Waste Management Review May 2021

MAY 2021

Forever chemicals OLEOLOGY’s Paul Callaghan on eradicating the complex problem of PFAS

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COVER STORY

14

ERADICATING THE FOREVER CHEMICAL

56

Through its PFAS Water Treatment System, OLEOLOGY can remove PFAS contaminants to below detectable levels, while bridging the gap between environmental regulation, community expectation and commercial interest.

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“THERE IS A VIABLE OPTION THAT KEEPS INDUSTRY GOING, DELIVERS DIVIDEND PROFITS TO SHAREHOLDERS AND ENSURES COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPECTATIONS ARE MEET.” – Paul Callaghan, OLEOLOGY Director.

In this issue

Features

18

THE FUTURE OF WASTEWATER

WMR speaks with Veolia’s Kathy Northcott and Arran Canning about the company’s research and development activities and what the future holds for wastewater innovation.

20

BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT

22

M EASURED VALUES

Aerofloat’s Michael Anderson outlines how a new Tasmanian wastewater treatment plant is ensuring strict compliance with EPA guidelines.

Level measurement in wastewater treatment processes has to be exact and reliable. AIZ’s Josef Brandacher explains.

24 DEDICATED TREATMENT

Hi-Quality Group’s Daniel Blair and Cory Menant speak with WMR about the company’s evolving wastewater treatment capabilities.

NCE IN A 26 OGENERATION

Finlease’s Mark O’Donoghue explains how growing businesses can capitalise on unprecedented government financial incentives.

EST PRACTICE 34 BSTEWARDSHIP

Tyre Stewardship Australia CEO Lina Goodman on the Scheme’s recent Federal accreditation under new waste and recycling legislation.

46 PREDICTIVE INTELLIGENCE

When it comes to waste management, data is the core component of what makes smart waste smart. Leon Hayes, Smartsensor Technologies Managing Director, explains.

48 INTERIM INTERSECTION

WMR speaks with Cameron O’Reilly, ACOR Interim CEO, about supporting a climate positive future.

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www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 3

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PUBLISHER

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

MANAGING EDITOR

Sarah Baker sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au

EDITOR

From the Editor

A circular embrace

Holly Keys holly.keys@primecreative.com.au

JOURNALIST

Brittany Coles brittany.coles@primecreative.com.au

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

ART DIRECTOR

A new report from PwC states the case for Australia to ‘go circular’ and wholly embrace sustainable solutions, finding that moves to do so would generate $1.9 trillion in economic benefits over the next 20 years.

According to the report, Building a more circular Australia - the opportunity of transitioning to a circular economy, Australia and the world are facing a serious risk of environmental, health and economic problems unless we fully embrace new ways of doing things.

A ‘circular economy’ is how society makes a wholesale departure from an overreliance on rapidly-depleting resources, and instead embraces holistic ways of decoupling economic growth from the consumption of finite resources, by driving down waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use and regenerating natural assets.

While some have criticised the term circular economy for being nothing but a buzzword – following on from others such as industrial ecology and eco efficiency – the report sets out a series of steps that if taken, could stop our rapidly accelerating environmental deficit in its tracks.

As highlighted in this edition of Waste Management Review, fostering a truly circular economy requires effective solutions across material streams and sectors.

And, as reported by Planet Ark at the November 2020 Circular Economy Hub launch, an overwhelming 88 per cent of Australian business leaders believe the circular economy will be important to the future of business and economic growth.

Innovation is therefore crucial to realising Australia’s largest economic gains, which will come from designing new products and materials though advanced manufacturing, and embracing new business models that will create domestic markets for waste materials.

The benefits of moving to a circular economy are clear.

Whether its strengthening product stewardship, investing in plastics processing infrastructure, using data to inform smart city waste management or decontaminating groundwater to remediate land for future use, collaboration between governments, industry and the community is essential.

6 / WMR / May 2021

Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au

DESIGN

Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty

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

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ARTICLES

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

COPYRIGHT

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

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

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

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EPA Victoria steps up fire risk enforcement EPA Victoria is intensifying its enforcement campaign at recycling sites, with inspection teams applying a zero-tolerance approach that has already cut the size and impact of recycling fires in Melbourne.

“We don’t want any fires in recycling facilities. Our hard work and practical measures have seen the severity and consequences of fires reduced compared to recent years, but there is still more work to be done” EPA Waste Crime Prevention Director Rachel Gualano said.

She added that the EPA’s new Fire Prevention Program takes a no-tolerance approach, which means any risk that is not controlled or any non-compliance that is detected will see EPA officers take strong regulatory action including fines and prosecutions.

The EPA has conducted 59 inspections and 21 aerial surveys of high-risk metal recycling businesses since 18 January.

“The key is on-site inspections by EPA officers to identify risks and require facility operators to remove hazards before fires start,” Gualano said.

“We will be enforcing stockpile size limits and safety zones around them. By last year those tactics had significantly reduced the number of days with recycling industry fires in

comparison to 2017.”

Since the major fires of 2017, the EPA has conducted more than 1000 inspections at 236 resource recovery facilities – issuing 376 notices and 73 sanctions through the Victorian Government’s multi-agency former Resource Recovery Facilities Audit Taskforce.

Federal Government releases first National Plastics Plan The Federal Government is taking the fight against plastic waste to a new level, from plastic free beaches, to ending confusion over household collection systems, declaring war on cigarette butts and putting an end to polystyrene consumer packaging.

Launching Australia’s first National Plastics Plan in Brisbane, Environment Minister Sussan Ley said it was time to change the way Australia produces and consumes

8 / WMR / May 2021

plastics, and time for states, industry and consumers to work together to drive sustainable change.

“We know the problems, we know that there are good ideas out there, but this is the first national strategy, one that attacks the issue from all sides and which sets clear targets over the next decade,” she said.

According to Ley, Australians consume one million tonnes of single use plastic each year.

“We are attacking the plastic problem on five key fronts, through: legislation, investment, industry targets, research and development, and community education,” she said.

Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Minister Trevor Evans added that the “world leading” plan details the road to accelerating industry’s stewardship role and progress in achieving the 2025 packaging targets.

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Visy announces $2B investment in Australian manufacturing Visy Executive Chairman Anthony Pratt has announced a $2 billion investment in Australian manufacturing over the next 10 years.

The announcement was made during a recent visit to Visy’s glass plant in Penrith, NSW by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

“Visy applauds the Prime Minister’s six sector manufacturing focus, including our two sectors, recycling and clean energy, and food and beverage manufacturing,” Pratt said.

“Spurred on by this, Visy is proud to have made the biggest Australian manufacturing acquisition of 2020, a $1 billion deal to make glass bottles.”

In July last year, Visy announced the acquisition of glass manufacturing business of Owens Illinois – the largest manufacturer of glass bottles

and containers in Australia and New Zealand.

“Today we are pledging to invest an additional $2 billion over the next 10 years, which will create thousands of new green collar, well paying manufacturing jobs, and bring our total investment value in Australia to $11 billion,” Pratt said.

According to Pratt, the investment will be spent increasing the recycled

content of glass bottles in Australia from 30 to 70 per cent, including offering councils a glass recycling bin.

He added that Visy will build another clean energy plant in Victoria that runs on paper mill rejects, increase capacity at its NSW recycled plastics factory, and invest in water recycling projects to reduce water usage at Visy’s paper mills by 40 per cent.

Visy’s investment will go towards increasing the recycled content of glass bottles in Australia from 30 to 70 per cent.

Every apartment in Sydney’s Inner West receives food recycling The delivery of food recycling into every apartment in Sydney’s Inner West Council is now complete, with the expansion of the service into the former Ashfield Municipality.

The service, which was pioneered at Leichhardt Council, was expanded to all apartments in Marrickville in September 2020.

Mayor Darcy Byrne, who helped establish the system at Leichhardt Council, said this was a crucial step in council’s war on waste.

10 / WMR / May 2021

“We need to eliminate food organics from residential garbage bins that could be otherwise recycled,” he said.

Byrne added that food waste makes up 35 per cent of waste in the average bin.

“It is unnecessarily filling up our landfill sites and contributing eight per cent to our total greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

“This announcement is the latest stage in the complete overhaul of our domestic waste services.”

Since the Marrickville service area was introduced in September last year, council has recovered 350 tonnes of food organics, which has saved 770,000 kilograms of carbon emissions.

“We are also continuing in the campaign to see a single food recycling service adopted across broader Sydney, as we want every household to have access to the scheme ASAP,” Byrne said.

The service commenced 29 March.

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News

Green Industries SA Chief Executive retires Green Industries SA Chief Executive Vaughan Levitzke is retiring after nearly 20 years in the job.

“I want to congratulate Vaughan on an outstanding career spanning nearly 50 years of public service, but in particular for his work to improve waste management in South Australia,” Environment Minister David Speirs said.

He added that South Australia is a national leader when it comes to waste management, with many of the state’s

significant milestones delivered under Levitzke’s leadership.

“He oversaw Australia’s first ban on single-use plastic bags in 2009. The plastic bag ban legislation enjoyed overwhelming public support and was acknowledged with a Premier’s Award that year,” Speirs said.

“Vaughan was instrumental in developing the first Australian statewide five-year waste strategy with the state’s most recent waste strategy

for 2020-2025 released in December 2020.

“Most recently Vaughan was the chair of the state government’s taskforce in the lead up to South Australia’s historic ban on single-use plastics.”

Levitzke is handing the reigns over to Ian Overton, who has over 30 years experience in business, research, academia and government, including 17 years with the CSIRO.

World Bank approves $105M waste management project in India The World Bank has approved a $105 million project to support Kerala, India in strengthening its solid waste management systems and services.

Kerala generates close to 330 tonnes of plastic waste every day.

12 / WMR / May 2021

According to a World Bank statement, the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project will establish an integrated solid waste management system that includes a balanced mix of decentralised and centralised waste interventions.

It will support multiple activities at local and regional levels including expansion of waste collection services, development of waste recycling and management facilities, remediation and closure of existing dumpsites and development of scientific landfills.

Kerala’s solid waste management capacity is currently constrained by limited primary collection and transportation systems, low capacity of community-level bio-waste treatment facilities, and a lack of centralised processing facilities.

World Bank Country Director Junaid Ahmad said solid waste management is critical to building sustainable, healthy and inclusive cities and communities, particularly in rapidly urbanising states like Kerala.

“This project will support the enabling policy and institutional framework being created by the Government of Kerala for improved service delivery systems and capacities at both city and state levels,” he said.

The project is the first end-to-end solid waste management project of the World Bank in India.

It is aligned with the long-term State Partnership Strategy between the World Bank and the Government of Kerala, which focuses on building climate smart and disaster resilient urban infrastructure.

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COVER STORY

The forever chemical has an expiry date OLEOLOGY CAN REMOVE PFAS CONTAMINANTS TO BELOW DETECTABLE LEVELS, WHILE BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION, COMMUNITIES AND COMMERCIAL INTEREST. DIRECTOR PAUL CALLAGHAN EXPLAINS.

I

n February last year, an inprincipal settlement of $212.5 million was reached between the Federal Government and residents of three communities that had their groundwater contaminated by toxic firefighting foams containing PFAS used at defence bases until the early 2000s.

Documents released by the Federal Court showed that $92.5 million would be paid to residents of Katherine in the Northern Territory, with a further $86 million awarded to the community of Williamtown, NSW, and $34 million awarded to the people of Oakey in Queensland’s Darling Downs.

Similar PFAS actions have taken place across the world. In January this year, for example, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva chemical companies announced a cost-sharing agreement worth $4 billion to settle lawsuits involving the historic use of PFAS chemicals in the United States.

14 / WMR / May 2021

Paul and Saasha Callaghan are committed to providing industry with a PFAS removal system that is economically and environmentally viable.

While this was welcome news to plaintiffs, ongoing clean-ups and the haunting health concerns of PFAS are far from settled.

DOUBLE BOND PFAS – per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances – are a group of over 6000 human-made organofluorine compounds that have been heavily used in household and industrial applications since the 1930s.

Also known as ‘Forever Chemicals’ due to their persistency in the environment and human tissue, PFAS chemicals contain one or more carbon atoms whose carbon-hydrogen bonds are replaced by carbon-fluorine bonds.

The carbon-fluorine bonds are the shortest and strongest chemical bonds, thus its chemical reactive stability and persistency.

Much like plastic, PFAS’ strength and versatility has proved extremely

valuable to industry and manufacturing.

Though unlike plastic, PFAS chemicals have shown to be powerful endocrine disruptors that have longterm impacts on human-health and the environment.

The problem of PFAS has been widely discussed among experts in the waste, water and remediation sectors in recent years. However, according to OLEOLOGY Director Paul Callaghan, the level of risk associated with these Forever Chemicals is not yet widely understood.

That said, cost blow-outs on Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel project and surrounding controversies around treatment and disposal options are foregrounding the complex issue, with PFAS slowly entering mainstream consciousness.

“PFAS is used in just about every industry. It’s a fascinating product that was developed in the 1930s by accident.

What makes PFAS chemicals so unique is they have a double bond, which is the strongest atomic bond known to humankind,” Paul says.

“That double bond, which gives it all its great properties in terms of industry application, also makes it extremely difficult to remove.”

Referencing the aforementioned communities of Katherine, Williamtown and Oakey, Paul says PFAS contamination moved at such a rate that it had created a plume – a mixture of waste chemicals, leachate and groundwater.

“The affected zones had moved with a relatively high level of ground water, and as a result, when the grasses, trees and other natural life took their nutrients from the ground, they also took in PFAS contamination,” he says.

“Those life-forms, be its plants or vegetables, grow and are harvested. We then end up eating them, or livestock eats them, and it goes into their system.

And following the food cycle, we end up eating the livestock and taking in that contamination.”

Saasha Callaghan, OLEOLOGY Technical and Marketing Manager, explains that PFAS contamination is so ubiquitous that traces of the chemicals have been found in Antarctica. There are no know natural sources of PFAS, she adds, so their presence in the environment is due solely to humanmade activity.

