed to our ability to adhere to EPA regulations on site,” Teri says. “The throughput on the machine is also very fast.”

Teri says a windrow turner machine, which was elevated and on tracks, was previously used at the site. The windrow turner required a concrete hardstand and windrows needed to be a certain width, height, and size.

In contrast, the FTS65 Mulch Master is designed for quick and easy transportation, while its unique hopper design ensures all feed stock passes through the turner – a process not possible with traditional windrow turners.

“The Mulch Master enables us to have greater mobility in our operation, so we are able to drive that machine into the windrow, rather than taking time to displace the machine,” Teri says.

“It greatly reduces downtime”.

The FTS65 Mulch Master’s mobility has provided greater flexibility at the Eastern Creek site.

20 / WMR / March 2022

AN EYE-CATCHING FEATURE Teri says that purchasing a second machine from Focus Enviro was not planned. But when she and her team

went to learn more about the FTS65 Mulch Master, another product caught her eye.

“Initially when I went to Focus Enviro, I was going to have a look at the FTS65 Mulch Master, but we also came home with a TRT622 Tracked Trommel,” she says.

“When we got there, we were shown the 180 degree radial stacker on the TRT622 Tracked Trommel. At that point we decided to go with that product as well. I was immediately sold on that feature alone.”

The TRT622 offers a number of features including a unique load-sensing hydraulic-drive system, eco-power saving functionality that automatically reduces engine speed when material is not detected, and a user-friendly control panel to suit varying applications.

The TRT622 Tracked Trommel can process a wide range of waste streams, including C&D, industrial and skip management.

Its seven metre-long drum allows operators to use higher capacity when compared to general trommels.

The longer trommel barrel also allows material to spend more time screening, resulting in less oversize material being mixed with fine material.

In turn, this means less material is required to be reprocessed, removing the need for double handling.

The screening angle of the TRT622 Tracked Trommel is adjustable, again providing added flexibility for operators.

Teri says the size and remote capability of the machine have also been standout features.

“The Tracked Trommel itself is actually larger than the other trommels we have on site,” she says.

“The remote stacker was another selling point for me. We have stackers on wheels at the site, which we move

Teri Te Whiu, Site Supervisor at Eastern Creek.

with loaders. Once I saw that this product can be accessed remotely, while our workers are inside their loaders filling the screen itself, for me that was a game changer.”

Teri adds that ease of operation is an essential pre-requisite, which both machines comfortably satisfy.

“The machines on our site need to be user friendly. Our operators need to be able to look at a machine and understand its basic functions.

These machines are very straight forward,” she says.

“We have a large number of machines at this site, and the EDGE products supplied by Focus Enviro have performed as good, if not better, than anything else we have in use out there.”

FULL-FOCUSED SUPPORT Teri says that Focus Enviro “is never too busy to help” when it comes to modification and maintenance requirements of the machines, although she says both machines have required minimal servicing.

“The machines do come from overseas and the Australian standards are slightly different so we have had to make safety modifications, such as hand railing at the top of the FTS65 Mulch Master,” she says.

“We purchased the Trommel in May last year and the machine has already accumulated 1300 hours of use. The Mulch Master has been in operation for approximately 700 hours. There has been very minimal downtime during this period.

“For any required upgrades we have requested, Focus Enviro has supplied the parts and supported us.

“My site now considers Focus Enviro a part of our team. They have come out and created great relationships with our operators, as well as myself.”

John McGuinness, State Manager for Focus Enviro, says it is an honour to be able to work with Teri in developing new strategies and processes to increase production and profitability at their facility.

“We were invited to demonstrate the merits of our equipment and impart the experience we have gained both in Australia and Europe in the processing of organics for recycling.

“The results ultimately ensured a fresh approach to machinery selection and the start of a great working relationship,” he says.

For more information, visit: www.focusenviro.com.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 21

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Everyone must take ownership

Rick Ralph says typical landfills require management for up to 30 years after a closure.

WASTE RECYCLING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION NORTHERN TERRITORY CEO RICK RALPH SHARES HIS VIEWS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF THE REGION’S WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES INDUSTRY.

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he Northern Territory’s (NT) Waste Management and Secondary Resources Industry provides waste collection processing, recycling and disposal infrastructure and services to the community.

It recovers valuable secondary resources generated during extraction and manufacturing processes of those wastes discarded by society, recovering where practical for recycling secondary products. It provides more than 744 local jobs, directly

22 / WMR / March 2022

contributing more than $54 million in industry value add towards the Territory’s economy. There are more than 30 businesses operating, collecting more than 560,000 tonnes of waste and recyclables with a current diversion rate of about 35 per cent. Indirectly it provides an additional 625 jobs, contributing an additional $43 million per annum to the NT economy.

Recent headlines with respect to government’s investigations of a waste levy have certainly sparked community

debate. These conversations are long overdue and must not be ring-fenced to a single subject.

Central to that conversation must be an acceptance by everyone that responsibility for waste and its future management reforms is not left singularly to governments or the waste management industry. We all share responsibility.

As debate occurs, a default position commonly taken is to argue ‘why we can’t do something’ rather than

acknowledge that change is inevitable.

We all must take ownership and consider the world we all now enjoy and live in. We owe it to our families and our future generations to ask ourselves, ‘what will our legacy be in terms of the environment and its resource footprint we pass on?’

A common thread in all debate is that the cost of waste disposal is already too high, that the cost of waste management is too expensive and the distances too great to make resource recovery viable.

However, this is in comparison to what? In an era where protection of human health and environmental values, coupled with resource security and maximising resource efficiency, are the main objectives, we need to openly discuss the true cost of providing waste management services and the recovery of secondary materials.

We often have little regard for where the waste we generate is being disposed, who collects it and what legal framework underpins the whole waste system.

Arguments for improving resource recovery must be balanced with a mature conversation about creating systemic change for enhanced resource recovery and recycling services.

This includes adopting a General Environment Duty principle that reminds us all to ensure that the waste we all generate and dispose of does not end up contributing to environmental harm.

A typical landfill requires management after it is closed for up to 30 years. This ensures the wastes contained do not pollute the receiving environment. Only after a genuine understanding by the community, and acceptance of the real costs of managing waste long-term, can we have meaningful conversation about moving waste materials up the ‘Waste Hierarchy’ from disposal to resource recovery.

Waste Recycling Industry Association Northern Territory CEO Rick Ralph.

“We all must take ownership and consider the world we all now enjoy and live in. We owe it to our families and our future generations to ask ourselves ‘what will our legacy be in terms of the environment and its resource footprint we pass on’?”

Rick Ralph, Waste Recycling Industry Association Northern Territory CEO

The linear model for consumption assumes that the ‘waste sector’ ultimately picks up the responsibility for dealing with and treatment of the waste at end-of-life disposal.

Industry advocates that the principles underpinning a ‘circular economy’ that the substitution of secondary materials in manufacturing processes must replace this outdated linear model.

The Northern Territory, due to its remoteness and sparse demographics, should be moving to conserve and secure all material flows as part of the future capital required to keep local industry operating in a sustainable manner.

This is a ‘circular materials economy model’. By keeping valuable

secondary materials circulating in the economy, additional jobs are created and sustained and greater business opportunities, including social enterprise, can be realised. It creates enduring business investment.

For this to be a sustainable longterm model, the starting point must be having the right legislative and regulatory frameworks in place on which foundations can be built.

These must also be jointly coupled with internalised markets established to use the recycled products these new industries are meant to deliver from the government’s reforms, and an acceptance by everyone that we all have a part to play in delivering and sustaining a ‘circular economy’.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 23

UP FRONT

Waste-to-energy can play a role alongside other recycling technologies in providing an end-of-life waste alternative to landfilling.

Potential energy THERE’S A GENERAL ACCEPTANCE THAT WASTE-TO-ENERGY HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE. WHAT THAT ROLE WILL BE REMAINS DIVISIVE. WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW LOOKS AT THE STATE OF PLAY.

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ustralia has set an ambitious target of recovering 80 per cent of waste by 2030.

Export bans on waste streams, investment in infrastructure to create an end market for recycled products and increasing rates of recycling, are helping the nation move closer to creating a sustainable, circular economy.

But, there will always be some waste that cannot be recovered.

24 / WMR / March 2022

Almost every developed country in the world has Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants to recover the energy stored within residual waste.

Australia is decades behind and while there has been an acknowledgement that WtE has a role in the nation’s future, not everyone is on the same path.

In 2021, Victoria and New South Wales released plans for future use of WtE in their respective states.

While governments try to “get the balance right”, industry leaders claim the regulation is stifling developments. While some local communities are embracing WtE, others are battling to keep facilities out of their backyards.

Dr Daniel Roberts, Research Director, Energy Technologies for CSIRO’s Energy Business Unit, says WtE is a “contentious issue” within Australia.

“A lot of the misunderstanding goes back to the 1970s when Japan had a landfill challenge and responded by burning waste in dedicated facilities,” Daniel says. “Technology at the time was immature and there were large-scale plumes of dioxins and other pollutants.

“Since then, we’ve come a long way in terms of technology, design and process and how to control the process. We’re controlling the combustion process well, and scrubbing any pollutants that are formed out of the flue gas so it is not emitted.”

Daniel says there are many best practice WtE plants across Europe that are currently operating well within strict emission guidelines.

The plants produce heat and power that offset fossil fuel use and, he says, evidence points to an increase in the rate of recycling in areas where modern WtE plants are built.

“Many people in those countries see it as a significant benefit, especially in Scandinavia where WtE provides heat to the community during winter,” said Dylan. “In Germany and Scandinavia, and elsewhere across Europe, they’ve had this technology employed for decades and are now requiring operators to find emerging technology to meet requirements in a circular economy context. In Australia, the mindset is based on the ’70s-style technology.

There’s now a lot of experience around the world to get this right.

There is so much evidence that those things that people quote as problems are not really problems if the plant is well designed and well-run.”

The New South Wales Government’s Energy From Waste Infrastructure Plan released in 2021 makes clear where new thermal waste to energy facilities can and cannot proceed, identifying the West

Lithgow Precinct, Parkes Special Activation Precinct, Richmond Valley Regional Jobs Precinct and Southern Goulburn-Mulwaree Precinct as priority locations to host these operations.

Announcing the plan, Minister for Energy and Environment Matt Kean, said it is the final piece of the waste management puzzle and builds on the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy and Plastics Plan released earlier in 2021.

