Waste Management Review Apr 2022

APRIL 2022

Food for thought Source Separation Systems is shaking things up in FOGO

FEATURES

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COVER STORY

18

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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Source Separation Systems is shaking things up in the world of Food Organics Garden Organics

CONSIDER IT DONE

“I THINK IT’S REALLY EXCITING WE CAN WORK SO CLOSELY WITH CLIENTS TO HELP THEM OPTIMISE RESULTS, WHICH IS WHERE WE WILL BE ABLE TO REALISE THE FULL BENEFITS FOR FOGO IN AUSTRALIA.”

The General Manager of Easyquip lifts the lid on an Australian success story.

– Peter Cruwys, Managing Director Source Separation Systems.

In this issue Features

23 B-CYCLE LAUNCHED

A national approach to keep batteries out of landfill.

26 POSITIVE THINKING

ReSource introduces Australia’s first X-ray battery sorter.

28

A GOOD SORT

EcoBatt uses global best practice to build an automated battery sorting system.

30 A NEW BENCHMARK

Aerofloat’s wastewater solution for one of Australia’s biggest plastic recycling facilities.

32

CORE TECHNOLOGY

34

BREAKTHROUGH OPPORTUNITIES

ifm efector ensures the waste industry is part of the technological revolution.

REMONDIS Aqua prepares its first commercial wastewater treatment plant in Queensland.

36 ON THE WATERFRONT

Enviropacific extends its operations with the acquisition of Western Australia-based Novatron.

38 CONSIDER IT DONE

The General Manager of Easyquip lifts the lid on an Australian success story.

50 DRIVING CHANGE

A new tyre recycling facility in Victoria is putting people and the environment first.

MADE, THROUGH 40 OZ 52 FOR GOOD MEASURE AND THROUGH HSR Southern Cross is a proud supporter of Australian-made products and job creation.

Trimble’s waste data plays a vital role in reaching environmental, social and governance goals.

FEAT OF COMPREHENSIVE 42 AENGINEERING 54 ASERIES Wastech Engineering delivers a Materials Recovery Facility at the forefront of the recycling industry.

ALLU’s D and DL series Transformers turn waste and recycling machinery into versatile tools.

REDBACK 44 BRINGING BACK TO LIFE HARBOUR 56 COFFS WASTE CONFERENCE JDM Aust acquires a renowned waste machinery manufacturer.

46 ASSESSING THE RISK

Gallagher uses industry experience to negotiate better deals for the waste and recycling sector.

ULTIMATE 48 THE POWER COUPLE

RecycleSmart and Australian Red Cross are giving textiles a second chance.

Waste 2022 combines a Conference with an Equipment and Technology Expo.

58 COUNCIL IN FOCUS

Mindarie Regional Council takes a deep dive into WtE.

Regulars 59 PRODUCT SHOWCASE 61 LAST WORD www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 3

PUBLISHER

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

MANAGING EDITOR

Mike Wheeler mike.wheeler@primecreative.com.au

EDITOR

Lisa Korycki lisa.korycki@primecreative.com.au

From the Editor

True Blue

As COVID-19 continues to create supply chain disruptions and shipping delays, the importance and advantages of Australian Made are being highlighted.

There’s a definite desire by purchasers to support local manufacturing, according to Martyn Cross, HSR Southern Cross Managing Director. Martyn has been designing and manufacturing waste industry equipment for the past 21 years and shares his story in this month’s edition of Waste Management Review (page 42).

In the Latrobe Valley, Australian made has been a key part of steel bin manufacturer Easyquip’s strategy, providing local job opportunities for the community. The company now employs more than 60 people across two states and aims to expand (page 36).

And recognising the appeal in local production, JDM Aust is bringing back an Australian-built product, acquiring the full rights to the Redback Grinders brand (page 38).

Aussies have always been recognised for their ability to roll up their sleeves and get the job done in the face of adversity. The manufacturing sector is no different.

The epitome of Australian grit and determination, Victorian-based Wastech Engineering designed and manufactured a state-of-the-art sorting plant for a Materials Recovery Facility in South Australia at a time when Australia shut its borders to the world and interstate (page 40).

Aussie ingenuity is also set to shake things up in the Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) industry. Source Separation Systems’ in-house experts have designed a new caddy, manufactured in Australia from up to 100 per cent postconsumer recycled polypropylene content. Peter Cruwys, Managing Director Source Separation Systems says while the kitchen FOGO caddy may be a seemingly simple unit, the new design will open a whole raft of new opportunities (page 18).

Manufacturing production in Australia increased by 3.46 per cent in September 2021 compared with September 2020, according to Trading Economics.

It’s ideas like those highlighted in this month’s WMR that will continue to help Australia’s economy and opportunities grow.

Lisa Korycki

6 / WMR / April 2022

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

HEAD OFFICE

Prime Creative Pty Ltd 11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia p: +61 3 9690 8766 f: +61 3 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.wastemanagementreview.com.au

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ARTICLES

All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

COPYRIGHT

Waste Management Review is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy.

All material in Waste Management Review is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher.

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.

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News

REMONDIS withdraws WtE project for Swanbank REMONDIS Australia has withdrawn a Coordinated Project application to build a $400 million Energy-from-Waste (EfW) plant at its Swanbank Resource Recovery Precinct after being advised by the Queensland State Government that the project was unsuitable.

REMONDIS first approached the Coordinator General about the Swanbank proposal in 2018. The project application was accepted and given Co-ordinated Project Status in June 2020.

Since then, REMONDIS has been waiting for the release of Draft Terms of Reference for public comment, a critical step in the assessment and community consultation processes.

The Draft Terms of Reference identify social, environmental and other matters, including design, to be addressed in the project’s Environmental Impact Statement.

In December 2021, the Queensland Coordinator General informed REMONDIS that its application to construct an Energy-from-Waste facility would be unviable as a Coordinated Project because of a recently updated Temporary Local Planning Instrument blocking new applications for Energy-from-Waste in the Ipswich Region.

Bjoern Becker, REMONDIS Australia Chief Executive Officer, said the company will keep working with the Queensland Government to identify options to introduce Energy-from-Waste, given that recent government policy has identified EfW as an essential part of modern circular economy.

“The Queensland Government accepted our project for assessment and asked us to follow a rigorous process, including community consultation, which we have

done in good faith and with much effort and dedication over a long period,” Becker said.

“It is disappointing that we have been left in limbo for nearly two years due to the stalling of the assessment process, and to then be advised to withdraw our application.

“Our offer is to invest $700 million to supercharge recycling at our Swanbank precinct, including an outlay of $400 million for an Energyfrom-Waste facility that would create 200 full-time equivalent jobs in the Ipswich area.

“The rest of the world knows that when you embrace Energyfrom-Waste technology you all but do away with the dark-age practice of landfill and its potential environmental impacts including land disturbance, odour, methane and leachate discharge.”

Qenos, Cleanaway join forces in plastic recycling feasibility study Plastics manufacturer Qenos and waste management company, Cleanaway have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to undertake a joint feasibility study for plastic-to-plastic advanced recycling in New South Wales and Victoria.

The study will investigate the feasibility and environmental benefits of converting up to 100,000 tonnes

8 / WMR / April 2022

per year of Australia’s household soft plastic waste and mixed plastics, which would otherwise end up in landfill, into feedstock for use in Qenos’ existing manufacturing facilities to produce Circular Polyethylene.

Circular Polyethylene has identical properties to virgin polyethylene and can be used in food contact and high-performance applications, thereby

supporting local packaging and food manufacturers to achieve the 2025 APCO National Packaging Targets.

Stephen Bell, Qenos Chief Executive Officer, said that the joint study leverages the combined resources of the nation’s leading companies in the fields of plastics waste management and plastics manufacturing.

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News

Australia’s recycling boom breaks new barriers Australia’s Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF) is set to break through the billion-dollar barrier, generating unprecedented investment in the nation’s recycling capacity, according to Environment Minister Sussan Ley. Originally forecast to generate $600 million in commonwealth, state, territory and industry investment, the fund is closing in on the $1 billion mark with projects already driving almost 3000 jobs in both construction and ongoing employment.

With only Queensland still to announce its investment plans, the green light has now been given to 87 projects across Australia dealing with waste plastic, tyres, glass and paper.

Ley said these projects alone will create 1.3 million tonnes of new recycling capacity per annum, more than double the volume subject to the government’s waste export ban.

The government has co-invested more than $104.5 million for 54 new plastic projects to reprocess waste plastic into new products. These projects will process 276,218 tonnes of plastic each year, almost one and half times the amount of plastic subject to the export ban.

More than 35 per cent of the projects are tipped to be completed

by July, just over half to be running by the end of the year, and more than 90 per cent by the end of 2023.

The government has co-invested more than $29.5 million for 26 glass projects, which will generate 480,770 tonnes of onshore processing capacity, almost 30 times the amount subject to the export ban.

More than $27.5 million has been co-invested in 10 tyre projects to generate 125,180 tonnes of processing capacity every year, while more than $88 million has been co-invested in 14 paper and cardboard projects to reprocess waste paper and cardboard into new products. These will generate 415,567 tonnes of onshore processing capacity, about 110 per cent of that subject to the export ban.

APCO gets stewardship tick The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has been given the tick of approval as an accredited national product stewardship scheme working to ensure that Australia’s packaging can be recycled, reused and kept out of landfill.

Trevor Evans, Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environment Management, said achieving Australian Government accreditation signals that the government strongly backs APCO’s work with business to increase the circularity of packaging and achieve the ambitious 2025 National Packaging Targets.

10 / WMR / April 2022

“As part of the new accreditation, the Minister for the Environment can now call out either individual companies or the entire packaging industry to meet their obligations and take responsibility for the environmental impacts of packaging,” Evans said.

“As an accredited product stewardship arrangement, APCO and its members can now also use the Australian Government’s official product stewardship logo, which demonstrates to both businesses and consumers that it has the government’s stamp of approval.”

APCO is the fifth national product stewardship scheme to be accredited by the Federal Government.

Brooke Donnelly, Chief Executive Officer, APCO commented: “We are thrilled to have received accreditation for our ongoing work to support the Australian industry on the pathway to achieving the 2025 National Packaging Targets and to provide the Australian supply chain with further opportunities as they collectively continue to deliver tangible, measurable, and inspiring action towards the 2025 targets.”

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News

Research reveals NSW voters support shift from landfilling Research commissioned by Veolia reveals that outside of the economy and cost of living, New South Wales voters are most concerned about the environment.

In a post-pandemic world, voters say environmental sustainability is a priority, and that they support investment in recycling and waste initiatives, to help prevent climate change – even if it means diverting funds from elsewhere.

Research shows that 75 per cent of people say waste management issues such as reducing waste, increasing recycling and minimising emissions, are of concern; while 67 per cent support diverting funds away from other key areas, to increase investment in waste management initiatives and infrastructure.

The NSW Government has set commitments to halve emissions, drive greater recycling, and adopt technology such as Energy-from-Waste (EfW) to reduce a reliance on landfills, by 2030.

This aligns with Federal Government targets to recover 80 per cent of materials and reach net zero by 2050.

Veolia’s research reveals that voters are not aware of the government’s environmental agenda. – 3 per cent of people say they are ‘definitely aware’ of NSW climate policies and 4 per cent of people say they are aware of the transition to a circular economy.

When asked about globally proven technologies that allow for the shift away from landfilling, voters strongly supported it – 82 per cent say that NSW should invest in EfW technology.

Voters also want recycling and waste companies to play a greater advisory role on waste management initiatives.

Richard Kirkman, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director for Veolia Australia and New Zealand, said the NSW public have a sophisticated understanding of climate issues. “Numbers show that people want change and they support the investment needed to make it happen. This is fantastic news because their priorities already align with policies that preserve resources and protect biodiversity.

“Those voters who were less supportive of the green agenda were motivated by economic matters. These voters overwhelmingly support initiatives that focus on creating jobs, driving new industries, and stimulating growth.”

Results of research commissioned by Veolia.

12 / WMR / April 2022

Kitchen Caddies

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FEATURE NEWS

Searching for a sea change Associate Professor Kathy Townsend.

WORLD-FIRST RESEARCH BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SUNSHINE COAST LOOKS AT WHETHER LEGISLATION TO REDUCE PLASTIC WASTE IS HELPING OUR MARINE LIFE.

T

he 2017 United Nations Ocean Conference estimated that oceans worldwide could contain more weight in plastics than fish by the year 2050.

World Wide Fund Australia says nearly all species of sea turtles are classified as endangered and plastic is doing more than its share of damage.

Amid a global push to tackle plastic waste, Australia is investing in research, recycling and manufacturing programs to create a circular economy and

14 / WMR / April 2022

reduce our reliance on plastics. Most states have introduced bans on the supply and sale of single use plastics to reduce the waste stream.

University of Sunshine Coast (USC) students, led by Associate Professor Kathy Townsend, are looking from an environmental perspective at the legislation and whether it is reducing the detrimental impact of waste to marine animals globally.

In particular, they’re looking at Queensland’s container reuse scheme, a

single-use plastic bag ban introduced in 2018 and a ban in September, 2021 of single-use plastics.

“Even a single piece of plastic can kill a turtle,” says Kathy. “Plastic bags are notoriously dangerous for turtles and sea birds who mistake them for food and choke or get tangled among them until they cannot swim or fly.”

In a world-first, live turtles are being studied to see how much plastic they’ve ingested. Previously, the only efficient method to determine what

plastics had been ingested relied on accessing sick and injured turtles that ultimately died. Researchers can now use blood and tissue samples to determine the chemical that exists if turtles have been exposed to plastics.

