Waste Management Review July 2019

JULY 2019

A shared vision Veolia’s Anthony Roderick on advancing sustainable events.

FEATURES E-waste to landfill ban gaps WA CDS planning ResourceCo’s new energy arm Coles’s food waste plans

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COVER STORY

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INSPIRING THE COLLECTIVE

Veolia is taking its 20-year relationship with major sporting events such as the Melbourne Cup to new heights with a meticulous diversion strategy.

FOOD FOR SOIL By introducing food waste recycling and a dedicated sustainability portfolio, the Melbourne Cricket Ground is hitting more than 75 per cent landfill diversion.

“MELBOURNE IS SYNONYMOUS WITH HOSTING WORLD-CLASS EVENTS. IF WE’RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE IN A POSITION TO SERVICE THESE CLIENTS, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP THEM REDUCE THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND ENSURE THE EVENTS ARE REMEMBERED FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.” -Anthony Roderick, Veolia Group General Manager – Victoria & Tasmania

In this issue

Features

18 CANS COORDINATION 36 RENEWABLE FOCUS

Waste Management Review explores the opportunities for WA to deliver a best practice container deposit scheme.

ResourceCo has appointed leading expert Henry Anning to its newly created energy arm to spearhead renewable energy solutions.

26 ENFORCING E-WASTE 38 BROOKLYN BOUND

Waste Management Review highlights the barriers to overcoming Victoria’s infrastructure gaps for its e-waste to landfill ban.

30 MOBILE EXTRACTION

34

obileMuster Manger Spyro M Kalos talks to Waste Management Review about the recycling process for smartphones and their reuse potential.

PLASTIC PRIORITY Envorinex Managing Director Jenny Brown has opened the island state’s first soft plastic recycling plant in industrial hub Bell Bay.

Sunshine Groupe Operations Manager Colin Smith tells Waste Management Review how the rise in construction and demolition waste prompted his latest purchase.

N-THE-GROUND 42 OSUPPORT

Kyogle Council has found a way to safely secure its excavators at ground level, providing backup support for its waste transportation and maximising payloads.

44

SCALING UP

Coles’s Vikas Ahuja tells Waste Management Review about the supermarket’s initiatives to tackle food waste.

48 DESIGNING ORGANICS

Italian expert Marco RicciJurgenssen explains the lessons learnt from 20 years of organics collection in Italy.

TAKING THE 50

ECO ROAD

ECO Resources is doubling its output, reducing contamination and improving safety with the installation of an Australian made picking, sorting and recycling facility.

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GREEN EFFICIENCY Komptech’s Crambo Direct is offering universal benefits for food and garden organics and biomass resource recovery.

Regulars

7 NEWS 50 PROMOTIONAL FEATURES 65 LAST WORD www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 3

PUBLISHER

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

EDITOR

Toli Papadopoulos toli.papadopoulos@primecreative.com.au

JOURNALIST

From the Editor

Surprise result WITH THE DUST SETTLING ON THE FEDERAL ELECTION, THE WASTE industry can now plan for the future.

Labor continued to lead the Coalition in Newspolls for more than three years and all eyes were on the election of a Shorten Labor Government. But in the end the Coalition defied the odds and returned with a majority government.

Politics aside, the industry had some welcome bi-partisan support, with the Coalition promising $203 million for recycling.

The only key platform that may be missed was Labor’s promise to set mandatory targets for all government departments to purchase products made out of recyclables.

The Coalition asserts it will continue to work with state, territory and local governments on opportunities to get more recycled content into roads – a pledge that hopefully goes beyond paying lip service.

And the remaining initiatives promised by the Coalition are also encouraging.

If we look at a recent scorecard produced in collaboration with a number of key industry association partners (ACOR, AEIN, AORA, NWRIC), all three major parties scored a C for their policies on waste.

Under Coalition policy, the Australian Recycling Investment Fund will see $100 million go towards businesses that are innovating with low emissions and energyefficient recycled content products, including plastics, paper and pulp. This is particularly key as Waste Management Review reported in its April issue on how the markets for paper had dropped and plastics had taken a hit since China’s contamination limits.

Other exciting initiatives include $20 million for a new Product Stewardship Investment Fund to accelerate industry-led schemes for batteries, electrical and electronic products, photovoltaic systems and plastic oil containers.

We’ve been hearing about a battery product stewardship scheme for years with very little momentum. According to the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative, it’s been confirmed that the scope of this scheme will cover all batteries. Photovoltaic systems will also be important as the legacy issue emerges when many reach their end-of-life.

We know that product stewardship schemes aren’t established overnight, so it’s time the government and industry get cracking.

With these initiatives and a newly created Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Minister, an opportunity also exists for the Federal Government to finally step up after years of deferring responsibility to the states and territories.

4 / WMR / July 2019

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

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News

Alex Fraser opens high recycled technology asphalt plant Victorian Government Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio has officially opened Alex Fraser’s new high recycled technology asphalt plant and innovative glass recycling plant.

Alex Fraser Managing Director Peter Murphy said the new facilities incorporated design features to improve resource recovery and increase recycled content in construction materials.

“These new $20 million facilities are part of Alex Fraser’s long term investment in improving resource recovery and infrastructure sustainability for Victoria,” Mr Murphy said.

The high recycled asphalt plant uses recycled materials as its main supply and only supplements with virgin materials when required.

The glass recycling plant has the ability to process one billion glass bottles annually and can recycle glass fines known as CSP which could not

be recycled back into glass bottles or jars. The glass will then be turned into sand, which is used for major projects around Victoria.

The recycled materials produced will provide a significant capacity increase in resources needed to supply Victoria’s Big Build.

Alex Fraser is already supplying road base, aggregates, sand and asphalt to some Level Crossing Removal projects and the Western Roads Upgrade.

The use of the material from these new plants will have significant commercial and environmental savings, including reducing waste to landfill and heavy vehicle movements.

Alex Fraser estimates up to a 65 per cent carbon footprint reduction for new projects using its material.

“We have created a unique network of facilities capable of supplying large volumes of quality materials to infrastructure projects throughout

metropolitan Melbourne,” Mr Murphy said.

He said the products will be critical to developing markets for recycled materials, which will take pressure off Melbourne’s kerbside recycling.

The new plants are both located on site with Alex Fraser’s existing construction and demolition recycling plant which recycles one million tonnes of waste annually.

“Currently, Victorian households generate mountains of problem glass waste every year. Our glass recycling plant is capable of producing 800 tonnes of construction sand per day – equivalent to four million glass bottles,” Mr Murphy said.

The high recycled asphalt plant was built over 16 months and is capable of producing up to half a million tonnes of sustainable asphalt annually.

Both plants are located at Alex Fraser’s integrated recycling facility in Laverton North.

Alex Fraser’s grand opening included the environment minister and representatives from Sustainability Victoria, Hanson Australia and other government projects.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 7

News

Malaysia sends back plastic waste The Malaysian Environment Ministry has announced it will ship 450 metric tonnes of illegally imported and contaminated plastic waste back to countries of origin, including Australian material.

The waste, found during container inspections, originates from Australia, the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China and Bangladesh.

According to a 28 May environment ministry statement, once all containers are fully inspected, an estimated 3000 metric tonnes will be shipped back to origin countries.

“These containers are filled with contaminated, non-homogeneous, low quality, non-recyclable plastic waste, and are routed to processing facilities which do not have the technology to recycle in an environmentally sound manner.

“This practice is against the Environmental Quality Act 1974,” the statement reads.

To date, the ministry has inspected 123 containers from countries including the UK, the United States, Japan, China, Spain, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Bangladesh and Norway.

“The laborious and costly inspection process was necessary to identify the content of the containers and its exporting country – the inspection process is ongoing,” the statement reads.

Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said Malaysia would continue to weed out international imports.

“These containers were illegally brought into the country under

8 / WMR / July 2019

Waste was found during container inspections from Australia, the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China and Bangladesh.

false declarations and other offences, which clearly violates our environmental law,” Ms Yin said.

“Garbage is traded under the pretext of recycling and Malaysians are forced to suffer poor air quality due to open burning of plastics which leads to health hazards, polluted rivers, illegal landfills and a host of other related problems.

“We view the perpetrators of this act as traitors to the country’s sustainability and therefore they should be stopped and brought to justice.”

As party to the Basel Convention Malaysia imposes strict requirements on the importation of mixed plastic waste, in an effort to regulate trade and transboundary movements.

“We urge the developed countries to review their management of plastic waste and stop shipping the garbage

out to the developing countries,” Ms Yin said.

“We will compile these recycling companies names and send to the respective government for further investigation.”

China’s ban on 24 categories of solid waste dramatically changed the landscape for the western recycling market.

Malaysia saw an influx of plastic imports after the contamination crackdown, with data from UK HM Revenue and Customs, a nonministerial department responsible for tax collection, showing UK plastic waste exports to Malaysia tripled in the four months following the contamination ban.

Earlier this year, India similarly issued a total ban on solid plastic imports.

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Businesses sign the Sydney Single-use Pledge More than 30 organisations have signed the Sydney Single-use Pledge, including the Sydney Opera House, Atlassian, Fox Studios and Star Entertainment Group.

Industry leaders from the hospitality, accommodation, events and property sectors have joined forces with the City of Sydney to reduce single-use plastics.

More than 30 organisations have signed the Sydney Single-use Pledge, including the Sydney Opera House, Atlassian, Fox Studios and Star Entertainment Group.

Under the new pledge, businesses commit to implementing at least four actions that will reduce reliance on single-use plastic items.

The City of Sydney has taken a platinum pledge, committing to phasing out seven single-use items in its buildings, at its own venues and at events within local government areas.

10 / WMR / July 2019

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said that Sydney will eliminate or reduce the use of bottled water, plastic straws, plastic serve ware, promotional flyers, single-use cups and single-use plastic giveaways.

“Studies show that up to one million plastic drinks bottles are purchased globally every minute, but less than 50 per cent are collected for recycling,” Ms Moore said.

“Plastic straws can last up to 600 years and many end up in our beautiful harbour and waterways. It is shameful that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.”

The initiative was driven by City of Sydney-led groups Sustainable Destination Partnership, Better Buildings

Partnership and CitySwitch.

Ms Moore said that by acting together, businesses can reduce their impact on the environment and show the world Sydney is leading the way to a zero waste future.

“The City has set bold targets to reach zero waste by 2030. We must reduce the amount of waste we produce, recycle as much as possible and treat what’s left over in the most sustainable way,” Ms Moore said.

“I congratulate the businesses who have signed this pledge, and urge others to get on board and commit to phasing out single-use plastic because it’s better for business and better for the environment.”

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News

Essential Services Commission to review Victorian waste sector The Essential Services Commission will review waste and recycling services in Victoria to assess whether they should be regulated as an essential service like water and energy.

A further review of the landfill levy will also be conducted to consider the current and future effectiveness of the initiative as an economic instrument for influencing waste management practices.

A $14.3 million Recycling Industry Development Fund has been established, targeting secondary processing infrastructure for priority materials such as paper, cardboard and plastics.

A $13.8 million program to provide incentives for new entrants to

the Victorian recycling market has also been announced.

The Victorian Government announced the review in conjunction with a new $34.9 million package of recycling reforms.

Victorian Waste Management Association (VWMA) Executive Officer Mark Smith welcomed the review.

“The VWMA welcomes consultation by the Essential Service Commission, with us and our members,” Mr Smith says.

“Grants can be great, but are not always the best method to support private investment. I’d like to see funding bodies exploring new ways for business to access funds, and this shouldn’t result in business competing

A $14.3 million Recycling Industry Development has been established in Victoria.

12 / WMR / July 2019

with local government.”

Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the review will help create a more stable and productive recycling sector.

“It’s more important than ever to minimise the amount of waste we produce and ensure we’re recycling as many items as possible,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.