“This is about getting the balance right between supporting investment in NSW, driving a circular economy and reducing carbon emissions, while also respecting the concerns of local

trying to build infrastructure that gives back.

“If there’s material that cannot be recycled or recovered, we need to do something with it – we can capture that energy before it goes to landfill.”

Gayle says there are as many as seven EfW proposals at varying stages of development within NSW. A number of them may still go ahead if they meet certain criteria around location, displacement of dirty fuel and social license. However, she says, the NSW policy could jeopardise millions of dollars of investment.

“This doesn’t just impact project proponents, it means future jobs supporting these projects have

“If there’s material that cannot be recycled or recovered, we need to do something with it – we can capture that energy before it goes to landfill.”

Gayle Sloan Chief Executive Officer of the WMRR

communities,” he says. “The Plan ensures new thermal waste-to-energy projects are co-located with transport links and complimentary industries and kept away from high-density residential areas.”

Gayle Sloan, Chief Executive Officer of the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) believes restricting WtE projects to a defined land parcel “doesn’t make sense”.

“Part of energy-from-waste is that it needs to be able to join the grid. It also makes sense to co-locate where waste is being generated,” she says.

“We’re not looking at over development, we’re looking at appropriate development. We’re

now been lost in both regional and metropolitan areas, along with the significant current and future investment in the NSW economy.”

Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith has welcomed the focus on Parkes and believes identifying priority areas will “give certainty for community and investment”.

“These facilities are multimillion dollar investments and create substantial jobs,” he says. “These are state-of-the-art facilities with the world’s best technology, which will drive waste from landfill into energy creation.”

Ken says the location within the Parkes Special Activation Precinct is perfect from a logistics perspective,

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 25

UP FRONT

Dr Daniel Roberts, Research Director, Energy Technologies for CSIRO’s Energy Business Unit.

being at the intersection of national rail networks.

Although the latest filtration technology makes energy from waste virtually pollution-free, wide buffer zones are built into the 4800-hectare precinct design. Air quality and odour will be monitored across the precinct.

Water used during the process will be captured and recycled at a precinct level and on-site. Any heat and steam generated as part of the process could be used for processing and manufacturing of agricultural value-adding industries, while electricity can be fed into the national grid or used within the precinct to power colocated industry.

“This is a proven technology and plays a role alongside other recycling technologies in providing an end-oflife waste alternative to landfilling in keeping with circular economy principles,” Ken says.

26 / WMR / March 2022

“It’s about changing our thinking on waste from it being a problem that we bury, to an asset that helps us attract and build industry and jobs in a sustainable way.”

However, Lithgow Council continues to battle the decision to include Lithgow as a priority precinct and has made representations to the Deputy Premier, the Minister for Environment and senior bureaucrats that the plan not advance.

“As it stands, we see this plan as currently being more about addressing the problem of Sydney’s residual waste challenge than energy production or job creation,” a council spokesperson says.

“The council is concerned that this could potentially open the floodgates, marking Lithgow as an area that will accept Sydney’s waste.

There is no apparent upside for the

local benefits of jobs and investment to offset the impacts. We feel a similar approach needs to be taken here because local communities are understandably mistrustful that there will be benefits.

“We are pleased that the advancement of the plan has been slowed. We are hopeful that this indicates that more time and effort will be invested in consulting with the communities and having a regard for their perspectives. We also hope that, together, the NSW Government and the four councils can work to truly explore the potential for significant economic benefits from such facilities – at the local level.”

Daniel says social justice concerns are difficult to counteract. He hopes that an operational WtE facility in Australia will help to alleviate community apprehension.

“It’s about changing our thinking on waste from it being a problem that we bury, to an asset that helps us attract and build industry and jobs in a sustainable way.”

Ken Keith Parkes Shire Mayor

host community with no evidence provided of any real positive economic impact from hosting such a facility. All this plan does, in its current form, is shift the problem to the four cities that are slated to host these EfW facilities.

“There are a number of recent examples where the NSW government has crafted programs and initiatives to support new economies in regional settings such as for the REZs and hydrogen hubs.

This approach will likely deliver

“People who have had experience with these things tend to be much more accepting of them. Having a plant working in Australia will be a good opportunity to increase that level of familiarity.

“I’d like to see a couple of projects in Australia get built, operate efficiently and we stop talking about it negatively and we say things like ‘we now have large-scale waste-toenergy working, we’re recycling, we’re reducing waste to landfill’.

That’s a good news story.”

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FEATURED TOPIC – WASTE TO ENERGY

Leading the challenge GLOBAL CLEANTECH COMPANY HITACHI ZOSEN INOVA IS SETTING THE STANDARD IN DEVELOPING WASTE PLANTS AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR THE FUTURE.

A graphic of HZI’s vision of the circular economy – the plant of the future.

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aste prevention, reuse and recycling are key priorities as countries strive to tackle what has been described as the “biggest challenge of our age” – managing waste resources more sustainably, reducing carbon footprints and progressing toward a circular economy.

Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) has been building and maintaining waste management plants for almost 90

years and is constantly evolving to develop new technologies that provide long-term, proven solutions to world problems in sustainable waste management.

The company develops projects alongside clients and then draws on its experience as an engineering, procurement and construction contractor to deliver turnkey plants and systems solutions for thermal

and biological Energy from Waste (EfW) recovery, gas upgrading and Power to Gas. Dr Marc Stammbach, HZI’s Managing Director for Australia, says the company’s technologies focus on the efficient recovery of energy from solid and organic waste, reducing the need for landfill, which produces climate-degrading methane gas.

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FEATURED TOPIC – WASTE TO ENERGY

“Our long experience, comprehensive engineering and project management skills allow us to implement forwardlooking projects in our core areas: EfW, flue gas treatment and residue handling, as well as anaerobic digestion and biogas upgrading,” he says.

“HZI always looks at what technical solutions it can offer the market and developing more technologies to build up solutions to support circular economies. The treatment of residues from EfW, for example, is now an urban mining concept – HZI recovers metals and other raw materials with efficient combinations of dry and wet deslagging.”

Marc says one of HZI’s most iconic EfW facilities is under construction for the city of Dubai. The joint venture between HZI and BESIX (Belgium) will realise one of the world’s biggest EfW plants and be a key component in Dubai’s sustainability strategy.

The two companies will not only build the turnkey facility, from 2024 they will operate the plant for 35 years.

It’s not just the size of the plant that’s impressive, net energy efficiency of more than 31 per cent puts it at the very top of the international rankings.

PLANTS FOR THE FUTURE Through new technology and innovation, HZI has developed equipment that can even recover salts from flue gas treatment residues. It has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with leading suppliers

of carbon capture use and storage technologies, enabling HZI to offer its customers solutions that are tailored to their specific needs.

“We look at each of our technologies to see if we can improve them for our customers and the environment,” Marc says. “For example, we now have hydrogen production technologies in our portfolio, as well as hydrogen liquefaction, biological/catalytic methanisation, and further Power to Gas concepts.

“Ultimately, all of HZI’s technologies for waste stream management view the building of circular economies as an opportunity.”

HZI has also made a name for itself in the renewable gas sector. This is partly because solutions are offered for both wet and dry digestion, but also because HZI owns two of its own plants, one in California and one in Sweden.

At the San Luis Obispo plant in California, about 33,000 tonnes of source-separated organic waste are processed into biogas annually using HZI’s Kompogas dry anaerobic digestion process. This produces more than six million kilowatt-hour per annum of electricity and about 1500 tonnes of liquid fertiliser.

In addition, 16,000 tonnes of solid digestion residue are produced annually, which will be processed into 1200 tonnes of green hydrogen and 2500 tonnes of biochar in the future through a pilot project with the Canadian Image supplied: www.erwte.com.au

The Rockingham Waste-to-Energy plant under construction.

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specialist CHAR Technologies. The hydrogen is expected to be fed into the grid, while the biochar can be used for the upgrading of agricultural land.

Marc says this will completely close the material cycle of the plant.

CLOSING THE CYCLE He says the challenges of the circular economy are enabling ever better processes. The most recent example is in EfW decarbonisation. HZI has reached an agreement with suppliers to develop joint concepts for several processes. The captured CO2 can not only be separated from the flue gas but can be converted into a valuable product by means of mineralisation.

In this case, the CO2 is converted with calcium into mineral calcium carbonate, a stable, non-hazardous/nontoxic and valuable component, which is used, among other things, as a raw material in construction, as a fertiliser and as a mineral filler in the paper, paint and plastics industries.

Due to the high capture rates, EfW plants can become carbon sinks through these processes.

HZI’s East Rockingham 300,000 tpa project in Perth is under construction. It will be operated jointly

by HZI and SUEZ and will recycle aggregate and metals. Once the plant enters full operation in 2023, the owners will also evaluate value-add options such as Power to Gas, salt mining, and carbon capture.

The path that HZI is taking is not an easy one, because it is always entering unknown territory, but Marc says the development has shown it is the right way to master the challenges of the circular economy. “The most important prerequisite for such an approach is to work with very agile and flexible teams in all corners of the world,” he says.

For more information, visit: www.hz-inova.com

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTE TO ENERGY

Switched on RESOURCECO IS PLANNING A MULTI-PROJECT EXPANSION TO HARNESS THE ENERGY OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

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ustralia’s push to a circular economy is gaining impetus, but nearly 15 million tonnes of construction and demolition and commercial and industrial waste still ends up in landfill each year.

Henry Anning, Chief Executive Officer of ResourceCo’s Energy Systems, says tackling this waste is at the forefront of a strategic plan that will open a pipeline of new resource recovery facilities for the company.

ResourceCo is developing several projects in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia to divert more construction and demolition (C&D) and

32 / WMR / March 2022

commercial and industrial (C&I) material from landfill.

Leading the charge is a $50 million waste-to-energy facility in the South East Brisbane suburb of Hemmant to process C&I and mixed construction and demolition waste into Process Engineered Fuel (PEF).

“It’s the first plant of its kind in the Queensland and Brisbane market which will allow a significant diversion of material from landfill,” says Henry.

“It means more diversion from landfill, more recycling, more renewable energy, more jobs and more carbon abatement.”

The Hemmant plant has been partly funded through the Queensland Government Resource Recovery Industry Development Program.