MONITORING WATERWAYS A study by Kathy and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) found that a turtle had a 22 per cent chance of dying if it ate just one piece of plastic. Once a turtle had 14 plastic items in its gut, there was a 50 per cent likelihood that it would die.

The study included a sample of nearly 1000 turtles on beaches around Australia.

“Two of the turtles we studied had eaten only one piece of plastic, which was enough to kill them. In one case, the gut was punctured and in the other the soft plastic clogged the gut,” Kathy says.

USC researchers began tracking the impact of Queensland’s ban on plastic bags in 2018 by monitoring the marine debris found inside stranded sea turtles from along Fraser Coast beaches and the mouths of the Mary, Susan, Burnett and Burrum rivers.

Kathy says marine debris surveys, conducted every six months, provide

USC researchers began tracking the impact of Queensland’s ban on plastic bags in 2018.

University of Sunshine Coast (USC) students are looking at whether legislation banning plastic bags is reducing the detrimental impact of waste to marine animals.

an opportunity to measure the success that the ban on single-use plastic bags is having in reducing the amount of plastics ending up in waterways.

Researchers are looking at debris in the environment and comparing it to debris surveys conducted pre-bans. They want to know if there are fewer plastic items in the environment and if so, are fewer showing up in the guts of sea turtles, in particular.

One of the concerns is if new reusable, much heavier-duty plastic bags, which can survive in the environment for a longer time period and never existed pre-legislation, are finding their way into the ocean and impacting on marine life.

POISONED BY PLASTICS In 2020, USC PhD candidate Caitlin Smith built on the research and began studying the effects of toxic chemicals from ingested microplastics on sea turtles. Her research will quantify the

amount of microplastic found in the gastrointestinal tracts of turtles and use biomonitoring tools to calculate the oxidative stress, which can lead to cell and tissue damage from chemical exposure.

“We know that marine turtles are dying from ingesting plastic particles,” Caitlyn says.

“However this is the first study to explore the toxicity of these particles and the health risks to turtles from chemical and heavy metal exposure.

“While plastic can cause blockages in turtle’s intestines and even pierce the intestinal wall causing septicaemia, there may be other factors contributing to deaths.

“The study will look at the correlation between the health of individual turtles to their exposure to debris ingestion, and answer the question of whether poor health is due to the physical presence of debris or its associated toxicity.”

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 15

FEATURE NEWS

Code blue AMBULANCE VICTORIA’S JO ALGIE IS ROLLING UP HER SLEEVES FOR A RECYCLING PROGRAM THAT IS ALL ABOUT TAKING LESS FROM THE PLANET AND GIVING MORE TO THE COMMUNITY.

W

hen Jo Algie decided to do something about a bunch of uniforms left lying around, she had no idea it would be the catalyst for a project now stretching across Australia and uniting medical teams in Thailand and Vanuatu.

The Ambulance Victoria Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic and team manager describes her “crazy little project” as getting “bigger than Ben Hur”.

More than two years after starting the uniform recycling program, Jo and a team of volunteers have saved thousands of uniforms from going to landfill. In 2021 alone, 15,000 items had been donated, recycled or rehomed.

“When you look at some of the things people do to save the world, ours is just a recycling project,” Jo says.

“Two and a half years since we started, I would have thought it would slow down, but it hasn’t. Each day deliveries are coming in.

“We’ve got so many people on board now. We’ve had contact from paramedics in almost every state of Australia asking what they can do.”

In 2021, Jo was crowned community champion in the waste reduction and the circular economy category of the Premier’s Sustainability Awards for her efforts in starting the program. She is quick to point out that the program’s success is because of the “community” that supports it – from Ambulance Victoria to Lions and Rotary clubs and scores of volunteers.

“Ambulance Victoria management has been very supportive, and my branch

16 / WMR / April 2022

has been amazing. There’s a lot of people that are helping,” Jo says.

“The community involvement has been huge. We’ve had amazing support from local Rotary and Lions groups in Drouin and Warragul. Before COVID-19 we had some real fun days. We set up camp chairs in garages and just sat chatting and de-badging uniforms. It was so much fun.”

Uniforms have been sent to help students at an Indigenous school in the Northern Territory, a Syrian refugee camp, Chisholm institute to help apprentice tradies and as part of a farm relief package following the 2019-20 Victorian and New South Wales bushfires.

Some uniforms are donated to Ambulance Victoria auxiliaries to be sold in local op shops, which often donate money back to ambulance branches to buy equipment. More recently, uniforms were used to dress a ‘surge workforce’. Hundreds of volunteers from agencies including SES, St John Ambulance, Life Saving Victoria, Chevra Hatzolah, CFA and the Red Cross have been working alongside paramedics so they can continue providing the best care to the record numbers of Victorians in need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Any clothing not suitable for donation is shredded and made into road base by a Victorian company.

“Most of it is really good-quality stuff that has a little bit more life in it before it has to end,” Jo says. “Anything that can’t be salvaged will be sent to be made into road base. We shouldn’t have

Ambulance Victoria advanced life support (ALS) paramedic and team manager Jo Algie.

to throw anything out, someone will be able to use it.”

One of the first donations the uniform recycling program made was a box of lightweight fluoro vests to a volunteer ambulance station in Thailand.

Jo says it was “pretty much all the uniform they’d ever had”. She’s hoping to expand the program to donate out-of-date stores such as neck collars and oxygen masks to volunteerrun ambulance and hospitals in the Philippines.

An Ambulance Victoria workforce noticeboard has been set up to facilitate donations. Ultimately, Jo hopes to set up an Australia-wide network.

“It’s a win-win, especially being able to rehome uniforms. Whether it’s someone in Ambulance Victoria, an apprentice tradie or an Indigenous student, we’ve been able to give uniforms a new home and stop them going into landfill,” she says.

“Everyone helping and doing their bit has made it work. Who knows where it will go.”

For more information, contact: joanne.algie@ambulance.vic.gov.au

www.enviropacific.com.au 1300 510 407

COVER STORY

Ellie Lukasik, Production Manager and Peter Cruwys, Managing Director, with the new ‘hybrid’ caddy.

Food for thought AS COUNCILS PREPARE TO INTRODUCE FOGO COLLECTIONS NATIONALLY BY 2023, SOURCE SEPARATION SYSTEMS IS LEADING THE CHARGE IN INDUSTRY INNOVATION.

I

t is estimated that only 49 per cent of organic waste is recycled in Australia, with rates varying from 75 per cent in the Australian Capital Territory to one per cent in the Northern Territory.

A recent report by the Australian Organics Industry found that if the national rate of recycling could be lifted to an average of 80 per cent, an extra

18 / WMR / April 2022

2,102,377 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions could be saved – equivalent to planting 314,006 trees or taking 486,021 cars off the road each year.

Aiming to improve the nation’s organics recycling rate, the Federal Government has committed to providing a FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) service to every

household by the end of 2023. With the government target now in place, there is pressure for councils to provide the right equipment for their residents, which is both cost effective and optimises FOGO adoption and recovery.

Peter Cruwys, Managing Director Source Separation Systems, says while

The Vented Caddy is designed to maximise airflow and ventilation.

the kitchen FOGO caddy may be a seemingly simple unit, a passionate debate is raging about the benefits of a Solid Caddy verses a Vented Caddy.

He says Source Separation Systems is set to shake up the debate, with an innovative modular design Vented Caddy providing the opportunity for hybrid models.

Designed in-house by industry experts, the new Vented Caddy has several unique innovations, which Peter says will make it distinct in the Australian market. What sets it apart is the ability to interchange components with the company’s Solid Caddy to create a tailor-made solution for customers.

“I’m really excited about the modular nature of our new caddy design,” Peter says. “We always work with councils on their unique FOGO educational messages and present this through the full colour in-mould label. However, this new caddy means customisation is now at the unit design level.

“Councils and waste contractors are already talking to us about what

will work best for their individual community, from vented and solid to a hybrid unit. Over the coming months, a large metro Melbourne council will be rolling out a fully recycled caddy with a solid base and vented lid, which includes a customised full colour inmould label, to about 50,000 of their residents. Their community will benefit from the best aspects of both traditional designs, vented and solid.”

Like Source Separation Systems’ popular Solid Caddy, the Vented Caddy is manufactured in Australia from up to 100 per cent post-consumer recycled polypropylene content. Most commonly, this recycled content has been sourced from council yellow recycling bins and includes items such as food packaging.

Ellie Lukasik, Source Separation Systems’ Production Manager, says the design team had the advantage of starting from the existing design of the company’s best-in-market Solid Caddy.

“As such, the design and engineering time was really spent focused on ventilation,” she says. “The project

team studied and obsessed over how to maximise airflow and ventilation without making any sacrifices in the convenience and educational advantages of our solution. Particularly with the base of the caddy, it took several prototypes before we felt we had perfected it.”

This obsession is reflected in the final design. The base features full length aeration slots on all four sides providing about 70 per cent aeration on each face of the Vented Caddy.

The lid also incorporates ventilation through holes around the outside perimeter of the educational in-mould label. These holes have been specifically designed to restrict access to traditional vinegar flies.

The bottom of the base also features a significant proportion of vents, recessed into the caddy. As a result, the liner sits off the bench and any moisture tends to be held within the liquid capture well, reducing the risk of leaks. The rib on the caddy base is also uniquely arched.

Ellie says this is important as it allows additional airflow under the caddy,

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 19

COVER STORY

Source Separation Systems’ best-in-market Solid Caddy.

ensuring that the base ventilation is optimised.

“Without this airflow, the team found the base vents were compromised.”

The Vented Caddy has a durable one-piece carrying handle that forms a locking mechanism for the lid when in the forward and upright position. This ensures that the lid is kept closed when not in use, and it secures the CompostA-Pak liners.

The vented lid opens to a 260-degree throwback position, allowing for a completely open unit into which food scraps can be scraped from a chopping board or plate. The lid incorporates the industry first in-mould label design of the Solid Caddy, ensuring written and pictorial instructions about correct recycling practices, and identified contamination risks, are always available. Ellie says this has proven helpful in diverse communities, in which effectiveness of written instructions is limited.

A SOLID CASE Peter says solid caddies have been the preferred model for FOGO programs

20 / WMR / April 2022

in Australia, and there are some clear advantages.

“Solid caddies have traditionally been an easier, and more cost-effective solution for councils, particularly when they are the early adopters of FOGO in a region,” he says. “A Solid Caddy is more readily adopted by residents initially. It can seem illogical to ask a resident to store their food waste in a caddy with holes, particular on their new white stone benchtop.”

He says there is also the consideration of liners. While it is well acknowledged that providing liners does increase community participation in FOGO programs, the increased diversion does come at a cost. Providing an annual supply of Australian Certified Compost-A-Pak bags to all residents can add significantly to the cost of a FOGO Program. A Solid Caddy means councils can review the options for liners later.

While the team at Source Separation Systems recommend Compost-APak liners for all residents during the initial rollout phases, they do work with several councils on

different models over the lifecycle of the programs.

“Compost-A-Pak Liners are a really effective way to increase FOGO adoption and optimise diversion,” Peter says.

“However, providing a Solid Caddy means councils can change their model in the future once there is a good understanding of FOGO and high adoption rates.

“At that point, FOGO is a habit for users and so councils can shift to give away, or sell, liners at distribution points such as libraries and service centres, or even move to an online model though our unique FOGO Ordering System.

“By shifting later to a demand model, rather than delivering doorto-door, costs can be optimised, however this isn’t a possibility with a vented caddy.”

LET IT VENT Vented caddies have been the predominant FOGO solution in South Australia for years, and there are some compelling local studies

“Food waste is made up of a surprisingly high proportion of water.

In fact, common items such as apples can be more than 80 per cent water. When this food waste can breathe the moisture escapes, both through the Compost-A-Pak Liners and caddy vents, and so smells are noticeably reduced.”

Ellie Lukasik, Source Separation Systems’ Production Manager

supporting this approach. In 2010, the South Australian Government and Green Industries SA compared pilot programs offering a Vented Caddy and compostable liners with a Solid Caddy without liners.

Results showed the Vented Caddy achieving 54.5 per cent food waste diversion compared to 9.3 per cent for the unlined Solid Caddy. About 74 per cent of the Vented Caddy users were also found to be more likely to continue participating in the program, compared to 60 per cent of the unlined Solid Caddy.

Ellie says while the results seem persuasive, it should be noted that the study didn’t look at solid caddies with

the use of a compostable liner, and so the results were not directly like for like.

As liners do improve the convenience of FOGO for users, one would expect the results for the Solid Caddy to improve if liners were provided.

She says there are some clear benefits to increasing ventilation for food waste.

“Food waste is made up of a surprisingly high proportion of water. In fact, common items such as apples can be more than 80 per cent water. When this food waste can breathe, the moisture escapes, both through the Compost-A-Pak Liners and caddy vents, and so smells are noticeably reduced.

Aeration holes are present on the four sides, base and lid of the Vented Caddy.

“There is also less mould and condensation. In fact, when we tested our final caddy design with full vents and the important air circulation at the base where we curved the base ribs, we found that the food wastes’ weight dropped by about 15 per cent through evaporation over three days.”

THE BEST OF BOTH Peter says Australia is such a uniquely diverse country that it would be illogical to think that the same solution for food waste would suit a family living in the lush mountain regions of Tasmania, compared to the sandy shores of the Sunshine Coast. As such, the ability to customise a solution, and ensure it is fit for purpose, is essential.

