Waste Management Review June 2022

JUNE 2022

Intelligent solutions Ecocycle is introducing Artificial Intelligence and robotics to make e-waste recycling safer.

FEATURES

Sustainability tastes so sweet Technology comes full circle Tables turned on traditional composting Reclaiming concrete

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COVER STORY RISE OF THE MACHINES

SWEET TASTE OF SUSTAINABILITY Local Brewing Co’s new brew is pleasing to the palate and the conscience.

16

Ecocycle is using Artificial Intelligence and robotics to make e-waste recycling and resource recovery safer.

“ECOCYCLE IS CONVINCED THAT ROBOTIC DEVELOPMENTS WILL CHANGE THE WORLD, THE SAME WAY THAT THE WHEEL, ELECTRICITY OR COMPUTERS HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.” - Doug Rowe, Director of Ecocycle.

THE MOST In this issue 40 SPREADING THE WORD 58 GETTING FROM FOGO

Features

21 25 29

TECHNOLOGY COMES FULL CIRCLE

E3Sixty is hoping urban mining technology will change the outlook on Australia’s e-waste.

MOBILEMUSTER EXPANDS

MobileMuster is adding three new streams to its e-waste collection services.

34 37

42 45

A POSITIVE DISRUPTION

Scipher Technologies is aiming to be the nation’s largest e-waste recycler.

TACKLING AUSTRALIA’S E-WASTE CRISIS

Source Separation Systems’ recycling hubs are helping to short circuit problematic waste.

FOOD FOR THE SOIL

Repurpose It puts precious resources back into the earth.

LIQUID GOLD

New technology is changing the landscape for organics processors.

MRA Consulting Group on maximising Australia’s new focus on FOGO.

NEW WAVE OF 60 THE TECHNOLOGY

Aerofloat’s AeroWAVE wastewater treatment is optimising the plastics recycling industry.

DYNAMIC GROWTH

Significant overseas investment has ushered in a new era for SoilCo.

48 A UNIQUE SOLUTION

Radicle Agriculture is turning the table on traditional composting.

62

WIRED FOR SUCCESS

Lopez Scrap Metal has weathered the COVID-19 dip and is planning to expand.

RECLAIMING CONCRETE PLANT 64 50 HAAS TECHNOLOGY The Rapid Reclaimer is breaking down waste concrete to its original forms.

Solvay is turning to waste wood to power its Rheinberg plant.

A NATIONAL APPROACH

Market research for ANZRP is providing an insight into how Australians view e-waste.

32

An EPA program is communicating the benefits of compost across New South Wales.

52

THE ROAD TO ZERO CARBON WASTE

AND 66 COMFORT CONVENIENCE

Why Volvo’s EC220D excavator is the product of choice for Litchfield Green Waste Recyclers.

HZI shares its views on Australia’s progress towards becoming carbon neutral.

54 ORGANICS OVERHAUL GHD is helping businesses navigate the modern organics management landscape.

‘SPECIAL’ 56 KOMPTECH’S ORGANICS SEPARATOR Komptech CEA’s Hurrikan S separator is reducing emissions for organics processing.

Regulars 12 68 71 73

FEATURE NEWS COUNCIL IN FOCUS PRODUCT SHOWCASE LAST WORD

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 3

PUBLISHER

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

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

From the Editor

Technical support

MANAGING EDITOR

Mike Wheeler mike.wheeler@primecreative.com.au

EDITOR

Lisa Korycki lisa.korycki@primecreative.com.au

JOURNALIST

In March 2022, Australia New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP) commissioned a national community opinion survey on consumer attitudes towards e-waste recycling.

It found that 33 per cent of Australians thought environmental issues were one of the top three things that government should be addressing (cost of living was top of the list with 35 per cent).

When specifically questioned about climate change, waste and recycling, 82 per cent said it was important and required action. Additionally, 83 per cent say Australia should be self-sufficient and not reliant on other countries.

It’s a sentiment that ANZRP shares. The not-for-profit is hoping the research will reinforce its call for the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme to be expanded to include waste electronic and electrical equipment.

In this edition of Waste Management Review, ANZRP Chief Executive Officer, Warren Overton, says there’s a lot of will for people to recycle e-waste but there needs to be consistency to make it easier (page 29).

MobileMuster is also answering a call for more recycling, adding home technology and landlines to its e-waste collection stream. Spyro Kalos, Head of MobileMuster, says the expansion is a reflection of the increasingly diverse range of technology products available (page 25).

It’s not just technology that is evolving, but the way we deal with it at its end-of-life. E3Sixty is hoping new urban mining will change the way Australia and the world looks at e-waste. It has developed a process to extract materials from any form of e-waste into a clean, raw commodity for reuse (page 21).

And in this month’s cover story, veteran recycler Doug Rowe, Director of Ecocycle, talks about the role robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play in making e-waste recycling and resource recovery safer. Doug has introduced AI to his Victorian facility, specifically for flat panel display processing (page 16).

Meanwhile, a new entrant to the Australian e-waste recycling stream is on the cusp of introducing two key projects. Chris Sayers, Executive Director of Scipher Technologies, shares the company’s journey on page 32.

Lisa Korycki

6 / WMR / June 2022

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News

$5m grant program to increase use of recycled materials A new $5 million grant program has been launched to help commercialise uses of recycled materials.

The Recycling Victoria Markets Acceleration Fund is tipped to increase both demand for and uptake of recycled products in Victoria, facilitate partnerships between research institutes and industry, help a diverse range of Victorian businesses grow and support local jobs and industry.

The fund is part of a $30.46 million Markets Acceleration Package delivered under the Victorian Government’s $515 million investment to transform the waste and recycling

sector and set the state up for a more sustainable future.

The fund focuses on projects using paper and cardboard, plastics, tyres and glass, which are all subject to the national waste export bans. Grants are also available for projects that focus on emerging materials such as e-waste and extiles.

Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, said the grants were part of an investment to transform Victoria’s waste and recycling sector.

“We’re working with businesses and research bodies to realise the benefits of a circular economy and help

achieve our goal of diverting 80 per cent of waste from landfill by 2030,” D’Ambrosio said.

The government has already funded circular economy success stories such as the development of cutting-edge recyclable mattresses and bed bases as well as recycled plastic railway sleepers, which are now used on Melbourne’s Level Crossing Removals.

In 2019 to 2020, the government diverted 69.7 per cent of waste generated across all sectors from landfill, more than any other year.

In the same period, 90.6 per centof recovered waste remained onshore for reprocessing.

REMONDIS Australia appoints new CEO and Chairman Jochen Behr has been appointed CEO of REMONDIS Australia, replacing Bjorn Becker who steps down after leading Australian operations since 2018 and positioning the company for sustainable, profitable growth.

Behr, who has served as Chief Operating Officer of REMONDIS Australia since 2020, has accumulated a wealth of commercial experience with REMONDIS and during former roles at DS Smith, CHEP and GE Capital, operating in complex multi-country environments in recycling, waste and supply chain management and logistics.

“I congratulate Jochen on his wellearned appointment and have no doubt

8 / WMR / June 2022

REMONDIS Australia will continue thriving under his leadership,’’ Becker said. “Jochen takes over at a pivotal time of expansion and acquisition.’’

Behr said he was proud to be taking on the CEO role, particularly as REMONDIS marks 40 years of operations in Australia.

“Since arriving in Australia in 1982 REMONDIS has introduced international waste management and environmental experience, technology and innovation to Australia, growing into one of the country’s biggest players with more than 20,000 customers coastto-coast,” he said. “With environmental responsibility on the minds of so many

Australians, from top business leaders through to suburban households, there are many more opportunities to pursue.

“A priority is defining REMONDIS’ role in Australia’s circular economy. I’m looking forward to scaling our recent investments in food organics, container deposit scheme innovation and Energy from Waste – among other resource recovery projects – to yield operational, environmental and customer benefits.”

Björn Becker has recently joined the Board of REMONDIS International GmbH and became CEO of Asia Pacific within REMONDIS International.

He is Chairman of the REMONDIS Australia Board.

News

New $1.8m recycling centre receives funding boost Hay Shire Council will receive more than $900,000 in commonwealth and state funding to construct a $1.8 million materials recovery facility, in southwestern New South Wales.

The facility is expected to recycle 6400 tonnes of waste annually, providing residents across the local council areas of Hay, Balranald, Edward River, Murrumbidgee and Carrathool access to a regional recycling solution

to recover and recycle plastic, glass, paper/cardboard and tyres.

At the time of the announcement, Sussan Ley, Minister for the Environment, said the facility would support recycling efforts across the region.

“Like many regional areas in Australia, all of Hay’s kerbside collection goes direct to landfill, along with most of its other waste,” Ley said.

“This regional facility with a new sorter, crusher, shredder, and baler— will recycle plastics, glass, paper/ cardboard and tyres as well as construction and demolition waste for approximately 20,000 people and their supporting businesses.”

The project is part of a targeted regional funding initiative under the Federal Government’s Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF).

$22.5m redevelopment of Henderson Waste Recovery Park The City of Cockburn will transform Henderson Waste Recovery Park into a Resource Recovery Precinct as part of a long-term waste management strategy that will extend the site’s useful life from five to 40 years.

Cockburn Council has endorsed a $22.5m redevelopment of the site from 2023, including renaming it Cockburn Resource Recovery Precinct to recognise its role of realising the value of products traditionally seen as waste.

In line with the City’s Waste Strategy 2020-2030, the precinct will lease up to four sites to complementary waste businesses to assist reprocessing and reuse of recovered materials such as steel, green waste, timber, cardboard, mattresses and electronic waste.

The precinct will include a modern covered community drop-off facility for recyclables and disposables, an education and interpretive centre, a

reuse shop, a weigh bridge, separate entry for commercial and domestic vehicles, staff amenities, and an administration building.

Anton Lees, City of Cockburn Chief of Operations said the new facility would create a sustainable and longterm community asset.

“The redevelopment’s leased areas will create an estimated return on investment of $45.6m over 40 years and $61.2m from landfill gate fees. This will enable the city to meet the State Government-imposed landfill levy,” Lees said. “The endorsed business case also enables the retention of residential trailer passes .These leased spaces will be income-generating for the remaining life of the landfill and post closure period.”

Lees said the project aligned with the city’s vision to lead and support a community that

avoided waste generation.

“The precinct will reduce environmental impacts by treating waste as a valuable resource to be recovered, reused and recycled using the latest technologies available.”

The plan builds on the city’s new waste future which includes transition to Energy-from-Waste for general waste from the kerbside red lid bin from 2023, a third bin for garden waste, the introduction of a 140L general waste bin across the city, and the incorporation of smart technology for improved efficiency of waste collections.

The city collects and disposes of waste from about 43,000 households, including general waste, green waste, junk waste and recyclables..

Its current population of 112,000 is projected to increase to more than 170,000 by 2036.

10 / WMR / June 2022

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FEATURE NEWS

Sweet and sour sustainability LOCAL BREWING CO IS CLOSING THE LOOP ON UNUSED FOOD WITH A BREW THAT’S PLEASING TO THE PALATE AND THE CONSCIENCE.

S

am Harris has always been a keen supporter of socially responsible businesses.

From purchasing locally made products, to volunteering at food shelters, Sam has always given back to his local community.

So, it seemed a natural progression when, in 2019, he and friends Nick Campbell, Chris Cefala, Paddy Muston, Claudia Mitchell and Hugo Mylecharane founded a brewing company with a difference.

Melbourne-based Local Brewing Co was established as a socially responsible brewery, supporting causes that provide food for the disadvantaged.

It’s now taken that one step further and blended an ale that gives new life to ‘waste’ food. The White Peach Surplus Sour is made from unused bread and fruit.

“We always knew that we wanted to be a social enterprise,” Sam says. “We also knew that we wanted to work with charities that focus on food security and minimising food waste.”

Local Brewing Co has an on-going partnership with SecondBite, an organisation which collects leftover foods from supermarkets and passes it on to those in need.

For every pack and pint of Local Brewing Co beverages purchased, the company provides a meal to hungry families. Local Brewing Co has now donated more than 40,000 meals.

12 / WMR / June 2022

Sam Harris, Co-Founder of Local Brewing Co and Director of Production.

It was while volunteering at SecondBite, that Sam realised there was potential for new use for unused fruit.

“A lot of fruit gets rejected because it is slightly blemished, bruised or out

of shape,” he says. “One of the most wasted products globally is bread. It’s estimated that 20 per cent of all bread is wasted. We had a discussion around how we could develop a product to

“Consumers these days are demanding more from companies on a sustainability level, such as clean supply chains, being carbon neutral and diverting waste where possible. There are some great companies doing some amazing work. Hopefully businesses trying to make change can inspire others to do more.”

Sam Harris, Local Brewing Co. Co Director of Production and Co-Founder

use bread that would otherwise be wasted. We had some inspiration from overseas, where brewers were using bread as part of the grain bill for production.”

Sam says Local Brewing Co began a series of trials, testing the viability of using bread and fruit.

Working with unused fruits from farms in Queensland and the Northern Territory, the brewer tested four individual flavours. The first trial took place in 2021.

The farms are suppliers to Coles, as such, the supermarket was interested in commercialising the end product.

“The farms were having conversations with Coles, which was keen to bring this to market, as it aligned with their sustainability goals,” Sam says.

Excess Coles bread and unused fruits from producers now had a closed loop solution.

Local Brewing Co’s newest release – the White Peach Surplus Sour – is made from excess white peaches supplied by grower Gaethen Cutri.

The drink is one of the latest to hit the shelves at Liquorland and First

Choice Liquor Market stores this year, as an exclusive release.

It’s the second in the ‘Surplus Sour’ range following the release of the Watermelon Sour, which Local Brewing Co created by using unsold melons.

Sam says incorporating both ingredients into a suitable mix did present its challenges.

“The key for us was optimising the volume of bread and fruit, while ensuring the flavour of the drink remained,” he says.

“We needed to be wary about the sugar content of the drink, as well as the alcohol percentage. It needed to be an accessible drink.”