Since 2018 the program, which is part of the $3.34 billion Queensland Jobs Fund, has supported 29 projects that will divert 1.3 million tonnes of waste from landfill each year and create more than 360 jobs across Queensland.

Construction of the ResourceCo facility will begin in the first quarter of 2022 and it is expected to be operational by mid-2023. The plant will replicate ResourceCo’s joint

ResourceCo is planning a $50 million waste-to-energy facility in Hemmant, Queensland.

venture with Cleanaway in Wetherill Park, New South Wales, which converts up to 250,000 tonnes of raw material waste into about 150,000 tonnes of PEF each year.

ResourceCo has established markets in Australia and overseas for PEF, which is widely used for energy production in cement kilns.

Henry says PEF has largely “flown under the radar” when compared with other waste-toenergy proposals but it has huge carbon benefits, abating hundreds of thousands of tonnes of CO2. An area that is gaining importance in both an industry and social context.

“In the past 18 months, sustainability and carbon abatement interest has gone through the roof,” Henry says. “One of the most fundamental reflections of that is the price of carbon credits has gone from $15 to $50.

“It reflects the increasing demand from the market. People are getting more serious about their carbon commitments and needing to achieve carbon reductions as we work toward a net zero future.”

Every tonne of waste ResourceCo diverts from landfill saves about one tonne of carbon. While ResourceCo has been working with carbon abatements and credits for the past 10 years, Henry says community recognition of the impacts of climate change, coupled with government policies, has pushed it into the spotlight.

“Going back to the Victorian and New South Wales bushfires two years ago, at the time there was strong recognition among the community that climate change is having an impact in Australia, that these events are more common, and we need to do more as an individual and country to deal with carbon abatement,” he says.

“There’s since been a level of corporate commitment and heavy industry driving demand. The last couple of years, the level of activity we’re seeing from big manufacturers and industrial businesses is huge.

“Our customers are demanding not just economic outcomes but carbon outcomes.”

Henry says the waste sector has huge potential for carbon abatement, both in helping other industries decarbonise their waste and in providing Waste-Derived Fuel and Waste-to-Energy that can provide renewable heat and renewable baseload electricity.

“The Federal Government’s bio energy roadmap, released in 2021, set out three key areas where Australia has the greatest potential and need – industrial heat, green gas and sustainable aviation fuels,” he

Henry Anning, Chief Executive Officer of ResourceCo’s Energy Systems.

says. “All of which can be provided by the waste sector.”

Henry says the carbon abatement market will continue to move quickly on the back of larger corporations taking leadership roles and setting benchmarks.

He says ResourceCo continues to develop new projects and a pipeline of resource and energy recovery facilities that will help to unlock carbon abatements and he is hopeful that at some point carbon abatement will be the norm for all business.

“At the very simplest level of the waste sector, businesses need to know where their waste is going and what is happening to their waste. It’s imperative that all businesses, large and small, know what’s happening to their waste.

“We will always need landfill.

There will always be a proportion of waste that there is no better use for, but most of the forecasts from government is that the proportion is 10-15 per cent of waste as opposed to the around 40 per cent it is now.”

For more information, visit: www.resourceco.com.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 33

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FEATURED TOPIC – WASTE TO ENERGY

Future-focused

A DynaGrate at the Amager WtE plant.

CLEAN ENERGY PROVIDER BABCOCK & WILCOX IS MOVING THE GOAL POSTS AND UNLOCKING NEW WAYS TO RECYCLE RESOURCES.

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he next 10 years offer the opportunity for tremendous growth in renewable energy and waste-to-energy (WtE) as Australia strives to reduce material sent to landfill and meet net zero emissions targets, says Babcock & Wilcox’s (B&W) Toby Terlet.

Toby, who is B&W’s Director of Business Development in Australia, says the country is in a prime position to take advantage of emerging technology that pairs waste-to-energy with carbon capture and other renewable markets.

“Waste-to-energy is the best available technology to deal with household waste but we’re moving into other technology outside of large-scale WtE,” says Toby. “The climate is right for

decarbonisation solutions and hydrogen facilities. That’s where we need to talk about WtE within Australia. Looking beyond the waste combustion side for heat and power and looking at a growing market for waste-derived fuels that can all be used to power homes, vehicles and industrial applications.

“That’s going to be the next level within Australia – waste-to-energy facilities with other technologies that can bolt on to the other end to capture carbon or be used to produce hydrogen, or both.”

US-based B&W has developed an energy production technology that simultaneously supports low carbon initiatives and energy transition. Known as BrightLoop, this chemical looping

process can use a variety of feedstocks, such as municipal waste, biomass, biogas, natural gas, refinery byproducts and methane to convert into multiple products, including hydrogen.

In October 2021, the company signed an agreement to jointly develop a biomass-to-hydrogen project in Port Anthony, Victoria, using BrightLoop technology. It is expected to be the largest green hydrogen hub in southeastern Australia.

B&W has built waste-to-energy facilities around the world, including many in the UK, Europe and the US, such as the Amager Bakke/Copenhill plant in Copenhagen, Denmark, widely regarded as “the cleanest waste-toenergy power plant in the world,” and

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FEATURED TOPIC – WASTE TO ENERGY

The Amager Bakke/Copenhill plant in Copenhagen.

two world-class, low-emissions WtE facilities in the affluent community of West Palm Beach, Florida, in the US. Toby says that B&W is in discussions with multiple waste-to-energy plant owners to introduce carbon capture and other renewable technologies for their plants, although he did not disclose which plant operators or locations are part of those discussions.

“It’s an exciting time,” Toby says.

“We’ve got the technology not only to deal with waste now but to touch on some of the newer, renewable technology and we’re keen to really drive that. Our mantra is to really push the current market and the way of looking at things. We’re not just happy sitting in the today space, we’re willing to innovate and look at newer tech and better ways of doing things.”

B&W has more than 150 years’ experience in designing, supply and servicing technology for waste-toenergy plants throughout Europe, Asia and North America.

Toby says there is a distinctly different landscape in terms of acceptance of WtE in Europe compared with Australia, but we’re catching up and have an opportunity to lead.

36 / WMR / March 2022

He says much of the hesitancy in the past has been due to a lack of understanding about waste-to-energy and fears that the technology will halt recycling. However, he says modern WtE facilities are complementary to recycling and use what remains as fuel after recyclables, including metals, are removed from the waste stream.

“A lot of people have never seen a waste-to-energy facility and don’t know what it’s all about. Then, a lot of people have a view of what an incinerator smells like and what it looks like. They have that embedded issue of WtE being dirty and none of the emissions being captured, but modern waste-to-energy facilities are very different and can be equipped with state-of-the-art emissions control systems. It’s a highly technical, very clean process that is fit for purpose for Australia.”

He says waste-to-energy is the pathway forward to deal with household waste as Australia moves away from its reliance on landfill and he believes it will become more attractive in regional areas for local government authorities and the surrounding communities.

Smaller, regional plants can reduce waste transportation costs, increase job opportunity and recover more material from the waste streams.

Added technology can be diverted back to the community to run local buses or fleet cars with hydrogen, and thousands of tonnes of methane that would otherwise be generated by organic waste decomposing in landfills can be eliminated. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with roughly 84 times the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of carbon dioxide on a 20-year basis. By combining waste-to-energy with carbon capture, WtE plants can be net-negative in regard to greenhouse gas emissions.

“If you put waste through a WtE facility it’s gone that day,” Toby says.

“You can pull out all the recyclables possible and you don’t have legacy issues to deal with for years. You don’t have to rehabilitate land or worry about leachate in ground water.

“It’s not going to replace all technologies and it’s not going to see other recycling disappear. It’s going to replace some landfill – not all of it – but it’s a better option. If we can reduce landfill by 90 per cent, the environment is in a lot better position.”

He encourages government to see the benefits of waste-to-energy as an important solution to address climate change and recognise that the technology complements recycling and creates jobs.

Long-term, he hopes Australia has a balance of WtE facilities to deal with a majority of unrecyclable waste streams but also looks at how much waste is generated.

“We’re the end of the line but waste-to-energy is just one piece of the puzzle,” he says.

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FEATURED TOPIC – CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEMES

From good to great: a CDS opportunity RETURN-IT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER MARC CHURCHIN BELIEVES TASMANIA AND VICTORIA ARE POSITIONED FOR A SHOT AT THE TITLE OF ‘BEST AUSTRALIAN CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME’.

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n a few years’ time, no one will be talking about which Australian jurisdiction was last, third last, or fifth last to introduce its Container Deposit Scheme (CDS). Marc Churchin, Chief Executive Officer of Return-It believes all the conversation will be around which is the best scheme.

He says there has been a false dichotomy suggesting the only choice for Tasmania or Victoria is to exactly follow New South Wales, or exactly follow Queensland. Both jurisdictions chose a ‘split responsibility’ model akin to the ACT and NSW. However, having an appropriate governance mechanism does not have to limit innovation within the collection network. It also does not preclude the opportunities for community groups and charities, as evidenced across QLD and WA. Re.Group is an Australian company that specialises in recycling and resource recovery. Back when NSW and the ACT first signalled their plans to introduce a modern CDS, Re.Group approached the challenge with a mindset that was technologically agnostic.

Marc says the approach strongly aligned with the values of balancing the needs of people, the planet and profit. This led to the establishment of Return-It. The company places special focus on forging relationships with various charities, social enterprises and

38 / WMR / March 2022

Social connection is a key element of a successful Container Deposit Scheme.

community groups and embraces a broad range of technologies and systems from local and global providers.

“Return-It is now the biggest operator of container refund depots across Australia, working across the ACT, NSW, QLD and WA,” he says. “Do you know what is the big difference for customers in each state? Nothing. Every one of Return-It’s customers, from Canberra to Cairns and from Perth to Geraldton, gets the same 10c for returning the same eligible containers.”

So, if the fundamental service is the same in all Australian schemes – develop collection points that are safe and convenient, count and verify eligible containers, and pay customers the correct refund – how will the ‘best Australian CDS’ be judged?

Marc says it’s all about the ‘plus, plus’ aspects. This is determined by

which jurisdiction does the best job of leveraging its CDS networks to create additional social and environmental benefits in a cost-efficient and sustainable way.

“The ACT chose to put humans at the centre of its scheme, with a deliberate effort to maximise social connection through staffed depots and integration of return points with existing charity stores.