He says there is a place for all caddy designs.

“I anticipate that in South Australia, the popularity of the Vented Caddy will continue, however it’s certainly not necessarily the right solution for those parts of the country with a hotter climate, where food composts much quicker given the heat and humidity, and so fruit flies can be problematic.

I think that’s where the new hybrid model with a vented lid and solid base will prove popular.

“The key trend we continue to see in the industry is customisation.

Commercial and government waste teams are emersed in, and understand, their diverse communities like never before, and so they have the confidence to design a solution that works for their unique environment, both in terms of educational messages, colours and now the caddy design.

“I think it’s really exciting we can work so closely with clients to help them optimise results, which is where we will be able to realise the full benefits for FOGO in Australia.”

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

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 21

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UP FRONT

Leading the charge Every year Australians buy enough batteries to circle the world twice.

AUSTRALIA’S B-CYCLE BATTERY RECYCLING SCHEME AIMS TO COMBAT ONE OF THE NATION’S FASTEST-GROWING WASTE STREAMS. THE LAUNCH OF THE GOVERNMENT-BACKED SCHEME SHINES A LIGHT ON WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT.

H

undreds of millions of batteries help to power our lives every year, until they run flat, and we throw them away.

Gerry Morvell, Chair of the Battery Stewardship Council, says batteries are such an integral part of our modern world. They underpin the technologies used

in the digital economy, electronic convenience devices, sustainable transport systems and energy storage, which is essential in Australia’s shift to net zero emissions.

However, no matter what size or chemistry, all batteries have a fixed life. He says all of us have had to decide what to do with a dead

battery – throw it in a drawer or in a jar in the garage, in a waste bin or dispose of it in a recycling system.

“Ultimately, most have ended up in landfill,” he says. “Given the phenomenal growth projections of battery use, if we don’t move to a circular economy now, then the impacts on human health and

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 23

UP FRONT

Fast Fact The power tool industry has changed dramatically and technology continues to advance rapidly. Now about 95 per cent of the tool industry is cordless because of the innovation that’s come with technological advancements within batteries.

environment will be hugely damaging and costly for future generations.”

While most batteries have always been recyclable, until now there wasn’t the infrastructure in place to collect and recycle single-use or rechargeable batteries.

B-cycle is a levy and rebate model, designed to provide an accessible collection system to leverage a

diverse range of industry, community and government initiatives and to build confidence for investment to expand a domestic battery recycling industry.

The scheme has been four years in the making and involved collaboration with representatives and experts across the entire value chain to understand best practice and what a battery recycling scheme would mean on the ground.

The scheme was launched in February 2022 with 2300 drop-off locations across the country and a further 1200 regional locations expected to be added within weeks.

Libby Chaplin, Chief Executive Officer of the Battery Stewardship Council says B-cycle has evolved because many believe that solving the battery waste problem is a priority.

Michael Brendle, Group Managing Director TTI Australia and New Zealand, (Milwaukee)

“In Australia, we currently only recycle 10 per cent of consumable batteries compared with 50, 60 and 70 per cent in other countries. We definitely have room to improve,” she says. “When they stop working for us, when they are seemingly dead,

B-cycle launched with 2300 dropoff locations around Australia.

24 / WMR / April 2022

the materials they contain are needed for future energy and we can’t afford to just throw them away.”

Michael Brendle, Group Managing Director TTI Australia and New Zealand, (Milwaukee), says B-cycle will be able to “change the game” for battery recycling by involving all industry.

He says the power tool industry has changed dramatically and technology continues to advance rapidly. Now about 95 per cent of the tool industry is cordless because of the innovation that’s come with technological advancements within batteries.

“Today there are products that can run off a battery, that five years ago you never would have thought possible. What that does is change the game as far as the volume of cordless products on the market.

With that, it’s critical that we do come up with a scheme to collect them because these batteries don’t last forever.

“As an industry we really get behind how we recycle these things.

Users really do want solutions but we’ve got to make it easy for them.”

Libby Chaplin, Chief Executive Officer Battery Stewardship Council.

Katharine Hole, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative (ABRI), says B-cycle will provide a launch pad for a step change in Australia’s battery recycling capacity.

She says Australia has a great track record of recycling lead acid car batteries (about 95 per cent) but at the other end of the scale, mixed batteries are down about 10 per cent.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” she says. “For all battery chemistries, we have collection, sorting or recycling capability, or some combination, in each state and territory across

“The value creation really comes down to whether these materials can be harvested into the right form, in the right chemistry and fit-for-purpose. That’s the critical question here, whether we want to put them back into making new energy-related applications or different kinds of metals.”

Professor Veena Sahajwalla Directory University of New South Wales SMaRt Centre

Gerry Morvell, Chair of the Battery Stewardship Council.

Australia. It’s time to build on that capacity to grow recycling rates.

“We’re developing some new, world-leading recycling technologies here in Australia. It’s a pretty exciting space to be in.”

Professor Veena Sahajwalla, Director University of New South Wales SMaRt Centre, says Australia has an opportunity to be a world leader in producing sustainable materials that are being produced ethically and in an environmentally responsible manner.

“We know the different chemistries and materials in batteries are all valuable,” she says.

“We need to ask that deeper question of ‘what are we trying to do when we are recycling thosematerials?’

“The value creation really comes down to whether these materials can be harvested into the right form, in the right chemistry and fit-for purpose. That’s the critical question here, whether we want to put them back into making new energy-related applications or different kinds of metals.

“Australia can really show the world that we’ve got the science, we’ve got the technology and we can really produce these sustainable materials.”

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 25

FEATURED TOPIC – BATTERY RECYCLING

Positive thinking TROY ROWE, THE FOUNDER OF BATTERY RECYCLING COMPANY RESOURCE, IS PROOF THAT PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF.

L

ess than five years after starting his recycling business with a small plant and big ideas, Troy Rowe is standing tall.

ReSource, believed to be the first and only alkaline and zinc carbon battery recycling company in Australia capable of producing a fertiliser-grade black mass output, is installing a third-generation plant at a purposebuilt facility in Victoria. It will be home to the Southern Hemisphere’s first installation of an X-ray sorter for batteries.

The X-ray Battery Sorter is capable of sorting 8-10 batteries per second, just over 1000 kilograms per hour, with a guaranteed 99.8 per cent accuracy.

Built by a Belarus company that specialises in X-ray for security and hospitals, the X-ray Battery Sorter looks through the skin of a battery to determine its chemical composition, ensuring there no risk of contamination from other battery chemistries.

“One of our biggest challenges has been accuracy of sorting,” Troy says.

“Because we’re pursuing a fertiliser path as an end-product, the tolerance for contaminants, which are extensive in other battery types, is very limited. Our minimum is 99.5 per cent accuracy.

“This X-ray plant is key to our process. It’s absolutely the most important thing. We can’t afford mistakes. We’re talking product that goes into our food source. Mistakes are not viable.”

“Not viable” is something Troy has heard often over the past five years.

The third-generation recycler says

26 / WMR / April 2022

Troy Rowe is recycling alkaline and zinc carbon batteries into a fertiliser-grade black mass output.

“One of our biggest challenges has been accuracy of sorting. Because we’re pursuing a fertiliser path as an end-product the tolerance for contaminants, which are extensive in other battery types, is very limited. Our minimum is 99.5 per cent accuracy.”

Troy Rowe, Founder of the battery recycling company ReSource

finding his own path and pursuing a solution not yet adopted in Australia “has been a journey”.

What sparked that journey was a documentary on micronutrients.

Troy began looking into the commodities of different batteries and found that alkaline batteries contained zinc and manganese dioxide, two micronutrients used in fertiliser production.

He says while most recycled alkaline and zinc carbon batteries are smeltered, a North American company had begun converting the batteries into micronutrient fertiliser and he began to question why it wasn’t being done in Australia. After researching processes in Europe and North America, Troy found that melting alkaline and zinc carbon batteries has questionable recovery outcomes, uses 15-25 times the energy and produces more greenhouse gases in comparison to the process ReSource has developed.

Despite his research, Troy says he was told on numerous occasions that what he was trying to do “wasn’t possible”.

In late 2016 he brought his first piece of machinery “based on an idea that theoretically, this is how it can work”.

By his own admission it was a “slow operation”. But the 200kg/hr plant allowed Troy to learn and improve as

he worked with customers to produce a product that could be used in fertiliser.

He later updated to a 400kg/hr plant and shipped his first product out in late 2018.

In February 2022, ReSource moved into a 15,000 square metre site equipped with a third-generation plant with a processing capacity of up to 2000 kilograms an hour – believed to be the highest capacity processing plant in Australia. In time, it will also house and process e-waste.

With assistance from a Sustainability Victoria grant, the factory is being built using best practices from Europe, including multiple automated thermal fire cannons and more than a dozen thermal cameras.

“It was not as simple as I thought it would be,” Troy says. “There’s been a lot of very long days and nights. I was driving Uber to keep the doors open and for more than a year took care of dogs, just trying to make enough money to keep investing in the equipment.

“We kept trying to progress the equipment to a point that the end users of the product were happy. It’s been the hardest five years of my life but it’s really, really rewarding to get to this point.

“We’ve actually figured out how to do this now.”

Troy is targeting the hundreds of tonnes of stockpiled batteries across Sydney and Melbourne and says ReSource will have capacity to process at least 60 per cent of the nation’s single-use batteries should collections reach that level.

“We know there are 400 tonnes of batteries in Sydney, along with a number of large stockpiles in Melbourne,” he says. “Stockpiles are not being dealt with in an environmentally friendly way because nobody is capable of truly recycling them due to the degradation of the casings, making it impossible to sort optically or by hand. It’s a really big deal to give Australia the capacity and capability to sort these stockpiles with X-ray technology.

ReSource is a member of the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative (ABRI), a not-for-profit association established in 2008 to promote responsible environmental management of batteries at end-of-life. Troy is on the Executive Committee. ReSource is also an accredited sorter and recycler with B-cycle, Australia’s official battery recycling scheme run by the Battery Stewardship Council.

He says battery recycling is another area where Australia is “a long way behind” compared with European countries. However, he believes B-cycle will play a key role in educating the next generation.

“It’s important we’re starting to get collection points out there and get batteries out of rubbish bins and garbage trucks,” he says.

“The education is there but it’s not enough. It seems almost once a week there’s a fire in a garbage truck and many of these fires are lithium batteries.

We have to get through to people this can’t happen.”

For more information, visit: www.re-source.net.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 27

FEATURED TOPIC – BATTERY RECYCLING

A good sort The automated battery sorting system separates battery chemistries.

ECOBATT HAS POOLED BEST PRACTICES FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO BUILD AN AUTOMATED BATTERY SORTING SYSTEM.

T

he EcoBatt team visited battery recycling sites around the globe, learning from their success, failures and experiences to help shape their Melbourne facility.

Doug Rowe, Director of EcoBatt and Recycal says the lessons learned by colleagues overseas proved invaluable when sitting down with the engineering team at COVA Design to come up with a patented

28 / WMR / April 2022

automated battery sorting system that separates battery chemistries.

“Taking the best bits from each of their operations and being able to start with a clean sheet enabled us to build a plant that incorporates all their observations and suggestions,” Doug says.

“We felt privileged that they were so willing to share their experiences and they continue to follow the

progress and development of our battery sorting plant.”

Doug says many and varied batteries are collected from EcoBatt’s recycling drop-off points. The battery sorting plant can sort them down to the smallest cell battery to the larger alkaline or lead acid batteries.

It can also remove batteries which may contain sand or vermiculite (a group of hydrated laminar

Mobile phones, battery chargers and accessories are sorted in the process.

minerals such as aluminium-iron magnesium silicates).

“It is not just a couple of sorting conveyors in a row with people trying to pick chemistries by eye,” Doug says. “It’s a sophisticated automated system with Artificial Intelligence reading the batteries and placing them in their correct category by chemistry. We can sort about 10 tonne per day during one shift.

“Accurate sorting of these batteries is so important as the chemistries differ greatly from battery to battery.

Each reacts differently and contains different metals.

“We continue to see so many different batteries coming through from industry and we continue to learn more about them every day. Sorting them and keeping the chemistries together allows for much safer and controlled recycling and processing.”

Doug says safety is a key concern when sorting batteries. EcoBatt’s sorting facility has “all the safety systems in play” including thermal cameras inside the sorting shed, sprinkler systems, sand boxes, and specialised metal fire extinguishers in case of any emergency. Separate outdoor storage containers also have sprinkler control, suppression systems and heat detection. Doug says anything of concern can safely be put in these containers which are

further protected by a Fire Rover fire detection and suppression system.

“Batteries need to be respected and handled correctly and we go out of our way to ensure we do all we can to make that happen,” he says.

There is some hand sorting at the beginning of the process to remove batteries in plastic bags and other mixed items. EcoBatt also accepts mobile phones in its battery collection bins located around Australia. The phones are separated along the processing line and stored in bins for further recycling. The phone batteries are removed to recover specialised

battery materials and metals, while the phones themselves are processed separately. Mobile phone charges and accessories and wearables including smart watches can also be recycled in the collection bins.

Doug says collecting a variety of products ensures clients have easy access to recycling.

“Batteries now play such an important part in our lives with many finding their way embedded into all kinds of toys, tools, mobile equipment and indeed all around the household,” he says.

“Even in the workplace batteries are found and needed in so many devices. Without a way to recycle them people would store them in drawers, leave them around the house or workplace and in many cases, they would be placed in the rubbish bins.

“Now there is an answer to recycle the batteries and more importantly, collection points all around the country for them.”