At an AOG Energy Expo presentation last year, Saasha explained that PFAS chemicals not only impact human hormones and fertility, but have links to liver, kidney, ovarian and testicular cancer. Saasha’s presentation, The invisible enemy affecting your health, went on to detail PFAS’ effects on the food chain via water and soil health, as well as their impact on the spawning of fish at hatcheries across Australia.

“Certain hatcheries are having issues spawning their fish, they’re actually

going bankrupt because their fish cannot reproduce,” Saasha said at AOG. “It’s called the Forever Chemical as it’s a bioaccumulating compound that will stay in your system and is very hard to break down.”

A 2019 study published in Emerging Contaminants – a journal which publishes world-leading research on environmental contamination caused by emerging contaminants – reported that a suite of PFAS’ were found in the livers of killer wales, polar bears and seals.

The study notes that diet is the most significant PFAS pathway, with polar bears subsisting on a high marine proportion diet having higher PFAS concentration than those surviving on a terrestrial diet.

Saasha expounds that the pervasiveness of PFAS in the natural environment comes down to a number of factors. Namely, the fact that PFAS chemicals have excellent heat, chemical and thermal stability and are stain, water and dirt repellent.

As such, the chemicals are used in a wide variety of products and processes, such as soil, water and oil repellent treatments for carpets, stain repellent treatments for textiles and leather, in waxes, polishes, paints, adhesives, pesticides and non-stick cookware and packaging. PFAS chemicals are also used industrially as aviation hydraulic fluid, for metal plating, circuit board manufacturing and oil and gas production, and perhaps most notably, in firefighting foams.

Saasha adds that while industry is highly concerned about hydrocarbons, they naturally breakdown relatively quickly, whereas PFAS takes up to 90 years to break down in the environment.

EMERGING CONTAMINANTS OLEOLOGY, a family-owned operation based in Perth, Western Australia, was started by Paul in 2002.

The company offers advanced oil and hydrocarbon removal solutions that seek to make recycling and decontaminating water, quicker, simpler and more cost-effective.

In 2006, OLEOLOGY diversified – committing in-house research and development to PFAS contaminants and the removal of all analytes and precursors.

OLEOLOGY’s involvement in PFAS research and removal occurred via happenstance, Paul says, when the company was working at Perth Airport to remove hydrocarbons from groundwater after an underground fuel tank began leaking.

While working on the project, Airservices Australia asked Paul if OLEOLOGY could remove PFAS in addition to the hydrocarbons.

“I said, I don’t know what PFAS is, but I’ll try,” he explains.

Paul and his team soon found that they could remove PFAS and set to work refining their system.

Airservices Australia, which functions much like a government utility and runs firefighter training at air terminals across the country, then asked OLEOLOGY to conduct similar trials at Launceston Airport.

“We spent a few months in Launceston; ran trials and further refined our filtration sequence and system. We then provided Airservices Australia with equipment to run an independent trail through their environmental consultants BECA,” Paul says.

“The information and data gleaned from that trail was then used by the head of Airservices Australia when talking about what they were doing to clean up groundwater contamination at the 2016 Senate Estimate Committee in Canberra.”

After the Inquiry closed in 2018, the Federal Government Sub Committee made nine recommendations to improve

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 15

COVER STORY

OLEOLOGY has been committing in-house research and development to PFAS contaminants and the removal of all analytes and precursors since 2006.

its response to PFAS contamination.

Recommendations included establishing a Coordinator-General with the authority and resources to effectively coordinate efforts to reduce PFAS contamination and ensure consistent regulatory approaches; and improvements to voluntary blood testing programs to be used as a source of longitudinal information on the health effects of PFAS exposure and effective methods to break PFAS exposure pathways.

FILTRATION SEQUENCE Since its happenstance entry into the complex world of PFAS, OLEOLOGY has developed an internationally recognised technology capable of removing PFAS from water to achieve non-detectable levels. The treatment system developed by OLEOLOGY incorporates the MyCelx technology, which binds to PFAS compounds to remove them permanently from water.

The system, which can also remove all testable PFAS analytes in 1/20th of the footprint of traditional methods, greatly reduces waste volumes, with dry waste thermally oxidised to five per cent of its original mass.

This in turn significantly reduces waste transport and disposal costs,

16 / WMR / May 2021

with the system producing, on average, just one pallet of waste each year.

According to Dr Jimmy Seow, ENVIRON Director and Adjunct Professor at Murdoch and Curtin Universities, while other companies can remove PFAS from water, OLEOLOGY’s technology, process and system has a competitive advantage.

He explains that OLEOLOGY’s absorption media can remove PFAS, oil in water, organics, heavy metals and other contaminants via a single MyCelx cartridge.

“Other people can remove PFAS using granular activated carbon (GAC) or Ion Exchange (IX), but they need another process stage to remove the oil, organics and heavy metals.

OLEOLOGY can do that in a one stop shop – that’s the really exciting part.”

Dr Seow has over 30 years’ experience working in industry, government and research, and is widely considered the authoritative voice on PFAS issues across Australasia.

“OLEOLOGY’s technology can remove PFAS from wastewater down to commercial lab non-detect levels,” Dr Seow says.

“I’ve seen a lot of competitors, but their technology really stands out and generates very little waste.”

OLEOLOGY’s PFAS Water Treatment System can achieve compliance with government and environmental regulators, Paul adds, thereby removing future liability from clients and stakeholders.

“PFAS attaches itself to soil and gradually leaches out of the soil into water. It is highly soluble,” he says.

“In a wastewater treatment plant, for example, water is coming in from a variety of sources. And if you’re not removing PFAS contaminants, it will travel through the discharge and end up in the ocean.”

Conventional methods of PFAS removal such as GAC and IX remove PFAS, oil and hydrocarbons from water by mechanical separation or in combination with chemical injection.

This approach requires a long sequence of steps, Paul says, and is prone to system failures and bottlenecks.

“Conventional water treatment plants that rely on GAC and IX for PFAS removal only work for a short period of water treatment time before breakthrough occurs,” he explains.

“The residual hydrocarbon in the groundwater quickly overloads the GAC – saturating and breaking through the media, which leads to premature

failure of the PFAS water polishing.”

When the composition or loading of oil and hydrocarbons change, these systems can release oil back into the stream. Furthermore, the adsorption media generates significant waste in the form of sludge and solids. The solids are generally treated via combustion; however, sludge is more difficult to transport and treat.

Conversely, the MyCelx technology doesn’t just mechanically filter or separate PFAS, oil or heavy metals, but rather permanently binds with the contaminates through molecular cohesion. Once the contaminants come in contact with MyCelx, they cannot be released back into the water.

“MyCelx filtering media cartridges are hydrophobic – after filtering PFAS from the water, the cartridges are safely handled, stored and transported as a dry waste, preferably disposed of by thermal destruction with no lingering or contingent liability associated with burial,” Paul says.

He points to a hypothetical waste and water treatment company example, noting that treated water is discharged to the sewer under license conditions set by the regional water utility. Once the water utility is aware of PFAS being discharged, further licence conditions are added.

The license change increases the range of water analysed for discharge to sewer from parts per million to include PFAS with maximum discharge limits set at parts per trillion, Paul says, resulting in significant differences between contaminant levels previously compliant and the new PFAS level of compliance. Efficient analysis of the removal of PFAS is conducted by a TOPA test and OLEOLOGY has proven the removal of all PFAS analytes by a single treatment pass.

“In order to achieve PFAS removal to compliant levels of parts per trillion, the hydrocarbons remaining in the

water must also be removed by the absorbent media, either before the final polishing stage or at the final polishing stage,” Paul says.

The hydrocarbons will also need to be removed at the same parts per trillion level, and thus any absorbent polishing system added must be designed to cope with the additional hydrocarbon contaminant load and spikes, in addition to capability and capacity to treat PFAS before break through occurs.

“When using conventional contaminant removal equipment, which can cost millions of dollars in larger facilities, the media will be saturated in a couple of hours when dealing with PFAS, as the contaminants all build up and block conventional systems,” Paul says.

Alternatively, OLEOLOGY’s MyCelx sequence removes the need for additional filtration, thereby removing stresses on the media.

Both Paul and Saasha employ an onion metaphor to explain OLEOLOGY’s filtration sequence process. PFAS contaminants are the smallest volume at the centre of the onion, Saasha says, and as such, the Paul Callaghan says the level of risk associated with PFAS is not yet widely understood.

larger outer layers must be sequentially removed prior to effectively rid water of PFAS contamination.

OLEOLOGY’s MyCelx filter works to remove oily emulsions and suspended solids first, then semi soluble organics, before removing dissolved metals and other organics.

The last stage of the one-stop-shop filtration attacks PFAS – resulting in water free of contaminants.

A SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIP When Paul discusses the ecological, social and human health implications of PFAS, he could be mistaken for a dyed-in-wool environmental activist, that said, he stresses the fact that PFAS can be dealt with in an economically viable manner.

“We need to bridge the gap between environmental regulation, which is incredibly important, community expectation and the expectation of shareholders,” he says.

“Whether we’re dealing with wastewater treatment operators or industrial clients, at their core, they’re looking for the most efficient way to clean discharge or ground water to provide value for their shareholders.”

While some might perceive conflict between economic and environmental drivers, Paul explains that OLEOLOGY works to provide a harmonious solution.

“The last thing we want to see in Australia is more industry closing down. So OLEOLOGY operates at the intersection of those two ideas,” Paul says.

“There is a viable option that keeps people employed, keeps industry going, delivers dividend profits to shareholders and ensures community and environmental expectations are meet. We’re committed to guaranteeing both sides of the table get what they want.”

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 17

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTEWATER

Veolia predicts that Australia will see a rise in circular economy treatment hubs, where wastewater and solid waste is used to produce energy and high-quality biosolids.

Water evolution and a no waste future WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH VEOLIA ABOUT THE COMPANY’S RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR WASTEWATER INNOVATION.

T

hroughout 2020 and into 2021, water has been a critical symbol of the climate crisis Australia is facing. Extremes of severe drought and flooding have been experienced across the country, and wastewater is becoming an ever more important resource. This is both for the value embodied in purified recycled water, either for drinking or non-drinking purposes, as well as useful organics and nutrient sources available in wastewaters.

Long-term security of water, our most valued resource, needs longterm vision and solutions which are flexible, scalable and innovative; and able to meet the needs of today, while creating a future where there is no such thing as wasted water.

In 2008, the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme (WCRWS), a

18 / WMR / May 2021

$2.5 billion infrastructure investment by the Queensland Government, aimed to future-proof water within South-East Queensland, which at the time was 60 per cent drought declared.

As the operations and maintenance partner for the Scheme, Veolia oversees more than 200 kilometres of large diameter pipelines, three advanced treatment plants, eleven storage tanks and nine pumping stations. The Scheme remains one of the largest of its kind in the world and exemplifies that infrastructure investment, in tandem with behavioural change, is essential to ensuring the resilience and security of water supply.

Kathy Northcott, Veolia Research and Development Manager, cites the WCRWS as one of the leading

examples of innovative planning to reimagine the potential of wastewater.

“At full operation, the advanced water treatment plants within WCRWS can produce about 180 million litres a day, equivalent to 20 per cent of current demand,” Northcott says.

“The importance of future infrastructure design and development will be how assets can provide both current water and future energy security needs.”

In order for Australia to manage the fluctuations of increasing climate volatility, while deriving maximum value from an asset, Northcott says we need to look at options for adaptation.

“This could, for example, include repurposing existing water recycling

infrastructure to balance society’s needs for secure water sources, with our need for clean, green energy, such as highly purified recycled water for hydrogen fuel production.”

Northcott, a chartered chemical engineer with over 24 years industry experience, explains that the global wastewater treatment industry is rapidly evolving, with environmental concerns such as emerging contaminants, climate change and digital innovation driving ongoing development. She points to Sydney’s Barangaroo district, where Veolia operates and maintains one of Australia’s largest energy, cooling and water treatment schemes.

The Barangaroo project includes electricity and cooling networks and a water treatment and recycling plant.

Veolia’s system makes it possible to recycle the 500,000 litres of drinking water used daily in the district.

Northcott also highlights Veolia’s research and development in datadriven predictive maintenance.

“Digital innovation is allowing us to develop artificial intelligence to assist our clients to determine where we should put our efforts to prevent sewer and water network breaks and blockages and foster proactive renewal programs,” she says.

“It’s about understanding which parts of the water network should

be replaced to prevent pipe failures and doing the most we possibly can to maintain our client’s sewer and drinking water systems.”

Arran Canning, Veolia Strategy and Growth Director – Water, adds that the progressive rollout of 5G networks will inform future wastewater opportunities – opening up Veolia’s potential to offer cost effective, world-class solutions to remote and regional operations.

“5G will provide significant potential in remote monitoring and management. These new systems will be data-driven and require less onsite manpower because we can install sensors on everything,” he says.

Like Northcott, Canning has extensive experience working in the utilities industry, holding executive roles with Water Futures and Seqwater, before stepping into his current position at Veolia in January.

Canning recently travelled to the University of Sunshine Coast, where he visited Veolia’s solar-powered water battery facility.

The thermal energy storage tank keeps the entire university campus cool, and in its first year of operations has saved more than 4232 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Canning explains that Veolia runs a program called BOOST to facilitate collaborative relationships with its

clients – with both parties working together on innovative projects and technological advancement.

“We talk with our clients about targeted solutions to their challenges, be it technology, asset management or digital innovation. It’s about making sure we’re providing the best value for our existing contracts, while also looking at new opportunities and what we can offer,” Canning says.

Looking forward, Canning predicts further emphasis to be placed on energy production at wastewater facilities.

“I think the future of wastewater will see more hydrogen production, biorefineries and really creating hubs around treatment facilities,” he says.

“The advantage that Veolia has is we manage solid waste as well, so we can bring other waste from the community into those bioreactors to either 100 per cent energy offset the facility or provide energy back into the grid,” he says.