“Since June 2018, the ACT CDS has continued to innovate and evolve – it’s a diverse and inclusive model, not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

“Don’t feel like talking to depot staff today? Then use one of the drop-and-go PODs open 24/7. Want to help the kids earn pocket money while teaching them about recycling? Go to a depot where they can feed their own bottles and cans onto a conveyor and walk out with cash

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For more information, visit: www.returnit.com.au

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in their hand. Need to clear the garage after last week’s big party? Go to a site where staff tip all your containers into a bulk counting machine for rapid service. And if you can’t or don’t want to leave home at all, use the ReCollect App to book a contactless home pick-up.”

Total container return rates in the ACT are comparable to NSW, as are the costs of delivering the CDS. Despite different approaches, with different economies of scale, both schemes end up in a similar place in terms of delivering the ‘core service’. Marc says what differentiates them, are those ‘plus, plus’ aspects in the collection network.

One important opportunity he sees for Victoria and Tasmania is to think ahead.

“The states should consider the much broader range of products that may be covered by Product Stewardship programs in the future. For example, Return-It already collects mobile phones and accessories via MobileMuster in its depots. This year Return-It is focusing on working with the Battery Product Stewardship Council’s Scheme to get batteries out of kerbside bins and into proper recycling channels.

“If we are serious about advancing toward a circular economy, we need to be thinking in terms of material pathways. It doesn’t matter whether that HDPE plastic container once held flavoured milk, fresh milk, laundry detergent or shampoo – what matters is that we efficiently capture and recycle the material so it can be kept at its highest and best use for as long as possible.”

He says that rather than thinking about CDS as a program that just manages some used beverage containers, we should be thinking about it as a new collection pathway for materials that could have a better recovery rate through a clean-stream than via a kerbside service.

“The ultimate goal is to recover those items in a way that maximises the value of the material, while also providing social benefits, benefits that will create new revenue streams and new connection points for the local community.”

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www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 39

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FEATURED TOPIC – CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEMES

Small change, a big difference RETURN AND EARN IS A PROVEN CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME WITH HUNDREDS OF COLLECTION POINTS AROUND NEW SOUTH WALES. WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW LOOKS AT HOW THE NSW SCHEME IS SETTING THE BENCHMARK IN AUSTRALIA.

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t is well known that Container Deposit Schemes can generate significant environmental benefits – from less litter in parks and waterways to contributing to a circular economy.

James Dorney, Chief Executive Officer of TOMRA Cleanaway, network operator of the NSW Return and Earn scheme, believes it has been a massive success on a number of measures.

He says the NSW scheme, which was rolled out in December 2017, has experienced high levels of participation and return rates because it’s designed for convenience and ease of use. Many return points are automated and co-located with retail facilities or facilities that people visit in their normal course of business.

“In Australia it is the accessibility and convenience of a scheme that supports the deposit value to help drive behaviour change and determine return rates” James says.

“The NSW scheme is designed for a variety of return points and in particular, a large number of Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) co-located with supermarkets.

Returning containers becomes part of normal activities, as people don’t have to go out of their way to access the scheme.”

The NSW Return and Earn scheme uses the latest technology.

Return and Earn is the largest litter reduction initiative introduced in New South Wales. The NSW Government initiative is delivered through a partnership model between the NSW Environment Protection Authority, scheme co-ordinator Exchange for Change and the network operated by joint partners TOMRA Collection Australia, which provides the Reverse Vending Machines, back-end data and IT platform, and Cleanaway, which handles collection and recycling of the containers.

Danielle Smalley, CEO of Exchange for Change, says the scheme has become part of life in NSW in a relatively short amount of time.

“The NSW community have well and truly embraced Return and Earn

with three out of four NSW adults having participated and more than 6.8 billion drink containers returned for recycling through the scheme’s return point network since its launch in 2017.

“Return and Earn has also become an important fundraising channel for hundreds of community groups, schools and charities, particularly as other more traditional, face-toface methods have not been possible recently,” she says.

In the 12 months from December 2020 to December 2021, 1.88 billion containers were tracked through the network.

As well as offering a high level of convenience to consumers, the NSW scheme is highly-efficient, due to its

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 41

FEATURED TOPIC – CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEMES

Reverse Vending Machines are conveniently located so that returning containers becomes part of normal activities.

overall design, its centralised sorting and its use of the latest technology.

Markus Fraval, Non-Exec Director, TOMRA Cleanaway and Executive Director TOMRA Collection, says where the NSW scheme has excelled is its ability to provide infrastructure at retail points such as shopping centres and supermarket car parks.

“We need smaller footprint return points that can fit in with retailers so we’ve designed a system that is as simple as possible at the front end to minimise sorting there. It opens it up for small operators to be part of the scheme and run a return point because they only have to sort two fractions – glass and everything else.

“In addition, by centralising the main sorting it makes the whole scheme more cost-effective,” he says.

The NSW scheme is also leveraging the latest “best practice” technology.

For instance, container identification, verification, payments and data reporting are largely automated.

“Every container that is redeemed by consumers in the NSW scheme is scanned and identified. All aspects of that bottle, including material type, brand and weight are recorded in a cloud-based system, allowing containers to be tracked through the whole system,” Markus says.

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“It gives government and other stakeholders precise details of how many containers and what type are being recycled, where and when. This allows continuous improvement as part of future planning and enables any gaps in scheme infrastructure to be quickly identified and appropriately filled.”

He says real-time information on container types collected also enables more accurate verification and fraud prevention. Containers that have not been registered are also added to the scheme database preventing “free riders”.

A live data network based on the TOMRA Collect platform also enables remote monitoring of bin levels to optimise the Cleanaway logistics services for cost efficiency and to minimise environmental impact, while maximising uptime and use of the Reverse Vending Machine network.

James says the real-time data allows the network to be continually improved as it provides detailed data combined with clear and concise reporting for key stakeholders.

“There’s an old line, if you can’t measure something, you really can’t manage it,” James says. “With this data-rich scheme you get to

understand consumer behaviours.

We can break it down to collection points, a shift in people’s redemption habits and where the demand is.

“It’s a level of data resolution and transparency, which I believe, matches global best practice.”

Danielle adds that data has also been vital to driving behaviour change and high participation.

“We undertake independent research every six months to understand what motivates the NSW community to participate, what barriers are they experiencing and where are the gaps in knowledge. This research then guides our marketing and communications activities, ensuring we provide consumers with the information they need to make participating easy.”

Most recently, research guided the development of new digital tools to allow consumers to better understand the collective impact they are having on the environment by participating in Return and Earn. Danielle says four years’ worth of network data was used to develop a lifecycle assessment of the scheme and create the Return and Earn Impact Calculator, enabling people to calculate the environmental impact of participating – from CO2 savings to water savings.

“As we move into this next level of maturity with strong and sustained participation and high return rates, it’s important that we show people that not only is it easy and convenient to participate, but that their efforts are having an impact,” she says.

“That’s what drives people. It’s individual action, but when they see collectively what can be achieved, it’s very motivating. It just shows how that collective data can make a real difference.”

For more information, visit: www.returnandearn.org.au

FEATURED TOPIC – CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEMES

Partners for change QUEENSLAND’S CONTAINERS FOR CHANGE SCHEME IS BOLSTERING ITS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL CHARITIES.

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housands of empty drink containers disposed of in Queensland shopping centres each year are helping turn trash into cash for housing and emergency relief.

Queensland’s Containers for Change scheme is partnering with AMP Capital to recycle empty drink containers in their Queensland shopping centres and donate the refunds to local charities, clubs and community groups.

Indooroopilly Shopping Centre was one of the first to join the Partners for Change initiative and collected more than $1200 in the first month for local charity Communify QLD, which provides support services to people living within the inner western suburbs of Brisbane. The donations were used to provide back-to-school kits for disadvantaged children.

Ken Noye, Chief Executive of Container Exchange, a not-forprofit organisation that runs the Containers for Change scheme, says the partnership is a win-win for the environment and the community.

“Recycling containers is a job for everyone and this initiative, in partnership with shopping centres, allows customers to ensure their containers are disposed of correctly while they are shopping,” Ken says.

“Customers doing their regular shopping can now easily recycle eligible containers through these bins in convenient locations, providing a benefit to the natural environment and supporting the local groups making changes in the community. Customers will know their recycling is making a

44 / WMR / March 2022

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The partnership aims to collect more recyclable containers from shoppers “on-the-go”.

direct, positive impact on groups in their local area.”

Containers for Change has a variety of container refund points across Queensland and Western Australia and aims to empower individuals, groups and charities to “be the change” and help reduce the number of recyclable containers ending up in landfill.

As part of the Partners for Change initiative, TOMRA reverse vending machines have been set up as donation stations in high-traffic areas, such as

shopping centre food courts, to target on-the-go consumables such as soft drinks and water bottles. The machine allows shoppers to donate the 10 cent container refund directly to the charity, which is identified on the machine’s interface.

TOMRA provided the shopping centre donation stations free of charge, including facilitating the install of the machines, as part of its ongoing industry partnership with Containers for Change.

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Steven Ihm, General Manager Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, says charity partnerships, community support and environmental sustainability are a key focus of the centre, with the diversion of waste from landfill and the improvement of recycling being fundamental to this.

“Indooroopilly Shopping Centre has committed to reducing the amount of beverage container waste that ends up in landfill, while supporting the important work of one of our charity partners Communify, whose mission to find housing for at-risk community members and families, is such an incredible cause to be a part of.

“We want to thank our customers for adopting this change in container disposal and for supporting a worthy local cause. Each container recycled results in the donation of all rebate

proceeds to charity and allows for our charity partners to help more members of the community.”

Karen Dare, Chief Executive Officer of Communify, said the initiative will help the organisation continue its work of supporting the local community.

“We support people through the whole journey of life, from childcare to aged care. Our multifaceted services offer assistance in mental health, housing, social support, NDIS and emergency relief through community centres.

“Last financial year, Communify supported 610 local vulnerable people into long term housing, and that’s just one part of what we do.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this initiative with Indooroopilly Shopping Centre and the Containers for Change

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Donation stations are being placed in high-traffic areas, such as food courts within shopping centres.

scheme and will continue to support the community with the help from these proceeds.”

Containers for Change aims to roll out the scheme to more shopping centres across Queensland this year.