During production the bread is included in the ‘grain bill’ and the fruit added during fermentation.

Excess grain from this process is also provided back to farmers to be used as cattle feed.

Sam says the initial response for the release, which has been described as a lighter mid-strength summer beverage, has been encouraging. He anticipates that more fruits will make their way into the mix.

The White Peach Surplus Sour is made using unused bread and fruit.

“We have plans to expand this range to fruits such as mangos and nectarines. The idea will be to have a base style and have a revolving range featuring the seasonal fruit at the time,” he says.

“A lot of fruit is seasonal, and we want to highlight that.”

Sam says Local Brewing Co’s experience can be an example for other businesses thinking of incorporating sustainable practices.

“Consumers these days are demanding more from companies on a sustainability level, such as clean supply chains, being carbon neutral and diverting waste where possible,” he says.

“There are some great companies doing some amazing work. Hopefully businesses trying to make change can inspire others to do more.”

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FEATURE NEWS

Mondo visits a school participating in the recycling fundraiser.

Child’s play

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ondo’s story is a simple one, but it’s having a big impact.

Since SCRgroup’s school program mascot began his reuse and recycling journey in 2015, participating schools have helped divert more than 580,000 kilograms of unwanted clothing from landfill.

Last year, the top three schools participating in the Recycle with Mondo fundraising program helped to divert more than 45,000 kilograms of clothing.

Alexis Todorovski, Executive of SCRgroup, believes the program is successful because Mondo gives children a chance to use their imagination.

14 / WMR / June 2022

“Children respond very well, and they understand the story,” she says.

“It’s a very important message as opposed to just telling them the facts.”

Alexis says educating the future generations about recycling and making sustainable choices around textiles is important to drive up Australia’s low textile recycling rate of just 12 per cent.

She says primary schools offer education around plastic, cardboard and paper recycling. But there is very little about textile recycling.

“When these students grow into an age where they are tasked to make important decisions, they aren’t fully aware of the impact that

clothing and textiles can have on the environment,” she says.

“The school program is curriculum aligned and designed to help boost national textile recycling rates, by introducing the issue of textile recycling early in student learning.”

Alexis points to overseas success to highlight how effective such programs can be.

“Germany runs programs at both a primary and secondary school level, which is one of the reasons why they have a textile recycling rate of 85 per cent,” she says.

She says Australian students haven’t had the same exposure to

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recycling and reuse, but SCRgroup is making progress.

The program started in Victoria and expanded nationally within two years There are now 140 schools involved.

“There are a lot more schools signing up as people are becoming more conscious of reuse and recycling,” Alexis says.

“Retailers are leading that space because they’re implementing more sustainable processes such as swapping plastic bags for reusable bags.

“People are becoming more aware.”

As part of the program, schools can select to run a clothing drive or host SCRgroup clothing drop-off hubs. The schools receive 10 cents for every kilogram collected and an additional $1000 as winners of the program to be used towards their sustainability projects.

Victoria’s Waterfall Gully Pre School, Upwey South Pre School and Sandringham East Primary School were the top three fundraisers last year.

Vanessa Veal, Assistant, Upwey South Pre School, says the pre-school has been involved in the Recycle with Mondo program for more than two years.

She says Mondo’s story, The Friends of Our World, is on display in the school’s foyer and is often read by pupils.

“It’s been a very successful program for us,” she says.

“A permanent donation bin is located in our car park outside the kindergarten, so it’s also open to the broader community. There aren’t many other options in this area, so it’s been fantastic.

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for our program and can use the bin to pass along clothing items that aren’t suitable for us.”

Alexis says SCRgroup is committed to diverting 100 per cent of the collections from landfill through rehoming unwanted clothing in local and international communities that need them the most. About 70 per cent of what is collected is currently reused.

Where clothing is unfit for wear, SCRgroup converts them into rags and biofuel. Alexis says the group is working to convert textile waste into products for resale and is collaborating with packaging and technology industries for more solutions.

The Recycle with Mondo program is available to schools in all Australian metropolitan cities. SCRgroup is offering a bonus $100 to schools that are new sign-ups to the program to kickstart their fundraising.

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COVER STORY

Rise of the machines ECOCYCLE IS USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ROBOTICS TO MAKE E-WASTE RECYCLING AND RESOURCE RECOVERY SAFER.

The FPD PRO safely processes e-waste screens.

16 / WMR / June 2022

C

onsumer electronics have changed a lot in the past 20 years. TVs, laptops and monitors are thinner and smarter.

Watches talk to us, and fridges can update our shopping list.

But if you look at the end-of-life phase of electronics – not much has changed. Recycling of e-waste remains a labour-intensive and often dangerous job.

Many Australian states have banned the dumping of flat screen displays in landfill because of the toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury and arsenic that can leach into the soil. Those same chemicals pose risks to workers in the recycling sector.

Doug Rowe, Director of Ecocycle says the e-waste industry has long sought a safe and efficient process for handling and recycling flat screen displays.

He says the same way automation and robotics has revolutionised electronics manufacturing, it can change end-of-life processing for e-waste.

Doug has introduced robotics, automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into his Victorian recycling facility, with the aim of creating a safe work environment and to reclaim valuable materials from e-waste.

He says the FPD PRO has changed the way screens will be disposed of.

WAY OF THE FUTURE “Robots have been with us for many decades, mainly confined to performing specialised tasks inside controlled industrial plants,” he says.

“But this is changing at a breathtaking speed as we teach robots to perform more complicated tasks in more difficult environments.

“Ecocycle is convinced that robotic developments will change the world, the same way that the wheel, electricity or computers have done in the past. This Flat Panel Display

Jason Zorzut, Ecocycle General Manager.

“Advanced robotic recycling technologies allow us to move away from the take-make-waste linear model to a circular economy.”

Doug Rowe, Director of Ecocycle

(FPD) processing technology performs dangerous and dirty tasks while protecting our staff, our environment and natural resources.”

Doug says robotics, automation and AI have been used in a range of recycling areas over the years, bringing with them unprecedented increases in efficiency and safety.

AI is helping robots to sort recycling from rubbish. With advanced cameras and technology some robots can determine the chemicals insidexbatteries, others can recognise if items are damaged.

In 2021, engineering researchers at the University of Sydney partnered

with industry sources to develop a recycling robot that will ‘see’ and sort soft plastics.

Recycling flat panel displays has always posed a problem for e-waste recyclers because of the mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), the light source for LCD screens, Doug says.

He says research conducted on behalf of the European Commission found a typical 32-inch FPD TV has up to 20 CCFLs and contains 45 milligrams of mercury on average.

When a lamp is damaged e-waste handlers can be exposed to mercury vapour and dust which is a high health

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 17

COVER STORY

The FPD PRO processes screens in a controlled enclosure, minimising worker exposure.

“Ecocycle is convinced that robotic developments will change the world, the same way that the wheel, electricity or computers have done in the past. This Flat Panel Display (FPD) processing technology performs dangerous and dirty tasks while protecting our staff, our environment and natural resources.”

Doug Rowe, Director of Ecocycle

risk because of its toxic properties.

Mercury can also vaporise at room temperature so people working with it are not always aware of the risks.

ELIMINATING RISKS Doug says the first goal when looking at introducing robots and AI to the facility

18 / WMR / June 2022

was to develop an automated process for recycling TVs, monitors and laptops that was safe, efficient and viable.

“Both the environment and the operators need to be protected,” he says. “The best way to protect your staff and reduce your liability is mitigation of the mercury exposure risk.

“Removing staff from performing the hazardous task of removing CCFL tubes is common sense approach that most larger manufactures are now demanding.”

The automated FPD PRO at Ecocycle can process flat panel displays from 280 millimetres to 1755 millimetres, irrespective of their age or type.

Two people can process about 100 screens an hour.

Processing happens in a controlled enclosure, minimising worker exposure.

Carbon filtration systems act as failsafes. All hazardous components are isolated in a dedicated waste bin. The plastic shell of screens and monitors can be further processed.

Doug says each processed screen is automatically weighted and the make, model number, and at times serial number is recorded. The data is used to create detailed reports for the screen’s manufacturer so they know their product is being recycled correctly and not dumped in landfill. The system will allow Ecocycle to build a data base of products collected and recycled.

While Australia has been slow to address the issue of mercury in screens, Doug says FPD Recycling recognised the issues involved and developed a solution, in the process it is turning e-waste from an environmental risk to a valuable resource of secondary materials.

RESOURCE RECOVERY FPD’s contain valuable, in demand metals and materials such as aluminium, steel, copper, plastics, glass and gold. All can be reused after the hazardous parts are removed.

“For too long, people have been exposed to hazards of depolluting mercury from TVs, monitors and laptops,” Doug says. “Now there is a real solution that provides a better quality of reclaimed materials, dismantles screens in a fraction of the time, and without exposing workers and the environment to the toxic substances.

“Advanced robotic recycling technologies allow us to move away from the take-make-waste linear model to a circular economy.

“It’s time to start looking at e-waste as a source of valuable materials, rather than harmful toxic waste that

The FPD PRO is safer for staff and the environment.

is pushed around until it ends up in landfills around the globe.”

Doug says there’s a shift away from sending difficult to process waste streams off-shore and an increasing preference to be able to manage them within Australia.

“Many of the larger multinationals are demanding their products are 100 per cent recycled

Up to 100 screens can be processed within an hour with the FPD PRO.

and not sent for reuse or repurpose, with Ecocycle you can have that comfort and assurance.”

He says introducing technology such as the FPD PRO aligns with the nation’s move to a circular economy and taking responsibility for its own waste. It will also give manufacturers confidence about recycling compliance.

“Manufacturers will see that large investments are being made to ensure the very best state-of-theart technology is available for them in Australia.

“They can be confident their end-of-life products don’t end up in land fill are not sent to developing nations, reused or repurposed but are fully recycled with vital natural resources recovered.”

“The potential consequences of resource scarcity for future generations is easy to see.

Everybody needs to act and support responsible recycling.”

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

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 19

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FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

Technology comes full circle E3SIXTY IS HOPING NEW URBAN MINING TECHNOLOGY WILL CHANGE THE WAY AUSTRALIA AND THE WORLD LOOKS AT E-WASTE.

O

ld mobile phones, laptops and PCs are “stock standard” household items in Australia.

For Anthony Karam, Managing Director E3Sixty, they’re an untapped resource. As are the 48 kilograms per capita of e-waste that Australia generates each year.

For the past four years, Anthony and the team at E3Sixty have developed a process to extract materials from any form of e-waste into a clean, raw commodity for reuse.

Anthony says the aim is 100 per cent diversion of e-waste from landfill and full recovery of all commodities including base materials and precious metals.

“We’re deploying what we believe is a world first whole e-waste recycling solution with a focus on Environmental, Social and Governance responsibility,” he says.

“A key part of our focus has been the development of metallurgical processes that allow us to do things differently than what’s in the market now.

“We’re pretty excited about the next six to 12 months. Our major focus now is to work collaboratively with all the major industry stakeholders and roll out this solution.”

Anthony says whole e-waste devices can be processed without the need for prior dismantling. The low-temperature technology reduces devices to a fine ore before separating valuable resources including gold,

E3Sixty’s process will extract materials from e-waste into a clean, raw commodity.

silver, copper and palladium. The end product commodity is high quality because they’ve previously been refined.

He says while not the primary focus, the patented process can also be adapted to harness clean energy which can be redirected back into the plant or captured for re-use to power electric cars, heating or water treatment.

“The process started as a technology play as opposed to dealing with waste,” Anthony says. “We’ve integrated a new innovative technology and combined that with several existing technologies with bespoke adjustments to come up with an end-to-end solution for e-waste.

“We worked with some manufacturers in Europe and technology developers in the United Kingdom and New Zealand to develop the process and modify some standard equipment. We knew where we wanted to get to.”

Anthony says E3Sixty received a grant in round two of the Federal Government’s Manufacturing Modernisation Fund and is looking to establish a pyrolysis plant within the Parkes Special Activation Precinct in New South Wales, in addition to major operating facilities in metropolitan Sydney and Melbourne for materials recovery and separation, along with a tech centre.

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FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

E3Sixty technology will provide an e-waste solution from start to finish.

He says, at full capacity, up to 60 tonne of e-waste materials can be processed daily and separated into a raw commodity that can be reused in manufacturing, creating a true circular economy.

“We think we can establish ourselves as the e-waste recycler of choice for the majority of the Australian market.

It’s a matter of deploying more plant and equipment.

“The whole of our recycling process and plant is a modular design and relatively small scale which can be upscaled depending on demand.”

Mark Ryan, E3Sixty National Sales Director, envisions the technology will be particularly sought after by local governments to deal with e-waste collected at Material Recovery Facilities.

“From conversations I’ve had with councils, we could be at capacity of 60 tonnes a day within three to four months,” he says. “Councils and large corporates are desperate for solutions.”

Cam Bain, Group Chief Executive Officer, says while the technology will initially be used for e-waste, there is the potential to expand.

“We know we can do solar panels and medical waste,” he says. “We’re also looking at a potential way to process optical fibre. Once we get the process perfected, we can look at other waste streams that are major global issues.”

22 / WMR / June 2022

E3Sixty is securing feedstock supply for the New South Wales and Victorian facilities. Anthony says one of the key priorities for the company is the ability to provide an onshore solution for Australia’s e-waste.

“With changes in legislation recently banning the export of waste, Australia is looking for in-country solutions that eliminate waste to landfill.

“Historically, a lot of e-waste has found its way into landfill where it leaches and provides potentially challenging issues from an environmental point of view. We can provide a solution from start to finish that’s more environmentally friendly, efficient and cost effective.”

Cam adds that the ability to provide an in-country solution is also important for data protection for companies disposing of e-waste.

He says cybercrime is on the rise and

regulation and laws are tightening, putting further pressure on businesses to ensure the secure destruction of their e-waste.

Traditionally, that would require a variety of operators to process and transport different materials, making it difficult to track.

“E3Sixty guarantees the complete destruction of the entire electronic device, rendering it impossible to breach.