She said the new initiatives are an important step in planning for the future of the waste and recycling industry.

“The package will provide support to Victorian councils when it comes to negotiating new contracts for recycling services, helping to improve business performance and put better contingency plans in place,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.

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COVER STORY Anthony Roderick, Francesca Stafford, James Reid and Craig Lovett are working together to achieve sustainability outcomes at the Victoria Racing Club in Melbourne.

Sustainability allies WASTE EDUCATION, AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT ARE TAKING CENTRE STAGE AT MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS, AS VEOLIA TAKES ITS RELATIONSHIPS WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO NEW HEIGHTS.

A

s a nation devoted to sport, the Australian sporting events industry showcases some of the world’s best athletes.

Tapping into this enthusiasm, forward thinking waste management organisations are using sport as a platform to demonstrate leading recycling practices and promote sustainable behaviours.

The scale, location and complexity of events means developing and implementing an appropriate waste management strategy can take months of meticulous coordination between stakeholders to ensure seamless operations on the big day.

Added to this, there are growing expectations around responsible waste management at events. It’s no wonder organisers increasingly rely on the expertise of forward thinking operators.

Companies such as Veolia are not

14 / WMR / July 2019

only tasked with delivering a solution for general waste management, recycling and landfill diversion, but also providing value-added services like waste education and increased source segregation.

DRIVING CHANGE For more than 20 years, Veolia has been working closely with event partners such as Incognitus to implement effective sustainable solutions. One aspect of this is incorporating waste reduction and recycling programs to improve diversion at major sporting events around the nation, such as the Melbourne Cup Carnival and the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Veolia and Incognitus have been tackling issues like waste contamination and improved source segregation head on. These include introducing a range of proactive

measures to increase awareness among event attendees, organisers and employees. However, the success of this approach is heavily reliant on its customer’s full support and shared vision for sustainability.

Anthony Roderick, Veolia Group General Manager – Victoria & Tasmania, says that one of Veolia’s strengths in the events space is its ability to build long-term partnerships with customers, allowing for a dynamic and flexible approach.

“Trust and transparency provide us with the ability to challenge each other for continuous improvement as we grow together,” Anthony says.

“We’re conscious that our customers are motivated by a range of operational factors, but it all boils down to value and wanting to partner with a ‘safe pair of hands’ that can facilitate effective and compliant waste disposal.”

SPORTING A NEW APPROACH Francesca Stafford, Veolia Sustainability Coordinator, has a long-term passion for sport and its ability to bring people together and inspire collective outcomes.

“Sporting events are a platform for people to come together at any point in time and if we can capture that passion and sense of community, and communicate positive messaging that goes beyond the event, I think that is really important,” Francesca says.

“We work with businesses to help them understand the importance of best-practice recycling methods and how they can use these to reduce the environmental footprint of their operations.”

Francesca adds that by leveraging their enthusiasm, energy and business strategy to promote change, Veolia develops a long-term approach to sustainability and it grows from there.

THE RACE THAT STOPS THE NATION The 2018 Melbourne Cup Carnival was a great example of stakeholders working together towards a common goal. As South-East Asian countries were tightening contamination tolerances around the same time, Veolia was spurred into action.

“One of the challenges is that people have lost faith in the industry and I think tackling this is about sharing a story that shows people that if they do engage in this correctly, there will be real outcomes and an impact,” Francesca says.

Veolia and Incognitus developed a collaborative approach working with James Reid, Executive General Manager Operations. Over six weeks, a specialised events team, equipment and source separation systems were deployed onsite at Flemington Racecourse.

Nine drivers, two-full time operations staff and 20 “Sustainability Champions” tasked with facilitating education sessions ensured maximum diversion was achieved for the 800 tonnes of waste generated at the event.

Francesca says extensive efforts were placed on educating cleaning and kitchen staff at the event to recycle food waste using aerobic

James says installing glass crushers onsite significantly reduced transport costs, particularly as Flemington has seen an increase in glass use with the site serving and using more premium beverages.

Food waste is also recycled on site using ORCA units, which break food down over a 24-hour period.

The residual waste water is captured and used to produce biogas.

Veolia’s Sustainability Champions were tasked with facilitating education sessions to ensure maximum diversion was achieved at the event.

digesters provided by ORCA, glass crushers by Bottle Cycler, as well as correctly sorting general and cardboard waste streams.

Over a four-day period, Veolia’s team of Sustainability Champions were able to build on staff knowledge and provide feedback on recovery figures from the previous day and any issues encountered. Francesca says immediate feedback was important to instilling behavioural change.

At the conclusion of the event, a comprehensive and instructive waste management report was prepared

by Veolia, which provided an analysis of the success of the program and key learnings.

A VEHICLE FOR CHANGE Earlier this year, Veolia and EventCorp commenced a five-year partnership with the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Francesca says the timing of this event allowed Veolia to apply key learnings from its most recent Melbourne Cup Carnival service delivery.

“To maximise recycling at the Grand Prix, it was really important to offer patrons the ability to segregate their waste front-of-house.”

Veolia’s experience with other large-scale clients in the retail and commercial property sectors allowed it to educate retail, cleaning

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 15

COVER STORY

and kitchen staff on best source separation practice.

She says that quite often, Veolia is working with staff where English is not their first language.

“This, coupled with the transient nature of the event industry means we need to ensure our education strategy overcomes these barriers effectively.

This was achieved by making sure that staff were empowered to feel as though they were part of the solution.

“We explain what happens to each waste stream and by equipping them with that information and supporting it with adequate signage, we can modify behaviour,” Francesca states.

Anthony says that if consumers go to the right efforts to separate the material, the onus is then on the recycling company to close the loop.

From an operational perspective, Anthony says that when it comes to waste collection, best practice is eliminating as much waste as possible and then driving collections with lean operations that minimise labour.

He hopes to leverage Veolia’s global experience and advance Australia’s processes in areas such as waste to energy, water reuse and plastics recycling and remanufacturing.

LESSONS FROM THE FIELD Craig Lovett, Principal/Partner at Incognitus, says understanding the infrastructure in the surrounding environment and tailoring a service around that is crucial.

“I think the answer is total control of waste streams, engineering the outcome right from the outset and working out what ends up inside the venues front-of-house,” Craig says.

He recalls planning for the Sydney Olympic Games of which Veolia was a contractor. Despite being almost 20 years ago, the learnings gave recognition to the value of

16 / WMR / July 2019

Sustainability Champions supported extensive waste education efforts.

sustainable waste practices.

Craig says that basic questions were asked such as the amount of newspapers arriving on site and how products were being delivered to the kitchen. PET was the only accepted front-of-house single-use packaging, with Styrofoam boxes banned from the kitchens of the Olympic venues and replaced with cardboard. Two bins were established front of house with signage stating PET cups, cans and food packaging were recyclable.

He says that the key to a successful collaboration with waste contractors is understanding each other’s skillset, capabilities and infrastructure.

Engaging all stakeholders with simple messaging, including caterers, is also crucial.

“We’ve had a 23-year history of working with Veolia and although not exclusively, most times we did because they were prepared to be collaborative.”

Anthony agrees sport plays a role in inspiring the community to take ownership of their waste.

“Melbourne is synonymous with hosting world-class events. If we’re fortunate enough to be in a position to service these clients we have a responsibility to help them reduce

their environmental impact and ensure the events are remembered for the right reasons,” he says.

He notes that Veolia is more than just a waste management company – it’s a global resourcing company with sustainability capabilities across municipal and hazardous waste, water and energy.

“We’re creating solutions that allow us to lead in that space. We tend to narrowly focus on waste and recycling [as an industry], but the globe demands something bigger and Veolia is in a position to change that.”

Key metrics from the Melbourne Cup Carnival: • 56 tonnes of glass recycled on site through the installation of 27 bottle crusher units to reduce output volume by 80 per cent • Eight ORCA digesters enabled the diversion of 70 tonnes of food waste • More than 1,000,000 glass bottles and cans recycled • 500,000 single-use cups avoided through washing and reusing beer and wine glasses in the Club Stand

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UP FRONT

Cans coordination WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW EXPLORES THE BARRIERS TO INTRODUCING A WELL-RUN CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME IN WA.

W

hen implemented effectively, the benefits of a container deposit scheme (CDS) are a no brainer.

By reducing litter, creating a clean stream for glass manufacturing and a host of other benefits, it’s easy to see why CDSs are being now being introduced in almost all states and territories.

South Australia was the first state in 1977 to introduce a CDS. More than 40 years on, beverage containers make up a mere 2.8 per cent of litter, with a 77 per cent return rate.

NT followed suit decades later in 2012, while NSW implemented a scheme at the end of 2017, QLD in 2018 and now WA in 2019. Victoria and Tasmania have yet to establish their own schemes, with pressure on Victoria from a number of groups such as the Boomerang Alliance to do so.

But with any successful implementation, the devil is in the detail and all eyes are on WA to ensure its adequately planned for and governments heed the lessons of previous schemes.

In May, the WA Government chose a coordinator for the state’s CDS. Environment Minister Stephen Dawson announced WA Return Recycle Renew Limited had been selected to operate the scheme which starts in early 2020.

WA Return Recycle Renew is a newly incorporated not-for-profit established

by Coca-Cola Amatil and Lion.

Local government has long supported the implementation of a CDS to reduce litter and increase resource recovery.

18 / WMR / July 2019

The WA Local Government Association (WALGA) has been working with local governments on ways in which they can engage with the CDS, including running refund points or donation points and facilitating business and local community engagement.

Following the implementation of schemes in NSW and QLD, WALGA has been focused on ensuring clear and public objectives and timebound targets for the scheme. It also hopes to address planning considerations prior to commencement, revenue sharing agreements and understanding how the community is likely to engage in the scheme.

Network standards identify that the minimum number of refund points in WA will be 229, comprising 114 fulltime and 115 flexible refund points at the first year of operation. According to WALGA, this delivers one refund point for approximately every 10,000 people in WA. In WA, there will be a mixture of refund options in different locations.

WALGA would prefer to see an increased number of refund points in the non-metropolitan area. Its submission on access to the scheme suggests additional refund points in regional centres and at least another 26 locations in the non-metropolitan area.

WALGA will continue to advocate for increasing the operating hours for full-time and flexible refund points in the metropolitan and non-metropolitan area. The minimum network standard states that full-time refund points must be open for at least 35 hours per week, with at least four of those weekend hours.

Cr Lynne Craigie, WALGA President, says that local government would like to see an increase in the minimum number of opening hours across the board.

“We want to give this scheme the greatest chance to succeed for the community, and gather the most containers possible, and appropriate opening hours for refund points will go a long way towards that goal,” Lynne says.

Lynne says the model of revenue sharing for funds collected through the scheme has not yet been determined.

According to WALGA, until the audit sampling protocol requirements are known, it may be difficult to

WALGA has recommended a revenue sharing model of 50/50 split between councils and MRFs.

determine if materials recovery facilities (MRFs) need to upgrade/modify their infrastructure.

To ensure kerbside revenue is not interfered with, WALGA is working with local governments and MRF operators to develop a sharing model.

The beverage containers represent a relatively small but high value component of the material collected in the kerbside system.

WALGA is working with local governments and MRF operators in WA and has recommended a revenue sharing model of 50/50 split, net of verifiable costs associated with the scheme.

MRF operators will need to provide sufficient evidence to local government on costs which include reducing tonnages delivered to the MRF by individual local governments and eligible container commodity sales compared to the previous year.

It also comprises administrative costs associated with the scheme such as reporting to the scheme coordinator.

According to WALGA, audit costs will also need to be provided evidence and it is not clear whether the scheme will cover these costs, though they are likely to be one of the most significant costs directly attributed to the scheme.

CDS-related costs are another matter, such as if the MRF has to install specific infrastructure, including facilitating the audits required.

