Waste Management Review May 2019

MAY 2019

The future of recycling ACOR President Peter Tamblyn on the paradigm shift in domestic recycling.

FEATURES Glass recycling gap analysis Repurpose It’s new partnership A sustainable diesel replacement Calls for QLD EPA

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY:

PMS 380 PMS 376 PMS 355

50 DRIVING THE DISCUSSION The seventh Australian Landfill and Transfer Stations conference and expo covered the broad spectrum of best practice.

COVER STORY

14

RECYCLING REBOOT Waste Management Review speaks to the Australian Council of Recycling’s new board members about how they and the association are growing domestic capacity.

“I SEE THE MARKET EVOLVING QUITE QUICKLY IF WE GET SUPPORT IN THE EARLY STAGES FROM GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS. ACOR’S ROLE IS TO CHAMPION THE 10-POINT PLAN AND ENSURE WE CREATE A VIBRANT RECYCLING INDUSTRY AND I THINK THE NEW BOARD REFLECTS THAT.” -Peter Tamblyn, Australian Council of Recycling President

In this issue Features

18

MATERIAL FLOWS The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation released a comprehensive dataset on the gaps to overcoming the recyclability of problematic materials.

28

GLASS

WASTE TO TOOTHPASTE

University of Queensland researchers developed a new chemical process that can turn waste glass into valuable silicate products.

32

LANDFILL HAZARD MAPPING

Ray Cox from Landair Surveys offers a spatial solution to the duty of care operators have in managing landfill hazard areas.

A LEGACY 36 RATIFYING ISSUE

CMA Ecocycle’s Daryl Moyle explains why urgent government action on mercury-bearing waste is critical.

40 SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES

CDE’s Daniel Webber highlights the core ingredients of a successful business case to turn construction and demolition waste streams into a resource.

42

SCALABLE PARTNERSHIP

Repurpose It has partnered with integrated services company Downer to support its recently unveiled construction and demolition washing plant.

46

POWERING UP An environmentally conscious shift from the transport sector is driving a biofuels resurgence.

THE 50 DRIVING DISCUSSION

The seventh Australian Landfill and Transfer Stations conference and expo covered the broad spectrum of best practice.

WARNING 54 EARLY RESPONSE

FLIR’s thermal imaging cameras have been helping dynamic waste facilities in Australia reduce their fire risk.

58 METHODICAL PLACEMENT

Method Recycling’s India Korner explains how instilling accountability and a culture of responsibility is crucial to driving recycling outcomes.

59 AUTOMATED BIN HIRE

All Over Bins’ new Ezybin app aims to simplify waste collection with live status updates and a three-step booking process.

Regulars

6 NEWS 54 P ROMOTIONAL FEATURES 64 LAST WORD www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 3

PUBLISHER

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

EDITOR

Toli Papadopoulos toli.papadopoulos@primecreative.com.au

JOURNALIST

From the Editor

Backing a winner WITH THE DUST SETTLING ON THE NSW election and a Federal Government election looming, the question on everybody’s minds in the sector is: what does the next roadmap to reform look like?

While every election tends to throw up some uncertainty, it’s also an opportunity to revisit neglected issues in the hopes of bi-partisan support to avoid politicisation of pressing matters.

In the lead-up to the polls, the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) called on the NSW Government to re-invest 100 per cent of levy funds into sustainable waste management initiatives.

The newly elected Berejiklian Government now has an opportunity to drive reforms across the state.

For example, the government could simplify the planning process by issuing provisional licenses for new pieces of waste infrastructure like Victoria, so it doesn’t take at least two to five years for some sites to be up and running. It could also heed WSROC’s warning and actually re-invest more of those dollars and cents in recycling programs.

Unfortunately, waste management doesn’t tend to be prominent on the electoral agenda as energy, employment or health, but the irony is that it’s linked to all three in a big way.

At the seventh Landfill and Transfer Stations conference, audiences heard from numerous councils, engineers and consultants on how further investment and jobs could be stimulated in the sector with more national consistency, smarter and leaner operations and greater collaboration from the regulators.

More on page 50.

After all, if the market signals aren’t there, what certainty do businesses have in putting up millions in capital expenditure in the name of better environmental outcomes?

If the commitments made at the December 2018 meeting of environment ministers are actioned and agreed upon by the feds and the states, rather than delayed meeting after meeting, we may see some necessary progress. These include clarifying proximity principles and increasing demand for recycled materials through government procurement.

But as one audience member in the conference remarked, it may be best to just get used to the fact that the regulatory system is inconsistent and work around the asymmetry. That’s, of course, pending some government’s shock retrospective announcement.

4 / WMR / May 2019

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News

Future Recycling unveils revamped transfer station Future Recycling fully refurbished its facility with a brand new transfer station in partnership with Sustainability Victoria and the Victorian Government as part of the $35 million Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund.

At the new $4.5 million transfer station, material is sorted manually to recover the maximum reusable and recyclable content and according to Future Recycling, will divert at least 70 per cent of the waste delivered to the site away from landfill. This will include up to 100,000 tonnes of builders’ waste, general waste, green waste and recyclables such as cardboard, car batteries and metals including white goods and electronics.

The investment includes the latest waste management equipment such as Sennebogen machinery and a brand new,

computerised public weighbridge, which records the volume and type of waste, along with the client’s details.

The site will attract both commercial and public customers and be supported by bin hire, metal recycling, scrap metal and resource recovery services. The traffic flow in the site is well planned as all deliveries are directed by waste stream to aid recovery and ensure efficiency.

Future Recycling Managing Director Tyrone Landsman said the company’s aim is to extract as much recyclable material as possible from waste streams to avoid landfill.

“We strive to provide a comprehensive service that is tailored to our customers’ needs, while being safe and innovative in our approach. We are really proud of our new transfer station and thank Sustainability Victoria and the state

government for working with us on this project,” Mr Landsman said.

The transfer station will provide the local community and businesses with a better option for disposing of their waste and has also created 10 full time jobs, with more in the pipeline as the business expands.

Victorian Government Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, who was unable to attend the launch, said the government’s investment in state-of-theart resource recovery centres such as this is not only good for the environment, it’s helping to support local jobs and industry.

“The new facility is boosting the local community’s recycling levels and reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill. This grant means the best recycling technology is available right here in Pakenham,” she said.

At the $4.5 million transfer station, material is sorted manually to recover the maximum reusable and recyclable content.

6 / WMR / May 2019

Less Landfill Less Carbon Less Traffic Greener Roads Alex Fraser’s recycled construction materials can cut the carbon footprint of new infrastructure by up to 65%.

Building greener roads asphalt . aggregates . roadbase . sand

greenroads.com.au

News

National Food Waste Baseline report released The Federal Government has announced the key findings of Australia’s National Food Waste Baseline report.

Last year, the Federal Government appointed a steering committee to support the implementation of the National Food Waste Strategy, which has a goal to halve the nation’s food waste by 2030.

The Food Waste Steering Committee provided guidance and advice to Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL) as it developed a plan in 2018 that clearly set out the actions to be taken to reduce Australia’s food waste over the short, medium and long term.

A National Food Waste Baseline was developed in order to measure and monitor progress towards the food waste reduction goal.

In a statement, Environment Minister Melissa Price said that findings from the National Food Waste Baseline report will be used to develop measurable baselines, food waste datasets and targeted strategies to meet the target.

The National Food Waste Baseline report shows Australia generated 7.3 million tonnes of food waste across the food supply and consumption chain in 2016-17, the equivalent of 298 kilograms per person.

The report, commissioned by the Federal Government, shows that while Australia recycled 1.2 million tonnes of total food waste and recovered 2.9 million tonnes through alternative uses, it still disposed of 3.2 million

8 / WMR / May 2019

The National Food Waste Baseline report shows Australians generated 7.3 million tonnes of food waste across the food and consumption supply chain in 2016-17.

tonnes over the period.

Consulting with industry organisations, the report found 2.5 million tonnes (34 per cent) of food waste was generated by households, 2.3 million tonnes (31 per cent) by primary production and agricultural pursuits and 1.8 million tonnes (25 per cent) by the manufacturing sector.

Sugarcane fibre (bagasse) was excluded from the baseline as the report identifies it is already well utilised, with mill-generated bagasse primarily combusted to

generate on-site power.

Ms Price said targeted research and the implementation of the National Food Waste Strategy by Food Innovation Australia will strengthen the rigour of the government’s food waste datasets and its capacity to further reduce food waste.

The findings were released by the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre in Adelaide with a full report to be published on the Federal Government website in the coming weeks.

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Transfer Trailers The Wastech ‘Clearline’ rolled wall body design provides greater durability and integral strength to withstand the high compaction forces from waste transfer station applications.

Wastech have recently also developed their top load moving floor steel transfer trailer with increased payloads and performance.

Capacities from 57m³ up to 130m³ for Road Train capable prime movers Tare weights from 11,100kg Locally engineering and manufactured to suit specific customer requirements

The Clearline Trailer is built to withstand the high piercing forces during compaction of industrial type wastes.

This Wastech designed trailer incorporates the use of high tensile steel plate in the body, reducing tare weight and increasing payload. Additionally, the seamless internal walls along with the hydraulic eject blade, safely and efficiently ejects the waste load at landfill.

Technical Specifications Material High Tensile Steel (5mm floor, 4mm walls and roof) Rear Door Cyle Time 15 Secs. (Hydraulic Operation) Preferred Hydraulic Pump Size 80l / min Working Pressure 2,100 PSI Cyclinder Type 5 & 6 Stage Telescopic Cylinder with Centre Support Eject Blade Cycle Time Eject: 140 secs. | Retract 150 secs.

(5 Stage Cylinder - Single Trailer) Doors Top or Side Hinged Rear Doors (Hydraulic or Manual) Tare Weight From 11,100kg - Single Trailer (subject to options)

VIC I NSW I QLD I WA I SA I TAS I NT I ACT I NZ

News

Veolia to commence O&M on Australia’s first thermal WtE facility in 2021 Construction has begun on a thermal waste-to-energy facility in Kwinana, WA that will be operated and maintained by Veolia Australia and New Zealand postconstruction for 25 years.

Avertas Energy has been named the supplier and will contribute to landfill reduction by processing 400,000 tonnes of waste, equivalent to one quarter of Perth’s post-recycling rubbish. Diverting this waste from landfill will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 400,000 tonnes per year, equal to taking 85,000 cars off Perth’s roads.

In addition, Avertas Energy will generate and export 36 megawatts of green electricity to the local grid per year, sufficient to power more than 50,000 households. Scheduled to Avertas Energy has been named the supplier and will process 400,000 tonnes of waste.

open in 2021, Avertas Energy already has 20-year waste supply agreements in place with Rivers Regional Council and the City of Kwinana, playing a role in supporting those local governments’ waste management strategies.

As the preferred supplier of baseload renewable energy, Avertas Energy will also be supporting the green energy needs of the Western Australia Local Government Association (WALGA) and its members.

Avertas Energy is implementing moving grate technology which is used in approximately 2000 facilities globally. Waste managed by Avertas Energy will result in recovery of metallic materials that will be recycled, and by-products that will be reused as construction materials.

WA Premier Mark McGowan joined Macquarie Capital and Phoenix Every Australia representatives to turn the sod at a ceremony last Friday.

“Having the country’s first thermal waste-to-energy facility built in Western Australia demonstrates confidence in our economy and shows WA has the capacity to be at the forefront of new technologies for waste management,” he said.

The plant will generate more than 800 jobs during construction and 60 positions once fully operational.

Funding for the project has been provided by Macquarie Capital, Dutch Infrastructure Fund, Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and a range of financial institutions.

Federal Government Environment Minister Melissa Price said the government was pleased to support this project with a $23 million grant and up to $90 million in debt finance.

Avartas Energy CEO Frank Smith said the facility represents a significant opportunity to reduce pressure on landfill capacity and create a new and reliable source of green power.

Acciona Geotech Managing Director Bede Noonan said the company anticipates this project will contribute to the development of specialist skills in the Western Australian construction industry, creating local opportunities for subcontractors.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 11

News

Victoria first recycled concrete trial in Hoppers Crossing

The new concrete was developed by Sustainability Victoria and Swinburne University of Technology.

In a Victoria-first trial, a 200-metre long-concrete footpath made with 199,000 recycled glass and plastic bottles has been laid in Hoppers Crossing.

The new concrete, developed by Sustainability Victoria and Swinburne University of Technology, was funded through the Victorian Government’s Research, Development and Demonstration grant as part of the $4.5 million Resource Recovery Market Development Program (RRMDP).

The RRMDP was announced last year and aims to develop Victorian markets for recyclable waste, boost research and increase the use of recovered glass fines and flexible plastics in products and processing techniques.

The Swinburne University of Technology research team worked with recycled content supplier PolyTrade, Wyndham City Council and concrete contractor MetroPlant to develop the material.

The aggregate contains 2600

12 / WMR / May 2019

kilograms of shredded recycled plastics between four and eight millimetres and 5500 kilograms of glass fines — leftover glass particles typically between three and eight millimetres in size.

The glass fines and plastic are bound directly into the concrete through a technique similar to that used for traditional aggregate materials.

Approximately 100,000 tonnes of flexible plastics and over 60,000 tonnes of glass fines, which are too small to be recycled by standard process, end up in Victorian landfills every year.

Sustainability Victoria CEO Stan Krpan said the development of innovative new products encourages the government to invest in building better waste systems that divert materials from landfill, consume fewer natural resources and reduce carbon emissions.

“Sustainability Victoria has been thinking circular for a long time. We can create more value from our waste by designing for reuse, keeping products

circulating in the economy at their greatest value for as long as possible.

“A circular economy requires commitment from industry, government and the community, which is why we apply the principles to our program design and delivery,” Mr Krpan said.

The footpath will be closely monitored to confirm durability and performance, and if, or how, any plastics could potentially be released from the solid bound pavement.

The aggregate blend meets required strength and standards for footpath construction, with tests showing similar wear resistance to control samples.

Information from the project will be captured and used to improve recycled concrete technology to inform future projects.

Sustainability Victoria will continue to work with councils, Local Government Victoria and the Municipal Association of Victoria to increase the uptake of recycled content in infrastructure.

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COVER STORY

ACOR’s new board represents the industry’s crucial role as a product manufacturer and solutions provider.

Recycling reboot WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS TO THE AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF RECYCLING ABOUT HOW ITS NEW BOARD REFLECTS THE NEW REALITY OF RECYCLING.

D

espite being one of the richest countries in the world, Australia ranks 17th for its recycling performance against other OECD countries.

With higher manufacturing costs and a long history of exporting materials overseas, local recycling innovations have been limited. Some businesses have taken a risk and gained a firstmover advantage in critical areas such as battery recycling or asphalt additives made from soft plastics. Other pockets of the industry have historically been focused on moving and shipping, but this is now changing.

The changes come at a crucial time for the sector, as it endeavours to stave off sovereign risk as countries such as India, Malaysia and Thailand follow China’s direction in banning waste imports.

The Australian Council of Recycling

14 / WMR / May 2019

(ACOR) has been seeking to shift the recycling narrative from waste management to a circular economy, shining the spotlight on the businesses working to build the nation’s domestic capacity.

ACOR appointed a new board in March this year at its Annual General Meeting. The new board includes imaging consumables recyclers Close the Loop, Reconomy, a business started

by Downer, glass manufacturers O-I and Queensland Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) recyclers Envirobank. Tyrecycle, Re-Group, SIMS Metal Management, Veolia, VISY and Global Renewables also form key members of the board.

The board reflects ACOR’s unique value proposition by focusing on industry advancement of the broader resource recovery and recycling sector.