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

The sorting plant can sort batteries down to the smallest cell battery.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 29

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTEWATER

Circular Plastics system raises the bar

The Circular Plastics wastewater treatment plant provides one of the most advanced levels of treatment.

AEROFLOAT HAS SET A NEW BENCHMARK WITH A WASTEWATER SYSTEM FOR ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST PLASTIC RECYCLING FACILITIES.

A

erofloat’s most advanced wastewater treatment system so far for the plastics industry is in the final stages of commissioning.

The wastewater treatment specialists designed and installed a system for a Circular Plastics Australia PET recycling facility in Albury-Wodonga, New South Wales.

The plant, a joint venture between Cleanaway Waste Management, Pact Group Holdings Group, Asahi Beverages and Coca Cola Europacific Partners is expected to be Australia’s biggest end-to-end recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plant and is expected to recycle up to one billion 600ml PET plastic bottles a year.

It is the third project Aerofloat and Pact Group have worked on together.

30 / WMR / April 2022

Aerofloat has created sustainable wastewater treatment designs for major plastics recycling businesses across Australia and has been awarded for its innovative approach to tackling plastics recycling wastewater issues.

Michael Anderson, Aerofloat General Manager of Engineering, says the Circular Plastics water treatment system pulls together all the elements of previous systems Aerofloat has designed for the plastics industry.

“Stages of the treatment process have all been done at other sites but in the plastics industry, this is the most advanced plant that we’ve done to this level of treatment,” Michael says.

“We’re really happy with what we’ve achieved.”

The Aerofloat design had to ensure a sustainable, long-term solution for Circular Plastics and allow for the expansion of the recycling facility in the future. Clean wastewater from the system is either re-used as wash water within the plastics recycling facility or discharged to sewer, helping to reduce the company’s footprint with savings on water usage.

Aerofloat installed its patented circular dissolved air flotation unit, the AeroCircDAF, to treat higher flow volumes of wash water. It also included its fully automated, intelligent PLC control system to accommodate the integration of additional Aerofloat technology as the business expands.

Michael says Aerofloat worked closely with the local council to ensure strict

en

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policies and guidelines around managing microplastics in inland water were met.

“One of the main considerations for the council and Environment Protection Authority was microplastics,” he says.

“We can remove suspended solids and large plastics and biologically treat soluble contaminants from plastic bottles, such as sugars and soluble proteins, but there’s a concern about microplastics from industries.

“Part of the project brief was to remove a lot of the microplastics down to trace elements. The standards were very tight. Through our treatment process we believe there’s a high degree of microplastics being removed.”

Michael says the scope of the project changed during the contract and a biological treatment and clarification process were added to the original plant to meet stricter trade waste guidelines.

“Every plant we’ve done is different to the next because of the type of plastic, the way they wash the plastic, and council requirements,” he says.

“Because this facility was being built in an inland town it meant that the wastewater treatment plant needed to be more advanced than something in a major coastal town. Aerofloat worked with the council, the EPA and the client to define what they wanted to achieve.

“We had to understand the type of plastic they use, the wastewater that comes from the plastic, understand the wash line of the recycling plant and then engineer a solution.

“Everything is on track to achieve what we said we would.”

COVID-19 presented other challenges to the 12-month project. Michael says state border closures, transportation and supply chain issues and quarantine rules affected the build.

“During a major part of the installation we were in a Sydney COVID-19 hot spot,” he says.

“We had to engage local contractors and work remotely for part of the installation.

“But we delivered the installation to the client on time and on budget.”

Michael predicts that as government stimulus continues, the recycling sector will be big business in Australia.

He says locations such as Albury, which is central to other major cities, will play an important role in helping move toward a circular economy.

“As long as this industry keeps growing, there will be more jobs in recycling and manufacturing. We’re seeing a lot of opportunities,” he says.

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

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BIG ENOUGH TO TRUST SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTEWATER

Core technology IFM EFECTOR IS ENSURING THE WASTE INDUSTRY IS PART OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. A team of technical experts will work with customers to understand what automation is available.

B

y 2012, more than two billion people used the Internet, Cloud computing had entered the mainstream by the early 2010s and by 2020 about 67 per cent of the world’s population was connected, according to Internet World Stats.

But while we’re no stranger to technology at our fingertips at home, often that doesn’t transpose into our work environment says Glenn Thornton, Product Manager for ifm efector.

Glenn says there needs to be a change of mindset within the waste industry to be “digital ready”.

“The term technology, in reference to waste, really requires some deeper exploration and understanding.

Automation, Cloud connectivity, visualisation of process is synonymous

32 / WMR / April 2022

with manufacturing and not often associated with the waste industry. But the scope of automation reaches all industries at all levels,” he says. ifm efector is a manufacturer of automation, process and communication sensing technologies.

Glenn says the company incorporates its solutions with customer needs, focusing on overall process efficiency, productivity and reduction of downtime.

In the wastewater industry, he sees a growing call for technology such as factory effluent monitoring and control, water authority automation reporting to the Cloud and farm irrigation management and control.

“Every factory, it doesn’t matter what they are producing, has trade waste,” Glenn says “The risk from

having waste from a process is that it can end up in waterways and become an environmental issue.

“We can monitor and measure trade waste from a processing plant with real-time connectivity allowing for key decision-making. By monitoring just one part of a plant, one valve that may be critical to the operation, it will create actionable insights for a customer.”

Glenn says water authorities have valves controlling backflush filtering where clean water is forced under pressure back through wastewater filters. These valves must then close completely to stop wastewater entering local drinking water. Most valves have either no electrical connection or basic feedback.

He says connecting the valves with the ifm MVQ101 via a process

“We can monitor and measure trade waste from a processing plant with realtime connectivity allowing for key decision-making.

By monitoring just one part of a plant, one valve that may be critical to the operation, it will create actionable insights for a customer.”

Glenn Thornton, ifm efector Product Manager

network allows monitoring of open/ closed position, diagnostics with wear condition, seal damage or deposit build-up.

“This brings 100 per cent safety and surety, removing the chances of cross contamination.”

In municipalities, “wet wells” work 24/7 with submersible pumps transporting sewage to treatment plants.

“Blockages, ragging, general wear and pumps need to be monitored to avoid events such as overflow, which causes environmental contamination of public and residential areas,” Glenn says.

ifm efector can put a digital footprint over the entire process of wastewater treatment and provide insights into critical areas.

“Online condition monitoring can diagnose issues before there is a problem. ifm’s proven diagnostic technology uses task-specific submersible accelerometers. We can put a digital footprint over the entire process of wastewater treatment and provide insights into critical areas.”

Glenn says the technology “smarts” are already established. He says it is the waste industry that needs to learn its pathway. He suggests customers “start small and grow as you know”.

A team of technical experts at ifm efector work with customers to get a clearer sense of the instrumentation and automation that is available.

“We find where the wastage and pain point is for loss of productivity, efficiencies or downtime problems.

We pinpoint the key areas, measure and monitor this to get a result,” Glenn says. “By starting small with a simple low-cost system on a critical asset or process, it will easily show what information is accessible to the customer. With this, you then make decisions on process improvements and process security.”

Glenn says embracing technology is about ensuring customers remain competitive in the industry.

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

Monitoring key areas can help customers make decisions on process improvements.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 33

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTEWATER

Breakthrough opportunities REMONDIS AQUA PREPARES TO COMMISSION ITS FIRST COMMERCIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN BRISBANE.

I

t’s been a busy time for REMONDIS Aqua since launching in Australia in 2019 – recently securing two big Queensland contracts in the transport and local government sectors.

REMONDIS Aqua is preparing to commission its first commercial wastewater treatment plant in Brisbane at REMONDIS’ existing waste transfer station in Northgate, with operations scheduled to start this financial year.

The new plant will complement REMONDIS’ existing activities and provide a much-needed new hub for wastewater treatment in SouthEast Queensland.

When operational, the commercial wastewater treatment plant will be configured to treat standard commercial wastewaters, with scope for growth into other more complex categories of commercial and industrial wastewater.

The plant will initially only be available for REMONDIS operations but is licenced to accept third party liquid waste. REMONDIS Aqua is hopeful of moving towards such arrangements in the second half of 2022.

Sebastian Weil, REMONDIS Aqua Australia Director, says the proximity of the plant to Brisbane’s trade coast industrial area and key transport corridors, positions the venture as an alternative to existing wastewater disposal points on the city fringe.

He says it will offer the

34 / WMR / April 2022

REMONDIS Aqua has secured contracts with rail logistics giant Aurizon in Queensland.

market greater convenience and choice and reduce the need for extended transport, bringing down operational costs.

A range of additional staff will be recruited, including water treatment operators, engineers and contract managers.

Sebastian says the Northgate facility will advance the business footprint in South-East Queensland.

“This is about adding a new dynamic to market-leading liquid waste treatment, with a focus on boosting cost and time efficiencies for our customers,” he says.

“Being able to take advantage of the existing REMONDIS infrastructure and in-house technological expertise means our facility will avoid issues such as odour

and wet weather access, which can hamper wastewater disposal points.

“Our technological excellence across different industries will enable us to recover valuable resources from multiple streams of industrial and commercial waste-waters, lifting recycling and future circular economy opportunities.’’

The new project follows REMONDIS Aqua securing key Queensland contracts with rail logistics giant Aurizon and Gladstone Regional Council. Under those arrangements, REMONDIS Aqua is servicing and maintaining Aurizon’s sewage and pollution treatment plants at Toowoomba, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Bowen and Townsville.

REMONDIS Aqua also operates and

Sebastian Weil, REMONDIS Aqua Australia Director.

maintains two wastewater treatment plants for Gladstone Regional Council, including the operation and maintenance of a water recycling plant to produce recycled water for vehicle washing.

The company has been examining opportunities within the Australian food and beverage sector, having identified multiple areas where its

specialised services can be used.

With water usage and wastewater disposal being key issues across the sector, Sebastian says he and his team are sounding out sector leaders, canvassing ideas around cost and emission efficiency.

“Given today’s onus on big business to embrace and display social and environmental responsibility, we think we’re close to a series of breakthrough offerings among some big names in the Australian food and beverage sector,” Sebastian says. “Although much of what we’re doing is commercial in confidence at this stage, we can say we’ve made promising progress exchanging ideas on ways forward.

“Much of what we’re proposing is based on our experiences overseas, where we play a leading role helping foremost players in the production industries to find operational

efficiencies. This is usually through the introduction of REMONDIS technology involving wastewater treatment, recycled water, anaerobic digestion and biogas utilisation.

“We have every confidence we can introduce these technologies to the Australian market in partnership with local operators.’’

An arm of the German headquartered REMONDIS group, REMONDIS Aqua is one of the world’s foremost water and wastewater treatment specialists.

Having provided services for more than 35 years, more than 10 million individuals, corporate and government clients globally rely on REMONDIS Aqua for water management solutions.

For more information, visit: www.remondis-australia.com.au

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTEWATER

On the waterfront ENVIROPACIFIC IS EXTENDING ITS WATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS WITH THE ACQUISITION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA-BASED BUSINESS NOVATRON.

S

pecialist environmental, water and wastewater services business Enviropacific has a range of technologies and systems for water and wastewater treatment.

The recent acquisition of Novatron, a Western Australia-based business specialising in the design and manufacture of packaged water treatment plant with an emphasis on Microfiltration (MF), Ultrafiltration (UF), Nanofiltration (NF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems, expands the company’s end-to-end capabilities.

Sagar Adhikari, Enviropacific General Manager – Water, says the acquisition means turnkey solutions for a range of water and wastewater treatment applications, including all membranebased filtration plants, can be delivered in-house.

“In the past we have delivered some projects that required membrane filtration systems through external supports,” he says. “Now we will be able to offer our clients a wider range of technologies including MF, UF, NF and RO for various water treatment applications from concept to completion.”

Enviropacific designs and engineers temporary, semi-permanent or permanent systems to treat contaminated water with a focus on recovery and beneficial reuse.

Specialist engineering and technical teams work closely with field personnel to develop solutions for complex remediation challenges.

Sagar says a significant aspect of the business is dealing with contaminated groundwater, including landfill leachate

36 / WMR / April 2022

Enviropacific can now offer clients a wider range of wastewater treatment technologies.

wastewater from construction sites, ie tunnel defence sites, airports, and residential and infrastructure projects of national significance.

He says wastewater produced during the tunnel boring process and various construction activities can contain high levels of suspended solid particles (ranges from ~3,000 mg/L up to 100,000 mg/L), higher pH levels (~12) and potentially hydrocarbons, heavy metals, other dissolved solids, Ammonia and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Historically, the construction wastewater has been stored in a settling tank, pH adjusted to acceptable range and discharged to the environment.

However, most projects now operate under an Environment Protection Licence (EPL) to treat water and wastewater with high solid loadings and co-contaminants including

hydrocarbons, ammonia, heavy metals, PFAS, dissolved salts and nutrients to meet stringent discharge criteria.

Sagar says Novation’s skill set and experience will help to achieve stringent EPL conditions, in particular removing dissolved salts using RO process.

“Almost all projects now operate under an EPL which regulates discharge water quality,” he says.

He highlighted the Snowy 2.0 Project, the next phase of the Snowy Hydro renewable energy scheme, as an example. The project involves linking two existing dams, Tantangara and Talbingo, through 27 kilometres of tunnels and building a new underground power station.

Sagar says slurry produced during the tunnel construction will contain natural metals and salts. Once it is processed through a conventional water treatment plant the remaining water will still have

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dissolved salts, which can’t be released into the “pristine” environment.