For more information, visit: www.containersforchange.com.au/qld

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – BATTERY RECYCLING

In the driver’s seat ECOBATT BATTERY COLLECTOR ROBBIE WALKER TAKES WMR ALONG FOR THE RIDE AS HE PICKS UP BATTERIES FROM SUPERMARKETS AND CLIENTS ACROSS VICTORIA.

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ruck driver Robbie Walker says there’s never a dull day with “so much to see, great people to meet and a job to do” when on the road for EcoBatt.

He and his colleagues collect batteries from around Australia for delivery to a Recycal automated sorting facility, where they are processed and components recovered for reuse and recycling. It’s a flexible job with many and varied clients. It’s also a job Robbie’s proud to be doing.

“We don’t want to see batteries going to landfill. There is no need for it now,” he says. “We recycle and protect our environment so my grandkids can enjoy this planet.

We make it a better place for future generations to play.”

Robbie chooses to leave early in the morning for his country runs to miss the worst of the traffic and get back to the depot for unloading and weighing “at a reasonable time to knock off for the day”.

He’s usually on site about 7am for his first pick-up.

“This morning I left early to head to Shepparton and worked my way back from there.

“I did battery collections from seven of the supermarkets in that area, did an amalgam container changeover, picked up some litho [lithium] plates, picked up some X-rays in wheelie bins from Nagambie and Seymour, a green Nally [big bin] Bin of e-waste in Seymour; with more battery collections along the route home.

46 / WMR / March 2022

EcoBatt driver Robbie Walker behind the wheel.

“In total I did 15 battery collections for the day with the other pick-ups in the same trip. Some days we can get 25-plus battery collections done in a day. On other days it’s less. It really depends on the distances we have to travel, what else we need to pick up and the population of the area we are working in.”

Robbie says that in more remote areas he sometimes leaves two or more barrels for a store owner to change out to save a special trip. He says it’s often surprising to see what’s inside when you open the door to a battery cabinet.

“One in Eltham the other day had over 150 kilograms and was overflowing, with batteries sitting lose inside the cabinet. The store owner explained that a family had emptied their home stockpile when the Mum of the house saw the battery recycling bin

at the local supermarket. In some we could only have 40 kilos in them, but normally we see around 60-80 kilos in the barrels.

“You see all sorts of things like calculators, electric toothbrushes, coffee cups and plastic bags, but as we promote it more and educate the public and chat with the staff on site, it is getting better and better.

“We think once a government campaign continues to roll out in 2022 and the public relations promotions kick in, we will see things improve as the community gets behind the project and recycles their batteries.”

While batteries are the main focus, EcoBatt has country clients with lighting waste, coffee pods, X-rays, dental amalgam, e-waste and metals, which are also picked up during Robbie’s daily battery run.

Robbie replaces a battery barrel at a supermarket collection point.

“It makes things so much more efficient,” he says.

The company has specially designed five-tonne trucks with curtain sides and a large tailgate loader, which have been fitted out to carry the full range of containers, bins, and drums required for particular waste collections.

“They’re comfortable, safe and all fitted with a specialised aerosol suppression unit to detect and extinguish any threat of fire,” Robbie says. “You have the confidence and comfort of knowing Several battery barrels can be left in remote areas to meet demand.

you are well protected, as are the communities we work in.”

EcoBatt has a strong focus on safety and “clean, green recycling”.

“We don’t just have to think about the company we work for but for the clients we represent as well,” Robbie says. “We want them to have a great experience. Service is something that is promoted to us as drivers every day.

“We have to be well presented, in company uniform, and our trucks regularly cleaned to present the best image possible, which is so important

to the group. The trucks are well sign written and company-owned, with company drivers.

“We take pride in all we do.”

Drivers use an app that logs their route daily and provides instructions for sites. Photos are taken at each site, before moving to the next pick-up.

“It’s now easy to use but was challenging for us, as truck drivers, at the start to understand the importance of it to the company,” Robbie says of the app.

“Hard to teach an old dog new tricks I told the boss – but once you get to know how to use it, it saves us heaps of time and helps with efficiency.”

Drivers were given input into the app’s development. On two occasions IT staff went on the road with Robbie to “see the challenges”. He says that after 18 months of working in the field the app is a “great system that works really well”.

For more information and nearest drop-off points visit: www.ecobatt.net

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 47

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – EQUIPMENT

A new generation A NEW BOMAG COMPACTOR IS HELPING FRASER COAST REGIONAL COUNCIL REACH ITS GOAL TO QUADRUPLE AVAILABLE SPACE AT ITS SALTWATER CREEK LANDFILL.

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new 40-tonne compactor, the first of Bomag’s new generation machines in Australia, has been enlisted to help extend the life of the Saltwater Creek Road landfill in Maryborough, Queensland.

Fraser Coast Councillor David Lee says the new compactor is 10-tonne heavier than its predecessor and is expected to have an immediate impact.

“The extra weight will improve compaction rates, allowing us Compact Plant operator Seaton Darr shows Councillor David Lee over the new 40-tonne compactor at the Saltwater Creek Road Landfill.

48 / WMR / March 2022

to fit more into the same space, which will extend the life of the facility,” he says.

“This is the newest generation of the machine, so it is packed with the latest technology such as a more efficient motor, which helps us cut greenhouse gas emissions. It is GPS guided, which will ensure the driver is not going over the same spot too often or missing areas as they move up and down the face of the landfill. This ensures the compactor is working

efficiently at all times, saving fuel and reducing wear and tear.”

John Glossat, National Business Development Manager for Bomag/GEHL/NorAm products from Tutt Bryant Equipment, says that Bomag refuse compactors have many convincing design advantages that have been tried and tested over decades of practical use on landfill sites.

“Together with an uncompromising quality philosophy, they are up to every

challenge on modern landfill sites,” he says. “The result is a refuse compactor with outstanding efficiency, which uses the latest technology to combine high productivity with low operating costs and excellent serviceability.”

He says Bomag’s Operator Support System helps optimise performance and relieves the burden on drivers. The all new BC773RB-5 comes fitted with a Stage 5/Tier4 engine, delivering reduced emissions.

“It’s no surprise, when BOMAG goes the extra mile in design they deliver features as standard which support daily operations and operators greatly in the harshest environment – landfill.”

Umur Natus-Yildiz, Fraser Coast Regional Council Executive Manager Waste Services, says the team is excited to have a machine with “all the bells and whistles”.

“The Bomag is completely operated with joysticks, left and right, which makes it more precise to operate,” Umur says.

“There’s a learning curve in the beginning but the team has mastered that quite quickly. The Bomag is quite user-friendly and quite intuitive.”

He says the Bomag offers value for money, but that is only part of its appeal for the council.

“The other part is the features of the machine and how well suited it is to our operations.

How well can treble systems be fitted and how responsive will it be in operation?,” he says. “We need a machine that can handle from 70,000 to 100,000 tonnes of waste. Overall, the Bomag came out best for our purposes.”

The new compactor is part of an ongoing improvement

The Bomag is tried and tested over decades of practical use on landfill sites.

“We need a machine that can handle from 70,000 to 100,000 tonnes of waste. Overall, the Bomag came out best for our purposes.”

Umur Natus-Yildiz Fraser Coast Regional Council Executive Manager Waste Services

program that aims to quadruple the amount of space available at the Saltwater Creek landfill, extending its life and improving its environmental performance.

David says the changes will bring further savings because the council won’t have to identify and develop a new landfill site for 30 years.

“Instead of using funds to buy and develop a new site, we can use these funds to improve environmental practices and ensure the Saltwater Creek Road facility is industry bestpractice,” he says.

“If our reuse and recycling targets in the Waste Strategy 2019-2029 are met and maintained, the life of the landfill could be extended even further.”

Umur says the compactor’s GPS trackers and drone surveys will allow the council to check compaction rates monthly. He says although the Bomag has only been in use for a short amount of time, first results are already showing an improvement.

For more information, visit: www.tuttbryant.com.au

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – ORGANICS

Cultivating change AN AUSTRALIAN PIONEER IN COMPOST AND ORGANIC RECOVERY IS LEADING BY EXAMPLE WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING WASTE AND CONSERVING RESOURCES.

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hen the team at Bio Gro sat down last year to develop a strategic plan for the next five years, one of the key focus points was how to describe the diverse activity of Bio Gro that encapsulates the company and its values.

Sage Hahn, Operations Manager Victoria, says when you strip it back, “Recover, Refine, Reapply” relates to every aspect of the business.

“Whether it’s organics, green waste or forest and timber residues, we Recover materials and Refine them so they can be Reapplied for the next growth cycle.

“Recover, Refine, Reapply works in the circular economy, and works with every part of our business.”

While the description of what Bio Gro does is new, the sentiment isn’t. Bio Gro has been working within a circular economy context for 45 years.

Hans Van Schaik and his wife Marjan began the business in Mount Gambier, South Australia in the 1970s in a bid to reduce the amount of bark and organic waste from the local forestry industry being burnt or sent to landfill.

Hans used the organic materials in his own backyard and worked with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to develop what became the basis of the first potting mix in Australia. The company expanded to develop and manufacture growing substrates, soil conditioners and mulching mediums.

Bio Gro is still family owned and is a leading innovator within horticulture and waste management industries.

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Bio Gro is a leading innovator within the horticulture and waste management industries.

Sage says Bio Gro began looking at treating organics from kerbside rubbish collection schemes in 2011 and worked with the City of Casey in Victoria, one of the first councils to introduce a universal green organics collection system.

In 2016 it secured the tender for food waste and organic recovery for a group of five councils in Melbourne.

The company could see the need for growth in this space and has invested in a fit-for-purpose processing system at its Victorian Dandenong South facility, which is a processing and transfer hub for organic material.

The processing line consists of a shredder to reduce the material size, but doesn’t break down the contamination too small, so that it can still be removed by hand. It then passes through a magnet to remove ferrous metals and a star screen to separate the clean fine fraction. Contaminated, coarser material is sent through a picking station where non-organic material is removed by hand. These products are then blended back together to be further processed at Bio Gro’s primary

composting facility for reuse.

The line is fully integrated with a PLC system that allows the speeds of various sections to be adjusted, based on moisture levels, material size and contamination requirements.

Sage says the ability to adjust the system gives greater control of the separation process and the end product.

She says being able to access and separate contamination of materials brought on site will be more important once mandatory Food Organics Green Organics (FOGO) collections are implemented across Victoria.