The wide array of expertise supports ACOR’s ability to foster a greater

understanding of recycling’s full social, economic and environmental benefits and contribution. Ultimately, the board aims to grow the industry’s crucial role as a product manufacturer and solutions provider.

With more than 25 years of experience in government, corporate, NGO and consulting roles, ACOR CEO Pete Shmigel has also made significant efforts to raise the profile of the sector since assuming the role in 2018.

VALUE ADDING Peter Tamblyn, ACOR President and Close the Loop’s Head of Sales in Asia Pacific, says the new board signals a clear shift in the sector’s focus from collection and shipping waste to value adding to the economy.

Close the Loop is Australia’s largest resource recovery company for imaging consumables.

The company last year developed an asphalt additive using waste toner.

Dubbed Tonerplas, the material is collected from printer cartridges via programs such as Cartridges 4 Planet Ark and soft plastics via the RedCycle and Plastic Police programs.

For more than eight years, Close the Loop has partnered with Downer, one of the largest non-government-owned road services business to bring recycled content to Australian roads.

Peter says that with China shutting its doors and now India looking to ban solid plastic waste imports, a paradigm shift has occurred over the past 12 to 18 months in the domestic recycling market, with consumer awareness increasing.

“I think the community rightfully expects that what they put in the recycling bin should be manufactured into a new product,” Peter explains.

This year, ACOR launched its 2019 agenda and 10-point plan for resultsbased recycling. The plans are about creating a self-sufficient sector that enables employment and prevents pollution. Using recyclate rather than virgin materials and recovering energy from residual waste is front and centre within this model.

Some of the highlights of the

10-point plan are calls for governments to invest $1.5 billion of waste disposal levy funds into recycling and strengthen end-of-life producer responsibility schemes, build a sustainable domestic recycling sector through national development and improve government approaches to planning, regulation and enforcement.

Improving government approaches to planning, regulation and enforcement requires better regulatory classification to ensure waste materials are treated as manufacturing inputs.

Peter says that domestic resource recovery is also about protecting sovereign risk in the country. While rebooting local recycling won’t happen overnight, Peter stresses the importance of making a valuable start.

“The journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. We’re seeing a lot of innovative reuse products coming through already. For example, our Tonerplas product is not just about producing new products, but making them superior to the standard.

“In our case, it adds significant characteristics to asphalt. For example, it improves fatigue life by 65 per cent over standard asphalt.”

Peter says this makes roads last longer with reduced maintenance and

Meet the leaders of the board: President: Peter Tamblyn, Close the Loop Vice President: Jim Appleby, Reconomy at Downer Treasurer: Craig Mynott, O-I Secretary: Narelle Anderson, Envirobank

rutting, and resistance to the impact of heavy vehicle traffic.

According to the 10-point plan, investing $1.5 billion of waste disposal levy funds into recycling would see investment in infrastructure and technology, including first-grade sorting and enhanced reprocessing.

Investing in recyclate market development research and development and commercialisation projects and government “buy recycled” purchasing initiatives also play a critical role in advancing the sector.

RECONOMY Jim Appleby, ACOR Vice President and General Manager Reconomy at Downer, says that as the biggest procurers in Australia, an opportunity exists for governments to drive the use of recyclables. Last year, Downer launched its Reconomy start-up off the back of its long history of sustainability.

“We have taken brave steps to be the first adopters in this space and this will hopefully show the industry this is a safe business to be in and that government has to help bring the materials to market,” Jim says.

Jim says that Downer has invested significant time and effort into working with regulators and their respective technical departments to instil confidence that the products are fit for purpose.

The company ramped up its recycling efforts with the launch of a new detritus processing facility in Sydney, capable of diverting more than 21,000 tonnes of waste from landfill per annum, from street sweepings or stormwater.

Materials such as organic matter, sand, gravel, metals and plastics are able to be processed and separate, ready for reuse in Downer’s products or sold into other streams of use.

In an Australian-first it also partnered with Close the Loop to construct a Victorian road made from soft plastics

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 15

COVER STORY

Close the Loop last year developed an asphalt additive using waste toner.

from used plastic bags and packaging, waste toner from used printer cartridges and waste glass destined for landfill.

This was subsequently mirrored in NSW, SA, Tasmania and the ACT. Jim says that its Reconophalt product, made from recycled soft plastic, toner and glass, not only makes use of challenging waste streams, but produces a high-performing asphalt product.

He says that talks are underway in the NT, WA and QLD with government at all levels to introduce the material on their roads.

“In the long term, we would like to see it replace traditional asphalt and get new and improved products on the road network,” he says.

According to ACOR’s 10-point plan, standardising recycling through an annual national recycling and garbage bin audit would determine performance benchmarks and progress in kerbside recycling. A recycling commodity index is another priority to enable better risk awareness and sharing between parties.

Peter says that the online recyclable product database would enable stakeholders to identify material availability and location, creating valuable collection, processing and recycling partnerships.

16 / WMR / May 2019

HIGH-PERFORMING GLASS Improving the value of recyclables is essential for Envirobank, a supplier of recycling technologies and the network provider for the Queensland CDS. Narelle Anderson, Managing Director of Envirobank, says that as an emerging industry, CDS schemes need to be supported for bringing new technologies and jobs to the country.

While a CDS has been in place in SA for almost 40 years and NT for close to a decade, Narelle the emergence of NSW, QLD and WA into the market represents further innovations in reverse vending machine (RVM) technology and high-speed counting machines, improving sorting efficiency and encouraging consumers to recycle.

“A new product Envirobank has introduced is a smart pod bulk return system in public places to return bags of materials instead of a single feed,” Narelle says.

One of the items on the ACOR agenda is to introduce new sectorspecific groups and structure in ACOR across areas such as CDS operators, the metals sector, plastic reprocessors and e-waste recyclers. Narelle says that this new structure acknowledges the industry is changing and that emerging

industries will require support.

ACOR’s 10-point plan comprises a national industry development focus, which includes examining how CDS and conventional kerbside recycling schemes could work in harmony.

“Surprisingly in Australia, many councils are without a kerbside service, so for those councils, a CDS enables ratepayers in the community to actually recycle and be paid for that,” she says.

Craig Mynott, ACOR Treasurer and Regional Cullet Director for O-I, welcomes ACOR’s changing focus.

“For over 50 years, O-I has provided a domestic solution for glass recycling.

Over the past five years, O-I’s four Australian glass manufacturing facilities have used an average of 250,000 tonnes of cullet [recycled glass] every year, making glass containers for the food and beverage industry,” Craig says.

“This represents an average recycle content of 37 per cent and is a truly closed loop process.”

In 2015, O-I reinforced its commitment to glass recycling by establishing a glass recycling facility at its Brisbane Cullet Plant. A key global target for O-I is increasing postconsumer cullet to an average of 50 per cent in 2025.

With set priorities across each quarter, ACOR’s 19 agenda is increasingly being implemented. One of its top priorities is a new contamination education program known as Project YellowSail, set for launch in the second quarter of this year. Peter says the project in partnership with the NSW EPA has already received interest from other regulators across the states and territories.

“I see the market evolving quite quickly if we get support in the early stages from government at all levels.

ACOR’s role is to champion the 10-point plan and ensure we create a vibrant recycling industry, and I think the new board reflects that,” he says.

UP FRONT Five working groups revealed the gaps to improving the recyclability of five problematic materials.

Tracking material flows THE AUSTRALIAN PACKAGING COVENANT ORGANISATION HAS RELEASED A COMPREHENSIVE DATASET ON THE GAPS TO OVERCOMING THE RECYCLABILITY OF PROBLEMATIC MATERIALS AND OFFERS SOLUTIONS VIA FIVE WORKING GROUPS.

T

he Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) spent all of 2018 working on the critical first steps towards delivering the National Packaging Targets.

The Federal Government’s target of 100 per cent packaging in Australia being recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025 has seen significant input from APCO’s 1450 members.

Within this scope are sub-targets of 30 per cent of average recycled content in all packaging and phasing out single-use plastics through design, innovation or alternatives. Likewise, 70 per cent of plastic packaging will be

18 / WMR / May 2019

recycled or composted.

To achieve the 30 per cent recycled content target, government, supply chain and local recycling are needed to support end markets. Problematic and unnecessary single-use packaging will also be phased out as alternatives become available.

Ensuring 70 per cent of plastics packaging is recycled or composted requires an analysis of problematic materials, pulpability and compostability trials.

The bold plan has a comprehensive action plan behind it. To delve deeper into why a number of materials are

difficult to recycle, APCO convened a series of working groups across five problematic materials – glass, soft plastics, expanded polystyrene, polymer coated paper board and biodegradable and compostable packaging.

Each of these working groups identified a need to improve packaging design, infrastructure, end markets and consumer awareness. They all produced their own comprehensive reports highlighting the challenges and recommendations with data on each material.

The massive list of projects from the working group was refined down

to 22 and further augmented across four new independently facilitated groups for 2019. These include packaging baseline data, a white paper on problematic materials, options to standardise recycling systems, models for single-use phase-outs and an innovation hub to address the future of sustainable packaging.

A collective action group made of 12 third-party experts from the supply chain and an independent chair will this year oversee the entire strategic process.

Consumer education is a core theme behind the cycle of 2025 projects, including recycled content labels, compostable packaging labels and consumer education. The scheme design will see resources to support lifecycle assessments, sustainable packaging guidelines, lifecycle assessments and education.

THE MFA This year, APCO and the Institute of Sustainable Futures launched its 2018 Material Flow Analysis report. As a critical first step to achieving the targets, the report is focused on highlighting data and infrastructure gaps that need to be addressed before further progress can be made on the targets.

In 2017-18, Australians generated an estimated 4.4 million tonnes of total packaging waste, with 68 per cent of this collected and 56 per cent of the collection total recovered by recycling efforts. This ranged from 32 per cent for plastics and up to 72 per cent for paper streams – highlighting a significant opportunity to improve waste management practices to achieve higher recovery rates.

Of the 4.4 million tonnes, the report shows 44 per cent was landfilled, 33 per cent went to local secondary material utilisation, 19 per cent exported, four per cent stockpiled and more than 0.5 per cent to energy recovery.

The MFA report is one of several

The Materials Flow Analysis provides data on packaging recovery rates.

APCO initiatives being conducted during the foundation phase of the targets (2019-20) – the groundwork stage that focuses on research, engaging stakeholders and setting baselines and frameworks.

Its main findings are that the recycling system for plastic waste is the lowest performing, with an estimated recovery rate of 36 per cent, attributed to high rates of disposal at collection and inefficient materials recovery facility (MRF) sorting.

The report highlights the importance of improving source separation, particularly for plastics, to address the significant losses to the residual stream.

Likewise, a priority for paper is to reduce contamination (embedded glass fines) that could be achieved with separate paper or glass separation.

It notes that diverting glass to the container deposit scheme (CDS) would improve the quality of this stream for bottle-to-bottle recycling and avoid contamination.

The key uncertainties identified in the report are an inability to accurately assess the infrastructure capability, capacity and availability nationally.

Furthermore, rates of municipal solid waste and commercial and industrial plastics diverted to landfill at the point of collection is another unknown, as is the presence of steel packaging in the commercial and industrial stream.

Rates of contamination in the waste input at the MRF and material specific operating parameters such as sorting rate per polymer are another uncertainty.

Brooke Donnelly, APCO CEO, says the MFA ensures APCO has a clear idea of where material gaps are and allows APCO to provide a systematic response, including ongoing work across all stakeholder groups to gain further clarity on the data.

“Both government and industry need to be working together to achieve that because the gaps aren’t in one particular area, they’re across most material streams,” Brooke says.

She adds that some material streams will be more mature than others, such as paper over plastic.

“Our focus in 2019 is about working through and getting that information and understanding what interventions the system can pull together.”

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 19

UP FRONT

Brooke says three or four of the 22 projects will focus on the data gaps, including looking at alternative collection models, consumption and recycling rates.

“It will definitely link in with the National Waste Report. We’re working with government on the new reports they’re pulling together so the work we do now will support that.”

Better data characterising uncollected packaging waste, including leakage to the residual stream, are also key to inform future strategies.

Similarly, data around compostable packaging are also limited, with greater clarity required around what materials might be replaced with compostables and its implications on downstream investment.

“The challenge around compostable packaging is its complexity. If you’re talking about compostables, you also need to be having a conversation about organics.

“You need to establish the national view and movement towards food and garden organics collection (FOGO) because you need to have that stream available to be able to then introduce compostable packaging into that space.”

The key to ensuring all material is recyclable, reusable or compostable also requires a preference of higher order principles, Brooke says.

“PET may be recyclable but PET clear has a much higher value than PET coloured. From that angle your preference would be for clear PET as it is more viable at end of life.

“The MFA is the clearest indication we’ve had on a granular plastic stream level. Most of the reporting before has discussed it in a broader sense, ie rigid plastics.”

She says the research will also inform alternatives for single-use plastics.

APCO’s 1500 members represent $360 billion of the Australian marketplace. Individually they will also

20 / WMR / May 2019

A breakdown of the destinations of glass packaging.

continue to refine their own strategic approach, including setting their internal targets.

BIODEGRADABLE AND COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING APCO’s 2018 working group identified compostable packaging as a disruptive technology with an important role to play in achieving the 2025 targets. An additional target the group identified is for a regulated, certification-based labelling program to guide industry and consumer behaviour.

It acknowledges that higher value principles are preferable to organics, such as when recycling systems for PET and HDPE exist.

Short-term priorities for the group are commercial and away-from-home collection systems. In the long term, small businesses and households having an organics and dry recyclables bin is the preference.

Biodegradable and compostable polymers can be confused with “renewable” biopolymers made from natural materials such as corn. Not all renewable materials are biodegradable or compostable, such as PE, PP and PET. According to the Australasian Bioplastics Association, more than 75

per cent of bioplastics are bio-based, non-biodegradable materials.

The Australian Organics Recycling Association is encouraging compliance with AS4736 standards to ensure the materials will biodegrade in the relevant facilities.

Biodegradable and renewable materials include PLA, PHA and PBS. The speed of biodegradation is an important factor too, and depends on whether it ends up in the environment, composting facility or bin.

Current market barriers include the limited number of organics facilities accepting compostable packaging, a perception its acceptance will lead to more contamination and regulatory barriers to apply compostable packaging to land. Further knowledge gaps are the quantity of compostable plastic packaging consumed and recovered in Australia, as well as a breakdown of packaging that is locally manufactured versus imported.

Furthermore, the environmental and economic benefits of compostable versus recycling packaging would also help inform the system.

On the next page, Waste Management Review explores the findings of the 2018 Glass Working Group.

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FEATURED TOPIC – GLASS RECYCLING

Fine opportunity WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS THE FINDINGS FROM APCO’S 2018 GLASS WORKING GROUP AND THE ACTION POINTS THAT LIE AHEAD.

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he Glass Packaging Working Group focused on the recovery and recycling of all container glass consumed in Australia, including food, beverage, pharmaceutical and cleaning packaging. Drink tumblers, glass panes and building and construction glass were excluded from the research.

Australians consumed 1.29 million tonnes of glass packaging in 2017-18 with 50 per cent of this recycled. About 30 per cent of glass recovered is from fines, representing an economic loss when considering the higher value of cullet for packaging manufacturing.

The report shows recycling glass saves 75 per cent of the energy it takes to make glass from virgin materials.

The issues for packaging glass include low recovery rates due to increasing levels of glass breakage in the kerbside system with an estimated 35 to 50 per cent breakage rates. Consumers disposing of glass with general rubbish is also an issue with 23 per cent in the red bin and limited or low value end

22 / WMR / May 2019

markets for broken glass and increasing recovery costs borne by local councils and ratepayers.

Other challenges include the increased import of bottles and light weighting of bottles leading to increases in breakages.