“Discharge criteria for the project requires reverse osmosis systems to further treat that water prior to discharge,” he says.

“Moving forward, we’ll be able to use Novatron in-house.”

Paul Calneggia, Novatron Operations Manager, says the company has traditionally been involved in potable water, but the process remains the same for waste management.

“We look at what is in the feed water and design a solution for every plant,” he says.

“Water is not that simple.

Contaminant levels can be totally different from one bore to the next.

Through years of experience and knowledge we know what to look for and adjustments to make.”

Recovery and beneficial reuse is a key focus when treating wastewater.

Novatron is a familiar name in the mining and agricultural industries for designing and manufacturing packaged RO and potable, industrial and water treatment systems. It has also designed systems for remote communities, hospitals and water authorities. Paul says the acquisition by Enviropacific

allows the company to expand its product offering.

“Enviropacific gives us exposure so we can look at areas that we traditionally wouldn’t have,” he says.

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

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FEATURED TOPIC – AUSTRALIAN MADE

Consider it done JEFF GRACE, GENERAL MANAGER AT EASYQUIP, LIFTS THE LID ON AN AUSTRALIAN SUCCESS STORY.

W

hen Greg Beer began making welded-steel bins from a factory in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley he welded the number 01 into the first bin he made. In February 2022, Easyquip stamped its 61,391st bin.

Skip bins, hook lift bins and waste handling equipment manufactured from the Morwell site are now used by some of the biggest players in the nation’s waste and recycling sector including Cleanaway, Veolia and Suez.

The company has come a long way from its origins in the back shed of another business to help someone in need. What hasn’t changed is the value that “it can be done”.

“It’s part of the company all the way through,” Jeff Grace, General Manager says. “We’re not afraid to try something new.”

It’s that “can-do” attitude that led Greg to start the business in 1993. As Jeff tells it, a local depot truck needed some repair work and nobody in town would take on the project.

“It might have had something to do with the repairs being inside the compactor body and there was still half a load of rubbish in it,” Jeff laughs.

But Greg was undeterred and, working in the back shed of another business, he got the truck fixed and back on the road. His determination was rewarded with more work from waste collection companies, and he began manufacturing bins not long after. The company changed its name to Easyquip in 2009.

“Keeping that ‘it can be done’ attitude, we wanted both our equipment

38 / WMR / April 2022

Australian manufacturing has always been a key part of Easyquip’s strategy.

and business to be easy to deal with,” Jeff says.

He says the core business has always been manufacturing equipment for waste collection companies. Australian manufacturing has been a key part of the strategy.

“The Latrobe Valley can be a difficult place to get employment,”

Jeff says. “One of Greg’s motivating factors in going into business initially was to provide good employment opportunities.”

Easyquip started a manufacturing plant in Brisbane, Queensland in June 2017. The company now employs more than 60 people across two sites and supplies much

Easyquip aims to supply industrial waste bins to all of Australia’s eastern states.

of the waste industry throughout Australia’s eastern states.

“Part of giving value to customers is to make sure you have the production capacity that you need to meet the market,” Jeff says. “When the market’s calling for more you need to be able to increase production to meet that and maintain efficiency.

“We want to grow to serve the market and be able to provide Australian manufacturing to them. Our goal is to supply all of the eastern states of Australia from those two facilities.”

Jeff says the company has always sourced and used as much Australian steel as possible in its production, a decision that proved fruitful during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The fact we were using Australian steel before, and had a history with key suppliers, meant when things got tight, we already had a relationship and we could get the material we needed,” he says. “COVID-19 meant there was a definite shift to more locally

made items. Even now, customers are wanting to purchase more with Australian manufacturers.”

Industrial waste bins, including skip, front-lift, hook-lift and craneloadbins have been the core of the business since its inception and still account for about 80 per cent of it manufacturing. The remaining portion is moulding plastic lids for the bins and waste compacting equipment.

Jeff says that early on, Greg noticed a failure point in many lids of the bins he was repairing. He invented the Easylid – a revolutionary lid for front lift bins – and added a plastic rotational moulding machine to the factory.

“It’s a single piece rather than two parts and is held up by a counterbalance,” Jeff says of the Easylid.

“It was designed to be safer, easier and more durable than the existing alternatives.”

After 25 years, the company has developed a new version that can be retro-fitted to existing bins. The PropA-Lid is spring assisted, which makes it easier to lift, and the prop has been relocated to the centre of the bin.

“We believe it will be a benefit to companies that have a lot of staff who are loading rubbish into bins and potentially finding standard lids awkward, heavy and dangerous,” Jeff says. “Often the unsung heroes of the world, the cleaners and the people out the back putting rubbish in the bins, do find the big plastic lid with the notched prop on the side can be difficult and dangerous.

“This newer design significantly reduces the lifting weight of the lid, reducing risk of injury. Greg has been involved in all of the new designs. He likes to solve a problem from its root cause rather than fix an issue.”

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

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 39

FEATURED TOPIC - AUSTRALIAN MADE

Australian made, through and through HSR SOUTHERN CROSS MANAGING DIRECTOR MARTYN CROSS IS PROUD OF HIS COMPANY’S TWO DECADE-LONG COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING AUSTRALIAN-MADE PRODUCTS AND JOB CREATION.

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or more than 21 years, HSR Southern Cross has delivered expert sales and service to Australia’s waste industry.

From its manufacturing facility in Western Sydney, the company is upholding a legacy as a proud supporter of Australian manufacturing while producing high-quality machinery.

HSR Southern Cross Managing Director, Martyn Cross, says the businesses’ ability to design, manufacture and sell truck-mounted waste equipment locally reflects this commitment.

“I would say that 99 per cent of customers we deal with have a preference to support comparable Australian products over imported products when given the choice.” Martyn says.

“We offer Australian-made skip loaders, not imported products, which weren’t specifically built for Australian conditions. We needed to design a skip loader for the brutal nature of Australia’s waste industry.”

With a focus on Australia’s waste industry, HSR Southern Cross developed a product that could support higher load volumes without compromising the life span of the equipment.

Martyn says the tare weight of the 16 tonne, SX160 skip loader (3750 kilograms) is what makes it stand out.

“We manufacture the machine from high-grade steels, which allows us to use

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HSR Southern Cross has manufactured machinery for the waste industry for more than 21 years.

more efficient materials and therefore save weight but increase capacity and product life.

“Our hydraulic cylinders are of the largest diameter in the market, giving us a loading capacity and operational advantage.”

HSR Southern Cross’s skip loader range extends from the SX45 4-tonne capacity skip loader through to the SX160 ,16-tonne capacity loader, with options such as a telescopic and stiff arm, angle-sliding leg and a pivoting leg available.

A design focus on increasing payload and reliability extends to HSR Southern Cross’s rear loader range with capacities from 5 cubic metres, through to 30 cubic metres.

Martyn says the newest offering in the rear loader series will provide users with greater flexibility when operating in urban conditions.

“Our newest release is our 5 cubicmetre low-entry version, which has an overall height of 2080 millimetres and a 2-tonne payload.

“This product was designed specifically to meet the requirements of entering low access buildings. Areas where, typically, only cars could enter,” he says.

“We listened to the market, and it was calling for some options in this space. They wanted a machine with the load capacity and manoeuvrability to access lanes and underground parking space.”

Just like the skip loader, the rear loader is constructed from high tensile steels and wearable steel in abrasive exposed areas, increasing its durability.

Loading can be done manually, or by hydraulic bin lifter, which is compatible with all mobile garbage bins from 120L to 1100L.

EASY LEARNING Seeing value in industry feedback is an important aspect of the design process at HSR Southern Cross. Martyn says the idea for one shared feature across both the skip and rear loaders was born out of feedback from experienced operators and workers.

“One of the main features that we are proud of is our electronic control system in the waste products.

The system is completely designed in-house, can be customised to the operator’s needs and is efficient and functional,” he says.

“We worked with some of our largest clients to create a system which is safe, but intuitive.”

The electronic control system uses prompts and simple instructions to guide operators. Soft-touch icons allow users to visually identify how to control the unit. Operator training is reduced,

operator familiarity is increased, and operator safety is optimised.

The safety doesn’t end with the control system, hydraulic over-centre valves and electrical dump valves provide further layers of operator and general public safety.

SUPPORTING LOCAL Martyn is proud of HSR Southern Cross’s devotion to local manufacturing and says the need to support local businesses has never been greater than it is today.

“Backing Australian-made is something we believe is a cornerstone of our business. With the closure of major motor and car manufacturers domestically in recent years, we saw a lot of associated companies go under,” he says.

“We thought to ourselves, ‘if we don’t do something, who will?’ Keeping

manufacturing in Australia not only supports the local economy, but it also helps to retain highly skilled workers and engineers.”

Martyn says that choosing to keep product design and engineering in Australia has been “incredibly rewarding” and “recent provisional patent approval for our skip loader range strengthens this decision”.

“I don’t believe that manufacturing in Australia is always more expensive when compared to importing products.

“I believe that using local manufacturing, which Australia is known for, we can create world-class products at a very comparable price,” he says.

“The fact we have been in business for 21 years underpins this.”

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

FEATURED TOPIC – AUSTRALIAN MADE

A feat of engineering

The finished plant includes the latest technology and is designed to process 50,000 tonnes of co-mingled household recycling annually.

WASTECH ENGINEERING HAS OVERCOME EVERY OBSTACLE COVID-19 HAS THROWN ITS WAY TO DELIVER A MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE RECYCLING INDUSTRY.

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hen you work with large-scale, complicated equipment you plan on a certain level of difficulty. However, no amount of planning could have predicted the challenges that confronted Wastech Engineering during its biggest project to date.

The Victorian-based company engineered and manufactured a stateof-the-art sorting plant for a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in South Australia in the midst of a global pandemic that forced Australia to shut its borders to the world and interstate.

42 / WMR / April 2022

Scott Foulds, Wastech General Manager – Projects, says COVID-19 “added complexity” to the project including supply chain shortages, transport issues, border closures and changing quarantine rules.

Despite the obstacles, the $23.2 million recycling facility in Kilburn was delivered on time without compromising on quality and standards.

The plant started operating in testing mode in November 2021 and went to full operation in January 2022.

Wastech worked in partnership with Pascale Constructions, which built

the facility on a greenfield site for the Central Adelaide Waste and Recycling Authority (CAWRA), a joint initiative of the cities of Charles Sturt and Port Adelaide Enfield. The project received $4.36 million funding from the Federal and State governments’ Recycling Modernisation Fund.

Scott says the project involved 7000 hours of design and engineering work. More than 11,000 hours of manufacturing was carried out at Wastech’s Hallam factory before components were freighted to South Australia for a three-month installation.

“Every facility has its uniqueness and challenges, and somewhat custom engineering and solutions are required,” he says. “We always try and advance and improve on what has been done in the past. Continuous improvement and development are part of our company’s strategic vision for growth and to find solutions for our customer’s needs.”

The finished plant includes the latest in optical sorting technology and is designed to process 50,000 tonnes of co-mingled household recycling annually.

It processes 15 tonnes per hour of incoming co-mingled material and separates it back into single commodity types including paper, cardboard, glass, aluminium, steel, HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate), as well as the full range of container deposit and other materials.

The plant uses a combination of mechanical screens and optical sorting to separate and produce the various commodity types. Once the commodities are separated, they are stored in bunkers and then baled in readiness to be freighted out for further processing.

Ben Quill, Projects Manager, says the Wastech team is “incredibly proud” of the plant, the largest project he’s been involved with and the largest in-house Material Recovery Facility the company has built.

“It is our design and our product,” he says. “All the steel work, all the conveyors; it is our plant. We not only designed it but made it ourselves in our workshop.

“When you look at what’s going on in the world right now, this tells us what we can do. It’s deeply satisfying to watch it all work.”

Ben says Wastech introduced split shifts at its Hallam manufacturing facility to continue working within COVID-19 restrictions. The company

The Materials Recovery Facility was designed and manufactured by Wastech Engineering in Victoria and freighted to South Australia for installation.

changed its design and review process to allow engineers to work from home.

For the installation build, a Victorian supervisor was on site in South Australia for the entirety of the job and a local labour force was hired.

Ben says co-operation between CAWRA and Pascale ensured the build remained effective even in some challenging circumstances with the COVID-19-related issues.

“We would like to recognise CAWRA and the hard work they did behind the scenes to keep the project on track, especially when it came to cross border restrictions in the height of COVID-19,” he says.

“We worked in lockstep with Pascale to make sure the whole of the site was completed.”

Scott Russell, Wastech Chief Executive Officer, says the team did an “extraordinary job to see it through” and deliver an impressive facility.

“The team led by Scott Foulds, which included project managers, engineers and the manufacturing team, went above and beyond to get this project to completion,” Scott says.

“We’re all extremely proud of what was achieved through teamwork

to produce the completed facility.

At the end of the day, the facility speaks for itself.

“We’re proud of integrating local design and manufacturing with the latest, world-class technology that’s available and what this facility can produce, not only for councils and waste management companies, but the local community as it aims to reduce waste to landfill.”

He echoed Ben’s sentiments that a strong partnership between CAWRA and Pascale was essential in producing a quality facility.

Rebekah Schubert, CAWRA Executive Officer, says CAWRA’s goal was to build the local circular economy by prioritising local markets.

“We want to see South Australia’s recyclables processed right here in South Australia,” she says.

“This facility means we will always have somewhere for our recycling to go and we will keep this local, in South Australia, at every opportunity to help grow our local circular economy.”