WALGA has consistently advocated that the scheme should cover the costs of audits of MRFs to determine eligible containers, as opposed to MRFs covering the cost.

“We’re also recommending reporting data from the MRFs to demonstrate administrative and audit costs, as well as changes to kerbside collections and container commodity sales,” Lynne says.

Lynne says that transparency across this process will form an important part of ensuring the scheme’s success,

and WALGA is recommending a third party auditor be appointed to provide oversight, with audit costs to be covered by the scheme.

Two MRF refund processing models have been discussed. These are direct counting, where each MRF operator must count the number of individual eligible containers of each relevant output material type, and sampling to generate data on eligible containers.

According to WALGA, the direct count approach is appropriate for small MRFs where direct separation and counting of eligible containers is possible. The MRF sampling protocol is appropriate for larger MRFs (such as those in the metropolitan area/ regional centres) where a direct count is not possible, due to tonnage of material processed and existing infrastructure set up.

Rose Read, National Waste and Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC) CEO, says that to ensure the CDS is a success in WA, it will be important that there is clear information for the community on what is accepted and how the scheme works. Likewise, what containers are acceptable and readily accessible collection points across the country will also be an important consideration.

“This will be especially challenging in WA given the vast size of the state, including servicing remote and regional communities,” Rose says.

Rose says that the NWRIC members have learnt from NSW and QLD that clear protocols for materials recovery facilities are essential.

“These protocols should be developed in consultation with recyclers, the scheme coordinator, state and local government,” Rose says.

She says that they need to include payment procedures for the container deposit and handling/processing fees and auditing procedures that are fair and affordable to implement.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 19

UP FRONT

To ensure the CDS is a success, it will be important that there is clear information on what can and can’t be accepted.

In addition, the ability to transfer containers from one MRF to another MRF for processing, reasonable requirements to show proof of recycling and that ownership of the containers remains with the MRF should also be included.

“Refund sharing between MRFs and councils should be agreed at the start of the scheme, and should be consistent across all councils. This was not agreed in NSW, causing unnecessary angst. It was an inefficient use of everyone’s time,” Rose says.

Rose says that when the NSW CDS started, MRFs lost valuable commodities to this new collection network.

“To allow a smooth implementation, the protocol for MRFs must be done fairly, cost sharing agreed upfront, and ownership of the containers should remain with the MRF. Where appropriate, we encourage scheme and government assistance in upgrading infrastructure,” she says.

She says that one of the downsides

20 / WMR / July 2019

with having state-based CDSs is the inconsistencies that arise between the schemes. Rose says that these inconsistencies include administrative and reporting requirements which reduced the industry’s ability to realise operational efficiencies and pass on savings to the scheme coordinators.

“The NWRIC encourages all states and territories to work together to remove these unnecessary inconsistencies. This includes the scope of containers covered under the scheme,” Rose says.

“A single national scheme where all stakeholders work collaboratively to deliver the scheme’s objectives is the NWRIC’s preference long term.”

Rose says that the NWRIC is also calling for Victoria and Tasmania to implement container deposit schemes as a matter of urgency, clean up recycling streams and make producers responsible for their products.

“Only two states have not yet implemented a scheme. This would remove the issue of interstate movement

of containers as well.”

A spokesperson for DWER in June said that the Minimum Network Standards establish the criteria for refund point locations and hours of operation. The standards require 95 full time and 36 flexible refund points across the Perth and Peel regions. In regional WA there will be at least 19 full time refund points and 115 flexible refund points.

The spokesperson said that DWER will not facilitate revenue agreements between local governments and material recovery facilities – this is a commercial arrangement but it’s expected they would share the revenue.

“It is likely that regulations will provide a default position for revenue sharing if agreement cannot be reached,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the allocation of costs for audits to determine eligible containers for MRFs had not been finalised.

The spokesperson said that WA’s Container Deposit Scheme will be the best in Australia as it’s been designed with consideration given to evaluations of other Australian schemes.

Key design features of the WA scheme include putting return rate targets into regulations to ensure scheme objectives are met, with 85 per cent of eligible containers to be returned for recycling from 1 July 2022. Support will also be provided for payment in arrears by beverage suppliers of costs for returned containers to minimise impacts on industry. In addition, transparency will be ensured by requiring public reporting of scheme performance.

The spokesperson also said that it will set objectives in legislation that the scheme must provide opportunities for social enterprise and benefits for community organisations, stating that WA is the only jurisdiction to set this objective in law.

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UP FRONT

Servicing south Adelaide SOUTHERN REGION WASTE RESOURCE AUTHORITY CHAIRMAN MARK BOOTH TALKS TO WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE ORGANISATION’S PROPOSED SOUTH ADELAIDE MATERIAL RECYCLING FACILITY.

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o effectively manage estimated increases to the state’s volume of waste generation, the South Australian Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan argues the need for a $94 million investment into resource recovery infrastructure across the city of Adelaide.

The report specifically lists south Adelaide as the most suitable location for future waste and resource recovery infrastructure.

Additionally, it suggests a new or expanded 50,000-tonne MRF is needed to service the region.

“There is an opportunity to invest in modern technology that reduces processing residuals and increases the range of materials processes, for example soft plastics, hard plastics and expanded polystyrene packaging,” the plan reads.

Taking cues from the infrastructure plan, the Southern Region Waste Resource Authority (SRWRA) has developed a business case for a $21 million material recycling facility (MRF) in the region.

SRWRA is a regional subsidiary established by the cities of Onkaparinga, Marion and Holdfast Bay, pursuant to Section 43 of the 1999 Local Government Act. SRWRA Chairman Mark Booth says the organisation is responsible for providing and operating waste

management services on behalf of all constituent councils.

“SRWRA is one of the state’s key landfill operators, currently receiving over 100,000 tonnes of waste annually,” Mark says.

According to Mark, SRWRA has been examining the feasibility of establishing a MRF in south Adelaide since 2016, as no integrated MRF landfill facilities currently exist in the region.

“SRWRA constituent councils, like most councils, have been adversely financially impacted by changes in the recycling market, due largely to National Sword,” Mark says.

The proposed facility will be located within SRWRA’s existing landfill site at Seaford Heights and capable of servicing all councils in south Adelaide.

“If commissioned, we will be able to utilise recycled materials in our own backyard, create up to 37 full time equivalent jobs at the new plant, process approximately 60,000 tonnes of product per annum and attract complementary businesses to our region,” Mark says.

Holdfast Bay Advisor Michelle Logie says building an MRF allows new technology to be introduced, which will produce higher quality product streams.

“Keeping the recycling stream as clean as possible with low contamination levels is important to ensuring high quality outputs for

SRWA is calling on the Federal Government to support the policy.

downstream markets,” Michelle says.

“Commingled dry recyclables are currently transported to MRF’s operating at Wingfield or Salisbury and so redirecting these collection to a southern based facility also reduces transport costs and greenhouse gas emissions.”

As a representative for SRWRA, Mark is calling on the Federal Government to support the facility.

“I’ve written to the candidates of Boothby, Kingston and Mayo to help secure funding, including a $5 million contribution towards the construction of the $21 million plant and $5 million for an economic development fund to support the co-location of compatible circular economy industries to the SRWRA site,” Mark says.

Mark says the key challenge to establishing an MRF is managing problematic waste streams such as soft plastic and securing end markets. He says however that SRWRA are fully aware of those challenges and able to address them if funding is secured.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 23

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Tackling pollution THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT HAS INTRODUCED A PLASTIC POLLUTION PLAN TO IDENTIFY HOW GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS AND THE COMMUNITY CAN COLLABORATE TO REDUCE POLLUTION’S IMPACT.

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s part of Queensland’s broader waste strategy, the Department of Environment and Science (DES) developed a Plastic Pollution Reduction Plan to identify how government, business and the community can work together to reduce pollution’s economic, social and environmental impacts.

The plan will identify actions to influence responsible consumption and disposal behaviours, encourage redesign and innovation and stimulate and develop markets.

It complements other initiatives such as a ban on single-use, lightweight plastic shopping bans and the Container Refund Scheme.

A DES spokesperson tells Waste Management Review that the plan will inform future decision-making by identifying priority actions, including new opportunities for recycling and plastic manufacturing in Queensland.

Currently, only about eight per cent of plastic is recycled in the state.

“Increasing the value of waste plastic, along with smarter consumption and generation of plastics, will help reduce the amount that ends up in the environment,” the spokesperson says.

The spokesperson says that bans on particular products will always be part of the mix while those products are in widespread use.

The Plastic Pollution Reduction Plan aims to reduce the impact of plastic on the environment, transition plastic waste towards a circular economy and deliver economic opportunities

24 / WMR / July 2019

associated with plastics.

In collaboration with a number of groups, including business, agriculture, environment, local government and the plastics industry, the plan will be split into five key sources of pollution.

The five are at home, away from home, commercial and industrial, marine and waterways and agriculture.

Breaking this up into five sources encourages people to think about how we use plastic in all aspects of society, including at home, at work and in various industries.

At home allows households to choose to buy products with reduced or reusable packaging. Away from home covers that of food and beverages from cafes, fast food outlets or convenience stores.

The spokesperson says that the away from home inclusion was important as plastic is generated in all aspects of daily life, including homes, offices, workplaces, schools and hospitals.

Commercial and industrial comprises opportunities to recover clean bulk plastic and influence industrial practices in the manufacture and design of products. Agriculture covers the use and disposal of plastics on farms, including pollution, particularly from the build-up of macro and microplastics.

Finally, marine and waterways plans to raise awareness about the impact plastic is having on marine life.

Actions in the Plastic Pollution Plan will include examining policy, legislation and industry practices, collaborating with industry, providing

information and educating the community and the plastics industry.

Likewise, it will also look at support advancement of research and scientific evidence, supporting infrastructure development and developing markets.

The DES spokesperson says that as industry is constantly evolving and innovating, changes in product design usually focus on product differentiation.

However, consumers are now more aware and expect sustainable products – motivating industries to adapt their products and delivery models.

As such, the plan will identify and encourage design improvements that lead to increased recovery of materials and developing new markets for recycled materials.

“The policy certainty delivered through the plan will allow the industry to better understand the direction set by the Queensland Government as well as ensuring industry has sufficient time to adapt,” the DES spokesperson says.

The DES spokesperson says that to stimulate and develop sustainable markets, manufacturers need to be sure of ongoing supply.

The plan breaks up plastic pollution into various polymers as an array of polymers, additives and processes are used in the manufacture of specialised products. As such, different collection and reprocessing solutions have to be used for different plastics.

It may also provide to be an adjunct for existing programs such as Plastic Free Noose – a pilot program funded by the QLD Government

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FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

Enforcing e-waste WITH VICTORIA’S E-WASTE BAN COMMENCING 1 JULY, WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW EXPLORES WHAT SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE AND SOME OF THE UNCERTAINTIES SURROUNDING COMPLIANCE.

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he fact that e-waste is one of the fasting growing waste stream in Australia should come as a surprise to no one.

With each new technology release, scores of people around the nation line up for hours, wanting to be first to own the latest device.

While the ever-accelerating march of technology might not be a problem on its own, it has generated a substantial mass of old and unwanted electronics.

The question of what to do with these cast-offs is a significant one and the Victorian Government has proposed an answer.

Taking cues from South Australia’s successful 2013 ban, the Victorian Government has responded by banning e-waste from landfill from 1 July, 2019.

The Victorian Government defines e-waste as products that require electricity or batteries to operate, including, but not limited to, televisions, computers, mobile phones, kitchen appliances, white goods and batteries.

While the ban might successfully reduce the amount of electronics sent to landfill, and therefore minimise the risk of chemical leaks, how the waste management and recycling industry will deal with the inevitable influx of e-waste is still in question.

Last year, the Victorian Government invested $16.5 million into upgrading e-waste collection and storage facilities and educating the public, tasking Sustainability Victoria (SV) with the rollout.