“All of our work is certified. From an ESG point of view, businesses can rest assured their data is not compromised because it’s taken to a point where it can never be used again.

“At the same time, we create a true circular economy by extrapolating all the precious metals and base materials and put it back into local manufacturing.”

E3Sixty is looking to establish in Queensland next as part of a national expansion.

“This is a long-term solution, we want to entrench ourselves in Australia then with some planning, and the evolution of relationships, we’ll look to take on opportunities overseas,” Anthony says.

For more information, visit: www.e3sixty.com.au

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FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

MobileMuster expands LEADING PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM MOBILEMUSTER IS ADDING THREE NEW E-WASTE STREAMS TO ITS COLLECTION SERVICES.

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ince 1998, MobileMuster has diverted more than 1700 tonnes of mobile phones and accessories from landfill. Now the product stewardship program is dialling up the intensity.

Answering a call to add to Australia’s move to a circular economy, MobileMuster is providing a smart solution for growing e-waste streams in home technology and landlines.

Modems, routers, smart speakers, tracking tags and VR headsets will no longer be tossed aside in desk drawers, in a box in the garage or a cupboard in the spare room. And certainly not into the bin.

Spyro Kalos, Head of MobileMuster, says adding the waste streams to the

industry-led product stewardship scheme is a reflection of the changing nature of the challenge related to electronic waste and the increasingly diverse range of products available as technology evolves.

He says that independent research conducted on behalf of Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) found that for every 1.6 modems in use in Australia, there is one being stored and not in use. For every 2.1 smart devices in use, another is being stored. In total, more than 20.1 million devices are being stored in homes across the country.

“In the past 10 years, the rate of e-waste generated each year in Australia has more than doubled,” Spyro says.

“With the amount of electronic waste sitting in people’s drawers, MobileMuster is looking to change the way Australians look at waste more broadly, protect the environment, and ensure effective recycling strategies are in place to meet future industry demand for new products. This expansion shows we are continuing to deliver on that promise.”

The recent E-Product Stewardship in Australia Report, produced for the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment, found that in 2019, 975,000 tonnes of e-products were estimated to have entered the Australian market, while 521,000 tonnes of e-waste were generated, equating to 20.4 kilograms of e-waste on a per

MobileMuster is adding home technology and landline waste streams to the product stewardship scheme.

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FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

From left Brett Watts, VP Sales Technicolor, Tammy Walda, Account Manager Technicolor and Spyro Kalos, Head of MobileMuster.

“Since our program started over 24 years ago, we have facilitated the collection and recycling of more than 1700 tonnes of mobiles and accessories. We have achieved more than 95 per cent resource recovery through recycling, and 73 per cent awareness of mobile phone recycling.”

Spyro Kalos, Head of MobileMuster

capita basis. The report estimates that in 2030, about 12 million tonnes of e-products will be in use, about 12.3 times the amount of product entering the market, while 674,000 tonnes of e-waste will be generated.

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MobileMaster, run by the AMTA, is the only voluntary government accredited electronic product stewardship scheme in Australia. It provides a free mobile phone recycling program with more than 3000 public

drop-off points across the country and a free mail back option.

It is currently funded by all the major handset manufacturers and network carriers including Optus, Telstra and TPG Telecom (Vodafone).

In 2021, the organisation won the award for Best Stewardship Outcomes (Scheme or Industry Collective) at the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence Awards. The judges said MobileMuster won because of its longstanding accreditation and commitment to consumer education and business engagement in keeping mobile phones out of landfill.

Spyro says the success of the program is due to the brand owners who fund the program. For many, MobileMuster has become an extension of their sustainability work.

He says the expansion of e-waste collection is driven by the scheme’s members looking to add to the idea of a circular economy, including an opportunity to use the materials recovered in their own manufacturing processes.

“AMTA and its members support a voluntary approach to product stewardship, and the MobileMuster program has demonstrated how industry can successfully work together to deliver effective, measurable social and environmental outcomes,” he says.

“Since our program started over 24 years ago, we have facilitated the collection and recycling of more than 1700 tonnes of mobiles and accessories.

We have achieved more than 95 per cent resource recovery through recycling, and 73 per cent awareness of mobile phone recycling.

“We have made mobile phone recycling accessible to all Australians, with 96 per cent of the Australian population within ten kilometres of a MobileMuster drop-off point. We are looking to make recycling more products just as easy and accessible.”

Fast Fact The recent E-Product Stewardship in Australia Report, produced for the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment, found that in 2019, 975,000 tonnes of e-products were estimated to have entered the Australian market, while 521,000 tonnes of e-waste were generated, equating to 20.4 kilograms of e-waste on a per capita basis.

Technicolor is the first modem manufacturer to confirm participation in the expanded scheme, to be launched on 1 July 2022.

Brett Watts, Technicolor Vice President of Sales Australia and New Zealand, says the company is committed to ethical and accountable policies and practices and has long committed to the principles of sound and environmentally responsible waste management.

“We have programs to increase recycling and reduce waste generation, hazardous waste, and waste sent to landfills. In Australia, we feel based on MobileMuster’s history and longstanding relationships with ISP’s that

they are the right partner to help us achieve those goals.

“This has been on our radar for some time as we continually look for more sustainable ways to conduct our business. We wanted to take our commitment to corporate social responsibility further and e-waste recycling through MobileMuster is one of the ways we are doing that. The Smart Modem 3 we have launched with Telstra has a housing made from more than 85 per cent recycled plastics, so we’re taking steps to maximise material recovery and grow the circular economy.

“The return process for the MobileMuster e-waste recycling program is easily accessible to all, and Technicolor wants to play its role, with our customers, in promoting this venture and doing what we can to share the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling e-waste.”

Brett says that as an industry leader, the company actively seeks out ways to better the business and inspire change within the ecosystem. Partnering with MobileMuster is a natural progression.

“We have also shared our commitment to the Science Based MobileMuster has more than 3000 public drop-off points for old mobile phones and accessories.

Targets initiative (SBTi) Business Ambition for 1.5°C including the NetZero Standard. This means that we will take actions to help keep global warming below 1.5°C via near term targets for 2025 and 2030 and net-zero target by 2050.

“Technicolor is the only company in the connected home industry to sign on additionally to the 2050 Net-Zero Standard. Technicolor is also proud to have received EcoVadis’ platinum medal with advanced assessments across Environment, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement.

“This distinction places Technicolor in the top one per cent of best-inclass companies evaluated in the manufacture of communications equipment industry.”

Spyro says consumers are looking for brands who provide solid sustainable practices for disposing of unwanted technology, along with sustainable packaging and durable design. The success of the expansion of the program will rely on more brands that distribute the expanded products into the Australian market, joining.

“MobileMuster continues to explore ways to engage more Australians to get involved in the circular economy by the simple act of reusing, repairing and recycling. By storing devices that are no longer wanted, we are unable to recover the materials that go into making them.”

He says MobileMuster also has an emphasis on environmental and social governance, partnering with charities to encourage consumers to recycle and do some good. More than $1 million has been donated to support local charities including the Salvos, Able Australia, OzHarvest, Take 3 for the Sea and Landcare Australia.

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

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 27

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FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

A national approach MARKET RESEARCH FOR PRODUCT STEWARD AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND RECYCLING PLATFORM HAS PROVIDED AN INSIGHT INTO THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF AUSTRALIANS REGARDING E-WASTE.

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ustralia needs to take the next step in e-waste recycling, says Warren Overton, Chief Executive Officer Australia New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP).

ANZRP has been advocating for an expansion of the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) to include waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) for several years. Warren says they’re not alone.

Recent research commissioned

by ANZRP shows 76 per cent of Australians believe e-waste going to landfill is an important issue, yet 14 per cent of unused computers and nine per cent of computer monitors and televisions are ending up in general waste.

Warren says this can be attributed to confusion about what collection programs are free and what products can be collected. He believes a single system approach will deliver better e-waste recycling outcomes.

“There’s a lot of will and people want to do the right thing, but different brands are doing different things which creates confusion,” Warren says.

“There needs to be national consistency around this and a mandate that electronic waste should be recycled, and it should go through these channels.”

Warren says the Product Stewardship Act, which ANZRP is approved under, was recently reviewed by the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment. The

Australian Government has agreed to action all 26 recommendations from the review, including to assess the feasibility of expanding the NTCRS to include WEEE products.

He says there is “very sound logic” to support the expansion.

“There’s a lot of environmental benefits. Not only are you avoiding materials going to landfill, but you also avoid the energy of mining new resources and potentially toxic materials going into landfill.

“Economically, there’s hundreds of millions of dollars of material being put into landfill that could be reused.

There’s also job creation.

“Australia is a big place. We collect 20,000 tonne a year of material. That’s a lot of material to move but it’s not economical to move around states and not enough is being collected to invest in facilities to drive better outcomes. If the NTCRS is expanded, it will increase material collection and the recycling

Warren Overton, CEO, Australia New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP).

industry has incentive to invest in infrastructure.”

Warren says the research shows that seven per cent of the public are aware of the NTCRS, however once explained, support for the service it provides is 85 per cent.

He says consumer reasons for supporting the scheme focus on reducing waste, creating jobs and

Awareness and support for the NTCRS www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 29

FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

Repairing e-waste

security. 95 per cent cite the importance of having efficient and convenient collection points, 93 per cent cite the collection of e-waste being vital to mitigating waste to landfill and 87 per cent cite the importance of having an industry-funded scheme making it free for households to recycle.

The research shows the vast majority of people support NTCRS expansion to include all electrical items, with 89 per cent suggesting it be expanded to provide a free collection service for all types of e-waste.

In other findings, 89 per cent of respondents want recyclers to be independently audited, 86 per cent believe it should be mandatory for

manufacturers to participate in e-waste collection and recycling schemes, and 85 per cent support a greater use of product stewardship schemes.

Warren says ANZRP believes a mandatory scheme provides the best outcome.

“A mandatory, co-regulatory scheme has targets and enforced compliance requirements. Voluntary schemes work well, but in our experience, they don’t deliver the same collection levels, outcomes and compliance results.

“If you don’t make it mandatory you . can also have the ‘free riders’ that don’t do the right thing and bring the rest of the market down. For us, it’s really important that a scheme has to be mandatory and 86 per cent of people also believe it should be.”

Warren says one of the interesting findings from the research was about who should pay for stewardship schemes. He says Australians believe that governments and/ or manufacturers should fund the scheme. Specifically, 36 per cent felt it was the responsibility of government to fund such a scheme, 31 per cent felt it was up to the manufacturers, and 11 per cent consumers. 23 per cent were undecided.

“Our program is 100 per cent funded by industry,” he says.

“The industry is probably spending $30 million a year to fund this program, but we want the Federal Government to be responsible for a national communications effort and put more resources into compliance and consistent marketing.

“Compliance is important. If we have standards and requirements around collection systems and who participates it delivers a really great outcome.

“We have an impressive array of global organisations that support ANZRP because we provide them with their regulatory obligations.

We drive our recyclers hard, and we have high standards. We audit them and ensure compliance.”

Warren says the research, by resolvestrategic, will play an important role in driving home the benefits of expanding the NTCRS. “I don’t think the general public has picked up on this yet.

Compared with other environmental issues they don’t see it as important as plastic in the ocean, but when we explain to people what we do, they believe it should be expanded.

“It’s logical, but there’s not a lot of awareness yet.”

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

A majority of people support an NTCRS expansion to include all electrical items with 89 per cent suggesting it provide free collection.

30 / WMR / June 2022

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FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

A positive disruption

Scipher Technologies aims to separate bonded plastic polymers and resins from e-waste.

SCIPHER TECHNOLOGIES IS TURNING TO INNOVATION AS IT STRIVES TO BE THE PRE-EMINENT E-WASTE RECYCLER IN AUSTRALIA.

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cipher Technologies is a new entrant to the Australian e-waste recycling arena, and in just 12 months has taken over the largest e-waste recycling facility in Victoria and is rolling out a strategy to establish operations across the country.

The team has big plans to “positively disrupt” the national e-waste market, according to Chris Sayers, Executive Director.

Chris says Scipher Technologies is on the cusp of introducing two key projects that will change the landscape of e-waste recycling.

“We’re very aspirational,” he says.

“We believe we’re ahead of the curve.”

Chris has a background in finance and spent the past 25 years in Europe, 10 of those running his own advisory businesses. It was during this time that he worked with a Swiss-based company that developed and commercialised “game-changing waste processing equipment” that separates and recovers raw materials contained in e-waste

32 / WMR / June 2022

to a high grade of purity. He says the opportunity to introduce the technology and know-how learned in Europe to Australia was a massive opportunity and he began to develop a business model for the Australian market. Scipher Technologies was formed in 2019.

In 2020, the company bought the Cleanaway e-waste facility in Dandenong, Victoria and is now “the largest licensed e-waste recycler in Victoria”.

Chris says the Dandenong site is considered the most advanced e-waste facility in Australia and is the only licensed facility operating a Blubox – a closed recycling system that operates under negative pressure to extract hazardous vapours and dust from e-waste as it’s processed.

He says the site has accredited off takers for the recycled materials including InfraBuild, Sims Metal Management, Norstar Recycling and Mitsubishi Metals Group. Scipher is also working with other innovative

partners and research groups to enhance raw material recovery capability. Ultimately, the company wants to close the loop on e-waste and see the end-product reintroduced back to the economy.

“We sell all of our product, with the exception of plastics, because there’s currently no viable offtake or disposal pathway for recovered e-waste plastics in Australia, with the exception of landfill,” Chris says.

“The impact of the Federal Government bans on exporting recyclable plastics hit the industry hard.

We and other e-waste recyclers are stockpiling because we can’t export.”

Enter stage one of Scipher Technologies’ plan to revolutionise the industry.

TACKLING E-WASTE PLASTICS “We have been working on an industry solution for e-waste plastics,” Chris says. “Our aim is to separate bonded plastic polymers and resins, and recover

commodities that could be reused for manufacturing.

“In Australia you need to process recyclable plastic into a single resin before you can do anything with it.