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

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 43

FEATURED TOPIC - AUSTRALIAN MADE

Bringing Redback back to life JDM AUST HAS ACQUIRED REDBACK GRINDERS, FORMALLY KNOWN AS REDBACK AND RAZORBACK. JIM KENNY, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF JDM AUST, SHINES A LIGHT ON WHAT THE ACQUISITION WILL BRING TO THE TIMBER AND WASTE INDUSTRIES.

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edback Grinders has been around for more than 30 years and has 80 models available throughout Australia.

For the past three years the manufacturer has remained inactive, but JDM Aust is aiming to change that, acquiring the full rights to the Redback Grinders brand.

Jim Kenny, Director of Redback Grinders, says the acquisition will further enhance JDM Aust’s portfolio of high-quality equipment offered to its customers.

“We have always heard great feedback on the robustness and reliability of Redback Grinders’ machines,” he says.

“The Redback Grinders brand has been held in high regard by a large number of customers for decades.”

Now based in Brisbane, Redback Grinders comprises two marquee

Redback Grinders’ DS700T tracked grinder.

44 / WMR / April 2022

Redback Grinders is a proud supporter of Australian manufacturing and job creation.

products – the DS700T tracked grinder and DS700W wheel grinder with further developments of smaller and larger models already underway.

Jim describes both machines as “allrounders”, capable of handling largescale projects across many different sectors of the industry such as waste timber to mulch products, green waste to composting, land clearing and so on.

He says that Redback Grinders has appointed JDM Aust as the Australian dealer and they will embrace the existing product range and use an existing commercial network to distribute goods and services Australiawide, as well as in New Zealand.

“The existing Redback Grinders range will be updated to provide modernised machinery for our customers,” Jim says.

“We’re making improvements on the electrical system of the machines and the hydraulic systems. We have taken the renowned base design of the Redback Grinders products and will constantly improve them with updates.”

PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN MADE Jim says that he and Co-Director Jeff Steine were impressed by Redback Grinders’ commitment to supporting local manufacturing and employment.

Both aspects which Jim says he is personally passionate about.

“One of the key factors for the future success of the Redback Grinders brand is the fact that our products are 100 per cent Australian made,” he says.

“On top of that, we are the only manufacturer of horizontal grinders in Australia.

“By picking up the Redback Grinders brand, we see a great opportunity to support local suppliers, jobs and industries.

“We have our own fabrication shops located on the Gold Coast and Bethania near our main office. That’s what we’re proud of, that we are a genuine Australian-made manufacturer.”

Redback Grinders is already reaping the benefits of manufacturing locally, with reduced costs and delivery times for important machinery parts.

Jim says the effects on the economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt across the industry.

“I believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for Australian-made products. Prices for important machinery materials such as steel have risen worldwide, as well as shipping costs,” he says.

“Importing overseas machinery, in some cases, is proving to be more expensive, so Australian-made manufacturers such as Redback Grinders are reducing costs by sourcing local parts.

“In many ways, supporting Australia made has given us a competitive edge in the market.”

He adds that customers are benefitting from supporting Australian made products and services with the timely delivery of products, rather than having to wait for their purchases to be imported from overseas.

Local manufacturing has also opened the door for quicker deliveries when it comes to essential parts for the maintenance of machinery.

“We use well-known, easily accessible components that are normally readily available in Australia,” Jim says.

“We make the rotors, we make the hammers infeed conveyor slats and everything else that is fabricated for the machine. Everything is made by us. These parts are available locally, so if customers require maintenance, they can quickly order what they need from our in-house supply of spare parts.”

Redback Grinders will expand its product range, with two new models expected to be released in early 2023. Jim says he sees a “huge future” for the brand and Australian manufacturing.

“What I’d say to customers is why not support Australian made? Why not support our local businesses?” We are ready to give it a real go and support our customers as they should be.

“There is a huge opportunity for Australian-made products within the machinery space, particularly in this day and age.”

For more information, visit: www.redbackgrinders.com

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FEATURED TOPIC – INSURANCE

Assessing the risk INSURANCE BROKER GALLAGHER IS USING INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE TO NEGOTIATE BETTER DEALS FOR THE WASTE AND RECYCLING SECTOR.

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hanges in the insurance market early in 2021, including the exit of a major player and increasing premiums, led many in the recycling sector to believe it was more financially beneficial to “self-insure”.

David Ford, Client Manager for Gallagher insurance brokers says many “believe they have the risk management protocols in place”.

“For smaller companies, with margins being so fine, paying high insurance costs is a huge percentage of their expenses,” he says. “Our experience in the sector shows that effectively, the market has pushed them this way.

“But I do believe there are solutions available. I believe it’s up to my company, and myself and my profession, to find a costeffective solution.”

David and Mark Bramley, Gallagher Regional Director, have a combined 20 years’ experience in the recycling

David Ford, Client Manager, Gallagher Insurance.

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sector. Gallagher has partnered with the Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association (WCRA) of New South Wales for more than 15 years. It’s this long-term connection that David says gives Gallagher a point of difference.

“We understand the sector. We understand the difference in the types of facilities and key issues that the industrial special risks insurers are concerned about,” he says.

“A lot of brokers don’t take the time to truly understand the client, the risk culture, how good the facilities are, capital expenditure and the processes that are in place. All they ask for is the traditional basic renewal information.

Because we are spending time in the sector we genuinely understand it.”

David says insurance company Criterion Underwriting is the only provider in Australia of specific insurance products for the waste and recycling industry.

It has capacity of up to $50 million per risk, including paper and cardboard recycling, plastic, e-waste and tyre recycling, domestic and commercial waste, green waste, tins and metals, ceramics and glass and hazardous waste.

Gallagher and Criterion have built a strong working relationship since partnering in September 2021 and have secured an exclusive 10 per cent discount on property insurance for WCRA NSW and Gallagher clients.* David says Gallagher works to give clients “more than just the usual spiel about price”.

Leila Reed, Account Manager.

“The terms attached to insurance can be very onerous and a lot of people in the waste and recycling sector are under a lot of pressure when it comes to meeting those criteria,” he says.

“We go out to clients and advise them of their requirements. It’s not just as simple as a phone call to get all the information and we give them a number. We get in there and understand the business itself and speak to the key people involved.

“We’re putting their risk management in the best possible light.

We understand there’s a deeper part to the service.”

David believes a hands-on approach is key to finding the right insurance solution but one that not many people are invested in. Because David and his team take the time to visit client sites they can recommend risk improvement and capital expenditure, giving them a practical standpoint to negotiate premiums for clients.

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“We go out to clients and advise them of their requirements. It’s not just as simple as a phone call to get all the information and we give them a number. We get in there and understand the business itself and speak to the key people involved.”

vertical shredders.

Built tough for the most demanding of shredding applications.

David Ford, Gallagher insurance brokers Client Manager

Leila Reed, Account Manager, cites a recent negotiation for a client who had a surveyor recommend they install thermal cameras on site to detect any sources of ignition or heat to prevent a potential fire.

“Thermal cameras would be fantastic for all facilities and in an ideal world everyone would be able to spend the money to have them installed,” Leila says.

“The recommendation would have been a capital expense of $20,000 to $30,000 for this client. Because we had been on site, we were able to help the client modify their process to reduce the amount of waste stored on the floor and the surveyor said they’d no longer need the thermal camera.

“That’s because of our experience on other sites.”

David says he understands the pain operators have gone through in the past and he is confident Gallagher and Criterion can make a difference.

“Based on what was out there, I know we’ve been able to create a difference. We know we have market-leading prices,” David says. “A lot of people out there now are having a really hard time and feel like they’ve got nobody to talk to. We’re happy to take a call.

“We are a real partner for the waste sector. We’re invested in WCRA, the members and the sector and intend to be for a very long time.”

• Aggressive size reduction and densification of preshredded materials • Clean, high bulk density output for easy sorting and transportation • C&D waste, scrap metal and other heavy duty applications • Available with up to 440kW of power • Industry-proven and built tough for Australian conditions

Contact David, 0435 658 263 or Leila 0435 533 644 *subject to underwriting/risk information and claims experience

For more information visit: www.aig.com.au

To find out more, call: 03 9706 8066, Email: sales@appliedmachinery.com.au, or visit: www.appliedmachinery.com.au

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TEXTILE RECYCLING

Red and pink: ultimate power couple RECYCLESMART IS JOINING FORCES WITH THE AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS TO GIVE TEXTILES A SECOND, OR THIRD, CHANCE.

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ydney start-up RecycleSmart is all about making recycling easy.

Now the on-demand recycling service is ensuring household recycling makes a positive difference.

RecycleSmart will deliver any suitable textiles it collects to Australian Red Cross Shops in selected council areas signed up to the service.

Brooke Sclater, Red Cross Manager, Merchandise and Distribution Centres, says the partnership is a “match made in heaven”.

“Increasingly, op shops are a destination for people who want to reduce their environmental footprint and extend the lifetime of garments, while doing something good for the community,” Brooke says.

“If it’s wearable and someone can reuse it, it’s definitely the most environmentally-friendly thing that we can do.

“In January, at least a tonne of textiles, including wearable clothes, manchester and accessories has come into our stores. That’s a tonne that could have potentially ended up as general waste.”

RecycleSmart works with councils to provide an on-demand, free pickup recycling service to residents. It targets recyclable items such as soft plastics, clothing, e-waste, batteries and lightbulbs, and takes the hassle out of residents having to visit multiple collection centres. Any materials collected are taken to recyclable The RecycleSmart and Red Cross partnership delivers a clean stream of donations.

48 / WMR / April 2022

collection points or resource recovery centres within individual Local Government Areas (LGA).

Eugenie Alonzo, RecycleSmart Chief Marketing Officer, says as much wearable clothing as possible will now be directed to Red Cross shops to be on-sold to help fund humanitarian projects.

“The Red Cross is really here to help and that aligns with who we are,” Eugenie says. “We’re here to make recycling easy.

“It’s a very exciting partnership. It’s great to be part of something that is making a difference.”

Since RecycleSmart began just over two years ago, the service has collected more than 57,000 kilograms of textiles.

Eugenie says the service hopes to redirect more than 3000 kilograms to the Red Cross within months.

Any pick-ups in LGAs without a Red Cross store will still be directed to local charity organisations.

Eugenie says residents using the free pick-ups, known as a Power Pickup, are encouraged to label their recyclable clothing as wearable or non-wearable.

The bags are sorted by the driver before being taken to charity organisations.

“Because the driver does the sorting when recyclables are collected, we’re able to give a very clean stream of donations,” Eugenie says.

Brooke says the partnership has opened new opportunities for people to donate to Red Cross. “The main way

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“This partnership is really going to help people who may not have a Red Cross Shop nearby and struggle to bring donations to a local charity.

It’s ensuring it’s really, really easy for them to do.”

Brooke Sclater, Red Cross Manager, Merchandise and Distribution Centres

we can collect donations for our stores is for people to bring them in,” she says.

“We don’t have a fleet of drivers to collect from residents’ homes, it’s not what we do.

“This partnership is really going to help people who may not have a Red Cross Shop nearby and struggle to bring donations to a local charity. It’s ensuring it’s really, really easy for them to do.”

The partnership is also bolstering the clothing available at Red Cross stores after two years of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.

“For most charity stores, the vast majority of garments we receive come in over the counter,” Brooke says.

“Over the past two years, whenever we needed to close stores because of government mandates in relation to

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COVID-19 it meant we weren’t getting those donations. When we opened the doors again there was a little influx, but it wasn’t representative of the amount of time that we were closed.

“It’s been a challenging couple of years for us and others.”

A campaign titled Red and pink – the ultimate power couple, was launched in March to announce the partnership. A series of videos explains the partnership and the process from the moment someone decides to make a donation to when that donation arrives in store.

While RecycleSmart is predominantly based in New South Wales, it is in discussions with several councils in Victoria and Queensland to expand interstate.

For more information, visit: https://www.recyclesmart.com/

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TYRE RECYCLING

Driving change A NEW TYRE RECYCLING FACILITY IN VICTORIA IS PUTTING PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT FIRST.

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ax Lam wants to do things differently.

The Director of Autocycle International has a vision for a safe and sustainable future for tyre recycling in Australia and is setting the bar high at a new plant in the Melbourne suburb of Altona North. For Max, it’s not all about profit, it’s about making a difference to the environment. And he’s surrounding himself with a team that shares the same values – from plant operators to product suppliers and collection contractors.

“We want to ensure we are a peoplefirst business, from the welfare of our employees to the safety of truck drivers,” Max says.

“Profits are important, but it shouldn’t be the most important thing. We want people who have the same value in terms of how they see recycling. Should the business be about making a profit, or making a difference to the environment?

“What’s really important, is the team shares the same values as ours.”

Liam O’Keefe, Senior Strategy Manager at Tyre Stewardship Australia, says the “unequivocal investment in resources and commitment to transparency and compliance” sets Autocycle International apart.

Max is a seasoned environmental consultant and for more than 10 years has worked in contaminated land management and compliance issues.

He’s developed a network within the waste disposal industry and says he sensed a transformation of the industry several years ago, with many

Max Lam and guests at the soft launch of the Altona North facility.

transferring their knowledge and skills to recycling.

With the introduction of government legislation and initiatives to tackle Australia’s waste, including a ban on the export of whole baled tyres, which came into effect on 1 December 2021, Max saw an opportunity.

Fortuitously, Doris Feng, whose family is involved in paper recycling in China, was looking to expand into Australia. For nearly 20 years the family business, UFO Tyres Industrial Pty Ltd, has also manufactured tyres from reclaimed rubber.

