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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