Northcott expresses similar sentiments, adding that wastewater treatment facilities could be colocated with agricultural activities.

She explains that as wastewater possesses significant organic carbon and nutrient value, water, biosolids and nutrients could be recovered to be utilised in horticulture and aquaculture enterprises.

Veolia has research and development agreements in place with some of its larger water clients, where both parties work together to innovate viable solutions.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 19

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTEWATER

Biological treatment below the Bass Strait AEROFLOAT’S MICHAEL ANDERSON TALKS ABOUT A NEWLY INSTALLED WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT IS ENSURING STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH THE TASMANIAN EPA’S WASTEWATER REUSE GUIDELINES.

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n May last year, BioMar Australia commenced aqua-feed production at its state-of-the-art $56 million facility in Tasmania. Founded in 1962 by a group of Danish fish farmers, BioMar is a global leader in sustainable aquaculture, with product trials now underway for a variety of species in Australian and New Zealand.

BioMar Group CEO Carlos Diaz, who attended the virtual opening from Chile, noted that global aquaculture is expected to double by 2050.

“BioMar is committed to helping Tasmania and our wider region play an important role in this endeavour, supporting farmers to grow healthy, sustainable and safe food,” he said.

BioMar announced plans to establish Australian production in 2017, with the facility set to produce up to 110,000 tonnes of aqua feed to support the Australian and Oceania aquaculture industry each year.

To manage its Tasmanian operations sustainably, BioMar engaged wastewater treatment specialists Aerofloat to design and build a wastewater treatment system – allowing treated, compliant effluent to be disposed to the surrounding pine forest in line with strict guidelines set out by the Tasmanian EPA. Wastewater generated from the factory’s biofilter and washwater from the production area is high in

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Michael Anderson says Aerofloat’s clients aren’t just buying equipment, they’re buying process knowledge.

ammonia nitrogen. As such, Aerofloat recommended a biological system – installing its patented Sequence Batch Reactor (SBR) technology to ensure compliant effluent for BioMar’s facility.

According to Michael Anderson, Aerofloat General Manager Engineering, while there are a number of ways to biologically treat wastewater, Aerofloat’s approach is mechanically simple – meeting BioMar’s budget as well as EPA requirements.

“They knew what technology they needed and had very specific wastewater quality influent data for us, so we took the time to do a real deep dive on their wastewater problem prior to receiving a formal order,” Anderson says.

Similarly, Brian McWhirter, BioMar

Facility Manager, explains that BioMar chose to work with Aerofloat because the company took the time to discuss all options, before helping BioMar decide what solution best suited their requirements.

“We were looking for a system that was easy to operate, with low maintenance and remote monitoring capabilities,” McWhirter says.

“As there is no sewer connection to our site, the only other option was to cart our wastewater off-site to a treatment facility, so it made sense to treat our wastewater on-site.

“As the treated wastewater was going to be irrigated, it needed to meet all the EPA wastewater reuse guidelines.”

Anderson explains that while the volume of wastewater produced at BioMar’s facility isn’t exceptionally high, when it rains, as is common in Tasmania’s Wesley Vale region, the volume goes up significantly.

“Our system takes water from an air scrubbing system, which includes leachate that comes off the biofilter, and when it rains, we receive that as well,” he says.

“While trucking away the waste would have been fine when it doesn’t rain, the plant is located in a high rainfall area, meaning that wouldn’t have been viable.”

Aerofloat’s technology is hydraulically designed to take the

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site’s rain events as well as the organic load from the biofilter, thereby eliminating the need to transport wastewater for later processing.

“We conducted a lot of studies and data gathering to determine that we were confident in our process,” Anderson says.

Aerofloat’s biological wastewater treatment solution utilises three SBRs, incorporating Aerofloat’s proprietary Air-Locked Syphon decanters (AeroALS).

“The decanter mechanism is very unique and was designed by our Managing Director Ray Anderson in the 1980s. I believe we’re one of the only companies in Australia that use this technology,” Anderson says.

He adds that Aerofloat didn’t use the technology for many years, however, saw the BioMar project as an opportunity to demonstrate its effectiveness, and have since installed AeroALS’ on eight other projects.

“The AeroALS is a robust, efficient and mechanically simple decanter. It’s also a low investment for the return, as we use polyethylene tanks as opposed to larger, more expensive concrete structures,” Anderson says.

“We’ve found the tanks to be very 1 ai161542401713_WMR_May21_ThirdPage.pdf strong and long-lasting – providing

a budget conscious solution for our clients without sacrificing on quality.”

Due to high ammonia levels in the wastewater, a dedicated anoxic reactor was installed prior to the SBRs to treat the wastewater to the required EPA standards, creating compliant effluent.

Anderson explains that while it’s the responsibility of Aerofloat’s clients to seek council and EPA approvals, Aerofloat works closely with them to support compliance.

“We provide our clients with all the necessary documents and guarantees of process to satisfy the EPA,” Anderson says.

“We then go through a rigorous testing period during commissioning and post-commissioning, where effluent is sampled and sent to a lab to verify that it’s doing what we said it would.

“Our clients aren’t just buying pumps, controls and tanks, they’re buying our process knowledge, so we’re committed to supporting them through that process.”

SBR technology is a suspended growth biological treatment process whereby the microorganisms in the wastewater are aerated, settled and the treated clear effluent is decanted in the same reactor, overcoming the need for a 11/03/2021 10:53:39 AM separate clarifier.

Given the regional location of the site, BioMar also wanted the system to be low maintenance and offer remote monitoring capabilities. Remote monitoring installed at the site allows Aerofloat engineers to log on and remotely monitor and optimise the system following commissioning.

“We can review trends, check plant performance, flow data and all additional parameters and run conditions. It also means the operator can view plant performance without leaving the site office,” Anderson says.

The BioMar treatment plant was completed on schedule, with the commissioning process handled efficiently by Aerofloat’s engineers despite COVID-19 restrictions.

According to McWhirter, the plant is running very well and achieving the desired results.

“Aerofloat staff have been readily contactable for ongoing advice and optimisations,” he says.

“Aerofloat have been super easy to work with right from the start. They have also assisted with issues outside their scope – the team have always been available and very helpful.

“I’d be happy to recommend Aerofloat to anyone looking for a wastewater treatment solution.”

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTEWATER

Pump shafts and flow measurement VEGA LEVEL SENSORS ARE DELIVERING RELIABLE MEASURED VALUES TO ENSURE ABWASSERVERBAND AIZ’S WASTEWATER PUMPS OPERATE EFFICIENCY.

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n the extensive area covered by Austrian wastewater service provider Abwasserverband AIZ (AIZ), a large number of pumps are constantly at work moving wastewater into the right channels and ultimately to the sewage treatment plant.

Austria’s Tyrolean Valleys on the northern edge of the Alps are extremely popular with tourists. Countless hotels, guest houses and restaurants, as well as small businesses, do their best to make sure the guests have a completely enjoyable experience.

The local sewage treatment plants, however, face a special challenge.

Wastewater produced in the area has a high fat content.

Although cleaning out and processing this material is not a problem technologically, the process

conditions are quite challenging for level sensors. The high fat content in the wastewater creates a lot of foam, which makes the liquid levels in the various basins and pump shafts difficult to detect.

Nevertheless, level measurement in wastewater treatment processes has to be exact and reliable.

Level data form, among other things, the basis for pump controls.

The sewage treatment plant treats not only the wastewater produced by visitors, but also that produced by the 53,000 permanent residents of the 32 local communities.

“All in all, we treat 10 million cubic meters of wastewater per year,” Josef Brandacher, who is responsible for measurement technology at AIZ, explains.

Josef Brandacher says AIZ has been working collaboratively with VEGA since 1989.

22 / WMR / May 2021

“The environment is our greatest asset, so it is incumbent upon AIZ to ensure that the collection and handling of wastewater, as well as its subsequent clarification, is environmentally compatible and economically viable.”

The wastewater is fed to the Strass sewage treatment plant via a 161 kilometre sewer network and 14 pumping stations distributed throughout the association’s territory.

“Thanks to the state-of-the-art process technology in our facilities, we’ve achieved absolute top performance in the entire pan-European wastewater sector,” Brandacher says.

As a result, the total energy consumption of the wastewater treatment plant has dropped noticeably since 2003, despite increasing loads.

This could only be achieved by means of reliable and accurate measured values.

For the process variables level and pressure, the association decided decades ago to use sensors from VEGA. “We’ve been working with VEGA since 1989 and some of the pressure transmitters we installed back then still function perfectly,” Brandacher says.

“What we especially appreciate about the company is that when a problem does occur, we always get help immediately.”

There are about 100 pumping stations in AIZ’s network and a variety of level sensors are installed in each one. These monitor the level – which

can be from around 50 centimetres to one meter depending on the pumping station – and switch on the pumps according to the set limit value.

“The pumps sometimes start up only two or three times a day, but sometimes 50 to 60 times,” Brandacher says.

For reasons of explosion protection, VEGAPULS WL 61 is installed in many of these shafts.

The application spectrum of the radar sensor, which is designed specifically for water and wastewater measurement, ranges from level measurement in pump shafts and flow measurement in open flumes to river and lake gauging or level and discharge measurement at stormwater overflow basins.

The measurement is affected neither by changing medium properties nor by fluctuating process conditions such as temperature and pressure.

In addition, the flood-proof

IP68 housing ensures continuous, maintenance-free operation.

Although AIZ very much appreciates VEGAPULS WL 61, it wanted to try out the new compact VEGAPULS C 21/C 22 radar sensors.

“We were just plain curious. The sensors are very interesting in terms of price, and in the wastewater sector, we increasingly need continuous level measurement, especially for simple applications.”

The sensors are intended for simple, non-contact level measurement where a high protection rating is required.

The sensor delivers exact measuring results without effect from the medium, the process or the ambient conditions, is maintenance free and ensures high plant availability. The sensor has been in use since March 2020, delivering the required level data continuously without any problems – a development

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VEGA sensors are installed across AIZ’s network to measure process variable levels and pressure.

that is entirely in the spirit of Brandacher’s philosophy.

“Sensors are there to measure and nothing else.”

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTEWATER

Dedicated wastewater treatment Hi-Quality Group’s wastewater treatment plant uses a batch system to process an array of contaminants.

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n October 2019, the Heads of EPAs agreed to the latest version of the PFAS National Environment Management Plan (NEPM), with all state and territory environment ministers endorsing the plan last year.

According to the NEPM, the presence of PFAS in the environment does not necessarily constitute an unacceptable human health or environmental risk. Rather, risk depends on a range of factors including PFAS compounds present, PFAS leachability and concentration, degree of exposure and environmental values.

With its variability and complex treatment metrics, PFAS represents one of the waste and resource recovery sector’s most present challenges.

Taking on that challenge is a central focus for Hi-Quality Group’s Waste Treatment Services division, which currently offers off-site PFAS water treatment solutions and is in the process of developing in-house treatment capabilities.

Daniel Blair, Hi-Quality Group Waste Treatment Services General

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HI-QUALITY GROUP’S DANIEL BLAIR AND CORY MENANT SPEAK WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE COMPANY’S EVOLVING WASTEWATER TREATMENT CAPABILITIES.

Manager, explains that the company has worked on a number of largescale PFAS treatment projects at airports and other sites – treating PFAS contaminated groundwater to environmentally acceptable levels.

“We’re now in the process of developing in-house treatment capabilities in line with current EPA guidelines and industry best-practice,” he says.

The development of in-house PFAS treatment capabilities builds off HiQuality Group’s extensive experience in water treatment and technological innovation. While the company has diversified in recent years, it began its life in landfill and quarries.

Many of Hi-Quality Group’s sites are co-located, Blair says, with landfills and quarries working concurrently.

“We treat the water that’s being used and generated by the quarries and landfills onsite using a broad range of industry proven technologies. Hi-Quality Group is committed to sustainable landfill management and recycling water at every opportunity,” he says.

UNIQUE BATCH CONTROL As Waste Management Review readers will be aware, Hi-Quality Group’s Yatala hazardous waste treatment facility opened in August 2020 – with the purpose-built facility using a combination of EPA approved treatment processes to achieve sound environmental outcomes.

Since then, a wastewater treatment plant has been incorporated into the facility – rounding-out the group’s end-to-end hazardous and liquid waste treatment capabilities.

To support the site’s steady flow of trucks and material, Hi-Quality Group installed Mandalay Technologies’ Facility Product Suite software.

The software streamlines facility management, meaning the Hi-Quality team can dedicate themselves to customer support, treatment and technology.

“We receive a variety of wastewaters from large industry and mining, and have the capabilities to take in a wide range of contaminants including heavy metals and organics,” Blair says.

He adds that the plant uses a batch process, meaning each batch of

water is treated separately using tailored technologies and treatment methods.

“Because the incoming water comes from a large range of sources with diverse contaminants, the process can’t be automated,” Blair explains.

“Every raw batch is assessed on its contamination levels, before we design a treatment technology and process that complies with EPA guidelines.

“Having the batch control process gives us a huge amount of flexibility in what we can treat and how we treat it, which in turn insures we can always find the right solution for our customers.”

All water treated at the site is discharged under HiQuality Group’s Trade Waste Licence, with solids such as filter-cake analysed, treated and sent to landfill.

According to Cory Menant, Hi-Quality Group Waste Treatment Services National Business Development Manager, the plant is receiving significantly more wastewater than the company had anticipated.

“Water treatment now represents roughly 25 per cent of the business we do at Yatala,” he says.

Hi-Quality Group not only discharges treated water, Menant adds, but recycles it where appropriate before using the resulting water for cleaning, washdown and dustsuppression.

“Our services are in high demand at the moment, which shows this type of facility was needed by industry and that’s reflected in the number of trucks we see each day,” he says.

Blair adds that Yatala’s water treatment plant compliments Waste Treatment Services’ wider business, which develops innovative and sustainable solutions to offer integrated waste treatment, recycling and environmental remediation services.