“We understand that once FOGO goes ahead statewide, contamination will likely increase,” Sage says. “With an opt-in service people want to do it and will typically do the right thing but once when FOGO becomes universal, we expect to see an increase in contamination because despite best intentions, not everyone will get it right all the time.

“Councils work with us to make sure there is community education about the importance of a clean product.

However, it is important that we can

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A new processing line gives greater control of the separation process.

give continuity to councils and process as much organic material as possible into a clean product.”

Sage says Bio Gro has processed three times as much organic material as it did last year, due in part to the new infrastructure but also a surge in popularity of gardening during COVID-19 lockdowns. As an example, the company processed 300 per cent more volume in October 2021 than it did compared with October 2020.

“It’s a credit to the infrastructure we have invested in, as well as our people, that we can cope with that sort of an increase,” she says.

Bio Gro has long had a strategy to invest and support much-needed growth in organics recycling. Alongside new automated technology the company has secured a Sustainability Victoria grant to extend its Dandenong South infrastructure and replace an existing water treatment system with an

underground treatment plant, which will reduce the footprint of the plant and the amount of mains water used.

“We want to be as self-sufficient and environmentally friendly as we can,” Sage says. “Water is a big resource that we use and we need to apply the same mantra of Recover, Refine and Reapply to these resources, too.”

Bio Gro sees other opportunities for compost, such as application in soil health programs. It has R&D activities underway to see how value-added products can be returned to soils.

“One of the best ways we can fight Climate Change and soil degradation is by adding organic matter back into the soils that need our protection to continue to provide for us.”

For more information, visit: www.biogro.com.au

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – HEALTH AND SAFETY

Intelligent risk mitigation PRM ENGINEERING SERVICES’ SENTINEL VISION AI, IS AN INNOVATION IN RISK MITIGATION AND HUMAN DETECTION TECHNOLOGY FOR THE WASTE SECTOR.

The Sentinel VISION AI can be attached to most landfill machinery and equipment.

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uman error or negligence on landfill sites can have devastating consequences.

Brisbane-based company PRM Engineering Services is behind the development of the Sentinel VISION AI machine safety system. By using

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AI, as well as machine learning, the human recognition technology detects and alerts operators and nearby pedestrians of a potential near miss.

Mike Davis, PRM Group Managing Director, says it is at the forefront of human detection systems.

“The initial request for such a product came from the road construction industry,” he says.

“With the evolution of the product came more requests from different industries. One such request was from a number of waste management

“I think one of the biggest advantages to our service is the support. We are willing to share the technology with our clients to make sure they can be self-sufficient, especially when it comes to ongoing repairs and calibrations. So our customers have a system which is user friendly and very easy to maintain.”

Mike Davis, PRM Group Managing Director

companies, which led to compatibility trials. Following these trials, we began a national rollout across a number of landfill and transfer stations and across a range of different mobile machinery applications such as dozers, compactors loaders and excavators.”

PRM Engineering sits alongside its sister companies Premier Rock, dealers for Montabert Rockbreaking equipment and importers of the specialised Movax Piling equipment; and Plantmech, a hydraulic and technical installations specialist, which has serviced the top original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 companies in earthmoving, construction, rail, waste and civil infrastructure, over the past 20 years.

Mike says that one of the core strengths of the Sentinel VISION AI is its ability to differentiate between humans and objects, reducing the number of false detections and alarms.

“This system focuses on human detection and nothing else. Drivers are alerted once a human is detected within the programmed zone and the

system encourages people to get out of the zone,” he says.

Avril Davis, PRM Engineering Services Director, says the product has been recognised as a benchmark for risk mitigation technology.

“A major milestone for us, as a company and the product, was winning the Queensland Safe Work Awards.

“To be recognised by WorkSafe ambassadors, such as their safety inspectors, who have investigated near misses and accidents across sites, and thus be validated in the design of such a system, was really rewarding to us.

“Since then we have received interest from other government safety bodies nationally and across other sectors.”

UNWAVERING SUPPORT PRM Engineering Services has developed the product to ensure that maintenance and support can continue despite factors such as travel distance and COVID-19 lockdowns.

“I think one of the biggest advantages to our service is the support,” Mike says.

“We are willing to share the technology with our clients to make sure they can be self-sufficient, especially when it comes to ongoing repairs and calibrations. This is so our customers have a system that is userfriendly and very easy to maintain.”

Mike says that such support can also be completed remotely, removing the need for face-to-face consultations.

“By using a modem, we are able to access the system and do remote troubleshooting for our clients, as well as product updates.

“The majority of actions with the product can be completed remotely through server access. So, if a component such as the camera is replaced, we are able to reset the detection zones for our clients.

“I think this gives the customer confidence that they can have a system which works, as well as security that they have done everything possible to protect their workers.”

Avril says the ongoing development of the product will hold the device in great stead for the future, and open the door for introducing the device to more industries.

“Crucial to our product is the ongoing research and development in-house. PRM Engineering is continuously looking at ways to reduce costs, is able to design and support the product locally, and continuously engages and embeds the latest technologies available, according to individual customer needs,” Avril says.

“Our background is earthmoving and we are passionate about safety, which brings a different element and understanding to the development of our safety products. We’ve got indepth knowledge of our industry and mobile machinery.”

For more information, visit: www.prmsolutions.com.au

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – MACHINERY

Crushing it ASTEC AUSTRALIA IS ABOUT TO BRING THE NEXT GENERATION TRACKMOUNTED CONE PLANT, THE FT200DF, TO THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET.

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he Federal Government is investing millions of dollars into waste and recycling industries in a bid to reach a national resource recovery rate of 80 per cent by 2030, recovering an extra 15 million tonnes of valuable resources every year.

According to the National Waste Report 2020, recycling rates have reached 60 per cent, up two per cent from 2016-17, but council waste, commercial and industrial and construction and demolition waste are the three largest waste streams in 2018-19.

World-first export bans on some waste, including unprocessed glass, tyres, paper and cardboard, coupled with commitments to increase the use of recycled content by government and industries, has forced the domestic recycling sector to look at its readiness and capability to reach recovery targets.

Astec Australia has built a reputation on designing, manufacturing and servicing material handling and mobile equipment for everything from heavy-duty mining and quarry operations, to crushing and screening

The next generation FT200DF is about to hit the Australian market.

54 / WMR / March 2022

aggregates for construction and repurposing recycled materials.

Shaun Quinn, Senior Account Manager – Materials Solutions says the K200+ Kodiak cone crusher used on the FT200DF, and the GT205MF multi-frequency screening plant are proven in the recycling field, crushing glass, including full bottles, back into a usable sand product. Production rates range from 80tph to 100tph depending on the feed quality.

The next generation FT200DF, about to hit the Australian market, includes significant upgrades.

“These Generation 2 improvements are going to cement the machine’s place in the marketplace,” Shaun says.

“Engineers have taken a proven design, that’s already working, and improved it. I’m excited to get it out into the marketplace.”

Shaun says a hydraulic cone brake is now standard on the FT200DF and FT300DF, removing the need to get underneath the machine and replace shear bolts.

The “Gen 2” has a Trac 10 control system instead of Kodiak Control System (KCS). The Auto Protect System senses impending bowl

float and adjusts the belt feeder to optimise crusher performance, while a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)-based system with touch screen is more responsive, actively monitoring performance and adjusting, instead of using pre-determined time intervals.

The Overload Protection System adjusts feed to the crusher based on engine horsepower, pinion speed and hydraulic motor pressure.

Crusher drive is now a variable speed hydrostatic direct drive, which means no v-belts or clutch, which allows the crusher to recover from an overload without stalling the engine. It also allows for the engine package to be rotated 90 degrees on the chassis so the radiator fan can draw fresh air from the side of the machine rather than pull dusty air from the under-crusher conveyor. Platforms allow access to both sides of the engine enclosure and views into the cone feed hopper.

Shaun says the Gen 2 will improve production because it continually monitors and adjusts accordingly.

He says several machines are being used in the United States and have been given the thumbs up by operators.

The GT205 multi-frequency screening plant can screen fines out of high-moisture aggregate and organic material.

“These Generation 2 improvements are going to cement the machine’s place in the marketplace. Engineers have taken a proven design, that’s already working, and improved it.

Shaun Quinn, Senior Account Manager – Materials Solutions

“For recyclers, the Kodiak’s proven to be robust,” Shaun says.

“Its origins date back to crushing alluvial river gravel and hard rock for aggregates, so it’s up to the job for repurposing recycled materials.”

The GT205MF Multi-Frequency plant features a 20 x 5 inch 2 deck multi-frequency screen – meaning it uses a conventional screening action throughout the whole screen but also uses high frequency technology on the bottom deck.

The high frequency action provides additional frequency directly into the media on the bottom deck, which helps with separation in finer or wetter applications.

Couch Aggregates in Alabama uses the GT205 multi-frequency screen to pull fines out of high-moisture, clayrich aggregate and organic material.

Todd Barnes, Plant Manager, says the GT205 is “in a class of its own” and has resulted in about a 35 per cent increase in production at the facility – up to about 50-60,000 tonnes a month.

“They are more portable, selfcontained and easy to move around on site,” he says.

“They’re robust and tough. These plants can run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We push the GT205 hard and it’s a dependable machine.”

Astec stands by its equipment and offers service, maintenance and training support across its entire network.

“If you’re working, we’re working,” Shaun says.

For more information, visit: www.astecindustries.com

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – LANDFILL MANAGEMENT

Exceeding requirements TOOWOOMBA REGIONAL COUNCIL SERVICES ONE OF QUEENSLAND’S LARGEST GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS. A CATERPILLAR MH3022 MATERIAL HANDLER IS HELPING ENSURE AN EFFICIENT OPERATION.

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owoomba Regional Council in southern Queensland is transitioning away from conventional landfill sites to waste transfer stations.

As landfill sites reach their end of life and near capacity limits, the council is taking a proactive approach to ensure it can continue to provide waste services for the local region.

Matt Torr, Manager Waste Services, says the success of the waste services operation is dependent on reliable and productive machinery.

“We have around 165,000 residents, which is about 65,000 properties we service,” he says. “We have 23 waste facilities scattered around the region, which are separated into tiers, depending on the size of the facility. This includes eight landfills, nine transfer stations and six bin stations.

“We also use external contractors who we can outsource for different materials.”

Matt says the MH3022 Material Handler was selected to be used at the service’s main transfer station, which provides waste disposal for the Toowoomba area, following a thorough tender process to find a suitable brand and model of machinery.