While he believes the Australia paper recycling space is full, Max says he is confident he and business partner Doris can make a difference in tyre recycling in Australia.

Autocycle International’s Altona North plant is designed by Eldan Recycling to recycle end-of-life passenger and truck tyres into a range of rubber products from 30 mesh

rubber powder to 20mm rubber chips suitable for both Australian and international markets.

Max says Eldan Recycling’s reputation was a major motivator when choosing a company to build the processing plant.

“Not coming from a tyre recycling background, this is all new for me,” Max says. “Eldan and Carsten Nielsen (Technical Specialist and Area Sales Manager) provided a lot of extra support to make sure we understood the plant and what would work best for our situation.”

Carsten says there were numerous meetings via Teams and WhatsApp to determine the best solution for Autocycle. An Eldan Recycling project manager supported Max and the team through the entire build, from providing machine specifications to factory floor and foundation plans and duct installation – without being able to set foot on site.

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Machinery arrived in Victoria amid COVID-19 restrictions so was unloaded by the Autocycle team. Installation, however, was a different story.

“It was quite a challenge,” Carsten says. “How should Autocycle know where to put things and how to assemble them?”

“I had a small window where I could arrive in Australia without going into quarantine. While in Australia, I had a couple of meetings with Autocycle about how and where the machines should go.”

An Eldan supervisor arrived in Australia early in 2022 to help set up the line. Carsten says he is in frequent contact with Autocycle and “will be for the future”.

The Altona North facility had a “soft launch” in November 2021 and was to be commissioned in February 2022.

Consistent with Autocycle International’s “people-first” policy, the facility adopts best practice and is designed to minimise fire, occupational health and safety risks for employees, the surrounding community, and the environment by eliminating the need for external storage of waste tyres.

“It’s the thought process behind the entire facility,” Max says. “We really want to come up with a different approach to the industry.

“Instead of becoming a storagefocused recycling business, we are a process-focused recycling business.

How do we manage the number of tyres coming in and the product going out?

“It should be a smooth transaction.

What comes in should always be treated the same day and go out as product. By doing that, we

can eliminate the risk of fire or environmental damage.”

Max is aiming to make Autocycle International as sustainable as possible.

He’s investing in best-practice in Australia and aims to be net-zero.

He sees the Altona North facility as a “pilot” facility and aims to identify a site for a larger, purposebuilt plant by June 2022, which will incorporate manufacturing a range of rubber products.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with industry players to incorporate the best technologies available into the site,” Max says. “We’re making the whole loop as sustainable as possible. It’s a mutual interest between ourselves and industry partners.”

For more information, visit: www.eldan-recycling.com

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TECHNOLOGY

For good measure WASTE DATA CAN BE A KEY TOOL TO REACHING ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE GOALS. TRIMBLE’S PAUL CORDER TALKS WITH WMR.

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The LOADRITE refuse truck scales automatically collect accurate waste data.

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The ability to provide auditable information about waste collection is the next stage for ESG reporting.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

aste export bans, carbon emission targets and a move to a circular economy have forced Australians to take more responsibility for their waste.

Sustainable development strategies and environmental and social governance (ESG) are now as important in the boardroom as the bottom line.

However, with zero waste targets and pledges to reduce environmental impact comes accountability.

Consumers want to know that measurable action is being taken and businesses are not just ticking the boxes for social responsibility.

Paul Corder, Waste Sector Product Manager at Trimble, says waste producers such as supermarket chains and restaurants are looking for hard facts on how their waste minimisation regimes are working.

“Not only are they looking at the environmental impact, but they are very aware of the perception of the community,” Paul says. “If they are seen to be environmentally wasteful, it can have a direct impact on their brand.”

Foodwise Australia estimates that 20 to 40 per cent of Australian produce doesn’t make it to a supermarket shelf for cosmetic reasons. About five per cent of all food in the restaurant business is binned because of spoilage and food waste is about three per cent of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Paul says if people understand what their waste output is, they have an opportunity to change their habits and reduce their waste. He says supermarkets and restaurants are turning to waste haulers to provide accurate, granular data that allows them to take action financially and for ESG purposes.

“The landscape is changing to haulers not being someone who just takes away waste but to being someone who provides much more value,” he says.

Trimble’s LOADRITE refuse truck scales collect accurate waste data automatically, without interaction from the driver. The scales can be integrated with any management system and are trade approved and certified to meet Australian Government standards.

The scales weigh full bins as they are picked up and empty bins as they are put down for each customer.

Weights are then provided to the hauler’s database.

“If you want to track how much waste reduction you’ve made, simply counting the number of bins you put out is not good enough,” Paul says.

“Weight is a reliable measurement of how much material you are actually throwing out.

“The LOADRITE refuse truck

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much there was and where it went is the next stage for ESG reporting.

“We’ve all heard the challenges of recycling in the past few years. People want to know where their waste is going, especially that it’s not going to end up in landfill.

“From an ESG view it’s no longer acceptable to say my waste has been picked up, it’s not my responsibility.

“As a producer of waste, you should be asking for tracking. How do I know that I’m receiving the service I’m paying for? Where did it get tipped?

“These are all important parts of the waste stewardship journey.

“Those haulers who can do that are likely to win business over those that cannot.”

Major truck body manufacturers can provide LOADRITE refuse truck scales as a factory-fit option, but the scales can also be retrofitted.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

scales record the exact weight, the customer, waste producer, time, date and location the waste was picked up. Customers can see the patterns of how they’re producing waste, which is really important.”

He says while some haulers might perceive waste minimisation as a threat to their business, the data collected presents an opportunity as a nondiscounting point-of-difference for both existing and new customers.

“It can be a significant competitive advantage,” Paul says. “If you can provide more value for less material being moved then it’s not a threat for your business, it’s an opportunity because your costs go down and your competitive advantage goes up.”

That competitive advantage extends to ESG. Paul says having the ability to provide auditable information about where waste is collected from, how

Waste producers such as supermarket chains and restaurants are looking for hard facts on how their waste minimisation regimes are working.

Trimble has distributors and service centres in major cities across Australia.

Remote service is also provided.

For more information, visit: www.trimble.com/waste or call 1800 655 860 in Australia, 0800 493 444 in New Zealand

OPAL COVE RESORT Coffs Harbour 3-5 May 2022

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR AN EVOLVING INDUSTRY

Coffs Waste Conference Don’t miss your opportunity to be involved in the industry’s leading waste management conference. Register today for Waste 2022!

- Be inspired by industry leaders

- Visit the equipment and technology expo

- Partake in the streams of most interest to you

- Participate in the live broadcasts

- Participate in panel discussions

- Network with like-minded professionals

There is an option to suit everyone, so make sure you mark your diary today!

Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities still available giving you the option to put your brand in front of 600+ waste professionals!

www.coffswasteconference.com.au Supported by:

Major Sponsors:

Hosted by:

Organised by:

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – MACHINERY

A comprehensive series ALLU’S D AND DL SERIES TRANSFORMERS CAN TURN WASTE AND RECYCLING INDUSTRY MACHINERY INTO A MULTIFUNCTIONAL TOOL.

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n established name within Australia’s waste industry, ALLU has engineered solutions for composting, construction and demolition waste, recycling and soil remediation.

With more than 100 dealers, across 30 countries globally, the company’s innovative equipment has garnered international attention, including its Transformer range.

The ALLU Transformer is a hydraulic screener and crusher that can be attached to a variety of machinery types and sizes, including wheel loaders, excavators or skid steers, making it suitable for the waste industry.

Sami Rahman, ALLU Vice President Middle East, India and ANZ, says the series has been

developed to suit a diverse range of applications.

Sami says the range is split into the D and DL series. D-Series is the larger series, while the DL is for smaller, skid steer loaders and mini excavators.

“The DL-series is mainly used by smaller-scale operators and applications, such as landscaping, composting, waste processing or stockpiling of topsoil,” he says. “This series caters for wheel loaders that are as small as two tonnes, to as large as eight tonnes. If the operator was to use an excavator, you can go as small as four tonnes or as large as 12 tonnes.”

The D-series provides solutions for larger machinery and applications and is available in three sizes: DN, DS and DH.

“If a typical project requires multiple days of operation and larger excavator and loader sizes, they will use the DNseries,” Sami says. “The next level is the DS-series, where the configuration has a stronger frame and a larger hydraulic motor.

“For the largest applications and projects, such as compost screening where the operator is using a heavyduty frame and two hydraulic motors which has torque and oil flow, that’s where the DH-series comes into play.”

Sami says that determining the correct ALLU Transformer size is essential to achieving great results, no matter the type of project.

“When it comes to ALLU transformers, the starting point is always the carrier weight of the

ALLU’s D and DL series Transformers provide a one-stop shop process for screening, crushing, mixing and loading.

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WasteMan

customer’s machinery,” he says. “For example, if a customer has a skid steer loader, naturally we will equip them with a product from the DL-series. But if a customer has a 16-tonne digger, we will put them in a DN-series model such as the DN 2-12.”

Sami says using the ALLU Transformer D and DL-series allows operators to increase their efficiency by having a one-stop-shop process for screening, crushing, mixing and loading.

This reduces downtime usually associated with detaching and attaching single-purpose attachments.

He says that direct feedback from the industry shows that operators have optimised their operations, thanks to the attachment.

“I remember one operator in particular telling me that he could recover the cost of the DL-series

transformer by completing only three to four jobs, as the attachment boosted his efficiency during each day of operation,” Sami says.

SUPPORTING FLEXIBILITY The ALLU Transformer D and DL series both have a range of optional configurations that can be adjusted “on the fly”, based on the job at hand.

“The DL-series has the ability to alter the screening mechanism, which is inside the bucket. This comes in the form of an adjustable cassette that can be swapped out,” he says.

“We’ve also got options that come in the form of drums. The range provides pure screening drums, as well as both screening and crushing drums, some of which also consist of changeable blades.

“We also have drums that are used for soil stabilisation, such as blending and mixing the soil.”

Both transformer series allow for downscaling or upscaling of machinery set-ups.

“Both the D and DL-series Transformers have some overlap when it comes to size, which is particularly useful for a project that may, for example, be in-between a DN and DS-series Transformer,” Sami says.

“This also allows operators to equip a slightly smaller attachment to a larger machine if required.

“This range services a huge amount of machinery, from the smallest skid steer loaders to the largest wheel loaders up to 30 tonnes. It caters for a whole range of sizes across the Australian market.”

For more information and to find the authorised ALLU dealer in Australia, visit: https://www.allu.net/

EQUIPMENT FOR

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EVENTS – WASTE 2022, THE COFFS HARBOUR WASTE CONFERENCE

Sustainable solutions for an evolving industry THE COFFS HARBOUR WASTE CONFERENCE IS EXPANDING ITS PROGRAM TO INCLUDE A NEW EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY EXPO.

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he waste management industry encourages innovation, says Waste 2022 conference convenor Greg Freeman.

For the past 26 years, Greg has had a front row seat as the conference has evolved with the industry from a focus on landfill and equipment to headline issues such as the circular economy and extended producer responsibility.

“The industry is headed further upstream,” he says.

“It’s now more about the circular economy, waste avoidance, education and high-level processing. It’s not just basic recycling and disposal. There’s more technology involved. When you think about the industry now there’s

Waste 2022 will be a combined expo and conference.

56 / WMR / April 2022

The Coffs Harbour Waste Conference is well regarded as a leading industry conference.

a lot of resources towards trying to educate communities around Australia about ways to avoid waste and ways to purchase smarter. There are linkages between waste management and climate change. In years gone by that wasn’t there.

“There are so many moving parts now. The conference has shifted in the disciplines that attend and the content has exploded.”

This year the conference will expand to include an Equipment and Technology Expo with associated presentations, giving exhibitors an opportunity to have their equipment and machinery on display and present to a larger audience outlining the benefits to the waste industry. The

Greg Freeman, Conference Convenor.

Expo is supported by Destination New South Wales.

“In our industry, we have dedicated expos and then we have conferences,” Greg says. “We’re trying to provide more of a full-on customer service for people who are coming by having a conference and expo in the one spot at the one time. It’s a one-stop shop to suit everyone.

“The expo will provide an avenue for trades people to give presentations about the products and services that relate to them as well as a live demonstration. Companies are looking for avenues to market.”

Well regarded as a leading industry conference, the Coffs Harbour event is targeted at anyone who works, or has an interest, in waste management issues, particularly local government.

Delegates include state and local government managers, engineers, planners and educators; equipment and service providers; environmental, community and industry groups; and consultants. Leading waste management professionals will discuss the latest developments in the industry.

Greg says that over the years, keynote speakers have provided the industry with an opportunity to determine where Australia sits in relation to the rest of the world and what tolerance the population has in

Waste 2022 will expand to include an Equipment and Technology Expo.

participating in waste avoidance.

“Over the years, Europe and the UK’s approach to waste management has been a lot more about community participation and co-operation. It has got some traction and support from audiences,” he says.

“Waste-to-Energy and how it is used around the world and where we sit in relation to that is another one. What appetite do we have as a community for the technology and considering Waste-to-Energy as an alternative to landfilling. It’s interesting to see the philosophy.”

But Greg says while the conference looks at the “big picture” of waste management it is more focused on strategy and case studies than a scientific and academic pursuit.

“We want to try and open people’s minds but anchor the practice into the reality of what’s happening.

Case studies, particularly for local government, really allow them to see what others are doing. We’ve always been big on supporting education on case studies and strategies.”