26 / WMR / July 2019

SV Resource Recovery Director Matt Genever says after consulting extensively with industry, it was decided the focus of that funding would be resource recovery centres.

“The government didn’t expect councils to shoulder the burden of upgrades, so we’ve funded the majority of the network expansion,” Matt says.

“Together, we upgraded Victoria’s e-waste collection network and increased community access to drop-off points significantly. This involved the expansion of existing facilities, as well as establishing new ones.”

UPGRADING THE INFRASTRUCTURE When the funding was announced, a government statement said upgrades

There are a number of uncertainties surrounding compliance with the e-waste ban still being worked out.

would aim to ensure 98 per cent of Victorians in metropolitan areas were within a 20 minutes drive of an e-waste disposal point and 98 per cent of regional Victorians within a 30 minute drive.

According to Matt, these aims have been achieved, with 1000 drop-off sites across the state now able to collect e-waste.

“The level of funding support from state government has been really significant, particularly when compared to other states,” Matt says.

To complement state funding, SV, through the Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund, invested an additional $1.1 million towards new e-waste recycling projects.

In partnership with the Australia and

New Zealand Recycling Platform and the University of NSW, SV invested in a commercial e-waste microfactory.

Matt says with the capacity to process 500,000 kilograms of waste plastic per year, he hopes the facility, located in Somerton Victoria, will enable greater local processing of plastic generated from e-waste.

“A lot of existing projects will also help facilitate the ban, such as product stewardship schemes for batteries and computers, and the MobileMuster phone scheme,” Matt says.

According to Matt, the variability of e-waste material makes it difficult to discuss as one waste stream.

“The metal present in fridges, phones and batteries has a robust and already existing scrap metal resale market and the precious materials obviously have value,” Matt says.

“A lot of the material coming out of e-waste however is plastic and accessing markets for recovered plastic is currently challenging.”

To address this, SV have invested in multiple plastic recovery projects.

“The work we’re doing will add more than 80,000 tonnes per annum of new

plastic recycling capacity to Victoria,” Matt says.

“For example, we are expanding the Polymer Processes facility in Braeside, allowing it to accept a wider range of plastic material from e-waste and increase processing speeds.”

MobileMuster Manager Spyro Kalos says his organisation is supportive of the ban, especially given existing product stewardship schemes are in place.

“Successful take-back programs require a solid collection network, along with the ability to transport product to processing facilities – both go hand in hand,” he says.

“MobileMuster is working closely with SV and council partners to ensure residents know how and where to recycle their unwanted mobiles.”

According to Spyro, MobileMuster will shortly launch a new campaign, Use it or Recycle it, which will aim to motivate people to think about how easy it is to recycle old mobile phones.

Announced as a Victorian Government election promise in 2014, the ban was initially scheduled to commence in 2018.

Victorian Waste Management Association (VWMA) Executive Officer Mark Smith says issues impacting the Victorian waste sector, such as China’s National Sword policy and resulting stresses around reprocessing markets, caused the state government to delay implementation for a year.

However, he says through state funding and proactive responses from the private sector and local councils, the industry has stabilised.

“The waste industry is always ready to meet the challenges we face, but we need to be supported along the way and that support does not always mean cash handouts to the industry,” Mark says.

“Sometimes there’s a lack of recognition for the role of the private sector in managing these large-scale

issues, which is sometimes demonstrated by the lack of consultation with and involvement of, the private sector in implementation.”

In preparation for the ban, VWMA, in collaboration with CMA Ecocycle, the Australian and New Zealand Recycling Platform and Barwon South West and Grampians Central West Waste and Resource Recovery Groups, held an industry briefing in Ballarat.

Mark says VWMA decided to hold the event in response to member feedback.

“Members were concerned about the lack of information they had in regard to the ban, so we felt it necessary to facilitate a discussion between our members and the government agencies working on infrastructure and compliance, such as the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and the EPA,” Mark says.

“The event was extremely well attended, we actually had so much demand that we broadcast the sessions and panels to two regional centres in Wangaratta and Gippsland. This tells me people want more information and more conversations on the ban.”

Mark says it was clear from questions and answers that aspects of the ban, such as public messaging and compliance details, are still being worked out.

QUESTIONED UNANSWERED Ewaste Watch, a research-based thinktank focused on accelerating electronics sustainability, Director Rose Read says critical compliance and implementation questions are yet to be answered. She says while the state government has made efforts to increase the number of convenient drop-off locations and educate the community, she is unsure if communities and businesses are sufficiently aware of new collection points.

Rose says regulating bodies also

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 27

FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

Around 42 Officeworks sites will be upgraded with funding from the Victorian Government’s $25.3 million Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund.

need to explain to the community and businesses what controls are in place to ensure proper e-waste recycling? What will happen to data left on devices? Will councils be providing free collection services?

“If not, there is a real risk we may see an increase in illegal dumping, problematic stockpiling and general non-compliance with the ban which would be unfortunate,” Rose says.

Ewaste Watch’s second Director John Gertsakis believes the ban is only one part of the e-waste solution, and that Federal Government must expand the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme to include all electronic and electrical products not covered by an industry product stewardship scheme.

“Councils need the support of manufacturers, brands and retailers to ensure recycling is free, and that community-friendly options are provided for electronics reuse, repair and recycling,” John says.

The Managing e-waste in Victoria Policy Impact Statement sets out the compliance actions required.

The EPA will be responsible for enforcing the new e-waste waste management plan, in line with their

28 / WMR / July 2019

wider risk-based Compliance and Enforcement Policy.

“EPA expects that while small volumes of e-waste are likely to filter through to landfill, every endeavour should be made to prevent large quantities of e-waste entering the landfill cell,” the statement reads.

“As with other requirements of the waste management plan, EPA will use administrative notices as first recourse against non-compliance, with the potential to take enforcement action for breach of notice if the duty holder fails to comply.”

It states landfill operators may need to implement waste acceptance measures to prevent e-waste to landfill in accordance with Victoria’s BPEM for landfills.

Matt says that the compliance requirements will depend on the type of operation and what e-waste material is being processed, collected and/or stored.

A site dealing with scrap metal may have different requirements to a site that handles high volumes of cathode ray tubes where the risks of releasing hazardous substances are higher.

He says that it should be noted that compliance with AS5377 is already a requirement for those operators participating in the National Television

and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS).

He says that site operators will need to familiarise themselves with the requirements of the Waste Management Policy and AS5377 and EPA Victoria will be working with industry over the coming months to identify further opportunities to support compliance.

Cr Coral Ross, the Municipal Association of Victoria President told Waste Management Review at the beginning of June that for the e-waste landfill ban to be successful there needs to be a comprehensive community education campaign, a network of easily accessible e-waste collection points and strong markets for the collected material.

“We are concerned that none of these pre-conditions exist,” she said.

“Community awareness of the ban remains low and the state has not funded enough collection sites, particularly in rural areas and municipalities without transfer stations.”

Coral said that of greatest concern is the lack of end markets for much of the material captured by the ban.

“Given the broad definition of e-waste being used, councils will be collecting products that have only a tiny e-waste component, with the rest of the product being plastic or some other nonrecyclable material,” she said.

“As the collectors of e-waste, councils face significant risks and costs if they are unable to pass on collected e-waste to re-processors. And communities face further risks of stockpiling.

“The MAV has always argued that a better approach would be to expand the current e-waste product stewardship program that exists for televisions and computers. Retailers should also be required to provide collection points,” Coral said.

In terms of whether the community/ councils will have to pay for e-waste

disposal, Matt says this is a matter for individual councils and their e-waste recycling contractors.

“There are already strong markets for TVs and computers through the NTCRS and for those items that have high metal content, like fridges, freezers and microwaves,” he says.

He says the $16 million on improving infrastructure and processing should minimise any impact on local communities and ensure e-waste is disposed of properly.

Matt says the Victorian Government has ensured the majority of investment in new and upgraded e-waste infrastructure is being made in regional Victoria where it is most needed, with more than 100 of the 122 sites funded across regional and remote areas.

“In addition, the second round of the funding program which is currently

being designed will target key regional and rural sites where communities need improved access.

“SV consulted extensively with all councils when planning the infrastructure investment program to make sure these communities were being adequately serviced.”

INCREASING CAPABILITIES CMA Ecocycle, a mercury recovery and recycling company based in Victoria, is preparing for the ban through technological investment.

Business Development Manager Daryl Moyle says the company is constantly moving forward in the recycling space.

“We have already invested heavily in technologies that will address the anticipated volumes and types of e-waste streams that will come about as

a result of the ban,” Daryl says.

“We have even gone as far as employing e-waste specific staff dedicated to sourcing e-waste from across the state.”

Daryl says the ban will likely lead to a volume of material previously unexperienced by the company.

“This will challenge our capabilities and lead to increased technology input and constraints, but we are aware of these challenges and strive to ‘make smart’ our operations and procedures,” he says.

Daryl says the ban will only be as successful as community up-take allows, highlighting EPA enforcement as key to positive realisation.

“We think the marketing strategy in place with Sustainability Victoria will bring about community and industry awareness, but this will take time.”

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – E-WASTE

Mobile extraction MOBILEMUSTER MANAGER SPYRO KALOS TALKS TO WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE RECYCLING PROCESS FOR SMARTPHONES AND THEIR REUSE POTENTIAL.

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ith recycling across the board gaining significant attention due to China’s National Sword and resulting policy changes, public trust in the process has been challenged.

“Plastic not so fantastic”, a recent 60 Minutes report, further complicated matters by suggesting the public’s recycling efforts were being wasted on dubious resource recovery.

While waste industry associations say the report didn’t paint a full picture of the Australian recycling industry or its processes, public

MobileMuster’s Spiro Kalos estimates 25 million unused mobile phones are currently sitting dormant in Australian homes.

30 / WMR / July 2019

discussion around China’s National Sword policy continues.

MobileMuster, the federally accredited product stewardship program of the mobile phone industry, is focused on educating the public about the mobile phone recycling process to further confidence in the e-waste resource recovery market and increase mobile phone recycling.

It’s a significant goal given 89 per cent of Australians own a smartphone, according to a 2018 Deloitte Mobile Survey, and many hoard their devices.

Since the product stewardship program began in 1998, MobileMuster has collected and recycled over 1400 tonnes of mobile phone components including handsets and their batteries, chargers and accessories.

To date the program has recycled over 13 million handsets.

MobileMuster works to provide free mobile phone recycling in Australia and is voluntarily funded by all major handset manufacturers and network carriers such as Apple, Google, Telstra and Samsung.

MobileMuster’s 2018 Annual Report estimates that e-waste is growing three times faster than any other waste stream in Australia. It is no surprise then that MobileMuster Manager Spyro Kalos estimates 25 million unused mobile phones are currently sitting dormant in Australian homes.

“While we know less than two per cent of mobile phones are being thrown into the general waste stream,

we need to work to reduce the number of mobiles lying dormant in storage,” Spyro says.

“There is certainly value in recovering the materials inside those phones to reduce wasted resources.”

According to Spyro, what many people don’t know, or rather don’t think about, is their smart phone contains untapped precious metals and raw material, most of which has been mined.

Additionally, smartphones contain many of the materials the waste industry and public at large are accustomed to thinking about, plastic, glass and aluminum, making them full of untapped reuse and recycling potential.

“I am a strong believer in transparency. When someone recycles their mobile phone with MobileMuster, I want them to know exactly what happens and how the various components are being processed,” Spyro says.

“We need to increase the trust of consumers because without their participation, the circular economy breaks down. The industry has an obligation to all its stakeholders to ensure best practice is used when collecting and processing products.”

MobileMuster’s recycling partner is TES, a global electronic waste recycler and lifecycle management service.

The two groups have been working together for six years.

According to Spyro, they work to maximise recovery rates and ensure

all mobile components are correctly processed.