While there is unmet demand for clean, coloured, sorted glass, the demand for contaminated glass is limited and leading to stockpiles.

Broken glass in commingled bins and trucks that can become embedded in paper-making equipment is also a concern.

At their end of life, the highest market value for recovered glass is back into glass containers. However, the optimal resource recovery method is not so clear cut, with the document calling for more data on the environmental costs and benefits of specific end markets.

According to the report, glass packaging manufacturers have expressed they would like to source

more quality cullet to increase recycled content. Unfortunately, a high proportion of collected glass does not meet their specifications for colour and contamination levels. Despite the increasing quantity of glass sources from container deposit schemes, the group notes it is still projected to be insufficient to meet potential demand.

A priority for metropolitan areas, where feasible, is to improve the quality of collected glass and divert it to nearby glass manufacturers.

The key themes that emerged from across all five working groups were a need for more accurate and detailed data on packaging and consumption.

The group also suggests additional resources to support sustainable packaging design and procurement, consumer education on packaging reduction and the need for targeted industry education on packaging design, procurement and recycling.

Sorting systems could also be improved to tackle the 23 per cent of

glass lost in materials recovery facilities (MRF), in addition to increasing glass procurement and processing capacity.

The report concludes that there is potential for more recovered glass to be manufactured back into containers, provided quality standards are met.

More research is being conducted into novel methods of collection such as source separation at kerbside and maximising MRF product yield.

A full understanding of what each state and territory is doing to improve glass recovery, cost/environmental benefit analysis of landfilling vs recycling and the true impact of glass as a contaminant in an MRF would improve the bigger picture.

Nicole Dimasi, Group Environmental Systems Manager at Australian food and beverage manufacturer Lion, says the company is a strong advocate of the need for reliable data sets and adequate representation from all stakeholders in the circular economy.

Nicole says that consumer education and clear labelling programs are an important part of the solution to ensure packaging materials are placed in the correct bin or sent to landfill to avoid contamination.

She says that on average, Lion diverts over 97 per cent of waste from landfill.

“Data from container deposit scheme (CDS), APCO and REDcycle reports show that consumers are largely recycling our products, with glass, aluminium and paper achieving the highest recovery rates. Consumer education programs and clear labelling can play a role in further improving recovery rates across all material types.”

Matt Genever, Director Resource Recovery at Sustainability Victoria (SV), says SV participated in all of APCO’s working groups and will continue to do so.

SV will be delivering a statewide recycling campaign under the Recycling Industry Strategic Plan that works with

local government in regional and metro areas to ensure they can tailor messages to suit the needs of their communities.

SV is also working with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning on a project to investigate the cost and benefits of different kerbside recycling collection approaches to maximise resource recovery.

“It’s too early to predict where this work will land but it will certainly consider a number of options for improved recovery of glass,” Matt says.

As far as the report’s finding to conduct a cost/environmental analysis of glass recycling versus landfilling, Matt says this isn’t something on SV’s radar at the moment.

Matt says that evidence shows that recycling high-quality, separated cullet in new glass manufacturing has a direct benefit in terms of energy reduction.

He says that Victoria has also invested a huge amount in the recovery of lower value glass fines for application as sand replacement products.

“I was out at the Alex Fraser glass sand facility in Laverton [in March] and it’s clear that we could potentially recover all glass fines and CSP in the kerbside system into these types of products if we set the

right policy conditions.”

He says that SV has previously funded the development of specifications to use glass sand in construction in Victoria and it will be working across government agencies to ensure that procurement officers are doing what they can to drive uptake of materials containing recycled content.

“I think if we focus on getting high quality cullet into new manufacturing and can use all of the remaining glass fines into sand, then that’s a fantastic result for Victorians.”

To improve data on packaging and consumption, Matt says there is a range of potential options for improvement.

“At the front end, we have packaging manufacturers and brand owners that can be providing data about what they are selling into the market through APCO. At the back end, we have MRFs and recyclers that can also support with end of pipe data. The bigger challenge lies with imports and that’s perhaps something that could be supported nationally through more action from the Federal Government.”

In part two of this series, Waste Management Review looks at the results of APCO’s other working groups into EPS packaging and PCPB.

APCO’s material flow analysis tracks the destinations of glass packaging.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 23

FEATURED TOPIC – GLASS RECYCLING

Green consensus LAKE MACQUARIE CITY COUNCIL IS INCREASING ITS USE OF RECYCLED GLASS SAND WITH A NEW FOOTPATH TRIAL UNDERWAY.

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ith numerous councils now starting to look at increasing recycled glass sand in their civil works, Lake Macquarie City Council (LMCC) is taking the lead in this space.

Located within NSW’s Hunter region, its estimated population of 204,914 has required a shift in the way it manages its local economy. Non-centre-based economic activity, including homebased industries and businesses, remains important to the prosperity of the local government area.

However, as part of its quadruple bottom line approach, sustainability and reducing waste to increase productivity remains key to the council’s future financial prosperity.

LMCC is on track towards achieving its target of diverting 75 per cent of municipal waste from landfill by 2023.

The city is also seeking to minimise resource consumption impacts from its own activities. One of the ways the council achieves this is by recovering

around 90,000 tonnes of spoil, concrete, asphalt and aggregates from the civil works it undertakes each year for reuse and recycling at other appropriate job sites and facilities.

Having spent more than $100 million on capital works projects in 2018-19, LMCC has endeavoured to incorporate sustainable practises into its agenda.

A report to council in September 2017 found it needed to actively look for uses of recycled materials supported by councillors. This provided impetus for a number of projects that followed.

Earlier this year, LMCC announced a trial of crushed glass sand and recycled plastic strips in a Hunter footpath construction project.

Dubbed “greencrete” by its developer and supplier Redicrete, the fine aggregate blend comprised 50 per cent crushed glass sand and polypropylene strips made from 100 per cent recycled plastic to help reinforce the concrete and replace steel mesh traditionally used in concrete.

LMCC recovers around 90,000 tonnes of spoil, concrete, asphalt and aggregates from the civil works it undertakes each year for reuse.

24 / WMR / May 2019

The footpath construction project is part of council’s asset management program, which identified more than 700 metres of new footpath to be installed in the coastal suburb of Redhead in the 2018-19 financial year.

The decision followed a trial of glass sand in its civil works in mid 2018 based on existing design and regulatory standards and a review of works

by Lismore Council incorporating recycled glass sand. Glass sand was sourced from a local purpose-built glass sand manufacturing facility on the Central Coast and used in reinforced concrete stormwater pipe trenches in three road crossings. These are being monitored for stability as part of the trial.

According to Nadine Tilley, Strategic Projects Coordinator, a variety of construction methods were applied to test the material.

“In one of the trenches we used a more traditional method of installing the pipes and that hasn’t performed as well, but the other two with a slightly wider trench are both doing very well,” she says.

Towards the end of 2018, LMCC granted approval for an $8 million asphalt plant overhaul in the suburb of Teralba, paving the way for soft plastics and other recycled materials to be used in further local road construction.

Owned by infrastructure company Downer, the plant will recycle and repurpose waste materials such as soft plastics and packaging, glass and toner from used printer cartridges.

Nadine says that greencrete was developed by supplier Redicrete, a

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local ready-mixed concrete organisation. She says that Port Stephens Council recently used the material in a roundabout pedestrian island, though this was the first time the material had been used in a footpath and included recycled plastic fibres.

She says that Redicrete had conducted its own trials and determined an optimal mixed blend of 50 per cent crushed glass sand.

“To put it into perspective, glass is slightly water repellent and natural sand absorbs water so it changes the ratios required for water and cement in a concrete mix,” Nadine says.

One of the challenges of using the recycled material is ensuring that it is not only durable, but does not become a legacy waste issue and instead follows the circular economy.

Nadine says that council is waiting on confirmation as to whether concrete recyclers would be able to take eme accuracy, speed cut, are combined with very low operating the material withand glass consistency in it as lifecycle of analyses ew HLF fiber laser is the perfect way to take your low business to the next level. being performed.

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“This includes the driveways to a commercial carpark in 8066 the trial and will give us a good indication of performance appliedmachinery.com.au as there will be a lot of traffic movements and we can see pliedmachinery.com.au inery.com.au how the product works under commercial wheel loads.”

Connect with us socially ry.com.au She says that should this trial prove successful, council Connect us socially will look at using the material on more of itswith footpaths and potentially look at trialling it on bigger projects such 22/12/16 9:27 am as cycleways.

FEATURED TOPIC — GLASS RECYCLING

A handful of councils in Australia are looking at the viability of separate bins for glass waste.

Kerbside alternative AS VICTORIA’S WARRNAMBOOL CITY COUNCIL EXPLORES THE VIABILITY OF A FOURTH KERBSIDE BIN FOR GLASS WASTE, DIRECTOR OF INFRASTRUCTURE SCOTT CAVANAGH CALLS ON STATE GOVERNMENTS TO DO THE SAME.

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raditional kerbside recycling processes house glass, plastic and paper in the same bin – creating an environment where contamination is bound to occur.

According to the Department of Environment and Energy’s 2018 National Waste Report, stockpiling is a significant concern for the waste industry. The report largely attributes this to contamination from glass breakdown and a subsequent inability to process recyclables.

Modelling by the Centre for International Economics 2017 suggests a recycling rate increase of five per cent could add $1 billion to Australia’s gross domestic product. In contrast, the National Waste Report shows only 57 per cent the glass waste generated in 2016-17 was recycled. Looking at both figures simultaneously highlights the potential economic benefit of kerbside collection reform.

With its suite of waste contracts set to expire Warrnambool, a city on the south-west coast of Victoria, has been forced to reassess its waste strategy.

26 / WMR / May 2019

Scott Cavanagh, Director of Infrastructure, says the city has started looking into the possibility of a separate kerbside recycling bin for glass. He adds that sustainable recycling processes are central to the city’s development plan.

During tender evaluations, he spoke to a number of kerbside collection contractors and recycle processors who highlighted glass as a real problem for the commingled recycling stream.

“We were given significant price variations between recycled product that contained glass and that which didn’t.

“Everything we were hearing from the industry was telling us glass was the problem. We then started thinking about how we could address it and what the solutions might be.”

According to Scott, there is a range of solutions, including centralised collection points, a crate system and separate kerbside glass bins. Scott says that while the council is open to all possibilities, a separate glass bin seems the most viable.

Matt Genever, Director of Resource

Recovery at Sustainability Victoria, says the statutory authority has been working with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to undertake detailed research on a range of new potential collection approaches for kerbside recycling and this may include a separate glass bin or similar.

“There are a number of local governments conducting trials on different methods and Sustainability Victoria has funded the City of Yarra to start trialling separate glass collection.

“But that work is still very much in the early stages and we need to ensure that any approach to collections offers the best outcomes and the best value for the community and local governments,” Matt says.

Ipswich Council in Queensland is currently running a trial as part of its Recycle 4 campaign to collect glass in a separate recycling container.

When Ipswich announced the Recycle 4 campaign last year, residents were asked to stop putting glass in yellow top bins. The campaign arose after

the council announced its plan to remove glass from the general stream in an attempt to reduce its recycling contamination rate from 52 per cent to 15 per cent.

An Ipswich council spokesperson said that since launching Recycle 4, the city has opened four glass collection points and has seen a 50 per cent reduction of glass in yellow top bins.

“We are emptying 60-litre bins from the collections points at least three times a week and are doing cost analysis to evaluate the viability of establishing more collection points,” the spokesperson said.

“We have done three recycling audits of yellow top bins and have gotten overall contamination rates down from 52 per cent to 22 per cent.”

The spokesperson said the council’s glass recycler is very happy with

the quality of glass.

The Glass Working Group report also shows that several councils in New Zealand are collecting glass separately including Timaru District Council, Ashburton District and Dunedin City.

Scott says Warrnambool has made contact with various government agencies regarding the possibility of a fourth bin.

He adds that while initial feedback has been positive, there is little in the way of actual movement by governments.

“There is little leadership coming from state government. It is clear that glass contamination is an issue. It has been for two years in a row.”

Scott says that, by and large, local governments are doing a good job collecting material and sending it for aggregation, but they can’t solve the

issue on their own.

“What Australia really needs is coordination at the state level.

“We need state governments to say this is the next practice we will start looking at.”

According to Scott, development for separate glass bins programs could be funded by waste levy revenue.

He highlights Warrnambool’s regional context as particularly relevant to the issue, saying the fact the city has to transport material considerable distances adds additional weight to the business case.

“For us it’s about managing glass so it doesn’t contaminate other products and reduce value.

“Industry is yelling out for change and we need government to be proactive and embrace what the industry is saying.”

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FEATURED TOPIC — GLASS RECYCLING

Glass waste to toothpaste UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND RESEARCHERS HAVE DEVELOPED A NEW CHEMICAL PROCESS THAT CAN TURN WASTE GLASS INTO VALUABLE SILICATE PRODUCTS.

Rhys Pirie and his colleague are using a chemical processing method to produce sodium silicate from glass fines.

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lass fines have historically been perceived as a low-grade product.

According to the Glass Packaging Working Group 2018, improved technology allows for increasing amounts of glass fines to be mechanically recovered. However, limited markets for the large volumes of recovered glass which does not meet the quality specifications for glass manufacture has resulted in material being stockpiled.

Researchers at the University of Queensland recently announced they had developed a process that provides glass fines with a high value end market which does not require access to optically sorted cullet streams.

With funding from the Cotton

28 / WMR / May 2019

Research and Development Corporation and the Federal Government’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, PhD candidate Rhys Pirie and Professor Damien Batsone are using a chemical processing method to produce sodium silicate from glass fines, sidestepping sorting issues and providing significant environmental and economic benefits.

Sodium silicate can be used to manufacture thousands of commodities, from concrete sealers and rubber to toothpaste and detergent, with major end markets being health care, mining, catalysts and silica gel.

Silica gel is a desiccant, meaning it absorbs and holds water vapour. It is the active ingredient in the “do not eat” packet found inside shoe boxes,

biscuit packaging, vitamin bottles and a range of other household products that require dry atmospheres.

Rhys estimates the global market for sodium silicate is valued at around $10 billon, or eight million tonnes.

When Rhys and Damien first started working together in October 2017, they were hoping to find a low-cost source of silicon for agricultural fertiliser amendments. They then began to explore different ways to make the silica in glass more available for plant uptake, before realising one of the chemicals they were producing was sodium silicate.

After researching the chemical, the pair noticed a large difference in relative value between silicate and glass fines, suggesting a significant reuse market was being underutilised.

The Department of Environment and Energy’s 2018 National Waste Report shows alternative markets for recycled glass in Australia were undeveloped, which highlights a significant opportunity for expansion.

According to Rhys, fines from waste glass have a value of approximately $10 per tonne when used in roadbase while sodium silicate has a value of less than $1000 per tonne.

Rhys and Damien chemically recycle waste glass by digesting it in an alkaline solution. The reaction products are then processed, with the end result being sodium silicate and silica gel.

Over 4000 hours has gone into experiments optimising the process so that glass can be turned into silicates and then sold to distributors and product manufacturers.

According to Rhys, one kilograms of waste glass can generate more than one kilo of sodium silicate or about 0.75 kilograms of silica gel, meaning the transformation produces very little waste and turns a cost negative waste into an economic resource.

Rhys says traditional sodium silicate production generally uses a furnace process analogous to container glass production, or a high temperature and pressure hydrothermal method.

Alternatively, in Rhys and Damien’s extraction method, a large part of the energy and raw material required to make sodium silicate is already embedded in the waste glass.

According to Rhys, utilising the existing energy makes the extraction method 50 per cent cheaper than conventional silicate production processes, which when paired with high-value end use, has potential to provide serious financial reward to the industry.