Typically, the plastic coating of a TV or PC contains up to 20 different bonded resins and polymers. Our innovative solution gradually granulates and then separates the valuable and recyclable polymers. The recovered product is able to be used for manufacturing new products.

“A significant amount of research and development has gone into the recycling solution and equipment. It’s an exciting piece of technology.”

Chris says Scipher Technologies is negotiating a lease agreement for a site in regional New South Wales to introduce the technology and is developing infrastructure to begin operations in three capital cities.

SOLAR PANELS Scipher Technologies is also looking to take a leading position in solar panel recycling within Australia.

For Chris, it’s a natural progression for the company.

“E-waste is expected to grow faster than any other waste stream globally,” he says.

“Solar panel waste here in Australia is expected to grow exponentially.

There are plans to begin operations in three capital cities.

By 2030, it’s estimated there will be greater than 100,000 tonnes of end-oflife solar panels produced annually.

“We’re aiming to take a significant position in the market.”

Over the past six months the team at Scipher Technologies has been working in partnership with the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) and research and development advisors on what Chris says is a “commercially proven and environmentally sound recycling solution for recovery of solar panel fractions”.

The work with UNSW Sydney includes characterising and decontaminating the glass from solar panels so it can be reused by local manufacturers.

Recovered product can be used for manufacturing new products.

Chris says that with an existing network of clients, local councils and partners, they’re working to attract the attention of panel installers across Victoria and NSW to source end-oflife solar panels.

They also have an arrangement with an overseas technology supplier that can recover 80 per cent of raw materials included in solar panels.

Solar panels have an effective lifespan of between 12 and 15 years. While old solar panels can still be disposed of in landfill in NSW, they have been banned from Victorian landfills.

“With the e-waste product stewardship scheme in place, importers of electronic equipment are liable for the cost of collection, recovery and recycling of end-of-life products,” Chris says.

“There is a lot of noise about a similar structure for solar panels being introduced as early as June 2023.

“If that does happen, and industry and government want it to happen, there’s going to be demand for credible and responsible recyclers.

“We’re looking to make the first move.”

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

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 33

FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

Tackling Australia’s e-waste crisis

Recycling Wall Hubs allow organisations to easily support e-waste programs and diversify into community programs.

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SOURCE SEPARATION SYSTEMS’ RECYCLING HUBS ARE HELPING TO SHORT CIRCUIT PROBLEMATIC WASTE.

ustralians love new technology.

As a nation of early adopters, we embrace new devices and technology faster than most other developed countries.

But with it comes a throw-away attitude. There is an increasing trend, fuelled by consumption, reducing product life cycles and limited repair options, for end-of-life technology to be dumped in landfill. In fact, e-waste is the fastest growing component of

34 / WMR / June 2022

council solid waste, growing about three times the rate of other streams.

While e-waste is well acknowledged as a pollutant that should be diverted from landfill, there is growing recognition that finite resources such as tin, nickel, zinc and copper should be recovered as Australia transitions to a circular economy.

The Australian Government is pushing product stewardship with the National Television and Computer

Recycling Scheme, which mirrors well established programs such as MobileMuster in acknowledging the shared responsibilities of life cycle management for those involved in manufacturing and selling products.

Many local councils are also playing a key role in separating e-waste, in part supported by EPA grants.

Peter Cruwys, Managing Director of Source Separation Systems, says that to achieve a circular economy, processing

e-waste needs to be cost effective and the separation of waste streams into uncontaminated, consistent streams is imperative.

He says there has been a shift away from traditional battery recycling tubes to more customised solutions.

“There is definitely a change in the way businesses are thinking about problematic waste. The industry is maturing, and sustainability managers understand that if they can collect consistent items in bulk with no contamination, the ‘waste items’ have an increased value which can be recovered,” Peter says. “As such, we are increasingly manufacturing recovery hubs, which are much more customised for each location.”

Peter believes optimising recovery and demonstrating leadership in product stewardship is driving the push for customisation.

“Employees and communities want to see businesses take more responsibility for the waste they initially manufacture and create, beyond just traditional streams,” he says. “Solutions such as our customisable Recycling Wall Hub meet that need.

“The Recycling Wall Hub means organisations can easily support e-waste programs such as MobileMuster and diversify into community programs like collecting reading glasses to be distributed to those in need, and bread clip collections to raise money for wheelchairs.

“In fact, the list of recoverable streams continues to grow as technology improves and companies partner with manufacturers to accept their products to be recycled, as long as they are collected in single, noncontaminated steams.”

The ability to customise a recycling hub was one of the key principles for the development of Source Separation Systems’ Recycling Wall Hub. The hub is a modular design, available

Source Separation Systems is customising e-waste hubs.

in a medium tower to collect five waste streams or a large tower of six streams. Housing either 60-litre or 24-litre collection containers, the hubs are designed to be banked together, providing as many collection streams as required.

The hubs are made of commercial melamine, which can be customised to match existing joinery in a location.

Each stream includes vinyl labels designed by Source Separation Systems’ inhouse graphic designer.

Ellie Lukasik, Source Separation Systems’ Production Manager, helps customise each Recycling Wall Hub. She says customers have various reasons for their choice in waste streams.

“Councils are focused on removing problematic e-waste items from their landfills, given the environmental dangers. As such, our Wall Hubs function as an educational platform as well as a collection centre, encouraging residents to collect and bring in their domestic e-waste items.”

She says the drivers are a little different in the commercial space.

“We tend to deal with leaders in sustainability in the commercial segment. The drivers for their streams often come from site waste audits, however, equally importantly, the Recycling Wall Hub is a symbol of their commitment to product stewardship,” Ellie says.

“They are really focused on employee and customer engagement, and so encourage the collection of recoverables related to their businesses.

A good example is the medical clinics I talk to about glasses, which are often donated, as well as recycling items such as toothbrushes and x-rays. In contrast, in IT companies it’s more stationery, e-waste and cords. We have even had e-waste streams which are set to be repurposed as components for robot war games.”

Peter believes the shift to collecting more specific, single material streams will increase as the industry continues to evolve and recovery opportunities increase.

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

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 35

FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS

Food for the soil

Repurpose It is closing the loop for organics recycling.

REPURPOSE IT PUTS PRECIOUS RESOURCES BACK INTO THE EARTH.

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epurpose It has never set out to be a traditional waste management company. Resource recovery and a circular economy have always been the key drivers.

As George Hatzimanolis, Chief Executive Officer explains, it has always been about adding value to the community, customers and the environment more broadly.

Those core principles are now being implemented as Repurpose It closes the loop for organics recycling.

Food and organic waste from all sectors is being turned into mulch and compost at the company’s advanced organics facility in Victoria.

A 3000-square metre decontamination hall for packaged and unpackaged food waste was commissioned at the end of 2021 and is now operational. With a combination of mechanical and automated systems, the facility will process up

to 200,000 tonnes annually of food waste at capacity.

An open windrow compost pile is also operational, and a decontamination shed for in vessel composting tunnels is expected to be commissioned later in 2022.

George says the facility is “full steam ahead” and processing more volume than anticipated, including organics from waste recyclers who have reached their capacity.

“There are some volume constraints in the organics market at the moment,” he says.

“A lot of long-term tenders and existing facilities are pushing toward the tail end, but volumes have ramped up and more food organics are ending up in waste streams.

“Repurpose It is servicing the needs of its commercial and local government customers but is helping other wasterecyclers.”

George says a Victorian Government waste policy target to divert 80 per cent of organics from landfill by 2030 is encouraging more councils to introduce food organics garden organics (FOGO) services. That, combined with above average rainfall in 2021-22 which provided optimal growing conditions for gardens, created a perfect storm for organics recycling.

It also creates new opportunities.

“Organics in landfill is one of the largest methane and CO2 emitters of any waste stream,” George says.

“Obviously to mitigate the impacts to our climate it’s important we find ways to capture the organic waste stream and divert it from landfill. The more we recycle and recover the better placed we are to do that.

“But there’s also opportunity around soil health. Decarbonisation of soils is serious. We have an opportunity to add carbon back and improve soil

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FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS

“To mitigate the impacts to our climate it’s important we find ways to capture the organic waste stream and divert it from landfill. The more we recycle and recover the better placed we are to do that.”

George Hatzimanolis, Repurpose It Chief Executive Officer

health with the use of compost. We can value-add a benefit to an organic waste stream.”

Repurpose It acquired organic landscape supplier Bark King in July 2021 and will complete a transition to the Repurpose It brand in July 2022.

The company produces a range of VicRoads and Australian Standards soils, compost, barks and mulches from organic and timber waste.

George says the company is focused on creating products for better soil health for specific markets. It has partnered with Melbourne Polytechnic to be involved with some of its studies and is keen to offer graduates a secondment to bring horticultural expertise into the business.

“Bark King supplies over 400 clients. Those clients have very specific needs whether they are commercial growers, landscapers or in agriculture.

Our ability to supply a range of soil amendments and growing media is important,” he says.

“It’s important we are known as much for the product we supply as our resource recovery efforts.

Products procured back in a form that can add value.

“It’s a very exciting path.”

For George, that path is beyond traditional organics processing. He has ambitions to produce energy from

38 / WMR / June 2022

George Hatzimanolis, Repurpose It Chief Executive Officer

commercial food waste and is applying for an Environmental Protection Authority licence to build an anaerobic digester at the Epping site.

“Potentially, we can take Repurpose It off the grid,” he says. “We are a reasonable-sized energy user. We do have a carbon footprint that we’re trying to reduce. This is an important opportunity for us.”

George is hopeful the project could be operational within 24 months of licence approval. He says as industries move to meet national and Victorian recycling objectives there will be more market opportunities to source commercial food waste, which will help fast track the project.

In the short-term, Repurpose It will look to expand its geographical footprint. Two sites in south- east Victoria are relatively underdeveloped. A recent acquisition of land in Hallam gives the company an opportunity to increase organics and recycling capabilities.

George says there is also potential to expand into regional Victoria,

particularly as growing regional councils look to move away from landfill and find other ways to manage their waste.

“There’s huge opportunities for a business like ours to operate and set up facilities fit-for-purpose and adopt similar principles,” he says.

The City of Whittlesea is an example of the organics closed loop at work for council partners. Repurpose It has a 10-year contract to receive all food and garden organics from the municipality. Recently, the company donated compost made from FOGO to the Mernda Community House for use in its community garden.

“It’s a really good news story to be able to partner with a local community in that way and demonstrate what a local circular economy looks like,” George says. “Partnering with our local councils and any community members to be able to buy our product back is really important to drive a better outcome.”

For more information, visit: www.repurposeit.com.au Repurpose It is focused on creating products for better soil health for specific markets.

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FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS

Spreading the word NEW PROGRAM COMMUNICATES THE BENEFITS OF COMPOST ACROSS NEW SOUTH WALES

M

illions of dollars of grants to tackle food and garden waste have been delivered by New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (NSW EPA) under its Waste Less Recycle More program since 2013.

But now with some elements of the program wrapping up in June 2022, the authority has decided to create a one-stop resource for end-use customers of compost called Cool Compost, which will see the good work extend well beyond the program itself.

Cool Compost brings together in one place the expertise of grant recipients under the market development program to share everything learned by them with five target markets – graziers, vegetable growers, councils, landscapers/urban planners and government agencies.

Amanda Kane, Organics Manager NSW EPA, says Cool Compost will be a “living resource” that will continue to be built upon.

“Each of the projects in the Waste Less Recycle More program was required to produce information

and resources to support their grant application,” Amanda says.

“Usually that would end up in files somewhere. We thought we’d unlock it as a resource and make it available for customers who use the products and the industry itself.

“There’s a whole range of organic products needed for different applications and there’s not a great deal of awareness about these among customers. Cool Compost addresses that issue.”

Reducing and recycling organic waste is not just a NSW issue. Increasing Australia’s organic waste recycling rate from 49 per cent to 80 per cent by 2030 is a key target of the National Waste Policy.

The Federal Government’s Food Waste for Healthy Soils fund also recognises the benefit of converting organic waste into productive use on soils rather than going to landfill.

Amanda says diverting food waste and other organics from landfill reduces methane emissions. However, food and garden waste continues to

An MRA project demonstrated that pelletised compost down the tube of an air-seeder can triple triticale yield to increase revenue by $1000 per hectare.

40 / WMR / June 2022

be the largest stream going into the red lid bin and landfill.

The $105 million Organics Infrastructure Fund under the NSW Waste Less Recycle More program aimed to tackle food and garden waste by reducing the amount of waste at its source through to creating infrastructure and reliable markets for end products.

Almost $5.5 million was awarded to 38 market development projects that showcased the benefits of compost in different markets including sports field management, compost blankets for roadside rehabilitation, stormwater filtration systems and regenerative farming.

“There was a massive variety of projects,” Amanda says.

“For instance, the Constructive Farming Co-operative Limited received funding for the Compost Buddy, an internet tool that enables farmers and agricultural advisors to independently assess the usefulness of applying compost to their specific local needs.

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“While the North Coast Local Land Services and Clarence Landcare targeted the beef grazing sector to test local recycled organics products under North Coast conditions and grazing regimes.”

What these diverse grant recipients learned has delivered rich content for the Cool Compost program, which will consist of videos and podcasts targeting each audience. The videos will feature the grant recipients or the people they worked with.

This is a project that reaches out to the end user of compost products and the industry itself,” Amanda says.

“For the end-user customer, Cool Compost will help them know what to ask for when buying compost and show them the benefits the product will have, whether it’s soil health, increasing organic matter or carbon abatement. For industry, this will help

Applied Horticultural Research demonstrated compost, at a third of the price of peat moss, can replace up to 50 per cent of the peat.

them understand what a customer wants and allow them to tailor products for particular uses.”

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podcast and video will include show notes that link back to grant resources and provide additional information like case studies and fact sheets.

For more information, visit: www.epa.nsw.gov.au/compost

FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS

Liquid gold The Flexidry by Green Creative is a game changer for organics processors.

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NEW TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE FOR ORGANICS PROCESSORS.

ellik Owner Operator Marcus Galbraith wants to be ahead of the game when it comes to recycling in Australia.