“Through our recycling process, over 95 per cent of a mobile phone’s material re-enters the supply chain and is used for the fabrication of new products,” Spyro says.

“We transform the device’s waste components into valuable materials for reuse, which means fewer raw materials need to be extracted.”

Spyro says that when someone leaves their old device at one of MobileMuster’s 3500 public drop off points, it is collected and transported to a TES recycling facility in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane.

“The device is then disassembled into individual components including batteries, printed circuit boards, casing, screens, accessories and packaging,” Spyro says.

“None of the phones are resold, and any data left on the device is destroyed during the disassembling process.”

Spyro says components are then further processed though shredding and sorting techniques to maximise resource recovery.

“In 2017, TES started using Envirostream to process smartphone batteries, which is a difficult waste stream. At TES facilities in Melbourne, the batteries are granulated and sorted in materials for recycling,” Spyro says.

“The process recovers copper, aluminium, cobalt, nickel, lithium and plastics. The onshore solution also reduces the need to transport the batteries internationally for processing.”

In the age of smartphones and touch screens, glass is another core material in the recycling process.

“Glass from smartphones is crushed

and melted before being reused for new products or as a replacement material in construction elements like roadbase.

“Aluminium is another significant component of mobile phones, and one of the most easily recycled materials. The recycling process uses considerably less energy than producing new aluminium.”

Aluminium is melted in a furnace, with the resulting liquid aluminium placed in moulds to create new products like drink cans, bikes and car bodies.

MobileMuster recycled one million handsets last year, and according to Spyro, the organisation needs to keep that momentum going if they hope to continue effectively tackling e-waste.

“The public need to be sure that when they leave their phone with MobileMuster, almost the entire device is being reused.”

FEATURED TOPIC – E-WASTE

Genie in a bottle SHRED-TECH SALES MANAGER SEAN RICHTER TALKS TO WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE COMPANY’S 20-YEAR HISTORY IN E-WASTE RECYCLING AND DATA DESTRUCTION.

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overnments and manufactures of electronic hardware are increasingly coming under pressure to implement policies and practices around safe e-waste disposal.

E-waste’s status as a problematic waste stream has a long history. In 1976, the United States Resource Conversation and Recovery Act made it illegal to dump e-waste. Likewise,

in electronic products.

Shredding and recycling system manufacturer Shred-Tech has been in business for over 40 years. Sales Manager Sean Richter says in that time, the company has designed and manufactured some of the largest e-waste reduction systems in North America.

“These systems were originally

Electronics have become considerably smaller and lighter than Shred-Tech’s initial systems were designed for.

in 1989 the Basel Convention made it illegal to dump e-waste in developing countries.

As a Basel Convention signatory, Australia is bound to this agreement.

E-waste is also banned from landfill in Victoria, South Australia and the ACT. Legislative measures like these are incentivising recycling equipment manufactures to engineer technology and machinery capable of processing multiple material components present

32 / WMR / July 2019

designed to use high horsepower and brute force to shred and granulate everything from large main frame computers, military electronics, telecommunications equipment and high-tech electrical switching gear,” Sean says.

As electronics have become considerably smaller and lighter than Shred-Tech’s initial systems were designed for, the equipment and processes have evolved.

“Today’s systems have advanced to encompass newer technologies in reduction, usually with lower power requirements, better material handling and separation of the materials prior to smelting or electrochemical processes for extraction,” Sean says.

An end-of-life laptop or phone could expose the financial records, health records, photographs and personal communications of its prior owner.

Data and privacy is therefore a key consideration for e-waste recyclers.

According to Sean, the level of shredding provided by Shred-Tech plants makes it virtually impossible to extract data from the end material.

“Computers and telecommunications equipment are subject to massive reduction forces, shattered into hundreds of fractions and mixed with thousands of other materials before heading to final recyclers. Finding one with usable data would be like finding the genie in the bottle.”

Sean says one of the challenges with e-waste processing is how varied the waste stream is, encompassing a range of materials requiring different cleaning and processing methods.

“We have designed and built custom machines and systems ranging from portable hard drive shredders, systems that shred only circuit boards and standalone machines designed primarily for destruction purposes,” Sean says.

A key component of Shred-Tech’s business is the design of modular e-waste shredding plants.

“Our shredding systems can be custom configured using proven system

modules to meet specific capacity and separation requirements,” Sean says.

“The systems reduce and separate component material such as plastic, aluminium, copper, steel and precious metals.”

According to Sean, a typical ShredTech e-waste recycling plant starts with an incoming triage.

“The triage sorts material into type slots, such as hazardous material, material suitable for manual disassembling and resaleable components like integrated circuit chips and power supplies,” Sean says.

The next stage is primary reduction, typically completed by a large twin shaft shredder.

“The goal during primary reduction is to break the material into sortable fractions. The material is then sorted manually on pick lines or via magnets

and additional size screening devices,” Sean says.

“Ferrous-based and commingled material is then removed by an initial magnet before being sent for secondary reduction and liberation to minus 50 millimetres.”

According to Sean, there are several schools of thought on how to best achieve secondary reduction. The first is sending all ferrous based material to a high-speed reduction unit such as a ring mill.

“The ring mill liberates all ferrous material with the help of a secondary magnet and removes clean steel for resale. All remaining materials carry on to secondary reduction,” he says.

“Others like to send all material to a large four shaft shredder for liberation and final reduction. I find the high content of ferrous material in

this stream results in accelerated wear, however, and leads to high maintenance costs for the four-shaft shredder.”

Following this, material fines are removed by screeners, which eliminates all particles minus two to five millimetres. Sean says removing fines enables increased tuning of the downstream separators.

“All material is then passed over by an eddy current for aluminium removal.

Additionally, the stream is then sorted manually to ensure the highest purity of aluminium for resale.”

Remaining materials such as circuit boards, copper and plastic continue to further separation. “The plant then optically sorts using a wide variety of technologies that specifically targets plastic of colour, green circuit boards, wire, copper and other materials into various resalable streams,” Sean says.

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – PLASTIC RECYCLING

Plastic priority ENVORINEX MANAGING DIRECTOR JENNY BROWN HAS OPENED TASMANIA’S FIRST SOFT PLASTIC RECYCLING PLANT IN INDUSTRIAL HUB BELL BAY.

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ell Bay is an industrial centre and deep-water port in north Tasmania, best known for its 63-year-old aluminium smelter.

The smelter has a production capacity of 178,000 tonnes per year and supports much of the employment in the region. Other residents include mining and metal companies, timber producers and TasPorts. The 2500-hectare bay is Tasmania’s largest industrial precinct.

To support the region, Envorinex has opened Tasmania’s first soft plastic recycling plant.

The plant will source material from Tasmania’s agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture and industrial industries in an attempt to close the plastic loop and facilitate growth.

Envorinex has been operating in Tasmania since Managing Director Jenny Brown purchased the plant and equipment following the closure of SVP Industries in 2009.

“Tasmania has a large industrial and

Tasmania’s geography creates makes interstate transportation costly.

34 / WMR / July 2019

commercial industry sector and the state produces a lot of waste, much of which couldn’t be locally recycled before,” Jenny says.

Tasmania’s island geography creates an impost on interstate transportation.

Sending waste across the Tasman is expensive, even prohibitively so, and given the lack of market value for soft plastics, largely unsustainable.

“We thought it important to work around that reality and develop a solution to the excess,” Jenny says.

Supporting the state’s industrial and commercial industries was a driving motivation behind commissioning the new facility.

“The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation is doing a lot of great work in the state to increase the recycling rates and product stewardship of packaging, so we didn’t feel it necessary to get involved in that space,” Jenny says.

“There is a lot of industry in this area so we decided to design a plant

to work with that – sourcing from industrial, commercial, aquacultural and horticultural sites and also producing products they can buy.”

To turn her idea into reality, Jenny enlisted the help of Applied Machinery, which designed and supplied the plant and equipment, offering Envorinex a complete turnkey proposal.

Envorinex and Applied Machinery have worked together for over a decade after Applied Machinery supplied the recycler with a Genox shredder in 2009.

Applied Machinery recommended, and eventually supplied, a fully integrated Genox plastic washing system. Jenny says the plant is designed to recover rigid and flexible plastics, including those with high contamination levels.

“The plant design is modular, meaning we could configure the setup and individual components based on our specific application needs,” Jenny says.

It includes a four-stage washing system with a pre-washer, floatsink washing tanks and horizontal friction washer. Additionally, Applied Machinery sourced a centrifugal dryer, film press and trommel screen.

The Genox washing plant is suited to post-consumer and industrial products, facilitating the production of high purity and low moisture flakes and pellets for sale or reprocessing.

“Applied Machinery were really great to work with. They even took us to the Genox manufacturing plant in Guangzhou China to source specific

components and learn about the product,” Jenny says.

“It was an informative trip as we were able to observe all of the processes and people that contribute to manufacturing a plant of this scale. We also travelled to Beijing where we inspected a similar line in operation.”

Jenny says after the official order was made, Genox representatives visited the Envorinex factory to provide assistance and optimise the line’s layout.

Additionally, after the line was complete, Envorinex and Applied Machinery travelled to the Genox plant to observe it in operation prior to shipping.

Jenny says the plant’s pre-washing system was a key factor in Envorinex’s decision to purchase the equipment.

“The pre-washer removes a large portion of abrasive material, which

protects the rest of the system and enables a longer life,” Jenny says.

“The high-speed washing system then liberates and separates contamination from film flakes.”

According to Jenny, the resulting material has a less than five per cent moisture rate, making it perfect for high quality pelletising.

“Applied was very proactive on this project and committed to fulfilling our specific requirements from the get go,” Jenny says.

“Envorinex produces very little waste and what we do produce is recycled back into our products.

The new plant will help us keep that sustainability going.”

The new Bell Bay plant is capable of processing 500 kilograms of material an hour. Jenny says the facility will therefore be able to process 1500

tonnes of plastic film a year.

“The fully integrated washing system Applied Machinery supplied has a modular design, meaning Envorinex could easily double that capacity if needed,” she adds.

The plant can process a variety of plastic films including silage wrap, plastic film, fertiliser bags, shrink wrap and plastic bags, turning them into plastic pellets for use in multiple products.

“The pellets will be used in our existing products like our permeable pavement grids, and once we’re totally up and running we are going to start manufacturing a new line of fence posts,” Jenny says.

“We can then sell those products back into the markets they were sourced from which can be recycled again in another 30 years.”

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – WASTE TO ENERGY

Renewable focus RESOURCECO HAS APPOINTED LEADING EXPERT HENRY ANNING TO ITS NEWLY CREATED ENERGY ARM TO SPEARHEAD RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS.

A

s more Australian businesses seek genuine alternative energy solutions, international alternative fuels leader ResourceCo has moved to provide further industry support.

Earlier this year, clean energy expert Henry Anning took on the newly created role of Chief Executive Officer of ResourceCo’s “specialised” energy arm.

Henry previously led the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s (CEFC) bioenergy platform and oversaw the investment of more than $400 million in energy projects – worth a billion dollars in the sector. This included

Henry Anning previously led Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s (CEFC) bioenergy platform.

36 / WMR / July 2019

supporting ResourceCo’s vision to roll out and build new Processed Engineered Fuel (PEF) manufacturing plants Australia-wide, including its latest plant at Wetherill Park in Sydney.

He was also an Associate Director at Low Carbon Australia, where he focused on bioenergy sector finance and industry engagement.

Henry says it’s an exciting time to be joining ResourceCo, as the company’s waste-derived fuel provides a unique solution for the manufacturing sector.

“Businesses are needing low-cost, long-term renewable energy solutions fast as soaring gas and electricity prices are really hurting them. For many, gas prices have increased four-fold over the last five years,” he says.

Henry explains that there are a lot of manufacturers who are using natural gas, in particular, for heat, such as hot water, steam or hot air.