“When remediating contaminated sites, not only do we have to treat the soils, but also the surface water, brown water and ground water. We provide the whole package – taking the soil offsite is one thing, but we can also take water offsite as well,” he says.

Looking forward, Blair expects water treatment to play an evolving role in the company’s ongoing growth and development.

“If we take what we’ve seen over the last six months at Yatala, water treatment is going to be a big part of what we do. It’s a growing market for us, particularly in regard to highly contaminated sites, PFAS and other emerging contaminants,” he says.

“We see wastewater being a significant part of our growth in the next five to 10 years – both onsite and off – and that’s why we’re strategically investing in this area.”

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SPECIAL REPORT – EQUIPMENT FINANCE

Once in a generation MARK O’DONOGHUE, FINLEASE FOUNDER AND CEO, SPEAKS WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT HOW GROWING BUSINESSES CAN CAPITALISE ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S UNPRECEDENTED FINANCIAL INCENTIVES.

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n July last year, the Federal Government released its $190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund, which is set to generate over $600 million in recycling investment and drive a billiondollar transformation of Australia’s waste and recycling capacity.

Similarly, the Federal Government’s October 2020 budget revealed a $249 million boost for the waste and recycling industry, in the hope of diverting more than 600,000 tonnes of waste from landfill and creating industry jobs. While these announcements are noteworthy, according to Mark O’Donoghue, Finlease Founder and CEO, they are just the tip of the iceberg, with the Federal Budget delivering a range of financial incentive programs that provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for private enterprises to expand their business.

26 / WMR / May 2021

“As serial optimists, we can see substantially improving circumstances for so many industries, including those who have remained buoyant through the last 12 months due to infrastructural or civil based activity,” he says.

Finlease, which was founded

by O’Donoghue in the 1980s and has since grown into a team of 70, provides over $500 million in equipment finance each year.

“We arrange equipment finance for business owners all around the country, with many clients that have been with us for over 20 years,” O’Donoghue says.

“We finance everything from a single motor vehicle or piece of equipment, through to millions of dollars’ worth or machinery or property.”

Sourcing finance from a range of 20 capable and competitive institutions

enables Finlease to spread loans across a number of lenders, ensuring business owners are not tied to just one bank that has them locked up with all securities.

“Equipment finance allows companies to spread a greater portion of the overall debt to a broader base of financiers, which means less exposure to their existing bank, greater competition between financiers to drive lower interest rates, often better approval conditions, and a broader base of competitive lenders to assist in financing future growth,” O’Donoghue says.

FORWARD THINKING FINANCE Despite the challenges of 2020, O’Donoghue expresses optimism about the current financial and business landscape. He adds that as COVID transitions from a here and now reality

into a historical fact, mainstream financers are looking at the present and future landscape for clients when looking to approve finance.

“The combination of improving employment numbers, significant government project spend and tax incentives, as well as the desire of Australians to emerge from COVID hibernation, bodes well for 2021 and beyond,” O’Donoghue says.

While the Federal Budget’s support for businesses is far-reaching, O’Donoghue notes two key incentives.

First, the October 2020 budget enables businesses to deduct the full cost of eligible capital assets acquired from 6 October 2020 and first used or installed by 30 June 2022.

Additionally, the government will allow eligible companies to carry back tax losses from the 2019-20, 202021- or 2021-22-income years to offset previously taxed profits in 2018-19 or later years.

“These government incentives are once in a generation – this is significant,” O’Donoghue says.

“If good profitable businesses are thinking about expanding and undertake that expansion before the 30th of June 2022, the tax breaks they can obtain through the 100 per cent write-off are mind-bending.”

O’Donoghue, who is committed to expressing financial environments in ‘plain speak’, outlines a hypothetical example of how waste and recycling operators can capitalise on these incentives.

“Barry owns AAA Recycling, which has an annual turnover of $8 million,” he explains.

“Over the years, Barry has bought many shredders as well as other support equipment, and has depreciated all of those assets using the simplified depreciation pool – claiming 30 per cent diminishing value depreciation each year.

Mark O’Donoghue says current financial incentives provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for companies to expand.

“The closing balance on this depreciation pool as of 30 June 2020 was $3 million.

“Despite the challenges of the COVID environment, AAA has had a busy year, resulting in a trading profit of $1 million for the year ended 30 June 2021.”

According to O’Donoghue, this result would usually have created a tax bill of $260,000, however under new tax incentives, Barry has an option to claim 100 per cent full expensing of the entire depreciation pool balance of $3 million, equalling the total written down value of all shredders and support equipment.

“This one off tax incentive allows AAA to show an actual loss for tax purposes of $2 million in 2021,” O’Donoghue says.

“Not only does this mean that AAA will not have to pay the $260,000 tax bill for 2021, but Barry will also be able to ‘carry back’ the $2 million tax loss on any tax AAA may have paid on profits for the prior two financial years.

“As AAA did in fact make profits of $1 million in both the 2019 and 2020 financial years, the temporary loss carry back incentive provides the opportunity for the total tax paid of $550,000 for those two years to be repaid as a refund once AAA has concluded their 2021 Tax Return.”

TRANSLATION AND ADVOCACY O’Donoghue explains that while the financial eco-system can appear complex, for businesses looking to capitalises on government incentives, planning ahead is critical.

He adds that it’s important to seek finance approvals early and ask for more than is initially needed as an upper limit, as finance approvals do not incur a cost and do not need to be used. Having existing finance approvals in place also allows businesses to act quickly when opportunity arises.

Finally, O’Donoghue suggests that businesses work with professionals who specialise in equipment finance, as they have the experience to negotiate the right outcome and have access to the broadest lending market.

“We’ve built our business by looking after clients long-term. We’re a small business like our clients, and because we spend all day looking at companies, we understand what they do and provide good advice and alternatives,” he says.

To advocate for its clients, Finlease will work with two or three of the various capable lenders, who will in effect be competing for their client’s business. They then analyse what these lenders are offering and recommend the best outcome.

“The trick is to know when the terms are fair relative to what the market is offering, or whether they need to be adjusted slightly. It may be as simple as wanting a longer term or a higher residual, or perhaps a lender is insisting on a deposit when others would approve 100 per cent finance.

“At our core, we’re committed to negotiating better outcomes for our clients and looking after them for the next 20 years.”

For more information contact Jay Martin, Finlease Partner Equipment Finance, on 0448 484 987 or jmartin@finlease.com.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 27

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – ORGANICS

The sustainability intersection GREG WHITEHEAD, AORA QUEENSLAND DIRECTOR, OUTLINES THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING A CENTRALISED VOICE FOR THE ORGANICS INDUSTRY.

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ood and agricultural waste is listed as a priority area for action under the Queensland Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy. According to the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, this is due to the significant contribution organic matter makes to the waste stream, the potential environmental and economic impacts associated with disposal of organic waste, and identified beneficial uses of the material.

As such, the Department is developing an Organic Waste Action Plan, which will identify key actions from avoidance through to improved end-use management and market development opportunities.

While the Action Plan is yet to be released for public consultation, Greg Whitehead, Candy Soil Managing Director and AORA Queensland Director, says he hopes to see a coordinated approach between all levels of government and business to develop an industry that is both commercially and environmentally sustainable.

The intersection of economic and environmental sustainability is critical to a healthy industry, Whitehead explains.

He adds that while organics are the largest component of waste going to landfill now, the material sits in a unique position – avoiding many of

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Greg Whitehead says feedstock contamination remains the biggest industry challenge.

the economic challenges associated with recycling glass, plastics and tyres.

“The difference between the organics market and what the government faced with China Sword is that for those materials, they had to develop facilities to process the material and end-markets to buy it, whereas with organics, there’s already a strong market in Australia.”

Whitehead and his business partners started Candy Soil in 1994 with one screening plant and a loader on an old coal mining site in Ipswich.

Twenty-five years later and Candy Soil now operates a large-scale

open windrow composting and soil manufacturing operation – recycling organic inputs to create compost, landscape soils and mulches for Queensland’s booming horticulture and agriculture industries.

To support further market development, Queensland AORA and the Queensland Farmers Federation have been working with the state government, recently receiving a $60,000 grant to run a series of workshops across the state.

According to Whitehead, the workshops will help educate the agricultural sector on the benefits of using compost in their farming.

“We’ve been saying to the Queensland Government that bringing in additional volumes is just the first step – we also need to develop a wider market to take the finished product,” he says.

“The state government have understood the need to develop markets for recycled organic products and have been incredibly supportive.”

Whitehead adds that the successful grant application highlights the important role of organisations such as AORA. “We provide a centralised voice for the industry – advocating for the interests of our members as well as the broader sector. That workshop grant wouldn’t have been achieved if it was a single business approaching the state government.”

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – ORGANICS

Modernised investment ERIC DAVIS, DAVIS EARTHMOVING AND QUARRYING CEO, SPEAKS WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE ROLE OF HIGH-POWERED MACHINERY IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY RESOURCE CHAIN.

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avis Earthmoving and Quarrying is a family-owned business that’s been operating for over 45 years. As the name suggests, the company originated in the quarrying business, however in recent decades has diversified, with its operations now centred around recycling.

Eric Davis, Davis Earthmoving and Quarrying CEO, explains that the company moved into concrete and brick recycling in 1989, before expanding into C&D, green waste and timber processing in the late 90s.

Today, Davis Earthmoving and Quarrying also works with glass, tyres and mattresses, recycling the material it receives into beneficial products for reuse.

“We diversified into recycling out of a belief that it’s better to use recycled products than to take material from the land, and have continued along that trajectory ever since,” Davis says.

He notes growing emphasis on landfill reduction and the transition to a circular economy as key drivers behind the company’s business model.

Operating out of NSW, Davis Earthmoving and Quarrying works with private companies, councils and the state government, and in recent years has been on a steady growth trajectory.

To support that growth, the company invested in a Komptech Terminator shredder earlier this year.

“We needed a machine that could

The Terminator features one of the largest shredding units on the market.

handle steel contamination in our processing,” Davis says.

He jokes that contamination is his number one enemy, as it damages equipment and negatively impacts endproduct purity. As such, Davis and his team pre-shred their material through the Terminator before it’s sent for further processing, thereby minimising contamination and extending the working life of later-stage machines.

“The Terminator is great because it can handle contamination without damaging the machine. Plus, because Komptech is one of the leading manufactures of waste equipment in the world, I had confidence in the product – knowing that Komptech puts a lot of technical innovation into their equipment,” Davis says.

As Davis Earthmoving and Quarrying processes a wide range of material, the Terminator’s ability to shred everything from C&D and mattresses to green waste and timber was another motivator behind the purchase.

Davis adds that Komptech CEA are always available with spare parts and technical support.

“We also run Diamond Z equipment,

which CEA distributes, so I know that if I need a spare part CEA will source that part and get us back up and running with minimal downtime,” Davis says.

The heavy-duty, mobile shredder is powered by a choice of modern CAT engines, which deliver 600 horsepower to the drum. The direct drive drum with load dependent speed control creates maximum shredding force that can reverse at any time to prevent blockages, redistribute material or clean the drum.

The Terminator’s intelligent drum design also features robust teeth in a spiral arrangement for maximum cutting and tearing, while keeping shredded material consistent.

Davis plans to buy more Terminators in the future, as his company further expands into the C&D processing market.

“We have over 100 pieces of plant and equipment at the moment, and we’re showing steady growth,” he says.

“We’re buying new equipment and also modernising our fleet – replacing old equipment with the latest in waste processing technology, and I expect Komptech to play a key role in that.”

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 31

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – SAFETY

Well loaded safety and financial gains CHRIS COLEMAN, TRANSPORT & WASTE SOLUTIONS AUSTRALIA MANAGING DIRECTOR, EXPLAINS THE CRITICAL ROLE OF ONBOARD LOAD INDICATORS FOR HEAVY VEHICLES.

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hile legal load regulations and Chain of Responsibility (CoR) laws demanding responsible movement across Australia’s streets and highways have made companies more aware of the need to not overload vehicles, many still are not familiar with the legal requirements for accurate load distribution.

To satisfy regulations, loads must be placed in the way that ensures the vehicle remains stable and safe. Loads need to be distributed so as not to overload axles; a common problem that until now has been often overlooked, largely because of the difficulty in monitoring load distribution.

While drivers need to take responsibility for compliance, the

TWS has been distributing and installing Axtec OnBoard axle load indicators across the Australian market since 2018.

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responsibility doesn’t stop there.

“If you are responsible for packing, loading or receiving waste or goods in your business, even if you are not driving a truck, you may be held legally responsible for breaches of the Heavy Vehicle National Law,” Chris Coleman, Transport & Waste Solutions Australia (TWS) Managing Director explains.

Corporate entities, directors, partners and managers are not immune to this legislation and must exercise due diligence to ensure the safety of their businesses’ transport activities.

“They have a duty of care to the transport chain and will be held accountable for the actions of people under your control,” Coleman says.

This no doubt makes sense from a

safety perspective, but there can be significant financial benefits as well.

Apart from the benefit of avoiding fines for breaches of the regulations, and the costs associated with an accident if insurance is invalidated, there are other cost benefits to the business.

“Overloading one or more axles can also cause damage to the vehicle itself,” Coleman says.

“While heavy vehicles are designed for extreme durability and have high stress tolerances on components, they still have maximum thresholds which must be adhered to.”

Uneven weight distribution places unnecessary stress, higher wear and increases maintenance requirements on axles, drive shafts, tyres and many other parts.

Furthermore, balanced load distribution protects drivers.

“Unbalanced loads can cause irregularities in cornering and braking making vehicles more susceptible to accidents,” Coleman adds.

“And finally, effective axle load indicators allow the optimisation of cargo loads that can in turn increase the profitability of fleets.”

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP Coleman explains that it was the confluence of these two factors – economics and safety – that motivated

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his partnership with UK-based axle weighing and load monitoring solutions leader Axtec.

“Axtec has been operating in the weighing space since 1991 and that experience allows it to consistently develop quality products that ensure maximum return on every truck journey without risking overloads,” Coleman says.