UniQuest, the University of Queensland’s main commercialisation entity, has filed a patent for the process and is currently initiating discussions with commercialisation partners. Rhys says he and Damien are yet to identify technical or economic limitations which could prevent the process from replacing the majority of sodium silicate production.

Rhys says the process highlights circular economies and high-value reuse.

“The basic concept of circular

The transformation process produces little waste.

economies are difficult to argue against, but often difficult to implement due to economic hurdles. The key to creating successful circular economies is to use the energy and raw materials embedded in ‘waste’ products to make new materials at lower cost – making financial and environmental outcomes complementary, rather than antagonistic,” he says.

COUNCIL IN FOCUS

Finding the end market BUNDABERG REGIONAL COUNCIL’S MANAGER OF WASTE AND HEALTH GAVIN CRAWFORD EXPLAINS THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COUNCIL IN FINDING VIABLE MARKETS FOR RECYCLABLES. Q. What are some of the challenges surrounding collection and recycling in Bundaberg?

A. Currently, our challenges are mainly in the recycling area with the National Sword policy and container refund scheme (CRS) impacting the viability of our material recovery (MRF) facility. The MRF is owned by council and operated by Impact Community Services.

The value of paper commons has dropped by about 70 per cent. Lower grade plastics such as PET fruit and vegetable trays and woven plastic bags used for stockfeed no longer have a market and are not being recycled.

Bundaberg Regional Council was selected to participate in a 12-month trial which commenced in June 2018.

The trial was an outcome of the WRIQ Secondary Resources forum, held in Bundaberg in May last year. Residents were advised that some lower grade

The CRS has impacted the viability of the council’s MRF.

30 / WMR / May 2019

plastics, while recyclable, currently had no market, and council was promoting placing these in the waste bin rather than the recycle bin. Council has written to the state and federal environment ministers to raise the issue of market failure for these items.

Q. How is council increasing awareness about recycling in the region?

A. To increase awareness about recycling within the region, council has established a Recycle Right campaign.

To date, the campaign has included stickers placed on all recycle bins in conjunction with a media push that included social media and print and TV advertising. We also continue to work with Impact Community Services to complete a recycling educational program and conduct audits to reduce contamination and increase recycling.

The advertising focuses on recycling plastic bottles and jars, paper and cardboard, aluminium and steel cans, and glass bottles and jars with a clear message.

The results of the trial have indicated there has been a 50 per cent drop in low grade, which don’t currently have a market, being placed in the recycle bins and a 27 per cent decrease in MRF residuals. It is, however, possible that the CRS and the very dry conditions have also contributed to the decrease in residuals.

Impact Community Services has been

unable to sell their MRF positively hand-sorted glass since mid-January this year due to an oversupply of CRS glass and limited recycling capacity. Due to the lack of end markets, the MRF glass is now being reprocessed into glass sand in Rockhampton and is being returned to Bundaberg and used internally for council works.

Q. What are you most proud of in your role with council?

A. I am most proud of the support the entire Bundaberg waste team has provided to adapt to the many changes in our industry that have occurred over the past five years.

The result has been the increased use of our Bundaberg Regional Landfill which has a fully engineered liner system and gas flaring system, with annual tonnages to landfill increasing from 28,000 in 2013 to 44,000 tonnes per annum this year.

It is also pleasing to see 100 per cent of household wheelie bin waste now disposed of into a lined and engineered landfill, compared to only 72 per cent in 2013 when some older landfills were still in use.

This focus on using our highest quality landfill for acceptance of greater tonnage has also increased the utilisation rate for the Bundaberg Regional Landfill from 504 kilograms per cubic metre in 2012 to 928 kilograms per cubic metre in 2018.

An 84 per cent increase in efficiency was achieved through plant operator commitment, increased tonnages, improved compaction rates, greater use of landfill lids to reduce interim cover used and improvements in stripping the interim cover back between lifts.

Q. Has council ironed out any initial teething problems from the introduction of the QLD levy?

A. Council is working with the Department of Environment and Science to iron out any issues and to date they have been very understanding and practical.

Council’s leadership team had the vision to create a two-year waste levy project offficer position, which has allowed council to be successful in the Waste Levy Grants Program and in turn we are prepared for 1 July 2019.

The council has alerted the government of the low market value of some recyclables.

Q. Is there any modern technology the council is utilising and/or would like to use that would make collection more efficient?

A. Council is using Ezy2C GPS units in its waste collection fleet and this has allowed routes to be created and saved to increase collections efficiencies. The collection crew is heavily involved in reviews of the routes which occur every two years.

Q. What qualities do you look for in a successful tender and why?

A. In my opinion to succeed with a tender you need to ensure there are mainly black and white items and that any grey areas are eliminated as much as possible, as the tenderer will need to make financial contingencies for the grey areas. I also believe you should look at stripping back tenders to cover basic requirements.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 31

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – LANDFILL MANAGEMENT

Landfill hazard mapping RAY COX FROM LANDAIR SURVEYS OFFERS A SPATIAL SOLUTION TO THE DUTY OF CARE OPERATORS HAVE IN MANAGING LANDFILL HAZARD AREAS AND UNDERGROUND UTILITIES.

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any are familiar with the referral service Dial Before You Dig and the effort it makes communicating excavation safety through print, television and radio campaigns. The general principle in using the service is to demarcate an area of future work and view what recorded underground assets exist in that region. Risk assessments and identification of hazard areas are then based on the information received.

What happens beyond the road reserve boundary, though, where few public utility records exist? It is here that private operators have a responsibility to know what utilities are present and whether or not they pose a risk to ongoing site works.

All employers have a duty of care towards employees, sub-contractors and the general public as specified by various state-based occupational health and safety legislation. For

Landair maintains a map-based register of site infrastructure and in-ground services.

32 / WMR / May 2019

landfill sites, where significant amounts of excavation occur, it is important that plant operators are familiar with the site hazards and buried utilities. It is also important that a hazard and utility register is developed and this register is spatially related to the site layout.

Landair assists their landfill clients to this end by maintaining a mapbased register of site infrastructure and in-ground services. They have formally trained surveyors with the skills to accurately detect and measure the position of buried utilities. The location and depths of the measured utilities are then added to a consolidated site data model containing all site services, infrastructure, topography and aerial imagery.

From this data model, hazard and in-ground utility maps can be created for block-mounting in public spaces or laminated for plant operators and sub-contractors. It is also possible to extract from the model 3D data that can be uploaded directly into excavators fitted with GPS receivers and threshold buffers set to warn when utility encroachment occurs.

Examples of information incorporated into site plans and plant tracking systems include in-ground electricity and communications cables, gas extraction pipe networks

The company has formally trained surveys to measure the position of buried utilities.

and water, drainage and leachate pipes. Buried asbestos locations, low powerline clearance zones, site traffic flow and hazardous areas are also incorporated.

Having a combined utility data file that is updated regularly allows ongoing analysis and asset protection across the many different landfill operations. It also inevitably leads to a higher standard of risk assessment for employees and fosters the duty of care principle from the top down. In an age where information is key, it’s key to have all the information.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – LANDFILL MANAGEMENT

High traction drums TANA HAS RELEASED A SPECIAL HIGH-DENSITY DRUM TO MAXIMISE CRUSHING FORCE ON A LANDFILL SITE INTO MORE UNIFORMLY SIZED PARTICLES.

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trong compactor teeth can be the difference between excellent or average traction and manoeuvrability on a landfill site, as they break, grind and compact their way through refuse efficiently.

The end result is increased efficiencies, allowing operators to increase profitability and focus their efforts on other crucial areas of the business.

To improve compaction rates with greater crushing force, Tana has released a special high-density drum with additional crushing teeth to further enhance its powerful BigFoot Drum design.

Available through exclusive supplier GCM Enviro, the new drum can be fitted to a new Tana E Series landfill compactor as an option and was recently released in Australia.

The new drums take traction and efficiency to a new level and increase the ability to compact waste in a shorter period.

The normal BigFoot drum and highdensity drum share the same external dimensions. Both drum models have crushing teeth in 11 rows. On the normal BigFoot drum there are 10 teeth per row while on the special drum there are 14 teeth per row. The special drum is roughly 500 kilograms heavier than the normal model.

The high-density drum has 44 spikes/ feet more than the regular drum, four on each 11 rows of the drum, ending up with a total number of crushing feet of 154 per drum.

Jarmo Launiainen, Applications Manager, Compactors at Tana, says the more crushing teeth engaging the surface per drum rotation, the higher the compaction levels achievable.

“Most professionals support the claim that the key to compaction is reducing the incoming waste into more uniformly sized particles,” Jarmo explains.

“Large size differences may allow empty spaces between the waste items, even after compaction. This is why

a very high crushing force made by the compactor is needed to minimise this effect.”

Jarmo says the size, shape, structure and total number of the crushing teeth is important to ensuring a uniform compaction.

In a Tana E Series landfill compactor, the teeth are specifically designed

Fast Fact Top features of Tana’s specialised drum: • H igher crushing force on feet tips: less feet tip contact at one time maximises the crushing force • H igh compaction rate in “feet pockets”: Tana has “pockets” between the feet for high waste compression • B etter traction: large side surface on feet gives better traction and more capacity and more teeth provide more traction • B ig Foot for lower fuel consumption: shaped for better self-cleaning, thus lower fuel consumption. Less material pickup means better surface quality and less maintenance • S craper bars: shaped for better cleaning and lower fuel consumption • L ess maintenance required: the optimal shape for better function and longer lifetime

Tana’s high density drum has been designed with additional crushing teeth.

34 / WMR / May 2019

• S trong crushing teeth features: produce maximum kneading effect on waste and laid out in a conical arrangement, maximising compaction.

for the most effective crushing and compaction. Measuring in at 200 millimetres (7.8 inches) in height, the compactors allow for thorough, highly wear-resistant, deep and aggressive penetration of every fresh waste layer.

The teeth are designed in the shape of a pyramid, made of solid steel and are kept clean by a large number of adjustable scraper bars.

On the first pass, the Tana spreads and compacts the new waste layer on top of the previously compacted surface. The second pass concentrates on the crushing and thorough compaction of the waste. On the third pass, the pyramid shaped teeth and inverted conical spaces in between the teeth tie down the surface of the compaction path.

“Naturally, different waste types require a different number of passes to

The structure of Tana’s drums and teeth work to prevent homogenous waste fractions extruding under the wheels.

achieve the best results,” Jarmo says.

“All homogenous waste fractions have the tendency to extrude from underneath a conventional compactor’s wheels. The structure of Tana’s drums and teeth prevent this from happening.”

Jarmo says that there are two different types of pressure that work in tandem to achieve the optimum compaction: waste compacting and

waste escaping pressure.

“Compaction teeth are pressing the material deeper and the pan around the drum/wheel causes ground pressure together with the teeth. Ground pressure only compacts the top surface as the teeth compacts the waste deeper,” he says.

“Essentially, the static linear load increases with each pass.”

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – RECYCLING

Ratifying a legacy issue CMA ECOCYCLE’S DARYL MOYLE EXPLAINS WHY URGENT GOVERNMENT ACTION ON MERCURY-BEARING WASTE IS CRITICAL TO SUPPORTING ITS DETECTION, CONTAINMENT AND RECYCLING.

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ercury exists in many forms, with varying levels of toxicity and stability. Its toxicity was notably discovered in Japan in the 1950s following a deadly outbreak linked to a chemical factory. The chemical element’s proliferation in Australia and the world stems from coal-fired power stations and a range of other industrial processes and resulting products, subsequently polluting waterways, air and soil.

One of the global efforts to tackle the adverse effects of mercury is the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which sees hundreds of countries convene in Japan to agree to efforts to cut their impact and protect the environment and human health. More than 100 countries have ratified the

agreement, with recent signatures from diverse nations such as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Uganda and even the State of Palestine.

Other major countries such as the US committed years ago.

But despite signing the agreement in 2013, the Australian Government has yet to ratify Minamata.

CMA Ecocycle, Australasia’s licensed mercury recycler, has been focusing on the legacy issue to provide solutions for the broad spectrum of mercury-bearing waste in the nation and around the globe.

For almost 20 years, CMA Ecocycle has been separating the mercury from dental fillings and batteries and hazardous lighting waste.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury sees hundreds of countries convene to agree to reduce the environmental and health risks linked to mercury.

36 / WMR / May 2019

While battery and lighting recycling form an integral part of its business, reducing the impact of mercurybearing waste is a key focus.

CMA Ecocycle’s Daryl Moyle says that he remains disappointed and bemused at the lack of action from the Federal Government on Minamata.

He points out that the government’s Department of the Environment and Energy released a regulatory impact statement on Minamata’s ratification in December 2016. The statement identified a phase down of mercury as the solution, compared to the status quo and a couple of other options, but still no action has been taken.

“I think it’s been placed in the too hard basket in Canberra. The question is: is there an environmental minister who can stand up and take leadership on the matter?” Daryl says.

The Australian Dental Industry Association (ADIA), the peak organisation representing manufacturers and suppliers of dental products, urged the government to ratify Minamata at the end of 2018. Given that mercury is used in dental amalgam, a common tooth restorative material, the association is keen to address the vexing environmental problem.

Daryl notes that dental amalgam has been used in fillings for generations.

Estimations from the ADIA show more than four tonnes of mercury go down

dentist’s drains each year. To put it in perspective, CMA Ecocycle estimates that we would need to recycle around 150,000 compact fluorescent lamps in order to recover the same amount of mercury that a typical dental practice discharges into the sewer in just one year.

As one of the biggest mercury polluters, CMA Ecocycle has been encouraging dentists to install amalgam separators for years, noting that many different ISO Certified separators capture more than 95 per cent of the amalgam from dental patients.

“The ADIA is a strong supporter of recycling dental amalgam, but the problem is that not all dentists are taking action,” Daryl says.

According to the regulatory impact statement, Australian businesses would benefit from a more streamlined, transparent and predictable approach to mercury management.

Daryl explains that CMA Ecocycle regularly touches base with agencies involved in mercury risk mitigation, including the United Nations Environment Program Global Mercury Partnership.

He says that having mercury on the radar of regulators could lead to increased investigations and subsequently discoveries of mercury-bearing waste.

“The biggest players in this country dealing with mercury waste are the oil and gas industry. They are good businesses and we take their mercury waste, but a lot of it is stored and not recycled and part of Minamata is identifying sources of stockpiled material.”

As part of its global effort to tackle mercury-bearing waste, CMA Ecocycle is also reaching the Pacific Island and nearby South-East Asian nations by processing their mercury at its Campbellfield facility in Melbourne.

But despite seeing more inquiries in Australia and around the globe, Daryl says that until there is a critical mass, mercury will continue to be an undetected and widescale problem.

In the meantime, CMA Ecocycle’s call to action is for the Australian businesses that generate and handle mercury-containing waste to dispose of it properly. With its advanced equipment and logistics network, the company is ready and willing to help.

“We think the average business would be surprised to know exactly where mercury is being generated and where it is ending up,” Daryl says.

Beyond mining and dentistry, the scope of businesses handling mercury comprise electricians that replace fluorescent lighting, engineers that decommission mercury-containing equipment and hospitals disposing of thermometers and other devices.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – RECYCLING

Concrete jungle LINCOM GROUP’S CONCRETE WASHOUT RECLAIM PLANT IS ALLOWING RECYCLERS TO RECOVER SAND, WATER AND AGGREGATES FOR REUSE WHILE REDUCING WASTE STORAGE AREAS AND HANDLING COSTS.

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ecovering sand, water and aggregates for beneficial reuse and minimising waste storage and handling costs have been on the agenda of Lincom Group over the past year.

The materials processing equipment specialist recently created a new division – environment and process – to go beyond its capabilities and establish a strong position in the water filtration and water management sector.