He says manufacturers have expressed their frustration about the uncertainty surrounding gas prices, market volatility and short-term energy fixes.

“Manufacturers and other high energy users are wanting certainty on lower energy prices and ResourceCo is uniquely placed to provide a lower cost, renewable, long-term energy solution.”

In response to these market demands, ResourceCo is expanding its suite of 24 plants across Australia and South-East Asia by developing new energy plants with biomass boilers to use PEF. The product is manufactured mainly from timber waste materials but also includes cardboard, paper, textiles and plastics.

At its own cost, ResourceCo can install a waste-derived fuel biomass boiler between five to 40 megawatts, effectively combusting waste timber from construction, demolition, commercial and industrial sites. Henry says that this provides customers with over a 90 per cent renewable heat source as an alternative to gas and significantly reduces energy costs.

“We are targeting businesses who are using between 100 thousand gigajoules or a petajoule of natural gas.

“By setting up the infrastructure of the energy plant, owning and operating it for the customer, we’re taking away any responsibility for capital costs while demonstrating responsible environmental management.”

Subject to the approval process and depending on the scale of the new plant, ResourceCo estimates construction will take up to 18 months.

“It’s about us being a long-term energy partner, providing a fixed cost solution and allowing the manufacturer to focus on their core business,” Henry says.

“These businesses have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into their own facilities and need certainty about their energy costs as well as assurance they’re receiving a quality product.”

Henry says while there are other biomass feedstocks on the market, ResourceCo’s waste derived fuel is a fantastic environmental and business solution that is cost effective, simple and reliable.

PEF aims to be a cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels.

ResourceCo’s proven track record as a leading provider of alternative waste fuels is demonstrated by its long-term partnerships with major companies such as Boral, Adelaide Brighton Cement, Suez and Cleanaway.

“We’ve been providing PEF to major industrial customers for more than 10 years and strong business-to-business relationships are critical and a top priority,” Henry says.

“We know where our PEF is going,

that it’s being used properly, and has the full backing by the environmental regulators in each jurisdiction, both locally and overseas.”

ResourceCo only takes construction demolition and commercial industrial waste and deals directly with the customer.

Its business model is to ensure a strong chain of custody, environmental compliance and investment in local communities.

The company recycles more than 95 per cent of incoming materials while processing over two million tonnes of materials annually. Its alternative fuel complies with the requirements of the Australian Governments Clean Energy Regulator under the Emissions Reduction Fund.

“Heat is too often a forgotten energy in Australia, with electricity regularly

being the focus of policy discussions to reduce emissions,” Henry says.

“PEF is a proven and successful technology, with hundreds of plants throughout Europe using wastederived fuel for heat and electricity.”

He says that the waste-to-energy market is earmarked to become more sophisticated over the next five years, as the sector continues to experience significant growth.

“To achieve zero waste and carbon emissions is of course the ultimate goal and while this in reality is a long way off, major steps must be taken by the sector now to move towards long-term solutions.

“Future and consistent recognition of the different types of waste to energy available in the market is vital to show this is a much better solution than landfill.”

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – C&D RECYCLING

Brooklyn bound SUNSHINE GROUPE OPERATIONS MANAGER COLIN RILEY TELLS WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW HOW THE RISE IN CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE PROMPTED HIS LATEST PURCHASE.

The Terra Select W80 mobile windsifter separates stone from wood materials.

W

ith capital injections at a state and federal level, the Australian construction industry is booming.

Capital influx, paired with growing public consciousness around the impacts of waste and the reality of finite resources, has led to an increased number of construction companies seeking sustainable solutions for their construction and demolition (C&D) waste.

Located within 10-kilometres of the Melbourne CBD, Sunshine Groupe’s Brooklyn recycling site has become a hub for the city’s C&D waste.

Operations Manager Colin Riley says C&D is now one of the company’s most commonly received waste streams.

“We are heavily invested in safeguarding the community and

38 / WMR / July 2019

the environment through recycling, and as such need effective and accurate equipment to separate heavy impurities from the material we want to process,” Colin says.

“I’ve been working at Sunshine Groupe for over 20 years and the rise in C&D is substantial. A number of challenges come with that, given the material’s high variability and substantial weight.”

Colin says the scale of the Brooklyn site is what inspired the need for a new piece of mobile sifting equipment.

“We already have lot of fixed processing equipment on site but are dealing with significant space and multiple stockpiles. Transporting waste around the site to access that fixed equipment was becoming unsustainable,” Colin says.

“After consulting with GCM Enviro, we decided to purchase a moveable Terra Select W80 Windsifter four months ago and it really solved that issue for us.”

The Terra Select W80 mobile windsifter separates stones from wood materials, wood from building rubble and impurities from aggregate.

“We depend on cleanly separated feedstock so recycled components can be further processed.

“Our situation is therefore ideally suited to separation via windsifting,” Colin says.

Sunshine Groupe uses the Terra Select windsifter to process roughly 50,000 tonnes of material each day.

“The Terra Select outperforms all other windsifters I’ve used and has far exceeded my expectations,” Colin says.

The sifter can achieve a throughput of up to 120 cubic metres per hour and has an adjustable level of cleaning of up to 95 per cent, with an optimum feed grain size of one to four.

In addition to its own feed hopper, the mobile windsifter also has an integrated metering roller that Colin says enables fast turnaround times.

“The machine has flexible options for feeding material, which we can adjust depending on the specifics of what we are working with at the time,” Colin says.

“It can be adjusted to work either at an angle with a wheel loader or an upstream screening plant. The dosing roller then evenly feeds the material

from the hopper to the windsifter.”

If required, the discharge conveyor of the separator can be fitted with a magnet to remove metals from building rubble, further highlighting its application use for varied waste streams like C&D. The machine is controlled centrally via a modern display, with all machine components readily accessible due to large maintenance hatches.

Additionally, it is driven by its own high-output diesel engine, which supports total mobile function.

“It’s a mobile machine in every sense of the word and can be completely set up and functional within a short space of time for new locations or feedstock changeover. It also has road approval for offsite operations,” Colin says.

In addition to separation, the windsifting process protects other machines and plants by removing heavy debris before later processing stages.

When dealing with stone or concrete for example, sifting removes potentially harmful objects, purifies the material before crushing and leads to a longer shelf life for all machinery involved.

“GCM Enviro really pulled through for us. We told them what we needed, and they delivered on all fronts,” Colin says.

“GCM is based in NSW but being interstate hasn’t caused any issues. The servicing and parts department is really on the ball. If we make a spare or extra parts order, it arrives the following day.”

Colin says while he hasn’t needed to take them up on the offer yet, GCM Enviro has committed to sending service and maintenance teams down to Melbourne if any issues arise.

“I’ve been in the industry for over two decades and have seen a lot of equipment,” Colin says.

“The Terra Select W80 works so well because it takes a lot of different technology types and combines them, really expanding the capabilities of a relatively small machine.”

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – BINS

Streamlined for strength WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW EXPLORES HOW ACT BINS IS TACKLING POPULATION GROWTH IN QUEENSLAND AND COLLECTION BIN STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS.

I

n 2017-18, Queensland generated 10.9 million tonnes of waste. This, paired with the fact South East Queensland is experiencing one of the highest rates of population growth in the country, has made waste management a key policy priority for the state government.

The Queensland Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy outlines that over the next three years, the state government will invest $100 million into waste management facilities, including upgrading collection services and investing in smoother operations.

With a dedicated team of engineers and welders, ACT Industrial remains well placed to tackle the collection and recycling challenges of the private sector and local government.

The company integrates and tests

the latest manufacturing systems to ensure high-quality welding and workmanship for quality assurance.

The company notes that it manufactures high-quality and strong pre-fabricated steel sheds, factories, warehouses, workshops and other steel structures 500 square metres and above. It also strives to manufacture high-strength and long-lasting waste bins.

ACT’s front lift bins are manufactured using cold rolled sheet steel and durability tested industrial lids. The hooklift bins are manufactured using hollow rectangular steel that runs down both sides to provide reinforced strength, which aim to facilitate greater load weights.

According to ACT Business Development Manager Phil Volich,

ACT Industrial integrates and tests the latest manufacturing systems to ensure high quality workmanship for quality assurance.

40 / WMR / July 2019

the level of quality, design and materials used ensure their bins are some of the best for value on the Australian market.

“We service a lot of clients such as Sims Metal Management, Avon Waste, Recycling Metal Industries and Busby’s Recycling. It’s very rare that someone sends a bin back for manufacturing faults,” Phil Says.

“They come back because of use wear and tear, but almost never do they need structural repair.”

All ACT bins are welded to Australian Standards EN 12079 and available in a high-performance industrial enamel coating.

Phil says ACT assigns a specific representative to each client, who is tasked with continuously managing the account.

“Our representatives are really knowledgeable, plus working with the same person every time means the process runs smoothly as application requirements are already understood,” Phil says.

According to Phil, his representatives often receive odd job requests from clients.

“ACT facilitates those orders by having engineers design custom bins based on the specific job requirements,” Phil says.

“ACT also keeps the corporate colours of major customers in stock,

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meaning they don’t have to wait long for a bin to be painted after making an order.”

Phil says ACT stores a substantial range of bins at their facilities, ensuring bins customers require are always in stock and orders can be made without prior warning.

“Customers are able to make a large order, for example 10 4.5-cubic-metre front lift bins and fifteen 30-cubic-metre hook lift bins, and straight away we provide them with a quote,” Phil says.

“Within two to three weeks the product will be at the gate ready to go – it’s all very straightforward.”

ACT Bins is also one of Cleanaway’s suppliers in Queensland. Cleanaway’s Gold Coast depot Operations Manager Tim Groves has been working in the waste industry for over 10 years and observed collection capacityspeed demandand grow. eme accuracy, consistency of cut, combined with very low operating “The level of material facilities like way ours are havingyour to business to the next level. ew HLF fiber laser is the perfect to take acy,Yawei speed combined with very low operating dealand withconsistency is going up andofupcut, every year,” Tim says.

HLF fiber laser is the perfect way to take your business to the next level.

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Tim says this largely involves general waste, polypropylene flexible packaging material recyclable material and bulk waste. ty German built Precitec auto-focus cutting head, IPG laser source, Siemens Pelletising system with integrated cutter eliminates “Being on the Gold Coast, we service a large ntroller and a fabricated, stress-relieved fully annealed frame it really is a cut above built Precitec auto-focus cutting head, IPG laser of source, Siemens need for pre-cutting population and as you’d imagine, a large amount a fabricated, annealed frame it really is a cut above waste.stress-relieved Reliable equipmentfully is therefore crucial for the 100% of pellets reusable straight back into your success of our operations,” Tim says. production line “Reliability and quality go hand in hand, so we use steel ACT Bins products for both our front lift and Minimal material degradation without affecting rmation: hooklift trucks.” material properties 8066 The Gold Coast Cleanaway facility uses the full ACT appliedmachinery.com.au range of front lift bins for commercial general waste, pliedmachinery.com.au hinery.com.au and numerous sizes of hooklift bin for construction and with us socially ery.com.audemolition waste, horse manure, scrap metal andConnect sand.

“ACT specifically designs their bins for industry and Connect with us socially waste services, so they are able to withstand a significant 22/12/16 9:27 am amount of force and movement,” Tim says.

22/12/16 9:27 am

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TRANSPORT

On-the-ground support KYOGLE COUNCIL HAS FOUND A WAY TO SAFELY SECURE ITS EXCAVATORS AT GROUND LEVEL, PROVIDING BACKUP SUPPORT FOR ITS WASTE TRANSPORTATION AND MAXIMISING PAYLOADS.

The Palfinger T18A multipurpose hookloader allows loads to be secured safely at ground level.

A

bout one hour west of Byron Bay in NSW lies the town of Kyogle.

Known for its quaint villages and scenic rural drives, the Kyogle region forms an integral part of the state’s rural landscape.