“Our new transfer station facility is a flat floor design, which allows customers to unload waste on a flat

The MH3022 Material Handler has been designed for indoor and outdoor waste sorting applications.

floor rather than bins on site,” he says. “This waste is then pushed up and the MH3022 Material Handler picks it up and puts it into a tipper. From this point, the waste is taken to landfill.”

Matt says the flat floor design has provided a range of benefits, particularly for the council’s resources.

“When using bins, it is difficult to get good compaction, this process allows us to do more loads and, using the MH3022 Material Handler, we can quickly move waste. It saves our operation in terms of transport time and cost,” he says.

PROVEN FEATURES Similar to other products within Caterpillar’s catalogue, the MH3022 Material Handler has been designed and developed with adaptability in mind.

Able to be used for indoor and outdoor waste sorting applications, the MH3022 Material Handler has a Cat C7.1 engine, which satisfies EU Stage IV emission standards.

Efficient hydraulic systems provide accuracy, and a dedicated swing pump enables the machine to exert smoother movements.

Matt says the operators at Toowoomba Regional Council

56 / WMR / March 2022

Waste

have so far been impressed by the machine’s capabilities.

“It is brilliant when lifting because we can see into the back of the truck.

This is obviously a massive advantage for the operator, as they are able to see what they are doing and optimise loading times. It has been very reliable to date,” he says.

“With this machine we are also able to undertake different types of jobs in various areas of the site, such as the removal of products like scrap metal.”

“The options and specifications are also an added bonus. Features such as full rubber tyres and other components, which are designed for waste treatment, have worked very well. The machine has worked well from day one.”

The MH3022 Material Handler has been configured to meet the

demands of the Australian waste industry and can support various waste handling additions, which can include mesh packaging to protect the cooling hood and an engine air pre-cleaner.

Matt says that during its 12 months of operation the MH3022 Material Handler has required only standard maintenance. The material handler features ground level access for routine maintenance for engine oil filters or fluid taps. Automatic features such as an electric lift pump and lubrication system also extend required maintenance intervals.

Relevant machine data such as fuel consumption, idle time, location, and hours are all available via the Product Link feature.

HD Advantage, which is a proactive equipment health and maintenance

monitoring program, is provided as standard from the local Caterpillar dealer, Hastings Deering.

The sheer size of the MH3022 Material Handler is also proving to be a standout feature for on-site operators.

“Compared to some of the previous machinery on site, the operators prefer the MH3022 Material Handler as it is slightly larger,” Matt says.

“The MH3022 helps council fulfill its aim of using flat floor arrangements at the waste transfer station. Without a machine of this type, we would be stuck using our previous methodology, which would increase our costs across the board.”

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – MACHINERY

Flexibility realised THE PETERSON 6710D HORIZONTAL GRINDER FROM KOMATSU FOREST PROVIDES A LARGE-SCALE PROCESSING OPTION FOR OPERATORS. MICK BENTON, OF FOREST ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT & CONSULTING, EXPLAINS.

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ick Benton and his wife built Forest Enterprises Development & Consulting (FEDC) from the ground up. What was originally a forestry company has expanded to include the haulage, civil and agricultural sectors on New South Wales’ far north coast.

As part of its services, FEDC is tasked with the processing of sawmill residue for Cape Byron Management, which operates two 30MW cogeneration plants. Mick says

the addition of the Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder has enabled FEDC to contribute to what is an emerging market.

“The Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder is contracted to process sawmill residue, a waste product which comes from sawmills after they have cut timber,” Mick says.

“Traditionally this by-product has been burnt in open pits at the sawmills. Now it can all be transported to Broadwater’s

FEDC expects the Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder to accumulate 10,000 hours of use, before it is replaced.

58 / WMR / March 2022

co-generation plant, where our Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder can process it to produce renewable electricity.”

The Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder is powered by an 839kW Tier II, Caterpillar C32 engine, and has a feed opening of 127 x 168cm.

Mick says the combination of a powerful engine and large feed opening allows the Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder to handle a wide variety of

feedstock sizes from the sawmills.

He says FEDC has also been able to create a circular economy for the sawmill by-product.

“Previously, there has not been a market for the sawmill waste,” Mick says. “But all of that product now comes up into our plant and goes through our Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder.

“We produce a ground material, which is transferred into a stockpile.

Wheel loaders with light material buckets, which operate 24/7, place this material into a hopper.

From here it is transferred onto a conveyor, which runs into the plant to power the turbine.”

The power and steam that is generated at the facility powers the attached sugar mill during the crushing season, with the residual power being fed into the grid.

DURABILITY & PERFORMANCE Mick says the three-stage grinding process of the Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder improves accuracy and ensures that operators can achieve a consistent end product.

Up-cutting rotors help to draw materials into the grinding chamber and provide the first line of material size reduction. Available with either pinned or drum rotors, the upcutting rotors are supported by the anvil, which is purposely placed to optimise production.

The grate area is the last step during the sizing process. Its large surface area results in high production for the treatment of a range of materials.

Mick says the performance of the Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder has prompted FEDC to order a 5710D from Komatsu Forest.

“As of next April, we would have owned the Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder for around four years. We decided to go with

The Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder can handle a wide variety of feedstock sizes.

the 6710D because of its high production,” Mick says. “By the time it is replaced it will have accumulated more than 10,000 hours of use.”

Reduced running costs are another incentive for using the Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder and Peterson range – horizontal grinders from 339kW to 894kW are available in both diesel and electric configurations. The unit uses an impact release system to prevent damage to the machine. Large, nongrindable objects are ejected from the grinding chamber, thus reducing maintenance costs.

OPERATOR CONVENIENCE The Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder can be customised for various applications, with components able to be switched out to suit operator needs.

Grates have hex, round, square and rectangular opening options. Add-on

equipment such as cold weather kits and multiple engine packages allow operators to design a grinder to suit the job at hand.

The Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder remote control and monitoring system allows users to pause or resume operation at the touch of a button.

Remote monitoring lets them evaluate the performance of the machine in real time.

Mick says that the Peterson 6710D Horizontal Grinder, and backing of Komatsu Forest, has given FEDC ease of mind.

“We run a lot of different types of machinery. One thing that we have learnt is that a machine is only as good as the support you have and the parts that they carry. Komatsu Forest has always been on the front foot in this area,” he says.

For more information, visit: www.komatsuforest.com.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 59

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – NEW SOLUTIONS

Putting waste back to work TEREX RECYCLING SYSTEMS AIMS TO HELP MUNICIPALITIES, GOVERNMENT AND CONTRACTORS COPE WITH INCREASING DEMANDS OF WASTE.

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ith global waste generation expected to increase by about 70 per cent over the next 30 years, it is vital that processors have access to smart solutions to handle various waste streams and maintain a high level of throughput.

Terex Recycling Systems specialises in the design and build of stationary and modular recycling systems and aims to provide customers a “one-stop shop” for recycling needs.

Kenny Hull, Commercial Product Manager, says Terex Recycling Systems can play an important role in the global drive towards sustainability.

“Our recycling technology allows operators to extract and recover the maximum volume of recyclable materials from a diverse number of waste streams. This ultimately reduces the amount of waste that is sent to landfill sites,” he says.

“Our ability to customise solutions to the exact needs of the customer, along with exceptional aftermarket support, is what sets Terex Recycling Systems apart.” ,

Kenny Hull Commercial Product Manager says Terex Recycling Systems

“Our ability to customise solutions to the exact needs of the customer, along with exceptional aftermarket support, is what sets Terex Recycling Systems apart.”

The Terex Recycling Systems portfolio is designed to cater for a variety of applications including construction and demolition waste, commercial and industrial waste, wood, biomass, compost and organics. The company is project focused, supplying shredders,

Modular Terex Recycling Systems are quick to install and can be modified to specific customer needs.

feeders, conveyors, screens, sorters and separators for bespoke recycling plants.

A modular system means less engineering work from sale to production and is easier to project manage from production and delivery through to installation. They are quick to set up and offer greater flexibility for customers to modify and expand.

Finlay Screening and Crushing, headquartered in Brisbane, is the authorised Terex Recycling Systems distributor for Australia. Additional depots are located in Sydney and Melbourne.

Finlay Screening and Crushing provides machine sales, spare parts and local service support to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, ACT, South Australia, Tasmania and Papua New Guinea.

For more information, visit: www.finlay.com.au/

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 61

COUNCIL IN FOCUS

Looking ahead to textile solutions THE CITY OF DAREBIN COUNCIL IS SETTING ITS SIGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF TEXTILE RECYCLING WITHIN ITS COMMUNITY.

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ustralians send about $500 million of clothing to landfill each year, more than 95 per cent of which can be recycled or reused.

The City of Darebin Council, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, is turning its attention to textile and material waste as part of its commitment to establishing a circular economy.

The council received funding in 2021 from Sustainability Victoria, as part of the Recycling Victoria Councils Fund, to conduct a feasibility study into a commercial textile recycling facility.

Ai Ikemi, the council’s Sustainability Programs Officer, says textile waste has been identified as a growth area for the region.

“We engaged with an external consultant back in 2019. When they were conducting a large waste strategic review for us, [we found] that in addition to food waste, textile waste should be a priority for us,” Ai says.

“For the first time we have put on a climate change lens when reviewing our waste strategy. We found that focusing on textile waste was really good for emission reduction and not just waste reduction.”

The Strategic Waste Options Summary Report, completed by an external consultant, highlighted key areas for the City of Darebin to action as far as textile waste was concerned, including landfill diversion and carbon emissions.

The City of Darebin’s feasibility study is being financially supported by Sustainability Victoria.

“When you look at the amount of textile waste going to landfill it is actually a small amount. It’s about three per cent of what Darebin sends to landfill,” Ai says. “But when we look at the intensiveness of emissions from that three per cent, we identified that it was a huge opportunity for us to reduce our carbon impacts.

“What we are ultimately trying to achieve is a local solution to closing the loop for textile waste. When the Sustainability Victoria grants were made available, we wanted to take that next step and actually look at recycling locally.”

Nina Bailey, Senior Sustainability Programs Officer, says that the Darebin feasibility study will provide more clarity around the applicability of textile infrastructure projects for the local area.

“We have really wanted to be at the innovative end when working with the circular economy in Darebin, which is why this textile project is very exciting,” Nina says. “At the end of this process we want to have a look at the report and recommendations and sit internally and do more stakeholder engagement.