The product destruction specialist says a ban on exporting waste to China is creating a need for more recycling activity in the country and while he believes we are “still a long way behind” the rest of the world, Marcus is aiming for a 99 per cent recycling rate at Rellik.

“It’s about being able to look at the future and see where recycling is heading in the next five to 10 years.”

42 / WMR / June 2022

He believes technology will play a key role in that future and continue to open new opportunities. It’s why he has followed best practices in recycling and invested in equipment that maximises production.

Marcus worked with machinery and engineering specialist TELFORD SMITH across multiple businesses and reached out for specialist depackaging equipment when Rellik opened in 2016.

He says their knowledge, expertise and machinery for the recycling sector set them apart.

“They have a good understanding and knowledge base of what I do.

The expertise behind the process is always there.

“We’re not a big business that can spend millions of dollars on a processing plant. We do the job and we do it very well and TELFORD SMITH understands that.

“They help us with a quality product to get the best for our customers, and ultimately the environment.”

Rellik destructs returned liquid and organic products that have an expired date, have a fault in manufacturing

or damaged in transit. The liquid is extracted from the packaging and used for biofuel, while the packaging is recycled where possible.

Marcus says the RUNI Screw Compactor, distributed in Australia by TELFORD SMITH, handles destruction, emptying and compacting in one compact working process.

“The RUNI is used heavily in Europe where nothing is allowed to go to landfill,” he says. “It’s the workhorse of our warehouse. It does everything except for glass.”

David Picone, General Manager TELFORD SMITH says the RUNI Screw Compactors are a great option for products ranging from PET and HDPE bottles, Tetrapak, paint cans, cosmetics pastes and gels and even tinned foods such as dog food and beetroot.

Almost anything you can find in a supermarket that is a liquid, paste or gel that’s in packaging.

“The beverage industry by far represents the largest portion of material being processed. With RUNI we can ensure more than 99 per cent of the liquid is recovered leaving what in most cases is a valuable commodity. For example, PET-bottles are the preferred packaging for soft drinks, juice and water. With the wide distribution of these drinks there is also a large waste problem, and PET is very valuable,” David says.

“For breweries there is often a large volume of discarded product that needs to be destroyed to eliminate the risk of products being resold. For waste collectors the main problem after consumption is the volume compared to the weight which makes handling and transport difficult and expensive. The RUNI is ideal for both these problems. It has a compaction ratio of eight to one.”

David says the RUNI separates the waste stream into two. The liquid can be directed into sewage or collected and sold for other purposes such as energy production or animal feeding.

“The solid material gets so dry; it can be disposed of as normal combustible waste at a lower cost or be sold for recycling.”

He says the material can be fed manually or with a conveyor belt into a vertical hopper. The liquid is pressed out through a suitable screen and the solid compacted packaging is slowly pushed into the departure tray.

He says the screen is made of stainless-steel to withstand liquid with low pH. The machines are also equipped with sensors for automatic stop and start for maximum energy efficiency.

Marcus says the RUNI is easy to operate but if there are any difficulties TELFORD SMITH is a phone call away.

“A local RUNI specialist engineer assisted us from day one with set-up and operation,” he says. “We have

a very good working relationship with David and TELFORD SMITH. There’s been times I’ve had an idea and they’ve come back with a solution on how to make it work.”

While the RUNI is a “workhorse”, David says a new machine is set to shake things up for organics processors.

TELFORD SMITH, in addition to their existing recycling and handling equipment, has recently become the Australian distributors for French company Green Creative, which designs and manufactures the next generation biowaste depackaging equipment known for high purity rates.

“They produce a machine that offers the solution for solid (and liquid) organics with a strong focus on an industry leading, packaging free ‘pulp/soup’,” David says.

“This machine is a game changer and is already getting significant interest from organics processors.”

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

The RUNI Screw Compactor handles destruction, emptying and compaction in one working process.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 43

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FEATURED TOPIC - ORGANICS

Dynamic growth SOILCO IS ENTERING A NEW ERA, WITH I SQUARED CAPITAL ACQUIRING A CONTROLLING STAKE IN THE BUSINESS. MANAGING DIRECTOR, CHARLIE EMERY, EXPLAINS WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY.

F

ounded as a family-owned and operated business in New South Wales in 1974, organics processor SOILCO has undergone exciting change in the past six months.

On 7 October 2021, international investors I Squared Capital acquired a controlling stake of SOILCO, with plans to invest up to $300 million towards growing the business.

Charlie Emery, SOILCO Managing Director says the investment presents an exciting new era for organics recycling infrastructure within Australia.

“I Squared Capital tend to focus on sustainable areas in the market including green energy, waste management and resource recovery sectors, as they see this as an attractive area of growth,” Charlie says.

“SOILCO now has greater access to capital and an understanding of international technology trends. We have the opportunity to strengthen our established experience with similar international projects, providing a better understanding of how the waste industry is trending overseas.”

Charlie says the investment comes at an ideal time for organics processing.

The New South Wales Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 mandates the inclusion of food and garden organics collections for councils by 2030. As a result, recent demand for organics processing facilities has increased significantly.

“With this increased capital we will be looking to purchase greenfield sites and

Charlie Emery, SOILCO Managing Director.

develop them as organics processing facilities. We will also be looking at our existing network of facilities to optimise their operation,” Charlie says.

SOILCO designs, builds and operates organics recycling facilities with processing capabilities new to the Australian composting industry. The home-grown business is responsible for processing about 120,000 tonnes per annum of source separated organic waste.

SOILCO’s facilities in Kembla Grange, Nowra and Tweed Heads are already aiding councils with the shift from GO to FOGO recovery throughout New South Wales.

Plans are already well underway on another facility, in Sydney’s southwest.

EXCITING EXPANSION Charlie says SOILCO’s proposed Sydney southwest site will sit on 4.5-hectares and will be a fully enclosed organics recycling facility, combining proven in-vessel composting experience with anaerobic digestion technology to break down organic matter into biogas and produce soil heath products.

“This facility will be known as a Clean Energy Compost Manufacturing Facility (or CECMF), given the different technology working side-byside,” Charlie says.

“Our ambition is to create a net zero processing solution. The combination of source separated waste to energy and solar will make us a net zero energy user.”

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 45

FEATURED TOPIC - ORGANICS

SOILCO has an established network of facilities processing FOGO waste in Kembla Grange, Nowra and Tweed Heads.

“SOILCO now has greater access to capital and an understanding of international technology trends. We have the opportunity to strengthen our established experience with similar international projects, providing a better understanding of how the waste industry is trending overseas.”

Charlie Emery, SOILCO Managing Director

SOILCO aims to attract the services of councils transitioning to FOGO collections in the Sydney area as the proposed NSW Government organics diversion mandates for council and commercial generators are introduced.

Charlie says the site will also reward the local community.

“We want to replicate the success from our other facilities in giving back processed compost to the councils who generate the waste in the first place,” he says. “We are looking at how we can

46 / WMR / June 2022

use the waste heat from the process to add permaculture greenhouses at the Sydney southwest site.

“We will engage the local community as part of these works with compost return and earn, as well as an education centre which is planned for the site.”

The southwest Sydney facility will harvest rainwater and capture stormwater, which will be used in the composting process The planning and approval process commenced in early May

2022, briefing relevant local and state government agencies and preparing the environmental impact statement for the project.

Consultations will be ongoing with local industry and community stakeholders including the proposed Western Sydney International Airport.

Charlie says that the experienced SOILCO project team has been able to commence early consultation. The management of the planning and approval pathway is an important internal process for the project.

“All the co-ordination for our environmental impact statements is done in-house alongside experienced specialist consulting firms.

“These are specialised facilities, and they require the relevant expertise of our existing sites,” he says. “We will be the ones managing these facilities prior to day one.”

SOILCO anticipates that approvals and full build will be completed in mid-2025.

MAINTAINING STRUCTURE With more than 20 years’ experience in the business and 25 years in the industry, Charlie is mindful that it is important to retain the company’s family-owned values. As such, he will remain a shareholder with SOILCO and retain his existing management role.

He says SOILCO’s focus on quality service and products, which its longstanding clients are accustomed to, will not be affected by I Squared Capital’s multi-million dollar investment.

“It gives us the best of both worlds.

We retain our knowledge and qualityoriented approach, which is invaluable, while also now having the capital to take our offerings further,” he says.

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

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FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS

A unique solution RADICLE AGRICULTURE IS TURNING THE TABLE ON TRADITIONAL COMPOSTING, WITH HEAP TECHNOLOGY.

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artin Tower, Managing Director Radicle Agriculture has been involved in the compost industry for more than 20 years. For much of that time he has used traditional compost windrows that are mechanically turned on a scheduled basis to put air into the material.

There’s been an assumption that the aeration is enough to allow the organic material to continue to be broken down. However, research has found the oxygen saturation levels in a windrow can return to their pre-turned levels within two to five hours.

“As a consequence, an efficient composting process can’t be fulfilled,” Martin says. “Even if you have the moisture levels correct when mixing materials, you can’t really get the job done without the oxygen.”

Radicle Agriculture’s HEAP system uses aerated floor technology, a series of pipes running underneath the organics pile, to introduce oxygen on a more frequent basis, optimising conditions for decomposition.

The computer-controlled system is connected to a series of sensors which monitor oxygen levels in the pile and automatically introduce air when levels fall below a set parameter. The same technology can be applied to an irrigation system to monitor and automatically adjust moisture levels.

“Generally, it will blow air on an hourly basis, rather than every two to three days, or weekly for a compost turn,” Martin says.

The system is accessible via a mobile phone-based app and will advise the operator of any issues and

48 / WMR / June 2022

when the process is complete. Radicle Agriculture has been developing the HEAP technology for the past two years. Martin says a nine-month trial at a site in Gatton has been “better than we hoped for” and has produced an Australian Standards 4454 compliant finished product.

While composting times depend on the input materials, the process can take between nine and 12 weeks.

But the HEAP does have some constraints with input.

“You must use appropriate quantities of carbon to nitrogen,” Martin says.

This process won’t operate optimally if you don’t do that. We work with clients to ensure the mix they’re putting into the pile is appropriate to reach the outcome. Fortunately, FOGO is an excellent feedstock.”

Contamination is a key issue with any composting process. Because there is no mechanical action in the HEAP system, any plastic bags, tins or containers that are in the pile are not shredded and can easily be screened out at the end of the process.

Martin says one of the other advantages to HEAP technology is there is no longer a need for someone to operate a compost turner for a significant amount of time.

“You don’t need a turner, maintenance of a turner or the fuel that goes into it,” he says. “The operating costs of this system are fundamentally less. The system itself is less expensive than a compost turner in terms of capital expenditure.”

HEAP also requires a smaller footprint than traditional windrow

The HEAP system is accessible via a mobile phone-based app.

composting. The system is scalable and can grow over time with demand. The smallest heap would hold about 120 cubic metres (6m x 12m x 2m) and can be increased up to 24m x 24m x 3.5m.

Martin says it’s an ideal solution for smaller councils and remote sites that can’t afford to build an in-vessel composting facility and don’t have the space, time or finances to operate a turned windrow system.

“They can take food organics and garden organics (FOGO) from the local collection, put it on a heap

“It’s entirely possible we could have one of these systems packaged in shipping containers ready to go,” he says. “We could deal with the organic waste and get some value product out of it for the communities rather than letting it rot or go to landfill.”

Martin Tower, Managing Director Radicle Agriculture

and the computer will do the job for them. In the meantime, they can be building the next heap.

“Councils can manage their FOGO themselves and reuse the finished product for their own purpose within their municipality, rather than take it to a FOGO facility. The cost savings in transport alone can be very substantial.”

Councillor Jason Cook, Lockyer Valley Regional Council Community Facilities and Waste Portfolio says demonstrating the ‘FOGO bin to garden’ story has played a big part

in the success of the Food Organics Garden Organics trial at Lockyer Valley Regional Council.

“The static aerated floor has been instrumental in taking our community on the circular economy journey by enabling us the ability to create an end user product on a system that takes up minimal space, is easy to use and has amazing results,” he says.

“The HEAP system will provide LGAs the opportunity to take ownership over their waste by turning it into a product that can

be used locally, instead of making it someone else’s problem.”

HEAP can be retrofitted into existing sites and Martin believes would be suitable as a secondary use for capped landfill which has rainwater management in place to avoid leachate.

Several agricultural facilities are looking at HEAP technology and an Australian mining company is keen to use the system to compost its packaging.

The system can also be deployed quickly to help clean up organic waste in emergency situations. Martin points to recent floods that destroyed produce at the Brisbane markets, cyclones that wiped out banana plantations in northern Queensland and the needle contamination of strawberries in Queensland and Western Australia several years ago.

“It’s entirely possible we could have one of these systems packaged in shipping containers ready to go,” he says. “We could deal with the organic waste and get some value product out of it for the communities rather than letting it rot or go to landfill.”

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

The HEAP system requires a smaller footprint than traditional windrow composting and can be scaled up as required.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 49

FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS

HAAS plant technology GLOBAL SCIENCE COMPANY SOLVAY IS TURNING TO WASTE WOOD TO POWER ITS RHEINBERG PLANT.

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he Rheinberger Solvay plant produces soda and sodium bicarbonate used to manufacture everything from glass and solar panels to laundry detergents and baking powder.

To reduce its carbon dioxide emissions, by about 190,000 tonnes per year, Solvay Chemicals is building a power plant to generate steam and electricity using waste wood as fuel.

AVG Baustoffe Goch GmbH, a member of the German BAV, will process the waste wood into high-quality biofuel.

Ramon Janssen, President AVG, says about 300,000 tonnes of waste wood each year will be used to generate energy in the power plant.

The waste wood will be collected within a150 kilometre radius of the plant by certified disposal companies..

THE CHALLENGE Ramon says AVG is faced with the challenge of processing 300,000 tonnes of waste wood per year according to precisely defined biofuel specifications.

The power plant needs at least 60 tonnes of waste wood per hour to cover its operating demand.