To maintain services for the community, the local council performs regular public infrastructure works.

As part of these works, Kyogle

42 / WMR / July 2019

Council drivers transport excavators to its various job sites around the region, in addition to moving around 30 tonnes of waste materials per week and gravel products.

Operators were previously manually lifting two aluminium ramps weighing 60 to 70 kilograms to transport their excavator. The operator would then have to travel down the ramps creating a potential safety hazard.

Robert James, Kyogle Council Plant and Depot Co-ordinator, says that the council resolved to ensure its practises aligned with Work Health and Safety practises.

Around eight months ago, Robert and the council workshop staff sat down to discuss solutions to the problem. After weighing up its options, council identified the Palfinger T18A multipurpose hookloader as

“Buying quality equipment makes our plant more profitable as we can move more materials faster.

Where we used to use our low loader we can use this for shifting other machinery a lot quicker, easier and safer.”

Robert James Kyogle Council Plant and Depot Co-ordinator

the best option as it allows loads to be secured at ground level.

Robert says that council ordered the T18A around November last year and it arrived in May, with its performance already supporting onsite improvements.

Kyogle Council operates one landfill site at Kyogle and three transfer stations at Bonalbo, Woodenbong and Mallanganee.

In addition to its safety benefits, the hookloader also provides a necessary backup for the council’s waste transport activities, reducing downtime for the four facilities. Robert says the hookloader is capable of transporting a range of materials such as municipal solid waste and scrap metal.

“Previously when we wanted to source a truck it was very difficult to do so in a short period of time,” Robert says.

“Our primary purpose is excavation activities so it was a bonus to have a hookloader for additional landfill work if we have to.”

Robert adds that the Palfinger T18A Hookloader also allows drivers to refuel at ground level.

He says the hookloader is considerably lighter than the previous truck. The slightly smaller hookloader means the unit itself is lighter and therefore allows for greater

payload before the maximum tare load is reached.

The Palfinger T18A is designed with high-tensile steel which reduces hookloader weight and lowers fuel usage.

“Buying quality equipment makes our plant more profitable as we can move more materials faster,” Robert says.

The council is also using the machine to transport other heavy machinery such as tractors, mowers and loaders.

“Where we used to use our low loader we can use this for shifting other machinery a lot quicker, easier and safer,” Robert says.

He says that due to its added safety features, the unit offers ease of operation and streamlined controls.

The unit’s low build and compact subframe enables a low centre of gravity for safer working conditions.

A mechanical safety latch secures the container from falling off during loading and unloading.

“The Palfinger system has a foolproof locking system that keeps machinery such as excavators safely stowed within the back of the truck.”

Robert adds that it was also important to use a system that was simple and easy to train new drivers on, with the drivers adjusting well to

the new system. An ergonomic and intuitive cab ensures all check lights are under control.

The T18 unit is equipped with an articulated arm, allowing the hookloader to lift a load in tight spaces due to its lower clearance height while also reducing load sliding.

“It makes it a lot safer to drop bins off too because the angles aren’t as high due to an articulated arm.”

The Palfinger telescopic T18A supports the use of containers with a variety of lengths, including from 3000 to 7380 millimetres. The telescopic hookloaders allows for increased tipping capacity through bipoint units. Its articulated arm enables a lower loading angle.

While the use of a Hookloader vs trailer is in its early stages, Robert says the ease of ordering and truck delivery from Gough Palfinger has been excellent.

“Glen Woodrow, Account Manager at Gough Palfinger, has been exceptional in providing a timely service delivery.”

Fast Fact Palfinger is able to offer hookloaders to suit a desired application, from the telescoping loaders for different container lengths loading, to its telescopic A systems which can handle shorter containers.

For increased safety, articulated arms allow very low loading angles and avoid load sliding, while offering under-roof and under-floor loading.

Hydraulic locking secures the containers in the front while the crane operates, with tank containers or containers with hydraulic devices for very high and long containers. Cab controls are ergonomic and intuitive and offer magnetic fastening while thin cables facilitate cab control manipulation.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 43

SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS

Coles team member Xavier uses an anaerobic digester being trialled at its Southland Store in Melbourne.

Scaling up COLES TELLS WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE SUPERMARKET’S INITIATIVES TO TACKLE FOOD WASTE, INTRODUCE RECYCLABLE PACKAGING AND DIVERT WASTE FROM LANDFILL.

T

he commercial and industrial (C&I) sector generated around 20.4 million tonnes of waste in 2018.

Within this landscape, the large supermarkets are taking great strides to reduce their own back-of-house general waste, divert food waste from landfill and embed more sustainable practises into their own products.

Coles is one organisation with the scale to make a difference. The morethan-100-year old supermarket chain serves millions of customers through more than 820 retail outlets around the country. Through investment in experienced sustainability strategists, the company has mobilised its stakeholders to work towards several ambitious targets.

44 / WMR / July 2019

Vikas Ahuja was approached

by Coles five years ago to take on the role of Head of Energy and Sustainability at Coles head office in Melbourne.

An engineer by trade, Vikas has worked in various areas, including in government policy around renewables and running his own sustainable consulting business within an infrastructure engineering company.

Having analysed the onset of climate change from a variety of lenses, including policy and finance, Vikas is now tackling it from a retail perspective.

“As a national retailer, our commitment is to respond to what our customers are asking

for. The feedback we get is that food waste and packaging are the two most significant issues for sustainability,” Vikas explains.

In 2018, Coles set a target to divert 90 per cent of its waste from landfill by 2022. It also set a task to halve its food waste from Coles supermarkets by 2020 and recently announced it had hit this milestone one year earlier than planned.

The targets form part of Coles’ food waste and packaging strategy, which sets out commitments that include donating unsold edible food from every Coles supermarket, ensuring all Coles brand packaging is recyclable by 2020 and working with suppliers to reduce food waste.

Vikas says that in 2018, Coles

diverted more than 70 per cent of its waste from landfill.

In ensuring all packaging is recyclable by 2020, Vikas says that 80 per cent of Coles Brand, fresh produce and meat packaging is already recyclable via kerbside or its in-store soft plastics Redcycle program. The company is now working through the remaining products.

He says that through this process, it will be critical that food meets safety standards, is convenient for customers and minimises unnecessary waste.

The remaining 20 per cent includes traditionally challenging areas such as PET meat trays, with Coles looking at a program to move all of its packaging out of expanded polystyrene.

Since 2014, Coles Brand fresh beef, pork and lamb mince has used Plantic – a material recyclable through kerbside that contains a renewable raw material and a mixed of recycled PET. To reduce food waste, Coles has partnered with food rescue organisations SecondBite and Foodbank.

SecondBite is connected to 95 per cent of Coles supermarkets, and 100 per cent of distribution centres are either connected to SecondBite or Foodbank.

Last year, the company donated close to 20 million meals to food rescue organisations. Coles then upped the ante and recently announced its 100 million meals target by 2020 had also been achieved a year earlier than planned.

“This accomplishment comes off the back of us better aligning our processes with SecondBite and Foodbank,” Vikas says.

“This accomplishment comes off the back of us better aligning our processes with SecondBite and

Foodbank,” Vikas says.

For example, Coles broccoli and cauliflower rice, carrot and pumpkin noodles use vegetables that do not meet the specifications for the whole vegetable products.

Coles Brand banana bread also uses 600 tonnes of bananas per annum, which may have otherwise gone to landfill.

As part of its plans to accelerate its food waste strategy, Vikas says Coles is looking at a number of options.

These include tackling food that presents a food safety risk.

“For the stores that have instore cutting of meat, the remaining fat and bone are collected by companies that typically will render it into pet food which helps us stay connected to our community,” he says.

Vikas says that Coles is currently actively trialling a range of technologies, including digesters, dehydrators and waste-to-energy to manage waste in store not suitable for human consumption and where stockfeed barriers exist.

Instore anaerobic digesters are being trialled at three Coles stores, including Southland and Surrey Hills in Melbourne and Shell Harbour in NSW. At Coles local in Surrey Hills, Melbourne, the company is trialling the digesters as part of a zero-food waste initiative.

Coles has also partnered with waste-to-energy companies EarthPower in NSW and Richgro in Perth.

Vikas says the company is now turning its focus to looking at additional partners in other states as well as potentially small-scale wasteto-energy at individual supermarkets.

One of Coles’ most best-known initiatives was its ban on single-use plastic bags, introduced in 1 July 2018. Since then, more than 1.7

Vikas Ahuja was approached by Coles five years ago to take on the role of Head of Energy and Sustainability at Coles head office in Melbourne.

billion single-use bags have been removed from circulation.

Vikas says that the plastic bag ban has been successful well beyond what could have been imagined.

He attributes this to two reasons, with one being the mobilisation of businesses such as Coles, waste managers, bag providers and the public at large all working together to address the issue.

The second is creating good consumer habits, with behaviour change occurring over time.

In terms of improving on its bag reductions, Vikas says that Coles is currently looking at a range of options, including bags with high proportions of recyclable content.

Vikas says Coles remains closely aligned the National 2025 Packaging Targets, which is helping government, business, waste management service providers, recycling companies and supply chains work towards entirely recyclable, reusable or compostable materials.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 45

SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS

Food for soil

BY INTRODUCING FOOD WASTE RECYCLING AND A DEDICATED SUSTAINABILITY PORTFOLIO, THE MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND IS HITTING MORE THAN 75 PER CENT LANDFILL DIVERSION.

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nown simply as the “G”, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) attracts more than three million people each year.

With a capacity bigger than most regional towns, the seven-day-aweek stadium is often filled to the brim, hosting major AFL matches, cricket, concerts and Australian and international soccer.

But its ability to manage its waste in a smarter way is largely a hidden success story, reducing total waste produced by 259 tonnes, despite increasing its patron numbers by 197,214 in 2018.

Such was its commitment to waste management that it pragmatically invested in three compactors to prevent waste going to landfill.

Vince Macolino, the MCG’s Environmental Sustainability Specialist,

The MCG installed a food dehydrator with a three-year payback period.

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says that in one isolated occurrence, the stadium was advised through its contractor KS Environmental that its recycler was no longer operating from midday on a Saturday and were closed on Sunday.

“As an events-based business, we operate Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Our biggest days are Saturday and Sunday and we can have 90,000 people on Saturday that generate waste that needs to be recycled,” Vince explains.

“The only option was to send it to landfill but for us at the Melbourne Cricket Club that’s not an option – we’re not taking steps backward, we’re going forward. So in discussions with KS, we realised that if we buy new compactors, we could store the waste and send it to Dandenong to be stored until the facility opened on Monday.”

Its merely a small aspect of the MCG’s achievements – a stadium that set itself a key performance indicator of 75 per cent landfill diversion and surpassed it in 2018.

Since joining the MCG at the end of 2013, Vince has helped raise the bar with support from the team, lifting its diversion rate by 15 per cent from what was just 20 to 30 per cent a decade ago.

Eliminating plastic straws, recycling organic waste onsite and spreading the subsequent compost on the surrounding lawn are just a few of the recent achievements of the MCG. The MCG has about 26 different

Vince Macolino recently moved into the MCG’s new sustainability role.

waste streams that are separated and processed.

Most recently, it demonstrated its commitment to sustainability by creating a dedicated sustainability portfolio, as Vince moved on from his role as venue presentation coordinator.

He says that one of the MCG’s proud achievements was the installation of a food dehydrator.

After taking the initiative in 2016 to audit the stadium’s waste management processes, Vince took a tour of major food waste recycling sites, including the Melbourne Zoo, Melbourne University and Degraves Street.

“We found out that the Gaia unit would be best for the waste we’re generating out of our operations.

Due to the amount of organic waste we were processing, it was a threeyear payback period.”

Since then, the MCG has

implemented a “zero waste to landfill” approach at its corporate suites, collecting all organics waste and processing it via the dehydrator.