Pete Godwin, previously an independent filtration and dewatering consultant, was brought on full-time to lead Lincom’s new environment and process division as manager. Pete says that developing a product with Lincom allows it to service a greater proportion of the market.

“We’re doing something very separate and distinct from the normal sand and aggregates business. The solutions our new division offers are appropriate not just for sand and aggregates, but we’re now servicing a much wider market in food, wastewater treatment, tailings, minerals and a variety of other areas,” Pete explains.

After extensive research and testing, the company developed its concrete washout reclaim system – a Rapid Reclaimer and OFS filter press. The winning combination allows concrete recyclers to capture clean sand, aggregates and water for further reuse.

Lincom Group recently put on a demonstration day at the Firth Concrete yard in February in Auckland – the largest national manufacturer of ready mixed concrete.

38 / WMR / May 2019

Lincom Group recently hosted a demonstration day in Auckland of its concrete washout reclaim system.

The well attended demonstration allowed attendees to gain a closeup glimpse of the Lincom concrete washout reclaim system.

Pete says feedback from customers was highly positive with a significant number of New Zealand and Australian customers impressed with its capabilities. He says customers were particularly drawn to the high quality of water.

Notably, Pete says the system reduces the footprint for concrete reclaim significantly.

“The reclaimer was around 30 years ago and the world seemed to lost interest for a time, but right now it’s on the top of everyone’s list,” Pete says.

“The prices of real estate in New Zealand and Sydney are a big driver for this because they can get more work out

of a much smaller yard by having just a filter press and a reclaimer.

“If it costs one or two million for a block of land in Auckland, you can take a third of that off because of more efficient use of space.”

The Germany-designed and manufactured OFS recessed chamber filter press uses a proved solid/liquid separation technology. Unlike a traditional settling pond system with its large footprint, the filter press is a much more compact solution where the dirty water is pumped from the agitated storage pond, through the press, then back into a clean water pit.

“The rain that falls from the sky ends up going through the same process so it’s a big general clean-up of the area.

Concrete plants spend all day hosing due to the dust created and they use

large quantities of water to allay the dust,” Pete explains.

“We’ve reduced the dust from breaking up dry waste concrete. If you can reclaim the concrete at its wet stage there is no dust generated, so environmentally that’s a good thing.”

Pete says that concrete plants used to have large settling ponds that would take up excessive amounts of space with cement and stone settling to the bottom. After a week, they would pump out the water and recover sand and aggregates that emerged as a waste product.

He says the reclaimer has a better washing capability than other competitors and places solids into two distinct piles. Other machines may use one pile.

“When the aggregates come out, they are clean. If I pick up a handful

of aggregate, there is no colour on my hand – it’s just clean water.”

The rapid concrete washout reclaim unit takes the waste concrete and deconstructs it back into base sand and aggregate components.

The OFS filter system recovers grey water by filtering and compressing dewatered cement fines into manageable “cake” form, solving a variety of issues for concrete producers.

The rapid reclaimer is capable of processing up to 20 cubic metres of concrete slurry per hour.

The reclaimer discharges the cementitious water into the dirty water pit where it’ss continually stirred to keep the spent cement fine particles in suspension. The clean water, known as filtrate, is captured and returned to a clean water pit for use in further concrete batches and

reuse in the reclaimer’s washing and separation process.

Sand and aggregates are separated within the reclaimer, with the dewatered sand conveyed by twin hydraulic screws to one pile, while the washed aggregates exit via a belt conveyor to another separate pile.

The cementitious water overflows the adjustable weirs and is piped via gravity to an agitated storage pond.

At the end of the cycle, filter cakes fall into the void below the filter press where they are removed as waste or for beneficial reuse.

In tailings and water management, Pete also predicts that centrifuges will continue to garner additional interest in waste and recycling applications into the future, as they are traditionally being used by many major water authorities at this time.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – RECYCLING

Sustainable resources CDE’S DANIEL WEBBER HIGHLIGHTS THE CORE INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS CASE TO TURN CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE STREAMS INTO A RESOURCE.

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xtractive resources are high volume, heavy, low value materials that are ideally extracted as close to their end destination as possible.

About 535 quarries produce 50 million tonnes of stone, limestone, gypsum, sand and gravel each year, according to the Victorian Government’s Extractive Resources strategy.

The report shows demand for extractive resources is at an all-time high and at the current rate predicted, will need to increase to more than 100 million tonnes by 2050.

With the spread of quarries further out in metropolitan cities and increased cartage costs, infrastructure projects and recyclers are looking to novel ways of treating unsustainable natural resources.

CDE is one organisation orchestrating a global solution with its bespoke materials wet processing plants. These plants utilise the company’s patented scrubbing, washing and screening technologies to separate organics, plastics and metals to then fractionate the resulting sand and aggregates for reuse in new projects.

CDE’s waste recycling plants around the world now divert over 15 million tonnes of waste from landfill each year.

With a variety of projects successfully completed across the country over the past 10 years and counting, CDE has become well known throughout the

40 / WMR / May 2019

CDE Global has completed first-of-its-kind projects in India, North and South America and Australia.

Australian quarry and mine sector.

Having a mineral processing background, Daniel Webber, Regional Manager – Australasia CDE, is passionate about developing solutions for problematic material streams.

“About 15 years ago we installed the first construction and demolition (C&D) waste plant in the UK, and since then we have been steadily growing this area to form a key part of our business,” Daniel says.

CDE built a range of modular wet processing plants in Northern Ireland with three initially developed that could be dry fitted to existing facilities.

The company designed a modular small-sized plant that could be up and running in as little as three weeks.

UK recycler Gaskell Bros was the first business to make the investment. Daniel says that given there was no landfill levy

in place at the time, the decision was a forward thinking move.

Through research and development supported by CDE, Gaskell Bros was able to recover up to 90 per cent of the waste into recycled sand and aggregates which was used directly back into the construction trade. Off the back of success in this area, the company has completed first-of-its-kind projects in India, North and South America and now Australia.

To ensure that CDE could service a significant proportion of the market effectively, the company differentiated its washing plants into four different subsectors, including quarrying, specialty sands, mining and C&D waste recycling.

In the C&D space, its Reco plants are designed and built according to the specific requirements of each site. Often

this is dependent on differing levels of contamination, fines content and the variability of input materials.

“There are very different pressures for a C&D waste plant. You’re generally located in a metropolitan area and can’t have large tailings ponds, make excessive noise or have contaminated by-products. You need an end-to-end solution and that’s where I think we’ve excelled with a plant that has a small footprint,” Daniel says.

He says that historically, the issue with finding a home for the C&D waste has been gaining certification on the materials for use in areas such as structural concrete, but this is now changing.

He says the business case is also well and truly established, with businesses saving on cartage costs and providing a circular economy solution.

“Even with slightly higher input costs, our solution is more viable due to a large reduction in cartage.”

He adds that businesses are also starting to set targets on material reuse, along with an increase in market signals, with landfill levies in states such as Queensland playing catch-up.

His one word of advice: material sizes can fluctuate, so operators need to ensure they oversize all pieces of equipment to handle everything going through the gate. “We can perform extensive testing beforehand, but every day of the week the materials coming through the gate are different, so the flow sheet has to be very robust.”

He says that all the water is processed in the plant with a dry tailings material emerging, ensuring no large ponds need to be bored with their associated environmental and safety risks.

Australia’s first foray into a CDE plant begun with the launch of Repurpose It’s C&D washing plant in Melbourne.

This year, CDE also increased its plants capabilities with a purpose-built R4500 apron feeder and screening module, growing its capacity to process dirty feeds of up to 300 tonnes an hour.

The company has also developed additional remote monitoring technology to safely operate the plants with minimal workforce. Sensors can be installed throughout the plant so that if materials appear to be out of balance, a text message or email alert can be sent to the operator.

As for the future, Daniel predicts CDE will continue to look to new and innovative solutions – reducing resources and water consumption and maximising product yield.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – RECYCLING

Scalable partnership

George Hatzimanolis and Dante Cremasco celebrate the launch of Repurpose It’s C&D washing plant.

REPURPOSE IT HAS PARTNERED WITH INTEGRATED SERVICES COMPANY DOWNER TO SUPPORT ITS RECENTLY UNVEILED CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASHING PLANT.

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lmost two years ago, the four founders of Repurpose It came together with a unique set of skills.

Each partner brought an array of knowledge and abilities from varying sectors, from logistics, to road sweeping and construction, organic waste processing and infrastructure maintenance.

They also shared a common pursuit of treating waste as a resource. When the opportunity presented itself, they acquired a unique 150-acre site in early 2017 in the Melbourne suburb of Epping. The site had been recognised by the state government as a significant

42 / WMR / May 2019

hub for resource recovery and solidified the business case.

Since that time, the operators have made significant achievements in cementing their reputation in the Victorian market as a leader of repurposing construction and demolition (C&D) waste. From their work with the North Eastern Program Alliance on Victorian level crossing removal resource recovery, to being recognised by Westpac in the top 20 businesses of tomorrow, the founders sowed the seeds of growth.

The end of March marked the launch of Repurpose It’s Australianfirst construction and demolition plant

– a facility that will divert more than 500,000 tonnes of C&D waste from landfill per annum.

Using its unique wet processing technology, the plant will be able to accept a variety of waste streams, from traditional excavation waste such as rock, sand and silt, to waste mixed with other manmade inert materials, including concrete, grit and rail ballast.

It will also be configured to handle nondestructive drilling and drainage waste, and additionally dirty glass, which it will scrub clean.

Reflecting on the company’s achievements over the past 22 months, Repurpose It Founder

George Hatzimanolis revealed that integrated services leaders Downer had secured a 50 per cent partnership with Repurpose It. The new partnership will see the establishment of common board members with governance and oversight into new projects and opportunities for expansion in Victoria.

He tells Waste Management Review that Downer’s vision for a circular economy made sense for Repurpose It to enter into a partnership with the sustainability-focused company.

“We knew that Downer had potential to be a very important client and they had an intention to get into this space. With longstanding relationships, it made sense to leverage the best abilities of the two businesses,” George says.

Dante Cremasco, Executive Manager Road Services at Downer, says Downer’s ownership structure ensures it can continue to drive costs down while achieving its sustainability goals.

“We don’t own any virgin quarries anywhere in Australia and as a result of that, we’re always driven to ensure we can keep our costs down and that products have gone through the cycle can be repurposed into something even better the second time around,” Dante says.

Dante says that Downer is able to sell repurposed products into the marketplace, but mostly it intends on utilising these products in its own contracted infrastructure projects and existing manufacturing operations.

He says that Downer has a large products and services division that can use the repurposed materials to manufacture road construction materials to raw material inputs required in asphalt, microsurfacing and rejuvinators. Dante says the company also has its asset management services through DM Roads that maintains networks on behalf of agencies such as VicRoads and other

Repurpose It’s new facility will divert more than 500,000 tonnes of C&D waste per annum.

“With long-standing relationships, it made sense to leverage the best abilities of the two businesses.”

George Hatzimanolis Repurpose It Founder

local government authorities.

“We’ve also got the research and development capability of 18 scientists.

These are PhD scientists up the road in Somerton that will take these materials and ensure they’ve been used in the best way possible.”

George says that Downer procures extensive amounts of sand and aggregates, and anything they can do to reduce their reliance on extractive resources is a step towards progress.

“There’s some natural synergies in the offtake and the business procures a lot of materials themselves locally,” George says.

“There’s a substantial balance sheet that sits behind the Downer business as one of the largest employers in Australia and a market leader in infrastructure and maintenance. That gives us the ability to grow and help Repurpose It reach its full potential in many ways beyond the capacity of the founders.”

Dante says that one of the advantages of the washing plant technology is that increasingly scarce virgin materials can be preserved for longer on bespoke projects.

“Ultimately we’re producing products

that are as good and, in many cases, better than virgin material simply because any unsound portions from these materials have already been obliterated by time, weather and the impact of traffic.”

Adding to the organisational synergies is Repurpose It’s research grant in partnership with RMIT University to investigate the use of recycled glass for its washing process. George says that Repurpose It is fortunate to now be able to leverage Downer’s research and development capabilities, with the company’s facility just a few kilometres away from the Epping site.

As for the future, the pair hopes to use their unique capabilities to scale up, while continuing to push for updated specifications of recycled materials.

“We find VicRoads has been more than willing in recent times to embrace new specifications.

“Of course, there’s still some other work to be done across water infrastructure-related specifications, but there’s support at the highest levels of government, and this is just the beginning of making a circular economy a reality,” George says.

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SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS

10 million bricks PGH BRICKS & PAVERS IS TAKING A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO BRICK MANUFACTURING, REUSING CLAY SOURCED FROM METRO TUNNEL’S PARKVILLE STATION.

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lay material from Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Parkville Station is estimated to weigh around 1.2 million tonnes.

With the new Metro Tunnel expected to be ready by 2025, Parkville Station forms one piece of a significant puzzle that includes new stations and tunnel entrances at Kensington, North Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne CBD, Domain Precinct, South Yarra and West Footscray.

Historical industry practice would see that material sent to landfill, but in the case of Parkville however, a sustainable alternative has been developed that will see PGH Bricks & Pavers use the clay to create more than 10 million bricks.

Formed in 1958, after a merger between Hanson Consolidated Industries and Maxwell Porter &

PGH’s solution will help preserve the longevity of its Thomastown quarry.

44 / WMR / May 2019

David Galbraith, PGH has grown to become one of Australia’s largest clay brick manufacturers.

The company, now wholly owned by CSR, which employs more than 3000 throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Work began at the Parkville site on 14 January below Grattan Street, between Leicester Street and Royal Parade.

Reusing clay material has obvious environmental benefits, but it will also take pressure off PGH’s main quarry in Thomastown.

As with all natural resources, at some point the clay runs dry, forcing PGH to move to a new site, uprooting an established workforce, hindering businesses that work around the facility, and creating rebuild costs.

Andrew Peachey, PGH’s General Manager, says projects like this help

to secure Australia’s manufacturing capability into the long term.

“Normally we would extract this clay from our own quarry, so recycling material from construction sites also serves to provide longevity at our facility and continuity of work for everyone employed there,” Andrew says.

Ten million bricks from Metro saves 10 million bricks from the quarry and this safeguards the site.

“The longer we can stay at our existing facility is obviously good for builders because it keeps costs down for them. It also means we don’t have to go further out of Melbourne,” Andrew says.

“If we ran out of resources and couldn’t get anything at Thomastown, eventually we would be moving 10, 20, 30 or 50 kilometres out of Melbourne.”

With the majority of construction in Melbourne happening in growth corridors in the north and the west, close to the Thomastown manufacturing facility, it’s in PGH’s best interests to keep the quarry maintainable for as long as possible.

Andrew says that it’s fundamental to the sustainability of Australian manufacturing.

Parkville is not the company’s first foray into material recycling, PGH took clay from Blackburn Railway Station during the underpass redevelopment, and has used sandstone from various NSW infrastructure projects. They also have a history of using crushed bricks in their mixes.

Andrew highlights the importance of the project by citing concerns that Greenfield sites are being built on potentially clay rich areas, thereby sterilising resources.

“The ability to get quality material from a large infrastructure project is quite important to the company.”

The mining process can be broken down in three stages.

Stage one is a traditional mine, straight down, with the use of station boxes.

Joe Gauci, PGH’s National Raw Materials Manager, cites this as his preferred method, as material can be monitored more effectively, ensuring the best quality possible.

Stages two and three, which are yet to be tendered, will use a tunnel boring machine.

Joe says PGH will have to wait

and see who wins those jobs before assessing the suitability of the material.

PGH, working through a contractor, has been in the planning process for roughly 18 months and has just started moving material to its main facility.