Clean wood chips, without any impurities, are required to achieve optimum efficiency of the plant’s combined heat and power (CHP) boiler. AVG will use a HAAS waste wood processing system to achieve

50 / WMR / June 2022

AVG will process at least 60 tonnes of waste wood per hour to power the Solvay plant.

the desired outcome. Ramon says AVG has been using a stationary HAAS waste wood processing system at its Goch site for many years.

A HAAS system has also been in use at the Stobart Energy waste wood processing plant since 2017 and produces the fuel for an identical biomass power plant in the UK – TGP Tilbury Green Power.

THE SOLUTION The largest HAAS pre-shredder, a TYRON 2500-E, will first process waste wood of classes A to C. The wood will then be processed by a hammermill, ARTHOS 2000E, equipped with two powerful

315 kW electric motors to produce recycling chips of less than 100 millimetres.

Ramon says the unique ballistic chute protects the hammermill from wear and tear and machine breakage.

Impurities, especially iron, are automatically separated.

In addition, the mill can be opened hydraulically in a flash so that wear parts and the screen basket can be changed within a very short period of time. This minimises downtimes and reduces costs,” he says.

To ensure optimum cleaning and screening of the wood chips, the material flow is distributed over two lines.

System components

Material flow is distributed over two lines.

1. TYRON 2500-E 2.0 pre-shredder 2. Overband magnet (enclosed) 3. ECOSTAR Hexact dynamic disc screen 4. ARTHOS 2000-E hammermill 5. HAAS distribution screw(s) 6. 2 overband magnets 7. 2 non-ferrous separators 2500 8. 2 HAAS flat screens 9. Interface to the power plant

Intelligent material diverters and distribution screws guarantee redundancies and thus operational reliability in the event of problems during processing.

Powerful neodymium magnetic separators, magnetic drums and eddy current separators remove the remaining impurities such as nails, screws or staples from the wood.

The cleaned biofuel is finally separated into three fractions with HAAS flat screens. The usable fraction is fed into the power plants storage silo, the fine fraction is separated and the oversize is fed back into the process.

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FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS

Road to zero carbon waste management Image credit: KVA Buchs

DR MARC STAMMBACH, MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR HITACHI ZOSEN INOVA AUSTRALIA, SAYS AUSTRALIA MUST FACE SOME STARK REALITIES TO BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2050. HE SHARES HIS VIEWS WITH WMR.

HZI will construct a hydrogen production facility at the Energy-from-Waste plant in Buchs.

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he waste management sector contributes about three per cent to Australia’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. The Australian Government wants the nation to be carbon neutral by 2050 but the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recently suggested the nation stabilise and reduce carbon emissions by 2025.

If this information doesn’t bother you, you have won the ‘climate change

52 / WMR / June 2022

snakes and ladders’ game and may declare yourself a winner.

The readers left in the game are facing some stark realities, among those, the three per cent GHG contribution by the waste sector will be more like 15 per cent once we replace the fossil fuel power stations with renewable energy generation.

Also, our residual waste is still going to landfills. The nation’s population growth has neutralised any improved diversion rates. Landfilled waste is a net contributor to climate change as typical

landfills have gas capture rates of 40 to 70 per cent. What we landfill today will continue to spew landfill gas over the next 50 years. Hence, even if we stop landfilling today, we shall continue to emit beyond 2050.

It is timely to propose some winning moves.

We must separate the recyclables and food and green organics out of our waste stream. This needs to happen now and be mandated.

Let’s increase the landfill levies to $180/t nationwide, similar to levels

“We must separate the recyclables and food and green organics out of our waste stream. This needs to happen now and be mandated. Let’s increase the landfill levies to $180/t nationwide, similar to levels in the United Kingdom.”

Dr Marc Stammbach, Managing Director for Hitachi Zosen Inova Australia

in the United Kingdom. Let’s push the anaerobic digestion of organics producing renewable energy. We can produce peak-power electricity or biomethane ready for alternative transport fuel or gas pipeline injection. To do so, we need significant renewable energy contributions from the Emission Reduction Fund (ERF) or other new sources, similar to $50/t to $100/t for carbon dioxide credits in Europe. This increase will give anaerobic digestion the edge over composting and even more so over landfilling. Move up the ladder.

While it is excellent to reward gas capture and its use for energy production, in reality, the ratio of GHG emissions from captured versus diffuse emissions is terrible. The best landfills with a 70 per cent capture rate emit six times more, and diffuse gas as carbon dioxide equivalent than the captured gas. In other words, instead of rewarding landfills today, they should be paying at least six times the amount they receive. At the lower end, with 40 per cent gas capture, the ratio is 20 times more – for every dollar they get today, they should be paying $20.

We know from overseas experience that residual waste will still produce landfill gas even with the best separation. It is time to move to Energy-from-Waste (EfW).

Landfills can only beat EfW once they reach at least 95 per cent gas capture many are stuck at about 70 per cent. Therefore, the EfW of residual waste is the only way to improve our carbon emissions. Moreover, the carbon benefits are more considerable due to bottom ash aggregate and metal recycling.

Let’s climb one more ladder to make us winners by 2050. First, we must capture and sequester the carbon dioxide coming from the EfW plants.

Then, as about half of this comes from biogenic sources, we turn EfW plants into net carbon sinks. We need carbon sinks to compensate for future emissions from the legacy landfills

from yesterday and today producing greenhouse gases for another 50 years and way beyond 2050.

The second-last ladder to zero carbon waste management is carbon sequestration. The challenge is not the capture but the storage or use.

Unfortunately, there are few suitable reservoirs, and the development time is at least a decade. If our political leaders enable carbon sequestration solutions the rest is easy – the technology is around, the business case will stack up, and the investment will follow.

HZI is starting with Power to Hydrogen with a project in Buchs, Switzerland. The next ladder will include the methanation of the captured carbon dioxide. In the future, we still require methane for some applications such as base chemicals or replacing fossil methane.

The waste sector’s seemingly tiny portion of three per cent GHG contribution will explode to 15 per cent by keeping the status quo. We must face the facts and figures of waste GHG emissions and their causes.

We now have the chance to turn the rudder to zero carbon.

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

Landfill carbon calculations.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 53

FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS

Technical know-how and experience count in organics management.

Organics overhaul AS LANDFILL BECOMES AN OPTION OF LAST RESORT FOR AUSTRALIA’S ORGANICS, GHD IS HELPING ITS CLIENTS NAVIGATE NEW POLICIES, ENGINEERING CONTROLS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS.

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odern organic waste management is changing.

Resource conservation and energy recovery are gaining importance as Australia transitions to a more circular economy, says Martin Gravett, Resource Recovery and Waste Management Technical Director with global professional services company GHD. He says the renewed focus on organics diversion from landfill and emissions reduction is being driven by policy change, including the National Waste Policy, and state waste strategies.

Australia is aiming to halve its food waste by 2030, with most major councils progressively rolling out kerbside collection of household food organics and garden organics (FOGO) over the next few years.

Landfill costs are also rising as new sites become more challenging to establish and levies increase.

54 / WMR / June 2022

While a move toward more sustainable, responsible and circular waste management practices is welcome, it brings a new set of challenges, says Martin.

“Technical know-how and experience count in organics management and inform the selection of the right approach for a given situation,” he says. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution for organic waste management and practical, data-driven insights are crucial if we are to create adaptive and resilient communities.

“Australian organics recycling has historically not required a lot of multi-disciplinary technical support but the landscape is becoming more complex in terms of regulation setting and environmental performance expectations.

“In the past, mostly garden organics processed from municipal sources and other streams were quite manageable

but adding food organics into the mix with municipal kerbside collection does add new challenges.”

Martin says GHD has diverse global experience in the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and redevelopment of organics management facilities, including composting, anaerobic digestion, and biofuels plants.

The GHD team works on every aspect of organics facilities, including initial planning activities to establish organics collection programs, feasibility assessments to provide an appraisal of value-added products and local markets, obtaining approvals, business cases, procurement, commissioning and operational support, as well as process optimisation.

“GHD’s role depends on when we’re brought into the process but we always take a partnership approach with our clients to discover and implement circular solutions for

The role of organics in a circular economy.

Graphic courtesy GHD, adapted from acehub.com.au

maximum community benefits,” Martin says. “Some local governments have historically processed their organics and are familiar with the technical and commercial aspects. As landfill becomes more expensive and there is a push to divert materials from landfill, particularly organics, there’s also a more compelling commercial imperative.

“The challenge of dealing with organics at an economically viable scale can require more investment and more specialised knowledge than councils may have in-house. Engaging the support of an experienced advisor can bridge those knowledge gaps and de-risk implementation of the new service.”

He says GHD integrates technical and advisory services for water, waste, sustainability, energy and infrastructure.

Enhanced organics management is inherently embedded within the company’s commitment to solving the world’s biggest challenges in the areas of water, energy and urbanisation.

Demand for organics facilities is growing as councils roll out FOGO collection, along with the impetus to ensure there is a market for compost and other recycled organic products, including digestate from anaerobic digestion (AD), Martin says.

While more tunnel composting facilities are being built, there is a renewed interest in anaerobic digestion.

GHD is partnering with clients on several proposals for AD projects that intersect with the company’s expertise in water and renewable energy services.

“There are still some challenges to overcome in that space, notably around policy and regulation, but there is a renewed focus on the potential for anaerobic digestion to make more commercial sense in Australia than it has before,” says Martin.

“We’re also currently providing procurement support and technical advisory services for in-vessel composting infrastructure projects

that include a range of associated services such as FOGO collection planning and implementation.”

Local, state and federal governments, and the private sector, call on GHD’s pool of specialists from around Australia and globally.

GHD’s people are implementing ‘second generation’ organics solutions.

Development focuses on what is best for the client and the project, and GHD’s global footprint means input is not geographically constrained.

Recent projects include feedstock characterisation, market assessments, feedstock sourcing studies and processing options assessments, as well as handling, storage, processing and transport requirements for all types of organic materials from municipal collections and commercial food and other organic wastes.

GHD also conducts organic waste to energy assessments,

including technical, commercial and regulatory considerations.

“Every geographical situation is different, from transport logistics to market considerations and end products,” Martin says.

“We offer specialised knowledge built on lived experience. There are learnings around what works well and what can be improved if certain things are approached differently.

“Importantly, Australia has the potential to be less reliant on imported synthetic and non-renewable mineral fertilisers – and it’s an opportunity that we must take hold of today.

Closing the loop on our organics is a very significant step towards more sustainable management of our wastes generally and restoring our soils for the benefit of people and planet.”

For more information, visit: www.ghd.com

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 55

FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS

Komptech’s ‘special’ organics separator Komptech CEA’s Hurrikan S separator features an electric drive, replacing a conventional hydraulic circuit, for increased efficiency.

KOMPTECH CEA’S HURRIKAN S SEPARATOR, WITH AN ELECTRIC DRIVE OPTION, IS REINFORCING THE COMPANY’S COMMITMENT TO EMISSIONS REDUCTION.

K

omptech CEA is on a pathway to sustainability.

From supporting electric technology, to establishing its own ‘green efficiency’ innovation program, the company is making strides towards zero emissions, says Craig Cosgrove, Komptech National Sales Manager.

Craig says the Hurrikan S (special) separator is pushing the envelope.

The Hurrikan S separator is one of Komptech CEA’s ‘hybrid’ machines, supporting a conventional diesel power source, as well as an electric powered alternative, and an electric drive.

Craig says the Hurrikan S is mainly used for dealing with organics, kerbside rubbish, compost and FOGO waste.

The design change provides a boost for productivity.

“Typically, machines with a diesel engine have a hydraulic circuit. These are less efficient when compared to electric motors and drives,” he says.

“It comes as a hybrid, so users can use power if they have access to it. It can also have a Perkins power pack, which allows it to be used in areas where there is no access to power, such as paddocks. Users can turn the key and the engine will run through the generator and self-power itself.”

Craig says the machine targets light materials such as plastics and foils, using a pressurised and vacuum system. Material is fed into the Hurrikan S by a conveyor and then spread evenly by a vibrating feeder.

This material is then dropped into a series of blowers, where the heavy material (mulch) is dropped onto a conveyor and the light materials (plastics) are suspended.

The material then goes under the two vacuums, where the light materials are extracted.

Craig says this process includes the use of magnetic and roller separators.

As a result, the Hurrikan S has a separation efficiency of up to 95 per cent and enables the user to extract value from any oversize material.

“If 15 to 20 per cent of that oversize is contaminated, it can be difficult to deal with this material.

If we can value-add and put it back through the process, it’s a win for everyone,” he says.

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WasteMan

“The machine provides three clean splits. A clean oversize fraction, plastics and other light materials sorted to one side and then scrap steel separated as well if required.”

ELECTRIC BENEFITS The Hurrikan S forms part of Komptech CEA’s green efficiency program, which focuses on producing machines that produce higher outputs, while consuming less energy. It also incorporates longer-lasting wear parts.

Craig says while the electric drive doesn’t make the Hurrikan S a completely zero emission free machine, it does present significant sustainability benefits.

It has reduced emissions and reduced noise, while maintaining the same throughput. Users also receive cost-benefits from

the switch to electric.

“It’s much cheaper to run an electroncially powered system, rather than a hydraulic drive system.

There is also a substantial fuel reduction,” he says.

FLEXIBILITY AND MAINTENANCE The machine can also be manually adjusted, depending on the density of the material that needs to be separated. The height of the vacuums and pressures can be changed to suit the density of the oversize product.

“The machine also has variable convertor frequency, meaning operators can change the volume of the output from the machines fans. This allows for precise control,” Craig says.

For enhanced mobility, the Hurrikan S can be purchased

in a tyred-trailer configuration.

It also comes in a stationary version, without an undercarriage, for plant applications.

All parts are backed by Komptech CEA’s network of branches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The distributor also has facilities in Auckland and Bay of Plenty in New Zealand.

Craig says the Hurrikan S design makes it easy to maintain.

“Vents, openings and platforms allow for easy access during maintenance.

“There’s also no hydraulic oil and no hydraulic filters which need to be regularly maintained with the electric drive,” he says.