“Together, we’re helping Australian waste management companies and state utilities meet their Chain of Responsibility obligations, by providing accurate and reliable vehicle load information in real-time as vehicles perform their day-to-day operations.”

TWS and Axtec formed a strategic partnership in 2018, with TWS distributing and installing Axtec OnBoard axle load indicators across the Australian market.

“Multi-drop loads, with their constantly changing weight distribution can easily catch drivers out leaving them at risk of an axle overload,” Coleman says.

“Axtec OnBoard axle load indicators work to solve this problem, constantly displaying axle and gross weights throughout the day, enabling drivers to distribute their loads safely and legally at all times.”

From light vans to 32-tonners, the indicator’s simple colour-coded display has no manual controls, which means no driver training. Optional outputs are also available to vehicle tracking systems and data storage.

“Visual and audible warnings can prompt the driver when overloads are present, while load data can be simultaneously written to the built-in logger and transmitted to a tracker system,” Coleman says.

Coleman explains that TWS clients have noticed reduced driver distraction and fatigue, as the display can automatically dim when safe to do so.

“Axtec OnBoard powers up with the vehicle and requires no driver input, reducing the risk of tampering or accidental damage, and eliminating the need for additional driver training.

TWS will soon be offering clients dynamic weighbridges that will automatically weigh road-going vehicles, including abnormal loads, as they drive over it, determining both individual axle and gross vehicle loads.

“As with our Axle Load Indicators, this isn’t just about safety. The productivity gains are significant, for example, a six-axle articulated lorry can be weighed in under 40 seconds,” Coleman says.

“Effectively and dynamically managing your loads is good for drivers, the community, the environment and your business. And it might just keep you out of jail.”

To find out how TWS can help you meet your CoR requirements and improve productivity, visit www.twsaust.com.au or call (02) 9623 1800.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP

Best practice product stewardship WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH LINA GOODMAN, TYRE STEWARDSHIP AUSTRALIA CEO, ABOUT THE SCHEME’S RECENT FEDERAL ACCREDITATION UNDER NEW RECYCLING AND WASTE REDUCTION LEGISLATION.

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n late March, the Federal Government launched its highly anticipated Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence at Parliament House.

The Centre – a key recommendation in last year’s Product Stewardship Act 2011 review – aims for the wide-scale adoption of product and material stewardship

Tyre Stewardship Australia was recognised as best practice product stewardship at the launch of the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence at Parliament House in March.

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principals by businesses to reduce waste generation and create positive environmental and social outcomes.

At the launch, Centre of Excellence Director Rose Read said the Federal Government was showing “immense leadership” in fostering and supporting product stewardship and supporting businesses to thrive.

“The Centre will also work closely with existing product stewardship schemes and initiatives, to help them address free rider issues, logistics challenges, generate greater consumer engagement and foster best practice,” Read said.

One such scheme is Tyre Stewardship Australia’s (TSA)

National Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme, which was recognised as best practice product stewardship at the Centre launch, receiving government accreditation under new Recycling and Waste Reduction legislation.

According to Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Minister Trevor Evans, government accreditation demonstrates an industry’s commitment to sustainability, and gives the public confidence that industry is working to reduce any negative impact of their products.

“In the near future, consumers will be able to look out for the Federal Government tick of approval for accredited product stewardship schemes on packaging and products,” he said.

Lina Goodman, TSA CEO,

welcomed the announcement by welcomed the announcement by Evans, saying it would provide confidence to consumers and industry that the Scheme’s positive environmental and human health outcomes had been independently verified.

TSA has been a voluntary scheme since its inception in 2013, however, Goodman explains that a voluntary product stewardship scheme can only go so far.

“There has been no hiding the fact that TSA has been canvassing for regulatory support for a long time. TSA believes that only through regulation can the organisation make a real impact. This Government accreditation gives TSA a chance to build on its work to date in expanding industry coverage,” Goodman says.

“We’re really pleased to have been given the Federal Government’s stamp of approval for the Scheme under the new Recycling and Waste Reduction legislation. It will help drive stronger procurement policies, so more Australians view the waste we create as the valuable resource it is.”

The accreditation was further bolstered by significant funding to increase resource recovery associated with the off-the-road sector and expanding the National Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme to include conveyor belts.

“It is an important funding opportunity as limited work has been done in this sector with only approximately two per cent of mining tyres being put to productive outcomes,” Goodman says.

An estimated 98 per cent of mining tyres disposed in Australia are either buried on site, landfilled or stockpiled.

“The funding will support TSA

to investigate and assess options for regional and remote, recovery and disposal costs, reverse logistics options, market opportunities, stakeholder mapping and the impact of state regulations on increased recycling,” Goodman explains.

She adds that the inclusion of conveyor belts in the Scheme is significant, as there is currently no data, no recovery rates and no end markets.

“There is no organisation really recovering conveyor belts to any great length in Australia,” Goodman says.

“It is complicated; conveyor belts are difficult to handle, difficult to transport, difficult to manage. Take in the added component of the belt being end-of life and coming from a mining site.

“TSA aims to verify the data associated with conveyor belts, establish a recovery pathway to enable the commencement and recycling of the OTR related products and improve the recovery rate of these products.”

ACCREDITATION AND COMPLIANCE Australia generates the equivalent of 56 million end-of-life passenger tyres annually. While 72 per cent are re-used, recycled or upcycled, 28 per cent of the volume is still disposed to landfill, buried or stockpiled.

The mismanagement of end-oflife-tyres causes stockpiles, illegal dumping or burial in agricultural lands, all of which can lead to possible fires and a significant risk to human and environmental health.

“TSA’s mission is to deliver against circular economy principles, ensuring the lifecycle of tyres is maximised, the residual waste product is valuable, and the entire supply chain works cohesively to contribute to better

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 35

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP

Lina Goodman says TSA’s voluntary accreditation will help drive stronger procurement policies.

sustainable outcomes,” Goodman says.

“In the eight years since the voluntary Scheme’s inception, we now have more than 1700 participants from across the tyre supply chain including retailers, manufacturers, auto-brands, recyclers and collectors.”

Government accreditation, Goodman adds, represents official recognition of all the hard work TSA has done, and will continue to do.

Through its globally admired Market Development initiative, for example, TSA has committed more than $6 million nationally to find innovative and entrepreneurial ways to manage the used tyres generated in Australia for greater productive outcomes. TSA’s Foreign End Market Verification Program has produced similarly successful results, and aims to ensure used tyres and tyre derived products that leave Australia for

36 / WMR / May 2021

reprocessing overseas do not cause environmental or social harm.

The program runs in association with Intertek, a global total quality assurance organisation with over 130-years’ experience, with the two organisations working together to identify high risk destinations.

Since the program launched, TSA has completed 16 audits of locations in India, Malaysia, Korea and Thailand, including online selfassessment questionnaires and faceto-face audits via Intertek.

“Our Foreign End Market verification program is the only global platform aimed at verifying that Australian-generated end-of-life-tyres are not causing environmental or social harm at their final destination,” Goodman says.

The Scheme has also formed global partnerships with IRSG and GPSNR, and in 2020 set up its Sustainable Outcomes Indicator to provide a pathway for improved resource recovery for used tyres.

“To support the COAG announcement and encourage organisations to consider change, TSA implemented the Sustainable Outcomes Indicator, an easy reckoner for the public to help navigate best recycling efforts,” Goodman says.

The Sustainable Outcomes Indicator also provides recyclers and collectors an opportunity to aspire to better sustainable outcomes.

“But, while there is an incredible amount of goodwill, government accreditation will allow us to do more to address the issue of what I call ‘free riders’ – those organisations currently selling tyres into the Australian market, but not taking responsibility for them.”

These companies, Goodman explains, have been enjoying all the benefits of what TSA has to offer without contributing to the

solution. Getting free riders on board and encouraging operators to use licensed, accredited recyclers will allow TSA to expedite important market development work, while ensuring unscrupulous operators cannot access used tyres from retailers.

“The Recycling and Waste Reduction legislation means while the government is making it easier for industry to set up and join in product stewardship schemes, they also have new tools to intervene and regulate when companies aren’t doing the right thing – including ‘naming and shaming’ those not participating in the Scheme,” Goodman says.

In the next five to 10 years, Goodman sees TSA increasing used tyre recovery and end markets across all sectors – passenger cars, trucks, aviation and OTR including mining conveyor belts. She also predicts that TSA will continue to provide the market with appropriate, accurate and up-to-date data, while contributing to the development of best-practice policies, procedures and modelling, so the sector can understand the true cost of recycling.

Australia will also have a retail sector that is truly accountable for the tyres it is selling, and all relevant stakeholders will be participating in the Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme.

While these are perhaps lofty goals, given TSA’s progress in its just eight years of existence, Goodman and her team see them as readily achievable.

“There will be no more unscrupulous operators playing havoc with the recycling market, and the public will understand the value of working with accredited recyclers and retailers even if this means at times the cost is higher to ensure the sustainable outcome is achieved,” Goodman says.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – PLASTIC RECYCLING

Recycling plastics reliably with the INTAREMA WHEN INTEGRATED PACKAGING SOUGHT TO RECONSTRUCT ITS WESTERN AUSTRALIAN FACILITY AND MAKE RECYCLING A PRIORITY, IT TURNED TO PLASTICS RECYCLING EQUIPMENT EXPERTS EREMA.

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hen their factory in Kewdale, Western Australia was destroyed by a fire in 2019, Integrated Packaging decided to build a new and advanced plastic packaging plant at the same place.

However, the focus of the new factory did not lie on the production side, instead, “we made recycling the priority,” Michael Hill, Integrated Packaging Maintenance Manager says.

Established in 1982, Integrated Packaging offers an extensive range of products and services for almost any packaging requirement.

In 2017, the company merged with Pro-Pac Packaging and is now a leading manufacturer for flexible packaging products, with several manufacturing and distribution sites across Australia and New Zealand.

Integrated Packaging can now recycle 98 per cent of its production waste as a result of the INTAREMA system.

38 / WMR / May 2021

LONG-TERM BUSINESS SUCCESS While Integrated Packaging invested in state-of-the-art equipment for the reconstruction of the destroyed factory, the focus on recycling made one machine even more important – the INTAREMA 1309 T repelletising line from Austrian manufacturer EREMA. With this machine, the new factory can reliably recycle 98 per cent of

its production waste. Therefore, Integrated Packaging diverts a massive amount of waste from landfill, “which is critical to reducing our environmental impact,” Hill says.

“In our view, reducing plastic waste in any way possible is core to our longterm business success and our ability to meet our customer’s expectations.”

Hence, the decision for the right recycling equipment had to be wellconsidered. The final choice was then made between several European machines and in the end, EREMA’s reputation as the world-class standard in plastic recycling equipment was the decisive factor for the latest INTAREMA recycling line from EREMA. While Integrated Packaging already uses other EREMA machines across their sites, the factory in Kewdale is the first one to use the INTAREMA system.

Now, after nearly three months with the machine, Michael can only praise it.

“If we’d buy another one within the group, I will definitely recommend the one we’ve got,” he says.

Setting up a machine of a manufacturer from the other side of the

EREMA’s INTAREMA 1309 T repelletising line is available in Australia through Cemac Technologies.

world during a pandemic could have led to a variety of problems, but Hill enjoyed a smooth start-up process.

“It was one of the easiest projects I have ever been on,” he says.

Crucial for this experience was the ability to self-install the machine, which was well managed through EREMA’s online training. The operators thus felt confident with the machine even before an EREMA technician from Austria arrived for the commissioning. Due to current travel restrictions, the EREMA technician needed to quarantine for two weeks before being able to go to site. During that time he helped remotely, and once on site, Integrated Packaging could already produce high quality pellets after two days.

Ever since the machine was set in motion on the 1st of February, the brand-new factory enjoys the reliable work of the INTAREMA. For Hill, three benefits stand out so far.

First, because the compactor section of the INTAREMA collects the guillotined waste directly, the machine reduces the need to convert it to granulated fluff plastic before reintroducing it back into the process.

Second, the machine’s high availability for production, which

allows for continuous operation.

This is enabled by the self-cleaning automatic backflush melt filter system. The filter operates with two pistons, each containing two pairs of filters, which can be backflushed and changed individually without stopping the line. This drastically reduces the number of screen-changes and downtime.

Third, EREMA’s online self-service portal with a comprehensive offering of training, maintenance and spare parts allows for consistent selfmanagement of the machine.

“EREMA has genuinely maximised the use of digital technology, to allow us to maximise the machine’s performance,” Hill says.

THROUGHPUT INNOVATION With the new recycling machine, the Kewdale factory can now recover three tonnes of in-house production waste every day. The high throughput of the INTAREMA is enabled by the patented Counter Current technology.

This technology changes the direction of rotation inside the cutter/ compactor to the opposite direction to that of the extruder screw.

As a result, the INTAREMA

achieves higher throughput, more stable operation and generally greater flexibility in the production process.

The amount of material that is recycled every day thus fully meets Hill’s expectations.

“Everything we’ve asked for has been achieved.”

The recycled pellets from the INTAREMA also impress with their high quality, which allows the producer to feed up to 100 per cent of the pellets back into the production process. Consistently high quality is mainly a result of the cuttercompactor which pre-conditions the material before the extrusion, enabling gentle melting and excellent moisture control. Therefore, next to nothing is getting wasted.

“What we produce through the INTAREMA is a quality product, so we can put it back into our films without compromising its performance,” Hill says.

With an easy start-up process, reliable throughput and smooth operation, the INTAREMA 1309T paved the way for a successful return to production in Kewdale. Hill’s conclusion thus turns out to be brief.

“I am very, very happy with the machine,” he says.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 39

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – LANDFILL

A purpose built blueprint A BOLD MOVE BY A WESTERN AUSTRALIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS RESULTED IN A THREEFOLD INCREASE IN THE COLLECTION OF WASTE METAL FROM ITS LANDFILL FACILITY AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASED LIFE SPAN OF THE SITE.