After geo-testing, the clay will be moved to the company’s largest mixer, where it will be combined with other materials to create an environmentally sustainable batch of bricks.

These will be sold to builders ranging from volume groups like Dennis Family, AHB Sheridon and Burbank Homes, to medium and small builders, who will use them to build predominantly residential properties.

The wider Metro Tunnel project will include two nine-kilometre tunnels running from South Kensington to South Yarra, and see the creation of five new underground stations, Arden,

Parkville, CBD North, CBD South and Domain.

The sheer volume of clay material being moved by the project highlights the significance of material recycle initiatives like PGH’s.

The project has also opened vast opportunities for the company.

“I’ve had that many calls coming in from different people.

“All of a sudden we’re getting a lot more interest, people coming to us saying, we never knew you guys used this sort of material,” Joe says.

Andrew says the experience would make the company more proactive about finding infrastructure projects to partner with in the future.

“Everything gets evaluated on a case by case basis. It’s got to go through the stringent controls of our laboratory first, but it’s opened a lot of doors.”

SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS

Powering up on biofuels BIOFUELS, A RENEWABLE SOURCE OF ENERGY FROM WASTE, HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR TWO CENTURIES, BUT AN ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS SHIFT FROM THE TRANSPORT SECTOR IS DRIVING A RESURGENCE. SynBio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Oil, will relocate from NSW to QLD to pioneer a renewable diesel fuel from waste.

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sing vegetable oils, animal fats and ethanol from crops were some of humanity’s first liquid fuels in the 19th century.

Known as biofuels, they were used during the early stages of the industrial revolution to power the first lamps and combustion engines, according to the book – Biofuels Crops: Production, Physiology and Genetics.

But the shift towards kerosene and gasoline as primary fuel sources took

46 / WMR / May 2019

place in the 1860s and in the early 20th century for automotive fuels.

Biofuels have been intermittently used since then, but according to the report, global concerns about climate change, biodiversity and sustainability saw their use in internal combustion engines.

Fast forward to 2019, and biofuels have been identified as offering a significant opportunity for lowering global emissions in the commercial road transport aviation and marine sectors.

According to the Bioenergy state of the nation report, increased use of 10 per cent ethanol-blended petrol could attract $1.56 billion in investment and additional revenue. Boosting the use of biofuels by only 10 per cent in petrol and diesel in Australia can reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 8.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year.

From energy security, greater use of waste streams, emissions reduction and economic benefits, the benefits of

Scania’s National Manager of Engines Andre Arm attended the SynBio launch.

biofuels are multifaceted. Domestic production of biofuels also reduces a reliance on imported oil and petroleum products and allows them to be used in the transport sector.

Biofuels come from a range of sources, including oil-based residues such as cooking and waste crop oils, as well as more typical organic waste and agricultural and forest residues.

According to the report, in 2017, biofuels made up three per cent of the transport fuel demand worldwide, with 47 per cent from the US and 23 per cent from Brazil.

In the aviation sector, Qantas and Jetstar in 2012 operated Australia’s first biofuel trial flights derived from cooking oil split with 50:50 conventional jet fuel. The world’s first dedicated biofuel flight between Los Angeles and Melbourne departed in January this year.

One company leading the biofuels charge is Swedish manufacturer Scania, which believes that companies not keeping pace with emissions reduction targets will create a significant consumer backlash and threaten products and services.

Although the same growth of biofuels has not been experienced in Australia, production is expected to ramp up due to mandates for ethanol-blended petrol in NSW and Queensland.

Speaking at an event in Melbourne

in March 2019, Global CEO and Director Henrik Henriksson said that Scania’s clear purpose as a company is to transition to more sustainable transport solutions.

“We believe that climate change, where the CO2 emissions coming from heavy transport represents close to 20 per cent of the global CO2 emissions, we are part of the problem but we want to be part of the solution,” Henrik said.

“We need to drive this change, we cannot just sit and wait for it to happen, which means that we need to engage with our customers, our customers’ customers, fuel suppliers, energy suppliers, policy makers, politicians, global organisations and NGOs to be able to drive this change.”

Scania sees significant potential to test electrification and hybridisation using biofuels, including new powertrains running on the fuel. Henrik noted that given biofuels are available now, they can help provide a solution to tackling Paris climate change targets in the lead up to electrification.

Henrik spoke of the potential of using natural and agricultural resources and waste to use renewables to create biofuels on a larger scale.

“I truly believe myself that as a leader of a big international company, if you

do not make this transformation and turn your company into a sustainable one, you will simply not survive.

“Because soon no-one will buy our products or services, no one will invest money in your company and no-one will like to work for you. So this is a matter of survival for the company as well.”

In a large country such as Australia, Henrik predicted that electrification may take longer, while noting Scania cannot sit back and wait for biofuels to emerge as a silver bullet, but rather will have to drive their commercialisation.

Henrik said that this could be propelled by wastewater creating biogas, sugar cane production to create bioethanol or through the growth of agriculture products creating biodiesel, potentially reducing CO2 by up to 95 per cent.

He said that electrification will eventually have total cost of ownership parity with diesel, with an eventual tax on biofuels.

Policy levers to support the development of the bioenergy sector include explicit targets on the use of bioenergy, such as the E10 biofuel mandate in Queensland and NSW. Government grants have also been introduced to reduce project capital

Scania believes biofuels could fill a crucial gap in the renewable market in the lead up to electrification.

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SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS

The high-end Scania V8 test engine will assess how biofuels performs in exhaust emissions, performance and response, fuel efficiency and other areas.

costs and contracts which guarantee a price for electricity generated over a defined time period.

According to Associate Professor Victoria Haritos, Deputy Head of Chemical Engineering at Monash University, undoubtedly the oil price crash after the Global Financial Crisis and 2014 onwards stunted biofuels momentum. She says that competitive fuel went cheaper, but biofuels didn’t change.

“It killed the incentive for investment and that was a lot to do with holding back initiatives,” Victoria says.

“Two things are quite important. The competitive price of fossil fuels and the absence of a carbon price that dilutes the incentive to go to low CO2 fuel and feedstock costs. If the feedstock cost is too high, even when you make fuel, it can be more expensive than fossil.”

She sees the Gladstone biofuels project as a great move for direct investment in refinery capacity for lower grade feedstock. Some energy security could be achieved as well, she adds.

“From a biofuels point of view, what we do entirely at the moment is import finished fuel for transport via Singapore as most people know with

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a 17-day barrier or a small amount.

For some that’s a very threatening problem. In shipping or piracy on the high seas, we could be in a vulnerable position,” she says.

Victoria says that biofuels should be rolled out in a measured and controlled way, with no unintended consequences such as wholesale clearing of land leading to higher greenhouse gas emissions. A lifecycle analysis would further inform their potential, she says.

According to Mikael Jansson, Scania Australia Managing Director, biofuels

Southern Oil’s advanced biofuels laboratory is a first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

could help Australia replenish critical levels of national fuel stocks, but it’s important a business case is there for Scania’s customers.

“The fuel needs to tick some boxes for us. One is that it really reduces the CO2 from wheel to wheel. The other box we need to tick is whether there is enough volume in the country,” Mikael says.

“When it comes to fuel supplies, of course partnership with the right supplier is key. We already have signed many memorandums of understanding with different companies with buying biodiesel, ethanol and compressed natural gas.”

Mikael says that more government support and incentives are required on making supply available at the right cost and Scania is working on lobbying them for this.

“I’ve seen a change since I came here [to Australia] and there’s much more discussions going on and support in regard to sustainability and the solutions around that. But still we are far behind Europe.

“When it comes to Europe, the government supported this in a much better way and that made it possible to move in this direction much quicker

because we can’t do this by ourselves.

We need help from the government.”

In February, Southern Oil announced an Australian-trial was underway using 100 per cent renewable diesel from old vehicle tyres, agricultural and forestry waste, biosolids and plastics to fuel a Scania test engine.

With support from the Palaszczuk Government’s Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund, Southern Oil will pioneer the refining of renewable diesel fuel from the materials.

The high-end Scania V8 test engine is being used in its power generation configuration for the testing – allowing assessment of exhaust emissions, performance and response, fuel efficiency, cost and engine lifetime.

Australia’s first biofuels pilot plant was launched in Gladstone in mid 2017.

The $18 million Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant is a joint venture between Southern Oil and J.J. Richards & Sons, on the site of their Northern Oil Refinery, and brings together five technologies from around the world to produce biocrude and renewable fuels from waste. Other waste streams to be tested include plastics, wood waste, prickly acacia, sugar cane trash and bagasse, urban and a variety of agricultural green waste including macadamia shells.

Anthony King, Scania Sustainable Solutions Manager at Scania Australia, says that specifying the fuel once all the testing is done will be central to ensuring it aligns with the depth of its engines.

“We’ve had many discussions in the biofutures department in that case looking at predominantly ethanol.

We are working with those solutions on the ground,” he says.

In the refuse segment, Anthony says landfill gas could also be used to power the Scania 280-horsepower Euro 6 engine. He says it gives the customer more benefits compared to electric vehicles. In the meantime, biofuel hybrids could provide a crucial gap as electrification takes decades to take off due to current limitations around battery range.

“You have to take into consideration that a hybrid is also important for us and we are positioned for that segment as well,” he says.

“We have the technology available.

We have the product available, and we’re seeing a greater degree of interest from those market sectors, but we’re not at a mature stage yet where it becomes the default choice.”

EVENTS – AUSTRALIAN LANDFILL AND TRANSFER STATIONS CONFERENCE Mike Ritchie, of MRA Consulting, explained why Victoria has a better system than NSW for waste and recycling infrastructure approvals.

Driving the discussion THE SEVENTH AUSTRALIAN LANDFILL AND TRANSFER STATIONS CONFERENCE COVERED THE BROAD SPECTRUM OF BEST PRACTICE, INCLUDING MANAGING EMERGING CONTAMINANTS AND IMPROVED PROCUREMENT.

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andfill and transfer station innovation, design, operation, regulation and safety are paramount to the continued growth of the waste management and resource recovery sector.

It is this crucial area of operations that drove the seventh Australian Landfill and Transfer Stations conference, an event hosted by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR).

Taking place at the Pullman Mercure, in Brisbane, the four-day program comprised keynote presentations from international and Australian experts,

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technical tours, workshops and networking opportunities.

With the Sunshine State making progress on a landfill levy and new waste strategy on the way, Queensland Government Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch officially opened the two days of presentations. She noted the groundswell of community support for effective resource recovery, highlighting the draft waste management and resource recovery strategy will set the course for a zero-waste society.

On day one, Mike Ritchie, of MRA Consulting, spoke of why the federation was failing us.

His presentation pointed out

inconsistencies between the Federal Government, states and territories on areas such as landfill bans, quantified targets, levies, planning and container deposit schemes.

One point Mr Ritchie made was that NSW generally takes between two and five years for recycling and waste infrastructure approvals. This is too long for most investors, he said. Mr Ritchie pointed out that Victoria has a much better system, with construction and demolition facilities and materials recovery facilities not even needing an EPA licence. Mr Ritchie told the audience that Victoria also has the RD&D approvals pathway which allows

recyclers to start operating while they obtain their formal planning approvals, encouraging investors to go in and start up new businesses in Victoria.

Troy Uren, of Toowoomba Regional Council, explained the council’s partnership approach to procurement in local government. His efforts in the Toowoomba region have increased diversion from 30 to almost 80 per cent with no new budget, staff or programs.

“If Apple doesn’t make phones, who does?” Mr Uren asked as he opened his presentation.

He noted that Apple designs and markets phones, but they are made by another company. He said its relevance in waste management is the risk of operators relying on one single area for its business, drawing comparison to Australia’s historical reliance on the Chinese market.

Common mistakes in procurement include lack of novel planning and replicating past contracts and not knowing one’s customers, market, risk and core objectives.

To cap off day one, Matthew McCarthy, of Townsville City Council, discussed council’s approach to dealing with its flood clean-up. He said the council drew on multiple experts to support its clean-up effort, including the Australian Defence Force, CQG for kerbside collection, SUEZ for temporary transfer stations and data from Mandalay Technologies.

Mr McCarthy’s advice on how processes could be optimised in the event of another disaster were improved disaster relief funding, insurance to support resource recovery and preapproval of temporary sites.

On day two, Scott Grieco of the US engineering firm Jacobs highlighted emerging contaminants in waste management across the globe and the implications for landfilling and leachate management. He said the limitations of risk assessments of

Troy Uren asked the audience: “If Apple doesn’t make phones, who does?”

emerging contaminants were inadequate data on human health and ecosystem systems and associated uncertainties and differing interpretations of toxicological data.

According to Mr Grieco, regulators in nations such as the US and Australia take a risk-based approach, while other countries such as Canada and parts of the European Union take both a risk-based approach and precautionary action.

“A lot of the focus has been on pharmaceuticals in the environment and that necessarily isn’t an issue and I think that is because it’s the most quantifiably detected,” Mr Grieco told the audience.

He added that household chemicals comprise roughly 99 per cent of contaminants in landfill leachate.

Commenting on the success of the event, Gayle Sloan, CEO of WMRR, told Waste Management Review the 2019 conference had grown by more than 100 attendees from previous years.

“This is a technical conference aimed at practitioners in the field and with 320 delegates, it’s clear the program was a high quality one that was of interest to the industry,” Ms Sloan said.

She added that having the event in Queensland was a conscious decision, with the state reliant on landfill in the past and the conference offering an opportunity to shift the paradigm.

“Leeanne and her government are determined to do that because they see the opportunity to create three times more jobs with a resource recovery benefit,” Ms Sloan said.

She noted that landfill will always be an important role in the waste hierarchy, but it’s about achieving a best practice approach.

Ms Sloan said there was a diverse range of attendees covering councils, engineers and those involved in technical operations. However, there was a noticeable gap from regulators and said WMRR was focused on working with the regulators to show them the importance of the sector in improving environmental outcomes and jobs.

Looking at the events to come, Ms Sloan encouraged attendees to broaden their knowledge of risk management and best practice through a variety of metro and regional events, which is one of WMRR’s key strengths.

Colin Sweet, Chief Executive of the Australian Landfill Owners Association, said he met with the environment minister’s chief of staff during the conference to discuss how the Victorian model of landfill planning through its Statewide Resource Recovery and Infrastructure Plan and cascading regional plans could apply to Queensland.

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RULES AND REGULATIONS

Calls for QLD EPA

The independent inquiry could be similar to that of Victoria which led to a restructure of its environmental agency.

AN INDEPENDENT SURVEY OF 67 WASTE AND RECYCLING INDUSTRY QUEENSLAND MEMBERS HAS RECOMMENDED AN INQUIRY INTO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND SCIENCE.

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ueensland Economic Advocacy Solutions (QEAS), an independent market research firm, was commissioned to electronically survey members of Waste and Recycling Industry Queensland (WRIQ) on the performance of the waste industry regulator – the Department of Environment & Science (DES).

Responses throughout November and December 2018 were received from 67 members representing 70 per cent of the membership employing 4556 Queenslanders. The resulting QEAS Queensland Environmental Regulator Survey 2018 was produced.

The crucial repercussions of the document highlighted concerns towards the effectiveness of the Environmental Services and Regulation (ESR) Division and its ongoing relationship with the sector.

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The WRIQ roadmap for ESR improvement highlights a need to improve consultation, education, set clear goals, targets and expectations and improve expertise and ESR resourcing.

Other key recommendations are to offer consistent advice and improved response times and that ESR be independent of politics.

WRIQ members overwhelmingly believe Queensland’s DES and ESR responsibilities to be important. But 42 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed that the ESR was reviewing legislation and policy and compliance frameworks well. Almost 70 per cent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that ESR were taking a proportionate and consistent compliance and enforcement program and working collaboratively with government, industry and community groups.