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

EQUIPMENT FOR

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FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS

Getting the most from the FOGO revolution CAPTURE RATE, CONTAMINATION AND COMPOST QUALITY ARE KEY TO MAXIMISING AUSTRALIA’S FOCUS ON FOGO. MRA CONSULTING GROUP’S VIRGINIA BRUNTON AND CARA WATTERS EXPLAIN.

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erth, Adelaide, Victoria and now all New South Wales households will have Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) collections by 2030.

These states are all seeing FOGO diversion as a means of achieving the national target of 80 per cent diversion from landfill by 2030, as well as achieving real greenhouse gas reductions.

Tasmania and the ACT are also committed, and individual councils in Queensland are advancing FOGO. Potentially, that’s six million tonnes of FOGO. The outcomes could be 3.6 million tonnes of compost; seven million tonnes less carbon dioxide emissions per year; 40,000 tonnes of carbon in soil and about 8000 new jobs.

But how do we make the most of this revolution in FOGO waste management. How do capture the most FOGO possible and deliver the best environmental outcomes?

Capture rate, contamination and compost quality are the keys.

CAPTURE RATE The best performing systems capture 98 per cent of available garden organics and more than 85 per cent of the available food waste. They do it with weekly 240L bin FOGO collections; fortnightly (140L or 240L) general waste collections; caddies and caddy liners; and consistent and engaging community education.

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Kerbside FOGO capture rate under different bin systems.

Analysis of the 2019-20 NSW Waste and Resource Recovery (NSW WARR) data shows that moving to a fortnightly general waste service can increase kerbside FOGO capture by 10 per cent compared to a weekly general waste service.

Along with certain bin configurations, providing liners can also improve food diversion.

Less than half of councils supply free caddy liners to their residents. MRA used the NSW WARR data to compare councils with the same bin configuration and the only difference being whether liners are provided (or encouraged).

Councils with liners had on average 30 per cent more FOGO captured than those without. Not supplying caddy liners often comes down to cost.

It can cost about $1.5 million each year to supply liners for 100,000 households, however, it is worth considering the long-term savings.

MRA’s modelling shows the avoided landfill gate fees from the 30 per cent of additional food waste captured is $3.8 million. Considering additional FOGO processing costs, the liners ultimately result in an annual saving of $400,000.

CONTAMINATION Compared with recycling, people know what FOGO waste is.

Contamination tends to come from the use of noncompostable caddy liners.

The solution for this is the supply of free compostable caddy liners. This removes accidental contamination

from resident confusion regarding ‘biodegradable’, ‘degradable’ and other labels on caddy liners in supermarkets.

Based on select councils within NSW and Victoria, caddy liners reduce contamination by about one per cent.

Much of the success of a FOGO system relies on the community being onboard and enthusiastic.

A Victorian review of FOGO behaviour shows that 60 per cent of residents would use a kerbside FOGO bin. Of the remainder, 32 per cent sat on the fence and eight per cent said they wouldn’t use a FOGO bin.

MRA’s research shows that for every $1 increase in spend per household per year on education, contamination reduces by one per cent and capture rate increases by five per cent.

THE COMPOST MARKET Another often cited barrier to FOGO is

that there is no market for compost. For high quality compost, this could not be further from the truth.

If the seven million tonnes of FOGO currently landfilled nationally was recovered and composted, it would result in 4.2 million tonnes of compost.

If this was applied at the standard 10 tonne per hectare rate, it would only cover the area of Kangaroo Island.

Australia has 373 million hectares of agricultural land and two thirds of this is degraded by soil erosion, salinity, acidity, or contamination and all can benefit from the additional organic matter that compost can supply.

At the right price point, compost would be a no-brainer for farmers.

Achieving a standard of compost that meets the price and quality expectations of agricultural users is the key.

MRA has developed contract clauses that include compost

quality performance criteria and key performance indicators (KPIs) for councils.

These clauses have been used in recent FOGO processing contracts in NSW and Queensland.

The KPIs go beyond AS4454 (the minimum voluntary compost standard) with reduced contamination thresholds and criteria to ensure a stable, mature, and fit-for-purpose compost.

These extra criteria might cost a few cents more per household, but they ensure a high-quality compost for farmers and council itself.

Together these three elements; the right bin configuration, use of liners, and contracting compost quality, will go a long way to getting the best outcomes from FOGO systems.

For more information, contact info@mraconsulting.com.au

Your partners in waste Volvo has over thirty years experience in waste handling and offers a wide range of purposebuilt machines; all designed to meet high industry demands for safety, dependability and cost efficiency.

Nobody does waste handling the way Volvo does.

Visit cjd.com.au for more information or call 1300 139 804

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – WASTEWATER TREATMENT

The new wave of technology AEROFLOAT’S AEROWAVE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM IS REDUCING OPERATING COSTS AND WATER USAGE IN THE PLASTICS RECYCLING INDUSTRY.

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ational targets to have 70 per cent of plastic packaging recycled or composted and 50 per cent recycled content in packaging by 2025 has driven growth in Australia’s plastics recycling industry.

Advanced recycling technology is being fast-tracked and millions of dollars poured into infrastructure to help increase recycling rates.

In February, wastewater treatment specialist Aerofloat set a new benchmark with a system for one of the nation’s biggest plastic recycling facilities, a PET plant for Circular Plastics Australia in New South Wales.

At the time, the water treatment system brought together all the elements of previous systems that Aerofloat has designed for the industry.

On the back of that project, the company has upgraded PACT Group’s plastics plant in Cheltenham, Victoria with new AeroWAVE technology that allows washwater reuse.

Michael Anderson, Aerofloat General Manager Engineering, says it’s the first time AeroWAVE has been installed at a plastics recycling plant.

“We’re always trying to improve processes and reduce the operating costs of our plants to make them more efficient,” Michael says. “We could see from observing some other sites that if we introduced AeroWAVE in Cheltenham it would be beneficial.”

The initial cleaning and separating process in plastics recycling requires

Aerofloat’s system for the PACT Group facility treats washwater to a standard suitable for reuse in the wash system.

large volumes of recirculating washwater. This water becomes contaminated and requires regular replacement to avoid odours and contamination of the final recycled product.

Michael says the Cheltenham site had some rudimentary treatment processes in place, including settling tanks and screens which were labour intensive and did not produce high-quality water.

Aerofloat’s system treats washwater to a standard suitable for reuse in the wash system, saving significant water usage and costs. It also means a higher quality and more saleable finished resin.

The PACT system processes up to one tonne of plastic per hour. Some fresh water is added to the wash line to lubricate mechanical equipment and any net excess water that forms part of

a trade waste agreement with the local council is discharged into the sewer.

“We create a water recycling loop off their wash line so they can wash the plastic continuously with cleaner water,” Michael says.

“We collect the wastewater, screen it, pH correct and then chemically flocculate the water to enable the solids to be separated by the AeroWAVE system.”

Previously, Aerofloat has used the AeroDAF (Dissolved Air Flotation) system that requires a sludge tank and bagging disposal system. Michael says the AeroWAVE eliminates one step in the handling of solids removed from the wastewater.

“This product takes out the need for a sludge tank and puts the solids straight to the bagging disposal system.

Depending on the industry and the

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application, DAF still has its place, but for this site we could see the AeroWAVE could bring some improvements and we wanted to try it out.

“So far, all things are going well.”

Aerofloat systems are custom designed to suit individual projects.

For the PACT Group project, the engineering team worked within the constraints of available space in an existing facility, and interstate travel restrictions due to COVID-19.

Michael says PACT Group identified a space for the new treatment system and sent dimensions and photos of the area to Aerofloat engineers, who then created a 3D design of the plant.

“We knew exactly what they needed so put the equipment in that available space and showed them what it would look like in a 3D world.

Introducing the AeroWAVE is a first for plastic recycling facilities.

“The Sydney team designed and built the plant, three staff travelled to Victoria to install it and it was commissioned inside one week.

“COVID has certainly shown us there are other ways of doing things.”

The wastewater project was supported by the Federal Government’s

stimulus package to boost Australia’s plastic recycling capacity as it aims to phase out problematic plastic materials and stop the export of unprocessed plastic waste.

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

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – CABLE RECYCLING

Wired for success Eldan Recycling provides standard and customised cable recycling solutions.

LOPEZ SCRAP METAL HAS WEATHERED THE COVID-19 DOWNTURN AND IS PLANNING TO EXPAND, WITH ELDAN RECYCLING EQUIPMENT.

I

n almost four years, Lopez Scrap Metal increased its cable recycling operations from two shifts a week to 24 hours, five days a week.

Isidro Lopez, President of the Texasbased scrap metal company, is now introducing a third production line to increase capacity.

The third-generation recycler hopes the new line will boost

62 / WMR / June 2022

production to about 1360 tonne a month by 2023.

“We could even increase that number,” Isidro says. “I’m super excited to see production grow.”

Lopez Scrap Metal began in 1970 as a one truck operation collecting scrap metal from various businesses. Isidro says the company expanded to collect and cut steel from surrounding rail

yards and, eventually “started taking everything” from copper to aluminium, brass and all base metals.

He says the company is in a prime location, on the border of Mexico, which has a large automobile wire manufacturing sector with plenty of cables to be recycled. Lopez Scrap Metal strips the copper from wire harnesses and processes it back to

a clean copper chop to be reused by manufacturers.

Isidro says COVID-19 forced the company to downsize when some car production stopped, but the industry is steadily building again and he’s keen to grow with it.

Lopez Scrap Metal brought an R1200 rasper and granulator from Eldan Recycling in 2001 to kickstart its cable recycling operation. A second rasper and granulator were added soon after.

Isidro says both lines are used simultaneously to process the copper.

There is the ability to run both lines the same and alter them to achieve different gradings.

“The copper is completely liberated from the plastic,” he says. “The finished product is a good, clean copper chop.”

A CUT ABOVE Carsten Nielsen, Eldan Technical Specialist and Area Sales Manager, says Eldan provides standard and customised cable recycling solutions no matter if the input is dry cables, ACSR cable, harness wire, jelly-filled cables or greasy underground cables.

He says the modular design means operations can be expanded or upgraded as the market changes.

“The standard solutions have capacities ranging from 300 to 5000 kilograms input/production an hour Lopez Scrap Metal has used Eldan Recycling equipment since 2001.

Eldan Recycling systems are known for minimum metal loss.

and are typically the starting point.

Customisations can allow up to 10,000 kilograms per hour,” Carsten says.

“The systems are known for high performance, low production costs and minimum metal loss. They’re developed based on ambient mechanical techniques for size reduction and separation and require no melting or chemical treatment.”

He says Eldan also has cable strippers and shears for small capacities or for complementing othertypes of cable recycling.

A SOLID REPUTATION Isidro says his father was impressed by the versatility and ease of use of Eldan machinery. Lopez Scrap Metal also has

an Eldan Super Chopper which it uses to shred aluminium, tyres and copper.

“It’s a two-step process,” Isidro says of the copper recycling.

“The material fed into the rasper goes from a whole wire to a 22mm piece. It’s then fed into a granulator which chops it up further. We have a 5mm screen that dictates the size of the chop.

“We recover only the copper.”

Isidro has a soft spot for the chopping line, it’s the first job he had at the family business after studying economics and business at Texas Christian University.

He says he ran the chopping line while fielding job offers until it “got to a point where I couldn’t leave”.

Within four years, he expanded the line to a 24-hour operation.

Now he’s working with Carsten on the details of a third line to increase throughput again.

“We’re now figuring out what it will be like,” Isidro says.

“Carsten came out from Denmark several months ago to help us out. The service from Eldan is extremely helpful.

“It’s exciting. We’re expanding in other parts of the yard as well and looking to grow across the board.”

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

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 63

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – MACHINERY

Reclaiming concrete THE RAPID RECLAIMER IS BREAKING DOWN WASTE CONCRETE TO ITS ORIGINAL FORMS.

A

n estimated 10.1 billion cubic metres of concrete was produced in 2021. At a conservative estimate of three per cent returned as waste, that’s more than 303 million m3 of waste concrete – or 7.5 times the Hoover Dam – every month, says Alan Dunbar, Technical Sales Engineer – Environment and Process for Lincom Group.

Traditionally, this waste concrete has made its way to landfills or is left to cure and re-crushed. But the industrial equipment supplier is improving the odds of waste recovery with its Rapid Reclaimer.

The Rapid Reclaimer receives returned concrete directly from the agitator and washes and recovers sand, aggregate and greywater. Separating it into its constituent parts returns the concrete to the resource it is.

“Wet concrete has a very high pH level and is considered a waste and must be disposed of appropriately at a facility that is lawfully able to receive that waste,” Alan says.

“Right now, the easiest way for producers to manage this is to discharge it in settling ponds, pay for its disposal or leave it to cure and recrush it. The Rapid Reclaimer washes

Fast Fact Concrete is the highest consumed product on earth, besides water, so recycling and reusing as efficiently and environmentally responsibly as possible should be a consideration for everyone.

64 / WMR / June 2022

The Rapid Reclaimer can recover up to 99 per cent of materials from unused concrete.

and separates the aggregate and sand for reuse immediately. We can get a 99 per cent recovery of materials, which we believe is the best on the market.

“The average truck can return from a job with up to half a cubic metre of concrete. That equates to volumes of concrete in settling ponds, pouring on the ground, and crushed or going to landfills. This can grow exponentially with cancelled orders.”

Alan says the Rapid Reclaimer can process up to 20 m3 of slurried concrete per hour – that’s about five minutes per truck, depending on how much concrete is returned.

The Rapid Reclaimer automatically regulates its infeed to suit working conditions and throughput. It will also turn off its secondary sand screw when feeds are low. It has a specially designed trommel screen and dual

sand screws, which Alan says is “one-of-a-kind”. An 11kW electric motor coupled with hydraulic pumps drives the drum screen, sand screws and conveyors.

The washing system consists of a submerged trommel screen, highpressure water jets at fixed positions and includes final rinsing of sand in the dual dewatering screws and aggregates on the aggregate conveyor.