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hen the Town of Port Hedland, Western Australia devised a specification for a purpose-built wheel loader to work exclusively on its 45,000 tonne a year landfill site, council was aiming to make waste disposal more cost efficient and productive. Results to date point to a new protocol which could be adopted by similar operations across Australia.

The town determined the dedicated wheel loader would be fitted with puncture proof solid rubber tyres and be equipped with a semi-enclosed grapple bucket to better dig and secure loose material like metal.

Results in the first six months of operation have been positive, with the sale of recovered waste steel increasing

The Town of Port Headland has acquired two new Komatsu wheel loaders to boost onsite productivity.

40 / WMR / May 2021

to more $5000 per month from a base of $1000 to $2000. According to landfill engineers, the ability of the lighter and more agile wheel loader to climb deep into the landfill to assist in recovery and compacting has increased the life expectancy of the 22-yearold facility. The town had been using two machines, a wheel loader and an excavator, to undertake general duties as well as work on the landfill.

When both came up for renewal, having already surpassed council’s machine replacement policy of 8-10,000 operational hours, the decision was made to secure two wheel loaders. All four machines – the original equipment and their replacements, were sourced from heavy machinery specialist Komatsu, which six years ago invested $10 million in a decentralised service facility in Port Hedland.

The town placed one of Komatsu’s new WA270-8’s on general duties, working on assignments as diverse as drainage maintenance and restricted access programs. The other was effectively purpose built and customised in a joint venture between council’s maintenance and landfill departments and the manufacturer.

“We had already had some experience with the use of solid rubber tyres fitted to remove the risk of punctures in waste disposal operation,” Dean

Jones, Komatsu Business Development Manager says.

“Each tyre weighs 750 kilograms – three times that of a standard fit pneumatic tyre, but experience has enabled Komatsu to warrant their use in defined operations.”

Operator comfort in the airconditioned cabin was a primary concern in an area where all day external temperatures can remain above 40°C. Operators have positively reported on the combination of the cabin and a single lever hydraulic control for the purpose-fitted bucket.

They are able to work far deeper into the landfill with greater success than that achieved with heavier, more powerful machines, although a machine with greater power is still necessary for overall site maintenance.

According to Rebecca Walter, Port Hedland Landfill Manager, the customised machine, while successful, remains a work in progress – in the spirit of continual improvement.

Further strengthening improvements were made to the grapple bucket’s teeth as operators ambitiously sought to pick larger and heavier resaleable refuse.

Jones adds that Komatsu is monitoring progress closely to further refine the specification, which could become a blueprint for landfill operation across the country.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TRANSPORT

The waste ejector WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH BMI TRAILERS’ BRENDAN MCLLVANNA ABOUT THE COMPANY’S RECENT AUSTRALIAN EXPANSION.

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ast Autumn, bmi trailers were selected as the preferred supplier of 30 new waste transfer trailers to English waste management company Monks Contractors. Monks Contractors’ trailer order was split between 16 bmi ejector trailers and 14 bmi moving floor trailers.

According to Brendan McIlvanna, bmi trailers’ Managing Director, the bmi bulk waste ejector trailer, which has been tried and tested for over 30 years, is a better alternative to standard tipping trailers due to its robust construction and controlled horizontal discharge.

“Almost 20 years of innovation and design change is what is behind the flagship, bench-marked bmi steel ejector trailer,” he says.

“Our ejector trailer is ‘best in class’ when it comes to landfill operations. Safety, efficiency, durable and reliability, every day, every week, every time.

“The bmi Rockpusher is a new variant of our ejector trailer and steps in nicely to the demolition and aggregate sector to increase safety and efficiency with proven technology, minimal wear and downtown.”

McIlvanna adds that bmi’s moving floor trailers also set the standard for durability, longevity, tare weight, serviceability and support, not to mention residual value.

“Our popular and market leading moving floor trailers, of which Monks Contractors already run several on their existing fleet, is the choice of many of the UK’s leading

42 / WMR / May 2021

bmi ejector trailers are available with an impressive list of features to enhance the user experience.

waste management processors and hauliers,” Mcllvanna says.

Both sets of trailers feature new innovative safety features including tyre auto inflation, roll stability, remote control functions for floor systems, sheeter and air assisted rear door lock release. bmi are the longest established manufacturer and supplier of waste transfer trailers in the UK and Ireland.

Mcllvanna founded the company in 1999, with bmi celebrating 20 years in business last year. The company expanded into the Australian market in 2020, after a visit to the country made in conjunction with Invest Northern Ireland.

“We saw a big change coming as a result of the new restrictions from China and other Asian countries.

But more importantly, we wanted to expand into the Australian market because we know our trailers are the best,” Mcllvanna says.

The immediate challenge for the Australian waste sector, Mcllvanna says, is the need to look inward at how it can develop new techniques to

reinvent waste.

“Legislation will drive profit and fuel development, but it will work best if the authorities watch and learn from the countries who have walked this path. bmi’s part in this is to bring transfer trailers to this new market that work, are efficient, safe and robust.”

Each bmi unit is built to individual customer needs, representing some of the strongest, most durable trailers on the market.

“Our success to date is built on our excellent service and after-sales commitment, our well-built durable products and by constantly listening to our customer’s requirements.”

Mcllvanna adds that bmi have set up a country-wide Australian service partner network.

“Our excellent after sales support will now be backed up by a service partner network that we have set up with reputable localised service centres across Australia,” he says.

“These centres will provide an excellent repair and service facility for our customer’s bmi trailer.”

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – METAL RECYCLING

The backbone of metal movement TO SUPPORT ITS SUSTAINABLE GROWTH STRATEGY, FERRIS METAL RECYCLERS RELIES ON A SERIES OF HIGH-POWERED LIEBHERR MATERIAL HANDLERS.

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n 2018-19, roughly 5.60 million tonnes, or 223 kilograms per capita, of metal waste was generated in Australia, according to the Federal Government’s latest National Waste Report.

The recycling rate of 90 per cent was higher than any other material category, with metal recycling well-established in every state and territory. Collection efficiency is also high at 93 per cent, reflecting extensive collection systems for steel, aluminium and copper.

When it comes to states and territories, South Australia was the highest ranked jurisdiction, with a resource recovery rate of 85 per cent and a recycling rate of 80 per cent.

The National Waste Report’s findings are welcome, if not expected news for Ferris Metal Recyclers, which has been operating as South Australia’s premier scrap metal processor for over two generations.

Bill Tolmachoff, Ferris Metal Recyclers Director, explains that the company buys scrap metal throughout Adelaide, while regularly travelling across regional South Australia for site clean-ups. Operating out of a six-acre processing site in Burton, Ferris Metal Recyclers is committed to sustainable growth and offering South Australian industry a responsible avenue for the recycling and reuse of metals.

“Our growth strategy has remained consistent – we grow with the market.

We grow a little bit every year, and

44 / WMR / May 2021

Ferris Metal Recyclers has been working with Liebherr-Australia for over 14 years.

we try to do that at a steady rate,” Tolmachoff says.

He adds that Liebherr-Australia, which has been supplying Ferris Metal Recyclers with material handlers since 2007, is a key part of that growth strategy, primarily through the reliability and high-quality of their machines.

“Liebherr material handlers unload and load all of our processing equipment, they’re the backbone of how we operate,” Tolmachoff says.

“We’re moving scrap metal all day long, so the material handlers are at the core of our business. We get high productivity out of them, low maintenance and minimal breakdowns.”

Ferris Metal Recyclers’ Liebherr range includes wheeled material handlers, high rise material handlers and crawler excavators, which operate six days a week – working to improve the company’s throughput and reliable service.

According to Tolmachoff, Liebherr’s material handlers are the highest quality machines on the market, backed-up by good maintenance, serving, parts and troubleshooting.

“Liebherr-Australia’s main office is here in Adelaide, so we get really good support. We’ve maintained a great working relationship with them over the last 14 years,” he says.

Liebherr-Australia has operated out of its head Adelaide office since 1981, with offices now present in Brisbane, Mackay, Melbourne, Mount Thorley, Newman, Perth and Sydney.

SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING Given scrap metal is one of the toughest operational areas in industrial material handling, Liebherr designs its material handlers to be as sturdy and efficient as possible.

Liebherr material handling machines guarantee the prerequisite stability,

Liebherr material handling machines guarantee the prerequisite stability, and with their sturdy and durable construction, ensure the lowest downtimes in the scrap recycling industry. According to Cameron Tanner, Liebherr-Australia Area Sales Manager, high lift capacities and fast work cycles are key for efficient handling operations.

“The optimum interplay between the hydraulics and electronics of our machines guarantee powerful, fast movements during handling, while ensuring precision in challenging sorting tasks,” he says.

“These machines come packed with innovative features like our Energy Recovery System, which not only brings about an enormous increase in performance and a higher handling capacity, but also generates fuel savings

of up to 30 per cent, lower operating costs and reduced noise pollution.”

Tanner explains that Liebherr’s long-term partnership with Ferris Metal Recyclers is driven primarily by the performance of the machines.

“Our Partnership with Ferris Metal Recyclers began in 2007 when they purchased their first material handler from Liebherr. We were able to demonstrate to them clearly the benefit of buying a Liebherr material handler for their recycling operations.”

Over the past twelve years, Ferris Metal Recyclers have expanded their fleet of material handlers and crawler excavators from Liebherr.

“Our sturdy and durable design ensures smooth, reliable operation of the machine. And the ergonomically designed cab is equipped with necessary comfort for the operator, allowing

them to concentrate on what is important – the handling capacity,” Tanner says.

He adds that Liebherr’s customer support is another factor, with the company’s qualified and experienced technical specialists available to support Ferris Metal Recyclers around the clock.

“Ferris Metal Recyclers are supported by a team of Liebherr trained technical staff who bring a depth of experience as well as agility, with a high level of mobility to provide them quick responses to their service requirements,” he says.

“We have a wide service footprint and as our customer base expands, we are investing in our future – we are always expanding our service team and our service infrastructure.”

For more information, visit www. liebherr.com.au or call (02) 9852 1800.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – SMART WASTE

Unlocking predictive intelligence WHEN IT COMES TO WASTE MANAGEMENT, DATA IS THE CORE COMPONENT OF WHAT MAKES SMART WASTE SMART. LEON HAYES, SMARTSENSOR TECHNOLOGIES MANAGING DIRECTOR, EXPLAINS.

Smartsensor Technologies’ City Sense Application combines foundational and historic insights with live data.

W

hile the axiom data is more valuable than oil has been widely accepted across industrial and manufacturing sectors for at least the last decade, the waste and resource recovery industry has been slow to capitalise on its predictive intelligence.

That said, the floodgates are opening, with private waste companies and local governments appreciating the power lying dormant in their previously ignored ‘facts and figures.’

This is welcome news to Leon Hayes, Smartsensor Technologies Managing Director, who has been pushing industry to recognise the benefits of adopting smart technologies into waste management for 10 years.

46 / WMR / May 2021

“If we look at data as a stand-alone element without considering smart waste management, we realise that it is one of the most powerful tools we have on a global scale to influence decision making,” Hayes says.

“Whether it’s the number of purchases we make as a company or tracking an athlete’s progress in training – data is key to everything we do.”

When it comes to waste management, data is the core component of what makes smart waste smart, Hayes says.

He adds that cities can install bins, sensors and all the bells and whistles, but without data, they’re unable to create actionable insights.

By 2050, the United Nations estimates that 68 per cent of the world’s

population will live in urban areas, with solid waste generation to increase by 70 per cent.

“Smartsensor Technologies’ believes that we should be using that data to fuel how quickly and efficiently smart waste management is implemented. If we look to the past, we can see the things we’ve done wrong, and if we look to the future, we can see the things we need to do right, and predictive data will allow us to do that.”

According to Hayes, before waste managers and city planers look at smart waste options, they must first understand the production of waste in their jurisdiction.

“The first thing I recommend is looking at population growth, as where that growth is modelled to head is the biggest catalyst for waste generation,” he says.

“As populations continue to grow and society becomes more disposable, we’re going to create more waste. Waste managers need to look at that modelling so they can better plan for the future.”

Population density is another factor, Hayes explains, with high density cities typically posing the biggest waste production challenge. He adds that while the COVID pandemic has led to a slight exodus from the city, that migration will likely be temporary.

“Cities will return and grow, and as a

result, there will be a lot of high density living. By focusing on how we manage the production of waste, it allows us to understand where we need to get to.

“It’s also important to extract insights into waste generation and location, so we can understand where services are needed, and more importantly, how we can contribute to waste reduction.”

Furthermore, individual areas create different types of waste, with a city lined with bars and restaurants needing different services than a street made up of domestic households.

“These factors need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future, and that is why data is so crucial. By having a data foundation and understanding of where we’re at, we can make informed decisions on smart waste installation,” Hayes says.

Data continues to play a key role

once smart waste is introduced – allowing operators to examine collection fill levels, route optimisation and critically analyse waste.

Smartsensor Technologies’ CitySENSE Application works to help operators along this journey, by combining foundational and historic insights with live data coming in from the sensors and smart bins of each of its customers.

“By overlaying that information, we’re able to create predictive analysis for a range of metrics, such as which bins need to be collected and when. It effectively functions as an in-the-cloud dossier, accessible by anyone within the team at any time,” Hayes says.

Users can access current data to inform collections, as well as predictive data for future modelling.

The application can also highlight

Smartsensor Technologies won a Good Design Award Gold Accolade in 2019.

which bins are the most and least utilised and which areas are costing the most in terms of labour, vehicle, operational and environmental costs.

Hayes adds that users retain ownership of their data, with all data hosted in Australia under globally recognised certification standards.

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PROFILE

The waste and energy intersection WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF RECYCLING INTERIM CEO CAMERON O’REILLY ABOUT SUPPORTING A CLIMATE POSITIVE FUTURE.

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n early January this year, Cameron O’Reilly was appointed interim CEO of the Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR). O’Reilly most recently served as an Executive Director and Principal Energy Advisor in the Energy, Climate Change and Sustainability directorate of the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.