“The next phase will likely involve council seeking more funds. The end goal is to develop something infrastructure-wise that can contribute to textile treatment,” she says. “It is easy enough to talk about waste avoidance and landfill avoidance, but we want to go that step further and offer everyone a solution.”

The City of Darebin is already encouraging local recycling through organically grown programs such as the Darebin Hard Rubbish Heroes

w 62 / WMR / March 2022

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program. The program has its own Facebook group to engage residents and support the reuse, repair, recycling and rehoming of materials.

Ai explains that similar programs are also helping to encourage engagement around textile material solutions.

“We firstly look at the sustainable consumption of textiles, so we worked with our local op-shop collectors to promote second-hand shopping,” she says. “We’re encouraging residents to visit local op-shops and bring in good quality items rather than sending that material to landfill.”

Ai says that creating a self-sufficient economy for textiles will be key to developing an effective solution for the waste stream. She says the region’s experience in textile manufacturing will also bode well for development.

“There is a history of textile production throughout the area,” Ai

says. “It is a really nice thing to be able to bring that back by supporting local textile manufacturing. Especially during COVID-19, where support is needed for local businesses.”

The City of Darebin will also focus on implementing programs to educate residents about the appropriate treatment of textile waste.

“In our team we do a lot of waste and recycling education,” Nina says.

“Anything around the circular economy and textile work is going to be new, so we will be well placed to educate residents and answer questions.”

She says the council will also extend its services to existing operations.

“It is going to be important to work with those groups who are already receiving and processing textiles, even if they aren’t recycling,” she says. “We will be working with charities, local

businesses, recyclers and universities for that technical innovation.”

At the completion of the feasibility study in 2022, providing a solution for textile recycling will be a key priority for the City of Darebin.

Sustainability Victoria is also looking to optimise textile recycling networks throughout the state. CEO Claire Ferres Miles says the organisation is “proud” to fund the Darebin feasibility study.

“This is an enormous area of opportunity to drive a shift towards waste reduction and using resources to their full potential,” Claire says.

“This feasibility study offers the opportunity to investigate options that will empower councils like the City of Darebin to lead impactful change.”

For more information, visit: www.darebin.vic.gov.au

OPAL COVE RESORT Coffs Harbour 3-5 May 2022

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR AN EVOLVING INDUSTRY

Waste 2022 – The industry’s leading Waste Management Conference Exciting Announcement New to Waste 2022!

The Waste 2022 Conference is scheduled to take place on 3-5 May 2022 in Coffs Harbour and will be a hybrid event featuring both face-to-face and live broadcast of presentations. The program will provide keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops and 3 concurrent streams allowing delegates to tailor the program to their own learning needs. There will also be the opportunity to network with industry experts during 3 dedicated social events.

This premier industry event will operate in a COVID safe manner and will comply with regulations.

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Conference program, registration and accommodation bookings will be available from mid-March

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Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are now available

A dedicated Equipment and Technology Expo will complement the existing conference and exhibition whereby you can participate in presentations and learn all about the equipment on display. If you have missed the opportunity to be face to face with many of the key suppliers due to COVID-19, now is your chance!

More information coming soon so keep an eye on the conference website.

The 3-day event is coupled with an extensive indoor exhibition and interactive outdoor product displays.

For further information visit: www.coffswasteconference.com.au Supported by:

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Email: wasteconference@impactenviro.com.au Major Sponsors:

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Phone: 02 6583 8118 Hosted by:

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Mobile: 0474 629 908 Organised by:

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

KOMPTECH CEA’S MAXX-E The Maxx drum screen from Komptech CEA was built for use in mid- to large-sized composting operations. Its rugged construction and high-performance components make it suitable for almost any screen application and it is a professional solution for contracting companies across Australia.

In addition to housing Komptech CEA’s renowned drum screen machinery components, the Maxx also consists of an electric-powered alternative system. Electrically driven variants are available as alternatives: On the “E“ variants, electric motors are used in place of hydraulic drives.

Power comes directly from the mains or, when required, is produced by an integrated diesel generator. The electric mode yields a reduction in energy consumption and results in savings in replacement and/or consumable parts and servicing costs.

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TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS. TODAY

TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS. TODAY

ELDAN RECYCLING, SUPER CHOPPER SC2118/SC2109 - FREQUENCY DRIVE Eldan Super Choppers are heavy-duty pre-choppers designed as the first step in any recycling process.

The Super Choppers are versatile and can be used for pre-chopping most materials including tyres (without prior debeading), aluminium scrap, cables, electronic and electrical waste, refrigerators, municipal solid waste, wind turbine wings, plastics and more.

They are powered directly by either planetary gear and frequency converter, or a hydraulic motor and power unit, both ensuring automatic reverse for overload protection and minimising knife damages.

The large Super Chopper model has adjustable knife clearance, which optimises the cutting function. The knives can be reground multiple times on a “flat-bed” grinder to ensure long life and low operation costs.

The unique rotor, with either 18 or 9 flying knives, is manufactured and designed for minimum wear.

Rough screening bars ensure reduced output size with the option of reducing output down to less than 100mm.

64 / WMR / March 2022

Eldan Recycling’s Super Chopper.

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LAST WORD

Waste not, recycle more SUZANNE TOUMBOUROU, CEO OF THE AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF RECYCLING, REVEALS THE ORGANISATION’S 2022 STRATEGY AND WHY SHE WANTS TO LEAVE THE WORD ‘WASTE’ BEHIND.

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he word ‘waste’ has not served the resource recovery or recycling industry well. It implies that resources once used, hold no further value.

In reality, our industry and its manufacturing partners, have rapidly become more resourceful and innovative in the ways products and materials can be recovered and reused in the circular economy. And there is broad recognition of the potential for jobs, productivity and emissions reduction that this sector can deliver.

Last year, the Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) began the process of renewing its strategic direction. Our vision is an Australian circular economy where resource recovery, remanufacturing and recycling are central to generating economic and social value while improving the health of our environment. Waste does not feature in this vision.

ACOR’s mission as the pre-eminent peak industry forum is to lead the transition to a circular economy through the resource recovery, remanufacturing and recycling supply chain.

Governments, industry and the community need to stop thinking ‘waste’ and start seeing ‘resource potential’.

Supporting this goal are our four policy priorities: Strong end markets

and an integrated supply chain to support a thriving competitive recycling market and embed recycled content in procurement; a supportive regulatory environment, with nationally harmonised alignment between environmental policies and circular economy principles; product stewardship to ensure distributors and producers are responsible for the end-of-life of the products brought into the Australian market; and consumers who know how to ‘recycle right’ and consumer confidence in how to recycle right.

Waste is not mentioned in ACOR’s mission statement or policy priorities.

It must not define our industry.

Most governments across Australia have a steady goal of ‘diverting waste from landfill’.

As genuine as this goal is, we need to begin framing it as ‘recovering valuable resources’, along with maximising jobs and growth. Strong end markets for recycled products are critical to the success of our industry, and rebranding the recycled materials from ‘waste’ to ‘resource’ helps to support business and consumer confidence.

Suzanne Toumbourou, CEO of the Australian Council of Recycling.

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LAST WORD

Australian recyclers are making things such as asphalt additives for roads, outdoor furniture and household items.

Wouldn’t we all prefer to think of our recycled coffee cups as made from recovered resources and not from waste?

The recent ‘Remade in Australia’ campaign launched by the Federal Government late last year was a move in the right direction, acknowledging that all end-of-life products and packaging have potential. At its core, recycling is about remanufacturing and creating great products with better environmental outcomes.

The Remade campaign allows us to hope for a future where recovered resources are prioritised above virgin materials.

Businesses and governments now undeniably have an increased duty of care to use recycled materials in their products and infrastructure; whilst taking responsibility for the end-of-life outcomes of all production – from supermarket products to major projects. Recyclers

66 / WMR / March 2022

stand ready to work with partners across the entire supply chain, to support resource recovery, recycling and remanufacturing.

With their eye to the future of remanufacturing Australian products, it is also time for the Australian Government to consider reframing the ‘Waste Reduction’ portfolio.

While Minister Trevor Evans has excelled in the portfolio, a Minister for Resource Recovery and Circular Economy would be much more befitting of the role, industry, and circular economy goals. After all, our sector is about innovation and re-creation, rather than waste minimisation.

We make stuff! And the opportunities for remanufacturing are limitless. Right now, in Australia, recyclers are making things such as low carbon bricks and cement, asphalt additives for roads, mulch and compost, pool filtration

mediums, outdoor furniture, street safety, and household items.

Other countries are increasingly pursuing this line of thinking and separating the policy areas of resource recovery and the circular economy from the increasingly broad portfolio of ‘Environment’.

Last year, Scotland appointed its first Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity as a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government.

A Minister for Resource Recovery and Circular Economy would be a world-first and signal how serious Australia is about recycling our recoverable resources and evolving to a true closed-loop production cycle.

A step-change in properly recognising the value of our recoverable resources and ensuring a holistic approach to resource efficiency, productivity and great outcomes for our economy and environment.

THE BENCHMARK COMPANY FOR

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DELIVERING A GREENER FUTURE Komptech CEA is a leading supplier of machinery and systems for the treatment of solid waste through mechanical and mechanical biological treatments, as well as the treatment of biomass as a renewable energy source. Komptech CEA is proud to provide innovative solutions for handling waste and biomass.

Komptech CEA’s extensive range of products cover all key processing steps in modern waste handling. At Komptech CEA the focus is always on innovative technology and solutions ensuring maximum benefit to the customer. Like to know more? why not speak to one of our team today?

SHREDDERS

TROMMEL SCREENS

TERMINATOR Where Function Meets Technology A slow-running, single-shaft shredder suited to all types of waste.

CRAMBO Less Fuel, More Power

STAR SCREENS

WINDROW TURNERS

MULTI STAR Screening with a Star Makes waste wood and biomass processing highly efficient.

NEMUS Robust and Reliable

Ideal for shredding all types of wood and green cuttings.

Combining the practice-proven virtues of its predecessors with new solutions for even greater performance.

TOPTURN X

AXTOR

The Ideal Combination of Performance and Design

Shredding and Chipping Made Easy

With a sturdy frame, powerful hydraulics and large drum, the Topturn X is ready to handle any work situation.

One of the most versatile machines around for processing wood and green cuttings.

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