The 2022 three-day conference, from 3-5 May, will be a hybrid face-to-face event and online version with live broadcasts of all presentations.

“With COVID-19 restrictions now easing, we are fortunate to be able to open the event back up without the

capacity limitation we were forced with last year,” Greg says.

Last year’s hybrid event attracted more than 330 delegates from across the nation and organisers anticipate this year will exceed the 600 mark once again.

Live broadcasts will also broaden the reach for those who can’t physically make it to Coffs Harbour, or find it more convenient to watch the presentations relevant to them from the comfort of their own home or office.

“The live broadcasts are a growth area,” Greg says. “Delegates are virtually part of the event as it happens. With software today, people can still participate in Q&A sessions.

“In a country like Australia, an online version can appeal to small councils and companies who face obstacles of distance but still want to be involved.”

Waste 2022 would like to thank major sponsors NSW Environment Protection Authority, Cardia Bioplastics and Visy Recycling.

The conference will be held at Opal Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour from 3-5 May. For more information and registration details, visit: www.coffswasteconference.com.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 57

COUNCIL IN FOCUS

Market research MINDARIE REGIONAL COUNCIL IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA TAKES A DEEP DIVE INTO WASTE-TO-ENERGY TO HELP MEMBER COUNCILS MEET STATE WASTE TARGETS.

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indarie Regional Council is leaving no stone unturned as it aims for more waste avoidance and resource recovery.

The Council has entered a market sounding process for Waste-to-Energy services for its seven member councils – the cities of Perth, Vincent, Stirling, Joondalup and Wanneroo and the towns of Cambridge and Victoria Park.

Scott Cairns, Chief Executive Officer Mindarie Regional Council, says the process will give member councils the chance to consider options for dealing with their residual waste in line with the state’s waste strategy.

The Western Australian Government’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (WARR) Strategy 2030 sets out a plan to reduce waste generation by 10 per cent per capita by 2025 and 20 per cent by 2030. Aligned with that is increasing material recovery to 70 per cent by 2025 and 75 per cent by 2030.

Local governments must implement Waste Plans, which align their waste planning processes with the waste strategy.

Scott says that with two Waste-toEnergy plants under construction in Western Australia, now is the time for councils to understand what capacity the plants have and their contractual arrangements.

“Each council has a Waste Plan that aligns with the state’s WARR strategy,” he says. “They must put a Waste Plan together to comply with better practice for residual waste.

“We need to at least test the market and see what our options are. At this

58 / WMR / April 2022

stage we’re looking to get the best indication we can.”

Western Australia will be home to the country’s first two Waste-toEnergy facilities. The East Rockingham Waste to Energy (ERWTE) facility will treat about 300,000 tonnes a year of residual waste left after recycling efforts from municipal, commercial and industrial sources.

Avertas’ Kwinana project will use 400,000 tonnes a year of household and industrial waste to power about 50,000 households in Perth. It will divert up to 90 per cent of the volume of that waste from going to landfill.

Scott says both facilities are expected to open in about 12 months and it is important for Mindarie’s member councils to assess the market capacity.

He says many Perth metropolitan councils have already signed contracts with the facilities to treat their waste.

“Local government waste is less than half of the state’s total waste,” he says. “If local government doesn’t take advantage of these facilities when they’re available they will likely look to the commercial market.

“We need to take advantage now or the facilities will fill up with waste from other avenues and who knows when or if we’ll be able to access Waste-toEnergy on the market.”

Scott says the Council developed a working group of officers and representatives from member councils so everyone has an opportunity to be heard.

He says it will be up to individual member councils to

Mindarie Regional Council has entered a market sounding process for Waste-to-Energy services for its seven member councils.

decide if they proceed down the path of Waste-to-Energy.

“It’s an interesting time with regards to waste management and resource recovery. In WA we will have two Waste-to-Energy plants open in about a year and it will have a major effect on waste management in Australia.

“If Mindarie Regional Council can bring this option to its member councils and they take advantage of the opportunities for the foreseeable future, they could overtake every other state in Australia for resource recovery and recyclables performance.

“Mindarie Regional Council is making sure its member councils have every opportunity to access this new option in waste management.

“There is no commitment from anyone to do anything. We want to get ourselves in the best position to make a decision.”

Representatives of the two Waste-toEnergy facilities met with the Mindarie Regional Council in February. Scott says member councils are reviewing their options.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

CJD EQUIPMENT, VOLVO ECR235E EXCAVATOR The compact design of the ECR235E offers a short swing radius for operating in confined spaces without compromising on performance.

The optimised hydraulics system, combined with the fully electronic control system and advanced ECO mode, matches engine power, improves controllability and response time. This results in better fuel efficiency and productivity.

The machine’s system design – specific to the ECR235E – and durable under carriage ensure impressive tractive force when climbing gradients and traveling over rough or soft terrain. Volvo’s integrated working mode system, which now includes the G4 mode, optimises fuel efficiency, reduces running costs, increases productivity and performance.

A password-protected attachment management system allows storage for up to 20 different attachments to increase the machine’s versatility.

The ECR235E

Contact - CJD Equipment P 1300 139 804 E marketing@cjd.com W cjd.com.au

JCB CEA’S JS200 TRACKED EXCAVATOR The new JS200 is highly efficient, courtesy of JCB’s advanced hydraulic system – this only uses as much power as it requires. The reinforced rails at the bottom of ‘A’-frame makes this Hydraulic Excavator a lot sturdier, even in tough conditions.

It’s engineered with exceptional strength, productivity, efficiency, comfort, safety and ease of maintenance. With the JS200, operators also benefit from the advanced LiveLink telematics system that helps users to manage service reminders, machine data backup, fuel level information, engine status and GPS tracking.

Contact - CEA JCB CEA’s JS200 TRACKED EXCAVATOR

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KOMPTECH CEA’S TERMINATOR 3400 SHREDDER The Terminator is a slow speed, high torque single-shaft shredder for hard-to-shred waste. Construction and Demolition, railroad ties, carpet, Municipal Solid Waste and tyres are no problem for the rugged teeth mounted on the shredding drum and opposing counter comb.

The stepless cutting gap allows adjustment of the size of the output material. A new engine compartment with large doors offers perfect access to all drive components. In addition, the separation of the drive unit from the shredding unit is provided as an option. The advantages: better protection of drive unit and space-saving integration into the process cycle.

Komptech CEA’s TERMINATOR 3400 Shredder

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www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 59

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

POSITION PARTNERS’ CARLSON LANDFILLGRADE Waste management facilities are under increasing pressure to maximise efficiency with our finite landfill resources. Adopting Carlson LandfillGrade machine guidance, available from Position Partners, is an effective method to increase productivity.

Customers have reported numerous benefits since adopting the Carlson system, such as optimising the available airspace, time savings from pre-set design levels, increased time, cost, and safety benefits by reducing the need for surveyors to manually measure on site and eliminating rework by entering in the design plans of landfill cells to the on-board system for operators to work to.

Operators have also benefitted from continuous monitoring and control of density and gradient of landfill compaction and final form of landscaping. The system also records and assists the operator’s work, preventing overfill and recording material placement.

The system is effective when operators are aiming to avoid critical zones and hazardous material areas and helps reduce fuel consumption, with environmental and cost benefits.

Position Partners’ Carlson LandfillGrade Contact - CEA

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IFM EFECTOR, LDL101 The LDL101 conductivity sensor from ifm is a solution for ultrapure water. The LDL101 sensor is the right choice when the purity of water is crucial for product quality or process reliability.

The sensor detects the conductivity of water from a value of 0.04 μS/cm, which makes it ideal for applications where purified water of all levels is used. The high resolution and the loss-free digital transmission of the measured values via IO-Link enable a permanently precise analysis of the water quality, ensuring a flawless process.

Used in the monitoring of the cooling circuit, the LDL101 can detect increasing mineralisation of the water so that countermeasures can be taken before the piping system suffers major damage.

The LDL101 sensor from ifm, is a compact sensor that requires no further hardware for operation.

Contact - CEA

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60 / WMR / April 2022

The LDL101 conductivity sensor requires no further hardware to operate.

LAST WORD

Golden opportunities THIS YEAR WILL BE CRITICAL FOR QUEENSLAND’S WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY SECTOR. DR GEORGINA DAVIS, THE NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF WRIQ, EXPLAINS.

New opportunities in the waste management and resource recovery sector are unprecedented.

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here are several important programs of work underway by the Queensland Government.

The commencement of the levy efficacy review and Waste Strategy review is imminent, with these items to be completed by 30 June 2022.

Given the interaction between the levy and strategy, the consultation will be combined into a single consultation, but WRIQ understands that there will be two separate reports from the process.

We expect the outcomes from the reviews to inform the remaking of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Regulation (2011), which expires this year. Given the timeframes associated with the review of the levy and strategy, and the time required to undertake an appropriate and

meaningful consultation with industry on the remaking of the regulation, it is likely that an extension to the existing regulation will be required.

The current levy discounts for prescribed recycling activities listed in Schedule 3 of the Regulation are also set to expire on 30 June. It is critical that these discounts for highly efficient resource recovery activities are extended while the review is underway and outcomes from the review are used to inform changes to the regulation and these discounts. WRIQ is advocating for the reduction or removal of the levy from some of these prescribed recycling activities where the department has now received data to verify that they are achieving full or higher rates of resource recovery.

There has also been the recent release of the Organics Strategy and Organics Action Plan, coupled with the Environmental Authority (EA) Modernisation Process, for facilities holding an EA for Environmentally Relevant Activity 53 (organic materials processing). Time will tell if the PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) limits contained in the new EA conditions will be untenable and at odds to the targets to drive FOGO collections in the strategy.

Acknowledging the various programs of work occurring at Queensland level, from the development of Regional Waste Plans, Queensland Energy Plan, Residual Risk Framework, to an E-product paper and the rest, there is much for industry to be involved in,

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 61

LAST WORD

and we are wary of participation fatigue across the sector.

Then there are numerous and varied activities on organics, plastics, harmonisation and product stewardship, among others, directed from Federal level. Industry’s concern is that this activity is increasingly appearing unco-ordinated, duplicative with state initiatives and, in some cases, just competitive; and that industry consultation is sometimes deficient.

there will be several committees and bodies of work established within that agency. Work has commenced with regards to developing service strategies for the various precincts and villages, and on the processes to develop a carbon budget and strategies to achieve climate positive outcomes.

There is a complex relationship between the resource recovery practices that will be needed in both the planning and construction of Olympic infrastructure and the services for the

“The waste management and resource recovery sector will be significant in ensuring that the Olympics achieve climate positive outcomes as well as a net-zero waste games, particularly given the footprint of hosting such an event.”

Dr Georgina Davis, Chief Executive Officer of WRIQ

Positively, South-East Queensland is seeing work commence on the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games with a little over 3300 more days to go. The event has committed to being climate positive and one that will create lasting benefits to the climate and Queensland’s community, while accelerating the transition to zero net emissions.

Planning and development of new infrastructure projects is well underway, along with a considerable commitment to the redevelopment of existing facilities. Overall, there will be more than 30 venues (both permanent and temporary), as well as several athlete villages. To support this development, the Queensland and Australian Governments have established a joint Olympic Infrastructure Agency to deliver key projects for the games, and

62 / WMR / April 2022

active life of that infrastructure, and low-carbon transitions. The waste management and resource recovery sector will be significant in ensuring that the Olympics achieve climate positive outcomes as well as a net-zero waste games, particularly given the footprint of hosting such an event. The industry must be an active participant in the development of the infrastructure and service plans for the Olympics, through to the carbon accounting conventions around the life cycle of the games (construction, service delivery and legacy applications). The importance of incorporating highly interconnected sectors into analyses of low-carbon transitions, will highlight the challenges for designing appropriate policies, accounting frameworks, and interdisciplinary impact assessment

Dr Georgina Davis, WRIQ Chief Executive Officer.

methods that look beyond sectorial and statewide horizons.

With new strategies, increasing targets, the Olympics and a growing population there is a significant demand for new waste and resource recovery infrastructure and, at a time where the pace of innovation and technological advancement is unprecedented.

With new technologies, infrastructure and investment, we will need more skills and more workforce. We need to improve the performance of the skills system servicing our sector and we need to identify investment priorities for the higher education and VET sectors.

We know we have a range of higher priority industry skills demands .We have a skills shortages and in many critical areas of our industry we are experiencing workforce shortages.

WRIQ is developing a review paper detailing skilling issues and priorities for the sector, including occupations and qualifications that are higher priority and worthy of government investment.

Work is underway with universities to better align degree units and provide real industry experiences.

While there is a lot the sector needs to do and we are facing challenges, the new opportunities are unprecedented.

There has never been a more exciting time to be working in the Queensland sector.

CAWRA Material Recovery Facility • • • •

Australian designed and manufactured Utilising our partners OEM equipment and technology Collaborative achievement between CAWRA and Builder Pascale Processing 50,000 tonnes of co-mingled material per year @ 15 TPH

Wastech Engineering is proud to have played a part in improving Australia’s environmental future by designing, manufacturing, and commissioning, the installation of the Central Adelaide Waste & Recycling Authority (CAWRA) Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

CAWRA Material Recovery Facility was designed and manufactured at Wastech Engineering’s main manufacturing facility in Hallam, Victoria.

To enquire about how Wastech Engineering can work with you to design a cost effective system to suit your site specific needs, please contact us on 1800

465 465 or info@wastech.com.au

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

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STAR SCREENS

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TOPTURN X

AXTOR

The Ideal Combination of Performance and Design

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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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