Q: How did your time in the energy sector shape your outlook on waste?

The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Energy, Climate Change and Sustainability Directorate also has a role in the NSW 20 Year Waste Strategy, so I did pick up some of the issues by osmosis.

When you think about a more sustainable future you cannot think in silos. Big objectives like Net Zero require all parts of the economy to do heavy lifting.

While so much focus has been on energy, I think the waste and recycling sector can play a very important role in the emissions reduction task.

What is positive is that there appears to be a degree of bipartisanship on circular economy initiatives that has been missing from the energy debate.

Recycling is clearly recognised as a job creator as well as being environmentally beneficial.

48 / WMR / May 2021

Cameron O’Reilly says supply and demand are critical to a successful circular economy.

Q: What are your thoughts on bioenergy and renewables as government priority areas?

Bioenergy and targeted development of Energy from Waste using residuals, aside from being a positive contributor to the emissions reduction task, can play a useful role as their electricity production is not intermittent. This means there is opportunity in the firming of a renewables based electricity system and the provision of system security services that until now have been provided by coal.

Q: What is your view on the National Plastics Plan?

ACOR worked with the Federal Government on a plastics summit in 2020 and we brought many

of the insights of the industry to those discussions. We welcomed the National Plastics Plan as an important and comprehensive plan to increase plastics recycling and phase out problematic plastics. ACOR’s members are very focused on ensuring there are resilient end markets for recycled plastic and that is where we as a group have a critical role to play.

Government has a critical role as the biggest procurer in the country. A partnership is required.

Q: How will ACOR encourage further conversation around recycling?

ACOR will be the body that aims to ensure that recycling targets are supported by the development of end markets. Waste levies are a critical base line pricing incentive, the growth of product stewardship schemes play an important role, and government and private investment in recycling and resource recovery infrastructure is vital.

But in the end, we need to ensure that the markets are there for the material that is recycled and recovered.

As such, consumer uptake and consumer confidence need to be reinforced, and that is why ACOR has devoted member time and resources to the Recycle Mate app project, to help consumers make informed recycling decisions.

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE – SHREDDERS AND GRINDERS

PETERSON’S 5710D HORIZONTAL GRINDER Peterson’s 5710D Horizontal Grinder is a tracked grinder designed for high-volume producers with demanding endproduct specifications.

Available in Australia through equipment specialists Komatsu Forest, the 5710D is powered by a Tier II or Tier IV Caterpillar C27 1050HP (772 kilowatt) engine, providing the highest power to weight ratio of any Peterson grinder.

At roughly 40,150 kilograms, the 5710D is designed for operations requiring high production and frequent moves between jobs.

With a feed opening of 152 x 102 centimetres combined with Peterson’s high lift feed roll, the 5710D can readily reduce a wide range of material including wood waste, stumps and general organics.

Peterson’s three-stage grinding process with an up turning rotor and large grate area enables the 5710D to produce materials to exact specifications.

The 5710D Horizontal Grinder IQAN control panel features a large LCD display that provides the operator with the information needed to efficiently operate the unit.

System pressure transducers and remote monitoring capability simplify set up and provide complete engine

The 5710D is designed for operations requiring high production and frequent moves between jobs.

and system parameters. The 5710D can also be operated by wireless remote from the comfort of operator loaders.

The optional tow dolly makes transportation between jobs easy, while the quick-change multiple grate system makes it simple to customise grate configurations to produce a wide variety of finished materials.

Contact - Komatsu Forest P 02 9647 3600 E info.au@komatsuforest.com W www.komatsuforest.com.au

GENOX SHREDDERS FROM APPLIED MACHINERY Applied Machinery offers a diverse range of Genox shredders to process an array of waste streams down to specific sizes.

For size reduction of flexible, medium hardness, voluminous products, Genox’s K Series Single Shaft Shredders process various plastics (films, mouldings), paper and cardboard, copper, aluminium, textiles and a range of other materials.

The M Series Shredder, which performs largely the same functions, is suited to other potentially contaminated materials such as metals or stones.

When it comes to small and medium size reduction, the Genox V Series Single Shaft Shredders are capable of processing an extensive range of materials to uniform particle size. Typical applications include plastic, timber/ wood, paper and cardboard and copper.

If operators are looking to process large volumes, then the X Series Twin Shaft Shredder works as an ideal preshredder for municipal solid and commercial and industrial waste, scrap metal, end-of-life vehicles and a range of other applications. Segmented blades greatly reduce blade changing time and cost.

BH Series Single Shaft Shredders are heavy-duty reduction machines designed to process a variety of

50 / WMR / May 2021

V Series Single Shaft Shredders are capable of processing an extensive range of materials to uniform particle size.

untreated waste materials down to coarse or mediumsized fractions. This powerful, wear-resistant machine is suited to demanding recycling tasks and can handle municipal solid, commercial and industrial, construction and demolition and other wastes.

Contact - Applied Machinery P 03 9706 8066 E sales@appliedmachinery.com.au W www.appliedmachinery.com.au

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE – DUST CONTROL

Hot-dip galvanised suppression ASHLEY JOSEPH, STG GLOBAL CEO, SPEAKS WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT ENGINEERING HIGH-POWERED WATER TRUCKS FROM THE USER UP.

I

n May last year, just two months after the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic, STG Global launched a range of disinfectant spray trucks to contain COVID-19.

Originally designed for the plant and equipment market as a dust suppression powerhouse, the launch of STG’s Suppressor COVID-19 Destroyer highlights the company’s innovative spirit and ability to pivot manufacturing towards new needed services and equipment.

According to Ashley Joseph, STG Global CEO, the Suppressor Truck is the only Australian-made truck capable of deploying disinfectants over a large outdoor expanse. Joseph explains that the Suppressor – one of multiple in STG’s hot dipped galvanised water truck range – is designed to last up to three hours on-site, making the unit a more efficient and viable solution than traditional water trucks.

“We’re the only manufacturer in Australia that hot-dip galvanises our products, so our tanks are some of the toughest and most reliable on the market,” Joseph says.

While it can be reconfigured into the COVID-19 Destroyer model, the Suppressor’s historical function has been dust suppression, with a water cannon and individual cannon controls providing operators with a 100-metre spray range.

The cannon works to help operators comply with EPA, Worksafe and council

requirements, while mitigating risks and preventing unnecessary costs and environmental regulator scrutiny.

“One of the issues our customers were facing was water being used up too quickly. When you’ve got a 13 to 18,000 litre tank and are spraying water onto the ground, it only takes 20 minutes to empty the tank, so there’s a lot of wasted water. We developed the idea of spraying a mist of water to bring dust down, and that’s how the Suppressor was born.”

A lot of bigger sites use static equipment to suppress dust, Joseph adds, whereas STG came up with the idea of developing a movable piece of plant – allowing operators to move the Suppressor as wind and environmental conditions change. The Suppressor is just one in STG’s range of water trucks, which features both hot-dip galvanised steel tanks and innovative Polytanks.

“One of the key issues coming online at the moment is weight, so we wanted to design a product that had the same STG look and performance capabilities but didn’t have the same weight as a steel tank,” Joseph says.

STG designed and built the Polytanks with Melbourne Rotomould Rotational Moulding, with the resulting units the only Polytanks manufactured in Australia with internal pipework.

“Most trucks have pipework sitting on the back of the unit, so if an operator wanted to have a spray bar at the front of the tank, the pipe would

have to come up over the tank. What we’ve done is engineer the trucks to incorporate all of the pipework internally, with outlets at the top and side of the tank,” Joseph says.

“This works to minimise maintenance costs as the pipes won’t be subject to wear and tear, while also facilitating a more attractive, streamlined unit.”

Joseph adds that the 100 per cent Australian made trucks can be customised with company colours and come backed up with STG’s countrywide after sales support network.

“Reliability and dependability are what we hang our hat on when it comes to our water trucks,” he says.

“My partners started their lives as machinery operators, so we’ve developed the range from the user up rather than from the engineer down.”

STG Global’s water trucks suppress dust to help operators comply with EPA, Worksafe and council requirements.

Contact - STG Global P 1300 998 784 W www.stgglobal.net

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 53

PRODUCT SHOWCASE – TRUCKS AND VEHICLES

Driven by collaboration MELBOURNE-BASED TRANSPORT AND WASTE MANAGEMENT PROVIDER HAULAWAY IS TRANSITIONING TO A SCANIA ONLY FLEET TO SUPPORT ITS EVOLVING OPERATIONS.

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aulaway has been supplying commercial industry, local government and the broader Melbourne community with a wide range of bins, skips and compactors for over 30-years. In recent years, the company has diversified into heavy haulage and post-collections via a transfer station and recycling centre.

The diversification came off the back of Haulaway picking up a range of contracts on major Victorian infrastructure projects in late 2018, including the Metro Tunnel, Cross Yarra Partnership and West Gate Tunnel projects.

As a family-owned business with three generations and over 70 employees, Haulaway is committed to providing its clients with customer-driven waste management services, and in the process, forging long-term collaborative relationships.

As such, Haulaway relies on similarly supportive partnerships with its vehicle and equipment suppliers.

Jake Hilbert, Haulaway Sales Manager, notes his eight-year relationship with Scania as demonstrative of this collaborative approach to working relationships.

“When you’re dealing with Scania, you’re not just buying a truck – you’re developing a partnership. They’re always flexible and forthcoming with information,” he says.

54 / WMR / May 2021

“My team run the day-to-day operations, but if we have any dramas, our dedicated account manager will get it sorted straight way. They really go above and beyond.”

Hilbert explains that Haulaway used to run a mixed fleet but are now in the process of transitioning into a Scania only operation.

Jake Hilbert says Scania will play a critical role in Haulaway’s growing operations.

“The main reason is the lifecycle costs. When you look at five to seven years of ownership, Scania trucks are much more financially efficient.”

The company’s Scania range includes two New Truck Generation P 450 8x4 hooklifts – delivering a fuel burn of three kilometres per litre, two Scania R 620 V8s and a Scania 370.

“From a purchase point they’re similar to other brands, but their maintenance costs and fuel burn go well and truly above,” Hilbert says.

Scania trucks also standout from a safety and technological point of view, he explains, with the added benefit of onboard scales.

“When we onboard other trucks we have to put scales in, whereas Scania trucks come with scales as standard,” Hilbert says.

“The weigh scales on the Scania trucks help because it gives us a second set of data to back up the tipoff scales.

“Scania trucks also have inbuilt tracking and fuel reports, so we don’t have to put that technology in ourselves.

“With Scania we have full fleet use transparency, so all across our business we can monitor from the point of selling our service, through the vehicle activity and all the way to invoicing.”

Hilbert gets weekly reports outlining which trucks and which drivers are

burning what fuel, as well as how individual operators are driving.

“The reports highlight if a driver has been driving dangerously – there’s a lot of different criteria you can put into the reports, but I focus on safety and fuel burn,” Hilbert says.

“I can read how a driver is behaving, plus if the fuel burn starts to deteriorate, I know maintenance will start going up – so it allows us to be proactive.

“Other brands have the ability to do that, but they don’t do it automatically. Scania has gone that one step further – when you buy the truck, that reporting function comes standard.”

Referring back to Scania’s holistic approach to customer support, Hilbert says that when Haulaway goes out for project tenders Scania

likes to provide input.

“Scania doesn’t just provide an indicative price, they say: it’s your decision, but this is what we would recommend. They provide a costing approximate on the truck and fuel burn data, and because they have a lot of demos out there, that fuel data will be relatively accurate,” he says.

As a result, when Hilbert is preparing internal proposals for a new project or truck, he has definitive data to justify his reasoning.

“That makes it a lot easier to prepare business cases and really simplifies the process,” he says.

Hilbert adds that Scania will play a critical role in Haulaway’s growing operations, with the company poised for further expansion.

“We’re growing from a collections point of view, with more efficient

trucks helping to drive down costs while improving safety and reliability on the road,” he says.

“We’re also very focused on growing the transfer station and heavy haulage arms of the business and Scania comes into that as well.”

Haulaway have just brought an A-double trailer online, which will see 85 tonnes rolling down Victoria’s highways.

“We’ve got a Scania 730 that’s going to be pulling that, and because you’re dealing with that level of material, reliability becomes even more important,” Hilbert says.

“Scania has shown that they back their product, which makes a big difference.”

Contact - Scania

P +61 (3) 9217 3360 W www.scania.com/au/en/

PRODUCT SHOWCASE – TRUCKS AND VEHICLES

Washing waste on the Pioneer River ISUZU’S READY-TO-WORK NLR TRAYPACK IS PLAYING A PIVOTAL ROLE IN DELUXE WHEELIE WASH’S ONGOING EXPANSION.

E

ver had to hold your breath while throwing out the trash?

And even after the waste collector has taken the spoils, a foul smell lingers in the bin? This is particularly relatable for people living in tropical Queensland with its unrelenting temperature and humidity. But who has the time – or inclination – to clean out their wheelie bins?

That’s where Margaret Dingle and her Deluxe Wheelie Wash business comes in.

It was another hot summer day in 2016, and Margaret was busy cleaning out her family’s fetid wheelie when her husband Chris had an epiphany: could there be a business opportunity in such a malodorous task?

The couple did some more research and discovered that hygienic and fresh-smelling bins did not have to be a suburban fantasy, and cleaning

Deluxe Wheelie Wash’s Isuzu truck has a large windscreen that provides excellent visibility.

56 / WMR / May 2021

other people’s bins could be commercially viable.

The Dingles decided to give it a shot. They procured wheelie wash bin technology from a British supplier living in Mandurah, Western Australia.

“Initially, we just had the ute, with all the signage and logos done up. We got a lot of interest and people started signing up,” Margaret says.

The Dingle’s Deluxe Wheelie Wash business soon became so popular that they went from washing residential bins in their neighbourhood to washing bins for commercial businesses all around Mackay. They then expanded north to Farleigh and Balnagowan and down south to Sarina.