Twin water giraffes load recycled/ clean water into truck mixers before cleaning.

An Integral control panel provides start-stop and emergency stop buttons on each side of the reclaimer. The system incorporates an overload automatic shut-off system that will regulate the feed to the machine if the machine is overloading. If this happens, the feed will automatically

increase again as the surge of materials is processed, Alan says.

“The machine is fully PLC (programmable logic controller) controlled.

“It’s designed so operators can back the truck up, push the on button and discharge the slurried concrete and washout directly into the machine.

Hoses are installed so you don’t have to drag equipment anywhere.

“The machine will even clean itself when it’s finished.”

Alan says reclaiming base materials from unused concrete is gaining popularity globally. Concrete is the highest consumed product on earth, second to water, so recycling and reusing as efficiently and environmentally responsibly as possible should be a consideration for everyone. He believes the Rapid Reclaimer will play a key role as Australia moves to a circular economy.

The reclaimer is compact and portable, allowing small and mediumsized businesses to play their role in resource recovery and larger producers to manage and recover as much valuable resources as possible.

“You can pick this machine up and take it with you,” Alan says. “It’s designed so you can have it as a static plant, or you can put it on a truck and drive it to a work site. There is no requirement for elevated platforms, ramps or inground installations.

“It’s ideal for building sites and mobile plants. It’s small enough not to be in the way and easy enough to move around. You’re cutting down the number of full trucks on the road and the distance unused concrete is being transported.

“Once people become aware of its capabilities, I think it will be very popular,” Alan says. “The original Rapid Reclaimer was an award-

Reclaiming base materials from unused concrete is gaining popularity globally.

winning machine, but the updated version features an upgraded control system, improved design and more power to meet the demands of modern producers.”

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

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – MACHINERY

Comfort and convenience WITH A LARGER CAB AND EASY ACCESS FOR MAINTENANCE, VOLVO’S EC220D EXCAVATOR IS THE PRODUCT OF CHOICE FOR LITCHFIELD GREEN WASTE RECYCLERS. MANAGER JAMIE SPILSBURY EXPLAINS.

I

t’s fair to say that Litchfield Green Waste Recyclers (LGWR) is impressed with Volvo’s EC220D excavator.

Since purchasing a first unit in 2017, LGWR has added an extra two to its fleet, with plans to add another later this year.

LGWR Manager Jamie Spilsby says the EC220D excavator is now a core part of the company’s services in the Northern Territory.

“We cover a lot of different aspects, such as land clearing, mulching, stage one of earthworks and bulk haulage as well,” Jamie says.

Catering from small private jobs, up to the largest of corporate clients, LGWR specialises in tree mulching and land clearing in Darwin. The EC220D excavator is used for each, as well as feeding LGWR’s 800 horsepower mulching equipment.

CAB COMFORT LGWR uses a range of attachments with the 22 tonne EC220D excavator – general buckets and tilt buckets support mulch feeding, and the attachable timber shear and log grab are used for land clearing.

Litchfield Green Waste Recyclers deploys its EC220D excavator for mulching.

A new electro-hydraulic system and main control valve can control the on-demand flows when using these attachments, resulting in shorter cycle times and improved fuel efficiency.

Oil flows for each attachment can also be regulated from the cab, with the internal electronic control unit able to store 20 individual settings.

Jamie says he was immediately impressed with the machine’s cab size.

As he explains, the EC220D excavator has helped to look after some of LGWR’s taller operators.

“We have a few guys who are taller than 6’4. The squarer-shaped cab gives our operators easier access

“The main factor that attracted us to the Volvo models was CJD’s aftersales support and spare parts.”

Jamie Spilsby, Manager, Litchfield Green Waste Recyclers

66 / WMR / June 2022

when entering and exiting the machine,” he says.

“Other models that have the rounded cab and windows can be awkward for some of our taller operators. Some of the taller guys have to pull the seat forward when they get in,” he jokes.

The EC220D excavator has a ‘D-series’ cab, built with a focus on maximising visibility and comfort.

The cab is supported on hydraulic dampening mounts to reduce shock and vibration levels. It also has a sound absorbing lining, reducing noise levels.

An integrated air-conditioning and heating system controls the climate, with air distributed through 14 vents.

IN-HOUSE SERVICING Projects for LGWR usually take place in demanding environments such as torrential downpours or extremely dusty.

Jamie says the EC220D excavator

Litchfield Green Waste Recyclers has three EC220D excavator units, which have an accumulated 7000 to 8000 hours of use between them.

has had no trouble in the wet, due to the machine’s dual speed tracks. The unit also effectively blocks out dust, a must-have when dealing with mulch, he adds.

Due to the isolation of some rural sites, waiting for maintenance is not an option. As such, LGWR conducts its own servicing in-house.

“The EC220D excavator makes it very easy for our mechanics. It’s got great access for services. You just need to spin one plate to access plugs underneath. You don’t need to remove guards and floor plates like other machines,” Jamie says. There’s also a door on the rear right hand side of the machine, which contains all of the excavator’s filters.

“We can do these services in the paddock; we don’t need to increase downtime by taking it to a servicing centre. The air-conditioner, condensers and radiator can all be done in day-to-day maintenance.”

Jamie estimates the three EC220D units in use at LGWR have accumulated 7000 to 8000 hours of use between them. Minimal repairs have been required.

“We service them at 250-hour operation intervals.

They could easily be serviced at more than 500-hour intervals,” he says.

Volvo CE distributor CJD Equipment also has a servicing network with technicians, workshops and dealers across the country.

“The main factor that attracted us to the Volvo models was CJD’s after-sales support and spare parts,” Jamie says.

He says LGWR will look to expand its fleet as the company continues to win larger contracts.

“We’re ramping up work with another contract, doing clearing work for future mining sites,” he says. “If we need another excavator, we’ll get a Volvo.”

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All go for FOGO TOWNSVILLE-BASED RESIDENTS HAVE EMBRACED A FOGO OR GO KERBSIDE TRIAL WITH UP TO 90 PER CENT PARTICIPATION RATE.

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ore than 270 tonnes, or the equivalent of 5400 full kerbside wheelie bins, of organic materials has been diverted from Townsville landfills since the start of a Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) Kerbside Collection Trial in October 2021.

Townsville City Council added either a third FOGO or GO kerbside bin for 1500 households in Idalia, Burdell, Vincent and Heatley as part of the trial.

Mark Molachino, Acting Mayor says the results have been positive.

“The trial has been split into two parts, with 1000 households in Idalia and Burdell using their new lime-green lidded bins for food and garden waste, meanwhile, 500 households in Vincent and Heatley have been using their extra bin for garden waste only,” Mark says.

“We have seen industry-best standards for household participation rates of up to 90 per cent in some areas. Our team has also recorded an average contamination rate of below two per cent, which tells us most households are doing the right thing and are only putting food or garden waste in the

An average contamination rate of below two per cent has been recorded in the FOGO Kerbside Collection Trial.

68 / WMR / June 2022

kerbside bins. Trial participants will be surveyed so we can gather further information about how the trial is going and receive any feedback they have.”

Mark says the information gathered will be used to evaluate whether the program will roll out citywide, what it might look like and what further infrastructure might be needed.

The Queensland Government provided $242,000 to council to conduct the FOGO Kerbside Collection Trial.

Maurie Soars, Community Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability Committee chairperson says the trial is about exploring initiatives to reduce the amount of potential value add materials and resources going to landfills.

“Waste management is a considerable expense for ratepayers,” Maurie says. “For example, construction has started on two new landfill cells at the Stuart waste facility at the cost of more than $10 million. Our current cell, constructed in 2020, is expected to reach capacity within the next 12 months. Initiatives like the FOGO Kerbside Collection Trial are

about looking for sustainable ways to divert materials from going to landfills to be reused or repurposed. One of those initiatives has been diverting the garden organic material to be processed by local business Atlas Soils to turn into a soil conditioner which council has already used in parks and gardens across Townsville.

“Council wants to achieve a goal of zero waste to landfill by 2030, and resource recovery initiatives like this are vital to helping determine the best and most effective method to achieving that.”

Maurie says the council is proud of, and delighted by, the community’s effort during the FOGO kerbside collection trial.

“The trial participants have achieved such positive results through their willingness to engage with council about the types of waste that could be placed in the new bins for kerbside collection and by willingly taking the time to separate their waste streams at home.

“Our team held a community information session and barbecue in each of the trial areas and walked

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“Initiatives like the FOGO Kerbside Collection Trial are about looking for sustainable ways to divert materials from going to landfills to be reused or repurposed.”

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Maurie Soars, Community Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability Committee chairperson

the streets involved in the trial ahead of the FOGO collection truck to allow residents to ask any last-minute questions they may have.

“Council has also conducted regular bin tagging exercises involving our team carrying out a quick visual inspection of each of the FOGO/GO bins and providing guidance to participants on any contamination in their bins.”

Maurie says the council has also created easyto-access education and promotional material, including an A-Z guide, How to Guide, FAQ sheets, fridge magnets, video resources, letterbox drops, and targeted social media ads to help educate Townsville locals about how to reduce, reuse and recycle at home.

The council is waiting for results of a recent FOGO bin inspection audit to provide a detailed indication of mid-trial outcomes.

The FOGO Kerbside Collection Trial is planned to end in September.

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www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 71

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National standards to enhance recovery AUSTRALIA CAN SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE RESOURCE RECOVERY RATES AND BETTER MEET END USER DEMAND BY ADOPTING BEST PRACTICE STANDARDS. NATIONAL WASTE AND RECYCLING COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, RICK RALPH EXPLAINS.

NWRIC has recommended national performance standards for sorting and processing facilities.

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n April, the National Waste and Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC) delivered a National Recovered Material Specifications for Sorting and Processing Facilities Report to the Australian Government. This report provides information intended to assist Australian recyclers enhance the volume and value of tradable products in domestic and overseas markets and stimulate domestic reuse of recovered materials.

NWRIC, with assistance from MRA Consulting, was engaged by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to consider and

recommend national performance standards for primary sorting facilities and secondary processing facilities handling glass, plastics, metals, paper and cardboard, and organics collected through the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stream.

Rick Ralph, NWRIC Chief Executive Officer, says by adopting a number of affordable and relatively straightforward measures it is possible to substantially increase resource recovery rates and better meet end user demand.

“While both minimum and best practice standards are essential, best practice specifications are key to

growing resource recovery rates and increasing the quality and commercial value of resources and should be used wherever possible,” Rick says.

The recommendations in the report are informed by a thorough literature review and audit of recovered resource specifications both locally and internationally, material flow mapping, and a comprehensive stakeholder consultation process.

“The review also found that key international markets are increasingly demanding higher standards for recycled products. The proper framework must be in place and easy to

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 73

LAST WORD

National Waste and Recycling Council Chief Executive Officer, Rick Ralph.

access in Australia to allow industry to respond,” Rick says.

“Countries such as China and Malaysia are setting higher quality import specifications which are impacting what Australian sorters and processors can export. We need to protect our trading capacity by having these minimum and best practice standards in place.”

The review identified 65 national and international recovered resource specifications for materials collected through the MSW stream: 14 glass, 25 plastic, eight metal, 10 paper and eight organics.

Of these specifications, 38 are national standards or regulations developed by different national or state governments and bodies. The other 27 are international standards developed by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) or other international bodies.

NWRIC has recommended a total of 49 existing sorting and processing specifications for each material type and stage of the recovery process, along with indicative time frames, responsibilities and practical actions necessary both upstream and downstream to achieve each specification.

“Change doesn’t mean a massive overhaul though. We can achieve this while also ensuring the recommended actions are practical to implement, commercially sound, deliver added

74 / WMR / June 2022

value back to the resource recovery chain, actually increase resource recovery, and can also adapt to changing technology and market conditions,” Rick says.

“These recommended upstream and downstream actions have the added advantage of contributing to the implementation of the 2019 National Waste Policy Action Plan.”

The recommendations include amendments to 11 of the recommended specifications to improve the quality of the resources being recovered; and development of seven new specifications to cover unprocessed glass fines, glass sand for filtration and insulation applications, liquid paperboard bale, shredded mixed flexible plastic, advanced recycling feedstock, advanced recycling output (oil) and pulp.

“Critically, the Report recommends several upstream actions, including changes to packaging design, what should be accepted in yellow bins, expansion of container deposit schemes (CDS), that will significantly improve the quality and quantity of resources recovered,” Rick says.

Packaging design should encourage the production of mono-material packaging, ensure caps and rings can easily be removed, avoid pressuresensitised labels and coloured PET, limit tin content, reduce the use of metal closures on glass products, as well as phase out the use of PVC and PS in packaging where possible.

Producers and brands should clearly label aerosol cans, especially those containing flammable substances with safe disposal instructions to mitigate potential risk of explosion in compaction trucks and sorting facilities.

The Australian Recycling Label should also indicate the appropriate recycling categorisation for packaging made from PVC or PS. Federal, state, territory and local governments should consider

national bin input standards to reduce inconsistencies between local government areas, including community education campaigns on key bin contaminant issues.

State, territory and local governments should consider expanding the type of glass and plastic containers collected through CDS, and, where possible, align end of waste and resource recovery orders for organics with food and organic collection and processing contracts.

AORA and the agricultural sector should consider developing an organic product certification scheme, driven by end user consultation to create higher value products for agriculture and incentivise product innovation.

To increase confidence and reduce confusion, a joint industry online portal (e.g. NWRIC, ACOR, AORA, APCO, Chemistry Australia) should be developed that provides sorters, processors and end users with a free single point of access to all relevant recovered material specifications.

Finally, consideration should be given to assisting sorters and processors gain independent certification of processed outputs against the recommended specifications to give domestic and international end users greater confidence in the quality of material being supplied. If deemed appropriate, certification could also help streamline the export permit process.

“The quality of the resource recovery value chain dictates negotiations between individual seller-buyer contracts. These specifications are about increasing the value and volume of recovered resources and making it easier for sorters and processors to produce high quality recycled outputs,” Rick says.

The full report is available at: www.nwric.com.au/national-recycledmaterial-specifications/

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