Rick Ralph, WRIQ Chief Executive Officer, says that it’s unprecedented that 70 per cent of the industry with 45,000 employees were so universal in their scathing criticism of the regulator.

Rick says that there is a fundamental disconnect between regulators focused heavily on penalising operators.

“The regulator makes the rules and that’s their policy – it’s all about enforcement. They don’t offer any solutions. When something gets too hard, they are fundamentally ineffective in understanding the economic impacts of an unregulated environment,” Rick says.

In terms of where the regulator is performing well, select WRIQ members had positive feedback on their dealings with individual officers, but singled out the systematic flaws in the regulatory strategy.

Across the board, survey respondents rated the performance of ESR as poor to average, with an 85 per cent negative rating for problem solving, 86 per cent negative for stopping illegal dumping and 77 per cent criticising the decisions as being unsound, not evidence-based, and illogical.

The wide range of feedback segments covered consistency and confidence, drivers of actions, the Odour Busters program, resourcing and expertise, rogue operators and accountability and compliance versus education.

The Queensland Government’s Odour Busters taskforce was established to deal with nuisance odours in the Swanbank area.

The Odour Abatement Taskforce, also known as Odour Busters, was intended to operate from a local base at Redbank Plains to crack down on offensive odours and other environmental concerns in the area for 12 months in 2018.

One respondent asked why no findings had been published, with vague

information on social media.

Rick says that industry and ESR need to actually commission a training program with industry so that officers understand what best practice looks like. Where complexities happen in regulation, there is a process of review to sort out the problem.

Criticism was also drawn at the ability of the regulator to conduct site audits and promote better compliance, and that inspections were part of a structured audit and compliance program rather than reactions to community sentiment.

One of the key recommendations of the report was a complete overhaul of the system for the government to act swiftly and produce an independent investigation into the current system.

The goal would be to install an independent EPA, with four in five respondents indicating their support for such an agency.

According to Rick, an EPA should have an independent board.

“That authority then has clarity, purpose and a relationship with the industry and it actually works with the industry to find solutions, not just penalise,” Rick says.

“Universally where there’s been an EPA, it’s shown to be the model that actually works.”

He adds that the Victorian EPA’s modernisation showed how important it was to reinvigorate old structures with contemporary models, while stopping short of making recommendations on a Queensland structure and leaving it to an independent review.

WRIQ put a 10-point plan to the minister and is now waiting for a formal response from the director general. The 10-point plan is focused on building a commercial level playing field on how the industry is managed and non-adversarial. The plan includes that ESR establish an internal reference

panel with an independent chair. It also advocates for a third-party review into ESR management and the independent review into environmental regulation.

“The environment minister has agreed to establish a working group and we have provided every Queensland minister with a copy of our report calling upon them to support the environment minister in overhauling the performance of the state’s regulator.

“Regrettably, not a single minister has acknowledged that correspondence and in terms of government engagement with its stakeholders, this lack of support is challenging for our members,” Rick says.

He says the review into ESR at DES should be conducted this year in order to prevent its politicisation in the 2020 election.

A DES spokesperson said it takes its role as Queensland’s environment regulator seriously and works closely with all industry stakeholders.

The spokesperson said that the department will take prompt enforcement action on industry members not compliant with their obligations.

“The Odour Abatement Taskforce is a twelve-month program, being undertaken to address odour and other environmental nuisance issues within the Swanbank Industrial Area.”

It said DES is undertaking a comprehensive education program to help improve compliance.

Queensland Government Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said the DES recently underwent a restructure following machinery of government changes in 2018.

This has seen the creation of a new waste branch within the department specific to waste and resource recovery.

She said the feedback from WRIQ will be considered by the department and help the government improve its stakeholder engagement.

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – LANDFILL MONITORING

Early warning response FLIR’S THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS HAVE BEEN HELPING DYNAMIC WASTE FACILITIES IN AUSTRALIA AND AROUND THE GLOBE TO REDUCE THEIR FIRE RISKS.

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wedish energy company Jönköping Energi, based in Torsvik, has been transforming waste into district heating – a common practice in the Scandinavian country.

The critical issue for any waste operator is detecting fire risks as efficiently and quickly as possible to control fires and prevent them from spreading.

Its of particular importance for sites maximising uptime at high volumes, as Jönköping Energi transforms up to 145,150 tonnes of waste per year, or 18 tonnes per hour, into heat and electricity.

The district heating is enough to power 25,000 households and has been up and running since 2006.

It provides about 90 per cent of district heating demand and 20 per cent of electricity used in the surrounding area.

According to Magnus Olsson, Plant Manager at Jönköping Energi Torsvik, preventing and controlling fires in the waste bunker is not only a matter of safety, but also of economics.

“We have trucks coming in bringing in waste from the surrounding area, but also from different places in Europe. This waste is then dumped in a waste bunker and is mixed by means of automatic cranes, waiting

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“Spontaneous combustion from biological products or other heat sources is a continuous threat and something that we need to keep an eye on 24/7.”

Magnus Olsson Plant Manager at Jönköping Energi Torsvik

to be transported into the boiler,” Magnus says.

These waste piles can be a dangerous mix.

“Spontaneous combustion from biological products or other heat sources is a continuous threat and something that we need to keep an eye on 24/7,” he says.

Aside from the environmental consequences and obvious safety risks for people at the plant, a fire outbreak in a waste bunker can be a costly affair.

“If a fire should break out, we need to shut down the plant immediately.

These shutdowns cost us quite a lot of money, up to half a million Swedish Crowns a day. That’s why it is important to have a reliable early warning system that detects fires as soon as they originate,” he says.

Jönköping Energi published a tender in 2016 for the implementation of an

early warning fire detection system.

The tender was awarded to the Linköping-based company Termisk Systemteknik, a distributor of FLIR thermal imaging cameras and provider of fire detection systems with FLIR cameras since 2010.

FLIR and equipment supplier Industrial Monitoring Control have worked with largest operators in the Australian waste and recycling industry to develop off-the-shelf early fire detection solutions for landfills, transfer stations, materials recovery facilities and recycling sites.

Thermal imaging cameras are now a widely accepted tool to detect fires and potential fire hazards at the critical early stages. Permanently installed cameras, operating in harmony with conventional detectors, offer a range of significant benefits over standard technologies. These include the ability

to see heat build up before a fire can start, as well as seeing through airborne dust and particulates that can impede or cause false alarms from other detector types. This is because thermal imaging cameras capture thermal radiation in the long wave infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, far beyond what our eyes can see.

It gives operators the ability to stop a fire from occurring or be able to lessen its impact, making the site safer and reducing business costs.

As waste management sites can be dynamic with a number of moving vehicles and infrastructure, camera mounting locations must not be impeded by equipment or the camera will be ineffective.

On a landfill site, for example, FLIR Systems ThermoVision GasFindIR can be used to identify a range of volatile organic compound gases, including methane. Where gases are captured for energy, the cameras detect leaks in pipework. They can also identify vegetation health where vegetated soil covers are used to reduce the drainage of rain water into waste using water balance mechanisms rather than traditional barriers.

Claes Nelsson, Product Manager at Termisk Systemteknik AB, says the Torsvik plant was already working with an aspiration-based smoke detection system. The system pulls in air from the environment, which is then analysed for the presence of smoke.

He says that for fire detection, thermal imaging is superior, as operators sense the temperature of the material and are not dependant on smoke or temperature spreading in the room.

The fire detection system at Torsvik

Thermal imaging cameras are now a widely accepted tool to detect fires and potential fire hazards at the critical early stages. Permanently installed cameras, operating in harmony with conventional detectors, offer a range of significant benefits over standard technologies.

The critical issue for any waste operator is detecting any fire risks as efficiently and quickly as possible.

consists of two FLIR A615 cameras in protective housings mounted on pan tilt systems, one at each end of the bunker. They are controlled via the dedicated TST Fire software from Termisk.

When a hot spot is detected by one of the two cameras, the other is directed at the hot spot. The TST Fire software then calculates the accurate coordinates of the hot spot, based on the combined thermal images, and an alarm is generated.

Upon activation in the waste bunker control room, the water canon is directed at the detected hot spot and the fire is extinguished. Termisk’s TST Fire software uses thermal imaging cameras from FLIR to monitor and

analyse assets for hot spots.

Claes says that thanks to the high resolution of the two FLIR A615 cameras – 640 by 480 pixels – the entire bunker can be monitored in high detail, enabling control room operators to detect really small hot spots.

“The FLIR A615 is one of our preferred FLIR cameras for this type of application,” Claes says.

Contact: Sean Towner Phone: 0419 155 500 Email: sean.towner@flir.com.au Website: www.flir.com.au

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – LANDFILL MONITORING

Know your risk BIOGAS SYSTEMS MANAGING DIRECTOR DR BEN DEARMAN EXPLAINS THE COST SAVINGS ACHIEVABLE BY LEVERAGING CONTINUOUS LANDFILL GAS MONITORING.

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andfill gas monitoring is critical to preventing environmental pollutants from contaminating the groundwater, surrounding air or averting explosive risks and asphyxiating atmospheres.

The frequency at which operators are conducting these checks and balances could hold the key to lowering environmental and safety risks and their associated costs.

According to Dr Ben Dearman, Managing Director of Biogas Systems, spot monitoring of landfill gas (LFG) bores for compliance only provides a single snapshot in time. Ben says that as this is generally conducted monthly, it may not provide enough data to make informed decisions.

He says that this adds unnecessary costs linked to potential gas mitigation measures. These can be anywhere in the hundreds of thousands to millions, depending on surrounding infrastructure.

Ben says that effects such as barometric pressure, temperature, groundwater and a host of other environmental parameters can affect LFG risks.

“These risks are not easily identified from spot monitoring. Therefore continuous monitoring provides a greater level of confidence and more robust data,” Ben says.

He says that continuous monitoring is an excellent way to quickly build up an accurate representation of LFG and ground gas behaviour on contaminated land and landfill sites, coal and other oil and gas facilities, as well as for carbon sequestration projects.

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Biogas Systems is the distributor for cloud platform monitoring organisation AmbiSense, offering its customers the Gasflux and Multiflux continuous monitors. Ben says the Gasflux continuous monitor is the world’s first flow monitoring device for LFG and ground gas applications.

He says that small and mediumsized operators are taking advantage of the technology, ranging from waste companies, councils and even property developers.

The Gasflux continuous monitor provides continuous monitoring of gas and air and reports the data via telemetry systems stored on a cloud network. The comprehensive data set can then be used in a variety of applications to provide key decision making insights on LFG and ground gas behaviour.

“It can continuously monitor bulk gases – from methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen, balance gases – as well as trace gases – carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and total volatile organic compounds,” Ben says.

“It also measures flow, which is the critical difference. When you undertake a risk assessment you need to understand this. No other continuous monitor in the market can do that coupled with measuring the variety of gases.”

Ben says the Gasflux and Multiflux continuous monitors can be installed on a range of pipe diameters and in a range of applications and not limited to monitoring bores. He says this provides a diverse range of deployment options and greater choice for LFG

The Gasflux continuous monitor provides continuous monitoring of gas and air.

and ground gas monitoring.

The Gasflux continuous monitor can also be connected to real time water level loggers, dissolved gas (methane, carbon dioxide and total dissolved gas) probes and can have integrated total volatile organic compound sensors at both parts per million and parts per billion level.

Going forward, Ben hopes to increase awareness of the technology in the marketplace among regulators and operators and the financial savings possible for users. He adds that the usability and interface will also be improved over time.

Contact: Biogas Systems Phone: 1300 651 412 Email: info@biogassystems.com.au Website: www.biogassystems.com.au

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT – LANDFILL MONITORING

MACHINE GUIDANCE WITH REMOTE SUPPORT Position Partners offers a unique machine guidance technology and services package specifically designed to increase productivity in landfill applications.

It stands apart in two important ways. First, the machine guidance technology has been specifically designed for the waste management sector, not the construction industry, and secondly, the company can assist with a complete support, reporting and data management package to optimise return on investment.

Carlson LandfillGrade combines hardware for the compactor, namely a precision Global Positioning System unit for the roof of the machine, a control box for the operator in the cab and a range of sensors, along with software that delivers a wide range of reporting capabilities.

To eliminate the need to upskill or hire additional staff, Position Partners now offers comprehensive data management, reporting and remote troubleshooting services. This managed service is designed to save time and maximise productivity by maintaining data integrity, generating and distributing reports and hosting the data on a client’s behalf.

“Our landfill solutions aim to help operators manage their sites more efficiently by delivering relevant information on their site operations without any additional workload for them or their team,” said Andrew Granger, Position Partners Business

Development Manager.

“If operators experience any technical problems or the system needs new software, we can handle this remotely via our support hubs throughout Australia, without the customer having to wait for support to arrive on site.”

Position Partners offers comprehensive data management to eliminate the need for operators to hire additional staff.

Contact Contact: Position Partners Phone: 1300 867 266 Email: www.positionpartners.com.au/online-enquiry Website: www.positionpartners.com.au

DRONE VOLUMETRIC SURVEYS FOR LANDFILL MANAGEMENT AirBorn Insight utilises advanced drone scanning technologies to provide Australia-wide volumetric surveys that are highly accurate, cost-effective and fulfil QLD waste levy requirements.

Increased efficiencies mean sites can be measured more frequently and in high detail. With powerful analytic tools at their fingertips, landfill managers can now be empowered to tightly monitor, measure and visualise their sites in 3D, without the use of CAD or GIS software.

AirBorn Insight provides independent third-party volume calculations for compliance reporting. Alternatively, the company can supply photo-realistic 3D survey models to operators via its secure online data platform (propeller) with automated airspace calculations, stockpile volumes and measurement analytics to assist operations and reduce costs.

The volumetric survey data automatically detects, highlights and tracks volume change across sites. AirBorn Insight engineers integrate existing cell design files into the survey model for automated airspace calculations and cell fill-up tracking against fill plans.

For QLD leviable waste disposal sites and resource recovery areas, the company’s surveys are certified

Increased efficiencies means sites can be measured more frequently and in high detail.

accurate by registered surveyors and fulfil the necessary legal requirements. According to the Waste Reduction and Recycling (Waste Levy) Amendment Act 2019, a baseline volumetric survey must be carried out between 1 June 2019 to 31 August 2019.

Contact Contact: Loren Otto Phone: 0490 307 608 Email: loren@airborninsight.com.au Website: www.airborninsight.com.au www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 57

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – BINS

Methodical placement METHOD RECYCLING’S INDIA KORNER EXPLAINS HOW INSTILLING ACCOUNTABILITY AND A CULTURE OF RESPONSIBILITY IS CRUCIAL TO DRIVING RECYCLING OUTCOMES.

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ndia Korner’s background in office leasing compelled her to discover a better way of recycling.

Having acquired a wheelie bin and bin liner business with her partner more than five years ago, India envisioned that offices could transform their recycling infrastructure into aesthetically pleasing and practical behaviour change tools.

The launch of Method Recycling in 2015 introduced a range of 60-litre colour-coded bins in New Zealand.

The bins are designed for open plan workplaces and can be mixed and matched to suit an organisation’s requirements. The company later expanded to Australia and most recently, the United Kingdom.

India says the company’s products took into consideration the needs of cleaners, employees, architects and business leaders, designing bins that could reduce contamination and align with existing infrastructure.

Following years of researching, prototyping and testing, Method discovered that visibility was crucial to better landfill diversion rates and led

Method Recycling’s 60-litre bins comprise multiple colours and streams.

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to greater accountability.

“We conducted extensive research, including midnight cleaning shifts. One of the problems we discovered is that bins often have liners hanging out and appeared quite ugly,” India says.

“To solve this problem, we came up with a patented bag retainer system making the bins quick to service while maintaining the sleek lines and aesthetics of the bin.”