“Business is really picking up in summer, especially with the humidity and heat we have around here. We have clients from many different types of businesses such as serviced apartments, cafes, clubs and even the butcher,” Margaret says.

“But the ute was not able to keep up with our expansion. We needed to upgrade to make our job more streamlined such as adding a reversing camera and adding a more heavy duty suspension.”

Their growing business spurred the Dingles into purchasing an Isuzu Readyto-Work NLR 45-150 Traypack from the Crokers Truck Centre in Mackay.

“The Isuzu appealed to us for a variety of reasons, but mainly because it already had all the key features we

needed: a reversing camera, good suspension and a truck’s payload.

“With the Isuzu, we can carry the mechanical cleaning unit, as well as a big 1000 litre water tank, because we actually carry our own water to the sites – which would have been impossible with the ute.”

The specialised bin cleaning unit on the back lifts the bin up, so Deluxe Wheelie Wash can wash bins on the inside, outside, bottom, top and wheels.

“We also clean the area where your hands go under, where there’s all those little compartments around the rim where spiders find a home,” Margaret says.

“The Traypack’s heavy-duty aluminium tray is the correct height and width, and also sturdy enough to carry our custom bin cleaning unit on the back and take on all the modifications we need.”

Margaret adds that she had the custom-built cleaning unit fabricated to fit the Traypack through Bryan’s Bodies.

“They did a fantastic job.”

But the Deluxe Wheelie Wash is not just a customised wheelie bin washing truck.

“We are an environmentally friendly business, so we collect all the grey water from the cleaning process. We have a permit from the council where we pump it back into the council’s wastewater,” Margaret says.

“The NLR 45-150 Traypack is perfect as it has enough power and space to carry a large enough tank for all our fresh and grey water.”

The NLR 45-150 sports Isuzu’s 4HK1 110 kilowatt four-cylinder engine at 2800 rpm, with generous torque of 375 Nm at 1600 to 2800 rpm.

“Now that we have enough payload to carry the 1000 litres of water, we can also do more for our customers,” Margaret says.

“We recently bought a floor washer and started offering the service of pressure washing and concrete cleaning as well.”

The Dingles purchased the NLR Traypack in a short wheelbase with an automatic transmission, with specific goals in mind.

“You don’t need a truck license to drive it, which makes it easier when I’m

employing new people. I could just get anyone with a car license, and they can drive it. And honestly, it’s so easy to drive,” Margaret says.

“The Isuzu has a large windscreen which gives excellent visibility. This is great because we often drive down tight lanes and small alleys to access commercial bins.

“More often than not, we have to reverse out, and this is when the reversing camera comes in handy.”

Aside from the NLR Traypack’s payload advantages and driveability features, Margaret also chose the Isuzu truck for its reputation for reliability, as well as the Isuzu’s vast dealer footprint.

“In our job, we need to clean the bins on the day they’re emptied. We’ve got to do everything on that day, so we must arrive when we say we will,” Margaret says.

“Reliability is huge for us, so the ability to access parts and get our truck serviced easily and locally was an important thing.”

Margaret only had praise for Crokers Truck Centre, where she purchased and sends the NLR for servicing.

“The dealership’s service is simply outstanding. They helped us with finance on the truck, listed all our options throughout the sale,” she says.

“When we collected the truck, they went through every single detail with us and showed us how everything worked.

“They lifted the cab, showed us the oils and where everything was, so we knew buttons, switches, gauges. They were truly excellent. In fact the dealer who sold us the truck is actually now one of our customers.”

Contact - Isuzu

W www.isuzu.com.au

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE – TRUCKS AND VEHICLES

Identifying known and unknown risks DRIVECAM’S ALGORITHMS AND PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS HELP TO DEFINE RISK PROFILES AND ENABLE OPERATORS TO PRIORITISE ACTION.

W

aste vehicle fleet operations are inherently risky from a driving perspective. As such, drivers need to be monitoring and mitigating these risks every day to run a safe operation. But what is the most efficient way?

According to Mark Dudman, DriveRisk Senior Risk Consultant, “Known Risks” in lay terms are things drivers know are risky – crossing a flooded roadway, and in context of transport operations, insufficient maintenance, or letting an unqualified person drive.

“You know that there is an exceedingly high probability for things to end badly,” he says.

“Unknown Risks” are the things that happen without the knowledge of a business owner – mobile phone use while driving, tailgating or cornering with excessive speed.

“These behaviour-based risks happen all day, every day and not just in the commercial driving sector.

This is a societal issue and is a major contributor to collision rates increasing on our roads and its unfortunately getting worse,” Dudman says.

He adds that identification of risk is a challenge.

“You need a system that captures and identifies risky behaviour before it ends in disaster. A system which has the intelligence to provide meaningful

data and report on previously unknown risk. Once this risk has been captured, operators need to take meaningful action to prevent or mitigate this from becoming repetitive,” Dudman says.

DriveCam’s algorithms and predictive analytics help to define a risk profile and enable operators to prioritise action.

“Prioritisation based on severity or collision likelihood means you are actively reducing your risk footprint and managing risk reduction processes aligned directly with your CoR (Chain of Responsibility) obligations. The idea of monitoring your driver in general has negative connotations, but this is not how DriveCam targets risk. Whilst there is an element of risk monitoring involved, it is not constantly recording video of the driver,” Dudman says.

There are serious concerns from a CoR obligation with this approach, Dudman explains. He adds that trawling through hours of video data to uncover potential risks or non-compliant behaviours and take appropriate action to mitigate against repeat behaviour is costly, both in man hours and potential legal issues.

To avoid those issues, Dudman recommends a exception-based closed loop system.

“An exception-based process empowers drivers to control what is captured,” he says.

“Our Machine Vision and Artificial

DriveCam is an exception-based, closed loop risk control system.

Intelligence enabled system only looks for patterns of specific risk. It is not continuously recording. The algorithm simply uses known or learned patterns and measures the time this risky behaviour occurs and will capture a sample video clip for coaching.”

Dudman explains that the video event data is then used to coach drivers to change their behaviour.

“Finding the right tools for the task requires companies to adopt an appropriate safety system and supporting video technology,” he says.

“Businesses looking to build a safety culture can utilise technology like DriveCam, a leading-edge tool that captures risky driving behaviour and allows you to mitigate your on-road risk profile in a timely and costeffective manner to prevent incidents and save you money. Once you have mitigated your risk everyone wins.”

Contact - DriveRisk

P 1800 837 433 E info.australia@driverisk.com W www.driverisk.com.au/

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WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS

Women in Industry THE WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS GIVE PARTICIPANTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT CAREER DEFINING MOMENTS, WRITES RACHAEL ASHFIELD, IFM MARKETING MANAGER AND WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS AMBASSADOR.

W

elcome to my first column as Ambassador for the Women in Industry Awards. I am currently the Marketing Manager at an advanced automation company, and my career has been challenging yet rewarding so far.

I started out as the Executive Assistant to the Managing Director.

My training and experience had provided me with a career in administration, but I felt I had more to be achieved.

Then five years ago, I was appointed as Marketing Assistant.

As I grew within the role I was seeking newer and more exciting challenges, and as a result invested a lot of time learning many aspects of the company’s product offering.

This proved to be quite complex and challenging, but extremely rewarding.

I am now in my fourth year as Marketing Manager and firmly believe that the more you strive, the more you will be fulfilled within your career.

In 2020 I was nominated by my peers for the Women in Industry Awards. This was a surprise to me, and I was honoured that my colleagues felt so highly about my efforts.

60 / WMR / May 2021

Rachael Ashfield won the Business Development Success of the Year award at last year’s event.

The nomination itself was extraordinary, and then to reach the list of finalists and subsequently win the award was a personal and career defining highlight.

The Women in Industry Awards recognise outstanding success in industries traditionally dominated by men, including manufacturing, mining, engineering, transport and

logistics and waste management.

My aim as Ambassador is to encourage you to nominate for these fantastic Awards, so that you receive recognition for your efforts in building a strong, well-defined and lasting business.

Women bring alternative viewpoints and experiences to a business, which often fosters creativity and change.

Yet the career pathway for women can be quite challenging, especially in an industry that is not highly represented by women.

The Women in Industry Awards give you an opportunity to highlight key aspects and career defining moments of your many years of success and dedication.

The journey is extraordinarily rewarding, and when you have been with a company as long as I have, you can dig deep into the knowledge base that you have built and realise you can contribute exponentially to your company, and industry more broadly.

I look forward to celebrating all of your success at the 2021 Women in Industry Awards.

Nominations for the 2021 Women in Industry Awards are now open.

Visit www.womeninindustry.com.au to submit a nomination.

LAST WORD

Waste export ban on mixed plastics: is Australia ready?

FOR THE PLASTICS EXPORT BAN TRANSITION TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE NEED LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS TO WORK PROACTIVELY WITH THE RESOURCE RECOVERY SECTOR, WRITES ROSE READ, CEO OF THE NATIONAL WASTE AND RECYCLING INDUSTRY COUNCIL.

T

he 1 July deadline to implement the waste export ban on mixed plastics is fast approaching, raising the question of how Australia is placed to continue building its resource recovery sector now that these once exported materials will ideally be processed onshore?

The 2021 ban on exporting mixed plastics relates to those that are not of a single resin or polymer type or have not been processed into a valueadded material.

The ban on exporting single resin or polymer plastics that have not been reprocessed comes into effect in 12 months’ time on 1 July 2022.

In 2018-19, Australia exported around 149,000 tonnes of mixed plastics – excluding those of polymers of ethylene, styrene or vinyl chloride, which form part of the 2022 ban – and in 2019-20, around 75,000 tonnes were exported at a value $19.3 million.

Approximately 83 per cent of these plastics will be banned from 1 July 2021 unless they are processed further.

From 1 July 2022, a further 37,544 tonnes of plastic waste valued at

While NWRIC is supportive of the waste export bans, Rose Read says there are practical questions that need to be answered.

$12.06 million will no longer be exported. This means that in a little over 12 months, Australia’s waste and resource recovery sector will need to deal with at least an additional 100,000 tonnes of waste plastics if not more.

While NWRIC is supportive of the waste export bans, there are

still questions around the practical side of the bans in terms of onshore processing capacity, local market demand, export specifications, enforcement and ensuring a level playing field.

The ban on mixed plastics will come with a raft of requirements that industry must meet should they wish to export reprocessed plastics, along with other general export and trade rules. These will be similar to what we have seen come into force with the ban on unprocessed waste glass from 1 January this year.

While industry and business will move quickly to meet the requirements of the ban in terms of licencing and specifications, we also need to focus on the intent of the bans, which is not exporting waste to overseas countries, local job creation and building a more sophisticated waste and resource recovery sector here in Australia.

Federal Government modelling has shown that the regulation of waste exports is expected to see the Australian economy grow by $3.6 billion in turnover and $1.5 billion in value-added – or GDP – in present

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 61

LAST WORD

value terms over a 20-year period.

The waste export bans provide an enormous opportunity to turn waste that had been exported to other countries into high-value commodities that will stimulate our economy.

However, Australia has limited plastic re-manufacturing capacity, insufficient infrastructure to collect, sort and process the plastics to an acceptable standard that is commercially competitive with virgin plastics and overseas secondary plastics.

There is obvious concern across the sector that without local processing capacity or markets, this will turn an existing revenue stream for material recovery facilities into a cost, which will have to be passed on to local councils and businesses until local processing capacity and markets are developed and use of non-recyclable plastics phased out or banned.

The roll out of the Recycling Modernisation Fund by Commonwealth and state governments to develop new and innovative recycling infrastructure has been slow to get off the ground, as summarised in Table 1.

The ACT and Western Australia are the only jurisdictions where projects have been approved to either upgrade existing or build new facilities with sufficient mixed plastics processing capacity to match existing mixed plastics exports from those states.

Victoria and NSW still have a way to go, with both states still needing to increase processing capacity by an estimated 35,000 and 42,000 tonnes respectively.

Queensland is of the greatest concern, as at the end of March this year they had still yet to sign off on a Recycling Modernisation Fund agreement with the Federal Government.

Based on 2018-19 exports, we are still looking at an initial shortfall of around 60,000 tonnes as the bans on mixed plastics are completed.

With insufficient local processing capacity in place by July this year, material recycling facilities options are either to stockpile for up to 12 months or landfilling, both of which put material recycling facilities finances under significant strain, resulting in gate fees to local councils increasing.

It also increases the risk of disreputable traders looking to illegally export mixed plastics as there are still overseas markets for these plastics.

To ensure this does not occur, it is imperative that well-funded and best practice enforcement is in place to ensure the bans are policed from the start of the ban.

The waste export bans are a step in the right direction, but exporters that fail to comply with the ban need to know they will be caught and penalised if they do the wrong thing.

The next 12 months will be a challenging time for all.

For this transition to be successful we need local, state and Federal Governments to work proactively with the resource recovery sector in fast tracking grant and planning approvals for processing facilities, prioritising the specification of recycled plastics in government procurement contracts, phasing out the use of non-recyclable and problematic packaging and products, and stringently enforcing the export bans – sending a clear message that illegal exports will not be tolerated.

Table 1 – 2018-19 exported mixed plastics* versus RMF Investment into mixed plastic processing

JURISDICTION

MIXED PLASTICS EXPORTS 2018-19 (TONNES)

RMF PROJECTS PROCESSING CAPACITY AT 31 MARCH 2021 (TONNES)

ACT

1,771

1,8000 (MRF upgrade)

NSW

68,878

16,000 (Suez) + Grant process underway

South Australia

2,041

Grant process underway

Victoria

58,500

20,000 (Cleanaway)

Western Australia

11,897

35,000 (3 projects)

Tasmania

170

Grant process underway

Northern Territory

20

Nil

Queensland

8,131

Nil

TOTAL

149,695

61,800

* Phasing out exports of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres (response strategy to implement the August 2019 agreement of the Council of Australian Governments March 2020)

62 / WMR / May 2021

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