The bins can also be joined with a connector to form recycling stations.

She says the move towards green buildings and an increased emphasis on sustainability inspired a design geared towards behavioural change.

“We saw environments where a person at their desk would have their own landfill bin and communal recycling bins might be too far away in a hard to access area.”

She says the company developed a product in response to research that found recycling stations of three to five bins were best to service about 30-50 staff. This equates to one recycling station per every 400 to 500 square metres of space.

“Sometimes recycling is as simple as having a product that looks good and isn’t hidden. Having bins out in the open, within a 10-second return or less walk from your desk, makes employees see them and think about them,” India says.

“When people see the bins they start a conversation and drive a culture of responsibility.”

Method Recycling’s 60-litre bins comprise multiple colours and streams available in open or closed (touch) lids.

Method Recycling has innovated bin lining with its patented bag retainer system.

The company encourages businesses to check with their waste provider which streams align with their collection.

India says the business’ growth led it to expand its offering beyond office environments, servicing Australian universities, councils, major cricket grounds and many global brands.

Westpac’s Christchurch headquarters is an example of an organisation that partnered with Method to reduce its waste to landfill from 70 to 30 per cent. At the same time, they launched a new initiative where any catering or hospitality firm they work with would need to be able to place all its materials into the organics bin, including platters, bamboo skewers, cutlery and disposable cups.

India says Method Recycling has seen great traction in Australia and is continuing to innovate to further expand its local and international offering.

Contact: Method Recycling Phone: 0477 630 220 Website: www.methodrecycling.com/au

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – BINS

Automated bin hire ALL OVER BINS’ NEW EZYBIN APP AIMS TO SIMPLIFY WASTE COLLECTION WITH LIVE STATUS UPDATES AND A THREE-STEP BOOKING PROCESS.

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ll Over Bins, a skip and bin hire company, has been operating in Melbourne for over 30 years.

During this time, owner Linda Eddy has watched the industry adapt to changing demands and shifting technological capabilities.

Linda says this experience equipped her with the foresight to read upcoming waste industry issues and respond accordingly, with one problem being inner city road congestion.

Linda says she chose to view this challenge though a positive lens, working over the past four years to develop Ezybin – a mobile booking app that gives users the ability to track the progress of their bin delivery.

“Getting a bin from one job to the next takes 30 per cent more time than it did five years ago, meaning the ability to track incoming and outcoming bins is more important than it once was,” she says.

The newly launched Ezybin app uses the latest GPS technology to give customers and suppliers the ability to watch driver movements and estimate arrival times. According to Linda, it is the first of its kind for the waste collection industry.

Once a driver has loaded a bin onto their truck, they are prompted to click “start navigation” on the app. This sends a notification to the customer that the bin is en route and grants them access to the app’s inbuilt real time tracking and maps system.

“On top of the complexities caused by traffic, another issue I’ve recognised is that the bin booking process is not simple – it takes time and there can be

problems with sending in tip dockets and routing drivers,” Linda says.

“Ezybin alleviates this with a simple three-step booking process that shortcuts a lot of admin and helps bin suppliers manage fast-paced customer needs.”

According to Linda, it takes less than five minutes to sign up to Ezybin and effectively outsource company marketing.

“After signing up to Ezybin you’re instantly exposed to a mass of new customers, which means the app can source new clients and replace an often costly marketing process.”

Linda says the app is suited to both commercial and private sectors, highlighting its ability to enable subcontracting and credit limit management.

“If you’re a big construction company, you can set up your Ezybin account to nominate seven or eight subcontractors who can order on your behalf.”

Linda says the app can also manage council permit applications with an inbuilt submissions process.

Ezybin lets companies input their own pricing system and gives them an hour to accept or turn down a job.

The app therefore functions as a middleman, connecting suppliers with customers. Ezybin also features an automated payment and invoice system, which Linda says reduces paperwork and enables subcontractors to be paid per job.

“Invoicing is a chore in any industry, so we want to automate that. Once the payment system is in place, after

Ezybin lets customers input their own pricing system.

a driver hits finished on a job the app will register that and enable payment,” Linda says.

“Similarly, if a customer puts something in the bin that they didn’t pay for, the driver can highlight it and have them charged.”

Linda says Ezybin will go Australiawide over the next couple of months, with plans to potentially enter New Zealand and start facilitating disposal for multiple industry waste streams.

“Ezybin will be a platform you can use for everything, construction and demolition waste, chemical waste, food waste, medical waste or whatever customers need.

“It’s really based on simplifying our own industry to make it fun and easy, hence Ezybin.”

Contact: Linda Eddy Phone: 1300 555 087 Email: linda@ezybin.com.au Website: www.ezybin.com.au

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT – BINS

ACT BINS’ HOOKLIFT MANUFACTURING ACT Bins manufactures hooklift bins in various sizes from four cubic metres up to 40 with four-five and sixmillimetre walls. This aims to provide superior strength and durability.

According to ACT Bins, its bins are some of the strongest on the market, with floors, doors and rows of 100 by 80 millimetres and a 100-by-100 millimetre channel down the sides and under the floor.

All the reinforcing joins along both sides are fully welded and have a 10-millimetre plate added to each side of the joins for extra strength.

ACT Bins uses a 50-millimetre steel shaft for the hooklift pin and 22-millimetre side plates and 10-millimetre gussets to reinforce the front A-frame. The door hinges are 30-millimetre steel shafts. The locking mechanism has 12-millimetre steel plates. For extra security, the company notes a ratchet lock can also be added at minimal cost.

Both sides of the bin have 100-millimetre chamfers along the full length of the floor to help reduce dirt or contents build-up. As an optional extra, the company can accommodate any AS2700 colour choice with two top coats of high-quality industrial enamel paint. Stencilling and welded serial numbers can also be arranged.

All bins are welded to Australian standards and available

ACT Bins are welded to Australian standards and available with a range of modifications.

with a range of modifications to suit a customer’s requirements, such as rated crane lift pad eyes, oversize fork pockets or top swing watertight doors.

Contact Contact: Matt Eaton Phone: 0402 197 259 Email: matt@binsandsheds.com.au Website: www.binsandsheds.com.au

MOBILE BINS AUSTRALIA’S 660/1100-LITRE BINS Mobile Bins Australia is a supplier of strengthened European standard bins to the construction, medical, local government and waste transportation sectors.

According to Managing Director Richard Smith, the company is the nation’s largest supplier of European Certified (EN – 840) four-wheeled bins 660/1100 litres.

The company specialises in high-strength bins that carry Euro certification which means the bins are purpose designed to withstand the harsh loading and impacts of commercial and industrial waste.

Mobile Bins Australia offers massive stock holding for immediate delivery and can be customised with your hot stamp logo insignia in a matter of days. Richard says this is faster than competitors and competitive in all aspects.

“When you need bins to start a new service, why wait weeks for inferior quality when top quality and service awaits?” Richard says.

The company is able to set up accounts with its customers with no minimum order and stocks are held in Australian standard colours of a green, black or grey bin body with red, yellow or blue lid combination.

60 / WMR / May 2019

Mobile Bins Australia offers massive stock holding for immediate delivery.

Contact Contact: Mobile Bins Australia Phone: 1300 558 996 Website: www.mobilebins.com.au

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT – WASTE TRANSFER TRAILERS

PUMPA MANUFACTURING’S WASTE MANAGEMENT TRAILERS Pumpa Manufacturing produces a full range of semi-trailers at its Swan Hill facility in Victoria.

The company’s bulk carrying range includes Live and Cargo floor trailers to suit recyclables, building waste, green waste and putrescible leak proof applications. The company is able to configure these trailers in all sizes, including 45, 48 and 53 feet and available in tri or quad axle, B-doubles and performance based standards A-doubles.

Other applications include trailers to suit tipping ramps/ platforms, and rear compaction units to help move the ever growing waste task.

Pumpa Manufacturing’s waste trailers are constructed from aluminium wallboard, which is light and robust and can be fully lined using aluminium plate to protect from the severity of some products. The company also offers hydraulic tailgates, which lift up and over the trailer to increase the unload time and reduce the chance of product hang up.

The hydraulic tailgate is self-locking which eliminates the chances for maintenance issues and downtime in the field.

Options for heavy duty floor slats to help prolong the life of the floor are also available, all which make a Pumpa Trailer very durable over the long term.

To support its trailers and help operators cover their loads safely and effectively, Pumpa Manufacturing offers a range of

Pumpa Manufacturing’s waste trailers are constructed from aluminium wallboard.

tarping solutions, hydraulic flip over lids, hydraulic or electric front to back or rollover options, which can be tailored to the specific application.

The company is able to handle the complete process of design, engineering and manufacturing.

Contact Contact: Jason King Phone: 0497 786 723 Email: jason@pumpa.net.au Website: pumpa.net.au

WASTECH TOP LOAD MOVING FLOOR TRAILERS Wastech Engineering has launched a new top load moving floor steel transfer trailer with increased payloads and performance.

Using its tried and tested rolled wall design developed for compaction trailers 18 years ago and Hardox 450 high-tensile plate, the company has launched a rigid top load trailer that aims to support even the most challenging waste streams.

The new moving floor trailers have a capacity of up to 70 cubic metres and, based on customer specific options, can tare in at 11,600 kilograms, which makes them one of the lightest steel top load trailers in the market.

According to Wastech Engineering, the performance and payload of the Wastech Top Load Steel trailers with local and interstate councils has exceeded their expectations resulting in repeat orders.

The proven Hardox body design withstands the impact forces from loaders as they work to top load and compact the waste.

The high-speed moving floors handle the impact from top loading and ensure rapid ejection at landfill.

The new trailer comes with various options such as roll over tarp or hydraulic top gate system to keep loads secure during transportation, cameras, electrically assisted landing legs, 62 / WMR / May 2019

alloy wheels, spring loaded rubber guards and personalised options. The trailer can easily be customised to suit individual customer requirements.

The performance and payload of Wastech’s Top Load Steel trailers has exceeded expectations.

Contact Contact: Wastech Engineering Phone: 1800 465 465 Email: info@wastech.com.au Website: www.wastech.com.au

EXHIBITION SPACE NOW ON SALE 1ST - 3RD APRI L 2020

MELBOUR NE CONVENT ION & EX H IBIT ION CENT R E ASS OCI ATI ON PARTNERS

LAST WORD

Organics regeneration TO RENEW AND REGENERATE IS A FUNDAMENTAL AND EVERYDAY PRINCIPAL TO AN INDUSTRY DEDICATED TO THE RECOVERY AND BENEFICIAL REUSE OF ORGANICS, WRITES THE AUSTRALIAN ORGANICS RECYCLING ASSOCIATION’S DIANA DE HULSTERS AND PETER WADEWITZ.

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he board of the Australian Organics Recycling Association (AORA) has just finalised our National Strategy for 2019 to 2022.

We acknowledge that with the speed of change happening in the resource recovery industry that some pivots to this strategy may happen during the three-year period as we respond to market forces and regulatory changes.

AORA’s first objective is to strengthen the organisation as the peak body for the organics recycling industry. The organics recycling industry is not new. Humans have been recycling and reusing organic material as fuel and soil improvers since ancient times.

Today, the role of the industry is becoming more critical as the effects of urban development, agricultural practices and energy use impact our environment. The organics recycling industry diverts material from landfill to beneficial reuse to mitigate climate change and improve the sustainability of agriculture.

In order to perform this role effectively, the industry must work with governments at all levels to set the policy and regulatory frameworks that will allow efficient delivery of beneficial reuse. Collaborating within a single peak body to protect, promote and advance the interests

64 / WMR / May 2019

Peter Wadewitz has been commercially processing compost for more than 40 years.

of the organics recycling industry in Australia ensures sustainable growth of the industry and the association.

Ambitions detailed in the operational business plan are to ensure sustainability of the organisation, to produce an annual Australian Organics Recycling Industry Report, and to conduct two major national events annually around Australia, alongside a series of local and online events.

Championing a pathway to a future

where recycling of surplus organic material is optimised is the second objective for the association.

Diverting organic resources for recycling significantly reduces emissions and valuable agricultural nutrients from landfill. The application of composted and digested organic products to agricultural soils sequesters carbon and improves water filtration and retention, while returning nutrients to the soil.

Organics recycling closes the loop

Diana De Hulsters and AORA are working to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling organic resources.

on food wastes and ultimately returns them to food production through the soil. It is an exemplar of the “circular economy” but is not yet mainstream in the waste, resource recovery or agricultural sectors.

To improve awareness, AORA will champion pathways to sustainable, resource-efficient organic resource recovery and agricultural reuse practice through Compost for Soils – which allows users to find a composter across Australian states and territories.

More detailed ambitions include leading cultural change by describing the future management of surplus organics material and identifying, communicating and celebrating “best practice” strategies, technologies, performance and products.

Collaborating with government stakeholders to develop and implement organics recycling industry policy, regulation and legislation that optimises market conditions for organics recycling is also crucial.

AORA will also collaborate with likeminded associations in Australia and internationally, and we aspire to develop “AORA standards” and best practice certification programs.

The AORA strategic plan sets out a third and final objective to

help establish and participate in knowledge hubs for recycled organics research, development, extension and communication. Research development and extension are fundamental to the development of the organics recycling industry.

Supporting organisations that act as nodal points for research, and demonstration of identified research and market priorities, as well as disseminating the knowledge generated, is the most efficient strategy to achieve this. The industry needs research, development and extension to advance its cause, sell its products, and provide balance to regulatory conservatism.

AORA will further develop and position Compost for Soils as a core resource for primary industries, as well as the general public, regarding the production and use of recycled organics. Partnerships will be nurtured with tertiary institutions and cooperative research centres to drive research, development and extension for the industry. Industry training will be developed and delivered in partnership with training consultants or existing registered training programs and educational programs will be available for the general public.

As this edition goes to publication, AORA’s 2019 National Conference is taking place in Fremantle, Western Australia (1–3 May). The theme of the conference is Renew and Regenerate – a fundamental and everyday principal to our industry. Keynote speakers sharing their international knowledge are Dr Sally Brown from the University of Washington, who advocates for compost as the simple solution to multiple problems, and Marco Ricci-Jurgensen joins us to share his lessons learnt in 20 years of successful organics recycling in Italy.

Entire sessions have been dedicated to the renewal of soils, the role of

certified compostable packaging, the resourcing of food and garden organics collection and new technology innovations. The sessions ultimately contribute to the rapid evolution and regeneration of the ancient process of organics recycling, now recognised as the new-age “circular economy” – delivering an industry thriving with jobs and endless opportunities to sustain life on our planet by mitigating climate change.

Fast Fact AORA works on behalf of its members to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling organic resources.

Together with stakeholders we facilitate the conditions through which surplus organic material can be sustainably and cost-effectively recycled and promote their beneficial reuse. The association envisages a future where no organic materials end up in landfill.

AORA is a national peak body governed by a board of directors. The national executive officer manages the dayto-day running of the association supported by the volunteer members on the board and in various state division committees.

Peter Wadewitz, who has been AORA’s Chair since mid-2017, is also the Managing Director of Peats Soil & Garden Supplies. He has been commercially processing compost for over 40 years.

Peter’s commitment to the growth and prosperity of the organics recycling industry has led to appointments to the Barton Group’s Export Taskforce and the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council.

Peter was also a leading figure in developing the Australian Compost Industry Roadmap for the Federal Government, which outlines the future development of the compost industry.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 65

PALFINGER T22A DINO HOOKLOADER WITH AN ARTICULATED ARM

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We provide highly transportable and agile logistic solutions for the waste industry.

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In Cab Control

Optional Front Bin Locking

Articulating Arm

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Optional Adjustable Hook

Contact the team to find out more:

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