Introducing Method recycling bins to promote good source separation, the MCG went from sending 120 80-litre organics bins to landfill per event to nothing on its corporate suite level. The dehydrator unit produces a compost known as SoilFood which is spread on the MCG’s surrounding parkland – Yarra Park.

“By blending SoilFood with sand to create a good ratio and spreading it through the park, we no longer need to transport the majority of our organic waste to compost facilities. We’ve potentially freed up space at those facilities for other users and closed the loop, while applying a highly nutritional soil food to the park lands,” Vince says.

From Boxing Day 2018, the MCG phased out plastic straws in partnership

with Epicure. It has also begun trialling chemical-free sprays that ISS Facilities Services have implemented which reduced the amount of chemicals required to clean the stadium.

A bin washing water unit was also installed that saves more than 1000 litres per day. Rather than just establishing soft plastics collection through the Redcycle program, the MCG has taken it a step further to purchase bollards for Yarra Park made from the material through Replas.

Vince says the MCG will continue to improve its processes and reduce contamination into the future, as he attended this year’s Waste 2019 conference to discover some of the industry’s latest innovations.

He says that the MCG is now working with Epicure to put on sustainable ambassadors at event days that would inspect bins and engage and educate staff to reduce contamination.

The stadium is now looking at a

range of options for compostable packaging. Vince remains optimistic that big changes are on their way.

While the MCG hit 83 per cent diversion in 2018, Vince hopes to one day reach 90 per cent. This may include looking at new areas such as compostable bins, further engaging with patrons and spreading environmental messaging by tackling what Vince says are the little “one per cents”.

“Moving into the role of environmental and sustainability specialist has given me the opportunity to look at the strategy of the MCG for the next three to five years and put together more policies and governance in this space.”

“Looking at it from a procurement point of view and getting our environmental management system up and running will set some clear direction and targets and a vision to drive us into the future.”

The MCG transforms organic waste into compost spread on its surrounding parkland.

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INTERNATIONAL

Designing an organics collection scheme ITALIAN COMPOSTING AND BIOGAS ASSOCIATION EXPERT MARCO RICCIJÜRGENSEN EXPLAINS THE LESSONS LEARNT FROM 20 YEARS OF ORGANICS COLLECTION AND BIOGAS PROCESSING.

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s with many EU tales, Italy’s story of advancing organics recycling began with a major legislative change that triggered the market signals for change.

In 1997, the Italian national Decree n° 22 established extender producer responsibility schemes for packaging waste, hazardous and recycling targets requesting municipalities recycle at least 65 per cent of municipal solid waste (MSW) by 2006.

To reach these targets, the waste industry moved to collect biowaste separately and recycle them into compost and anaerobic digestion.

Between 1997 and 2017, the amount of organic waste collected increased 10-fold, with processing facilities growing from 30 in 1997 to 300 in 2015 to cover a total treatment capacity of 8.1 million tones.

During the transition the Italian Composting and Biogas Association, established in 1992, helped promote biowaste recycling and prevention.

Marco Ricci-Jürgensen, who is a senior expert with the association since 2012, has been at the forefront of change for the past 20 years.

He has been a consultant on solid waste issues in continents such as Europe, Latin America and Asia. At the Australian Organics Recycling Association National Conference, Marco shared the Italian story.

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Marco tells Waste Management Review that strong market signals helped make it happen.

“Disposal costs for residual waste have moved higher in the last 20 years due to higher gate fees on landfilling, incineration and landfill taxes which make any kind of recycling activity more economically convenient and sustainable,” Marco explains.

When Italian councils started introducing food and garden waste collection, they redesigned these schemes to drop the frequency of their residual waste schemes and used these savings to collect food waste.

By focusing on food waste only, the recycling industry was able to capture more of its materials for recycling.

Marco says that one of the lessons he learnt in his active career in compost and biogas was a need to be flexible, especially the way organics are sorted and collected. What may work in one region may not in another, as specific user habits and waste composition can vary.

He says that reducing residual waste collection frequency as low as possible was a preference and a key element when introducing separate collection schemes, leading to an economically sustainable solution for MSW management.

He believes that food waste only works best with collections of once a week for colder climates, such as in Milan, and more frequently

Italy’s 65 per cent MSW waste target inspired separate organic waste collection.

for warmer conditions.

“In southern Italy, this can mean food collection three times per week because of the weather conditions.”

Home composting and garden waste drop-offs better support demand, he says, preventing excessive garden waste being collected. It also turns out to be less cost intensive for municipalities.

Over the past decade, intensive source separation of biowaste was extended to medium/large towns in Italy and its metropolitan population, reaching recycling rates of up to 150 kilograms per capita for food and green waste.

As at 2016, Italy’s biowaste recycling accounted for 42 per cent of all MSW segregated.

According to Marco, the City of Milan has one of the best food waste collections in Europe, marked by its diversion from disposal and quality of the organic feedstock. As the most populous Italian city outside of Rome, its 1.36 million inhabitants have been supported by a 65 per cent separate food waste collection rate in 2018.

While the composting sector has been successfully operating in Italy for 25 years, Marco says in the past 10 years the organics recycling industry has moved towards increased anaerobic digestion. This has been recycled to a renewable fuel such as biogas with the residual solid and liquid digestate being composted.

Biogas is now being upgraded to biomethane – with the same quality as natural gas sent to Italy’s national grid that can be used to fuel cars, trucks and electricity.

The city implemented a biowaste collection to transform its residual waste into energy and compot. With food waste management a key factor in the city’s food policy, the council collects 100 kilograms per capita of

Marco Ricci-Jurgensen says the average distance to recycling markets is about 30 kilometres.

food waste, equating to about 140,000 of tonnes per annum. About 30 per cent of this is derived from commercial activities and schools while the majority is residential.

Italy has mandated the use of paper or compostable bioplastics for shoppers and liners to ensure the materials break down in industrial composting facilities. The market for bio-based and biodegradable plastics is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

Marco says that the Italian Composting and Biogas Association has official data which shows that once you substitute plastic liners with compostable plastic liners, the impurities drop on average from nine to two per cent.

“This means the compostable liner is educating households to sort better and sort more. For us it was a win-win situation.

“You get more food waste into the scheme and the feedstock for composting is significantly cleaner and this makes the recycling process easier.”

Marco says that together with Germany, parts of Spain, Austria

and Sweden, Italy is now one of the most advanced countries in Europe for composting.

He says independent quality assurance is important, creating confidence in consumers and allowing national composting organisations to understand their facilities.

“A common understanding among European composting organisation is that we have to start from quality feedstock – nobody is producing quality compost from mixed waste so separate collection is a must,” he says.

“We need to keep physical impurities such as plastics, metals, glass and stones inside the biowaste as low as possible at the gate of the facility.”

Marco’s advice for Australia is to continue to create the market signals in the form of gate fees – a challenge impeded by the nation’s distance to markets. He says that in Italy, the average distance to market is 30 kilometres. Marco’s message to those sceptical of FOGO collections is that households will only participate if the scheme is designed correctly and information is readily available.

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – TURNKEY SOLUTIONS

Taking the eco road ECO RESOURCES IS DOUBLING ITS OUTPUT, REDUCING CONTAMINATION AND IMPROVING SAFETY WITH THE INSTALLATION OF AN AUSTRALIAN MADE PICKING, SORTING AND RECYCLING FACILITY.

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ince starting off as a small site cleaning business in 2006, ECO Resources has made significant inroads in the construction, demolition and general inert recycling space.

The Perth-based company has over the past decade grown through a combination of key acquisitions and organic growth to become a major construction and demolition (C&D) waste management company and multi-user recycling business.

Since the launch of ECO’s first resources facility in 2011, the company has diverted significant volumes of C&D waste from landfill, servicing more than 200 businesses in Perth, including local councils, waste collectors and construction and demolition businesses.

Supporting and diverting more than 500,000 cubic metres of waste from landfill each year, ECO is focused on growing its landfill diversion rates beyond 93 per cent with $6 million of investment approved for 2019.

The company partners with Perth suppliers of reconstituted building blocks and produces recycled sand and roadbase compliant with Main Roads WA and state government requirements.

Steve Hyams, a consultant for ECO Resources, says the company’s ownership structure is unique to the waste industry. He says that ECO’s love of logistics and all things mechanical, combined with a passion for the environment, has been the foundation for its growth.

The company’s environmental focus

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The new plant allows ECO Resources to double its output in safety, volume and quality.

prompted a review of collected waste streams, existing disposal options and recycling performance.

“The team identified that large quantities of C&D waste were heading to landfill and after meeting with similar local businesses, the team launched ECO’s first C&D recycling facility at Naval Base in Perth’s south,” Steve explains.

Following this review, the ECO team adopted a plan to eliminate reliance on third party disposal, develop C&D recovery and treatment capacity, diversify the business to cover the whole lifecycle of waste, along with a number of other benchmarks.

To increase its involvement in the C&D market, ECO Resources invested in a new picking, sorting and recycling facility. The new facility doubles its output in safety, volume and quality, while reducing contaminants and residual waste. The plant will allow the company to improve its sorting and segregating of C&D waste at its Hope Valley operations.

Commissioned in May this year, the 12-month project included tender, design, construction and delivery. Skala Australasia won the tender to deliver its first-ever C&D turnkey plant in WA. Simon Toal, Skala Australasia Director, says the project was designed

“We’ve built a number of plants down the eastern seaboard similar to this so we combined our collective experience to deliver them the best solution.”

Simon Toal Skala Australasia Director

from scratch, working with ECO Resources managers and the operations team to develop the design via 3D modelling. The plant was designed to match Perth’s climatic conditions and input materials, reducing overall maintenance.

“ECO Resources has been operating other plants for a number of years and have some good experience on what works and doesn’t work,” Simon explains.

“We’ve build a number of plants down the eastern seaboard similar to this so we combined our collective experience to deliver them the best solution.”

As Skala also specialises in mining and industrial processes, it was able to apply its heavy-duty applications to the design, including in the chute design and wear components.

He says that ECO Resources was after a robust vibratory in-feed system that could handle larger input material and reduce the amount of pre-sorting and double handling.

The primary in-feed system includes a General Kinematics primary fingerscreen to direct feed all material.

Simon says this is able to process heavy-duty materials – a key point of different for Skala which aims to use less power and improve productivity.

The company processes multiple sized streams and therefore vibratory screens were needed for secondary and tertiary screening.

The overs line comprises an enclosed

picking station plus ferrous and waste bays providing picking bays for timbers, plastic and other waste.

The secondary screening and density separation lines includes a double deck screen and multiple General Kinematics destoners for middle fraction and fines clean-up to remove plastics and paper.

In the unders line, an enclosed picking station allows for final cleaning of materials, with the final output being clean aggregate.

Simon says one of the unique attributes of the project is that a majority of the parts were designed and customised using Australian manufactured materials.

“Historically we’ve been more reliant on European integrators and fabrication which was a more modular off-the-shelf solution. With this project, we saw an opportunity to use Australian content which meant a greater adherence to local standards and availability of spare parts and componentry,” Simon says.

A number of features were designed for Australian conditions. As an example, European programmable logic controllers may not contain features such as an adequate air conditioner – important for the sweltering Perth heat.

The magnets were also derived from STEINERT and made in Australia.

“We used flip flow technology because we know that performs better in wetter materials so we incorporated this for secondary and tertiary screening.”

Simon says that oversized bearings

and impact rollers lead to higher service reliability and less downtime.

“It’s a lot easier for us to support a plant that is designed and built in Australia than components that are overseas.

“For the components we do import, we standardise on those which allows us to hold significant inventory, spare parts and technical capability.”

In terms of after-sales support, the plant has been designed with the ability for Skala to dial in and provide technical support where necessary, organise spare parts and conduct preventative maintenance checks.

Contact: Simon Toal Phone: 0411 277 730 Email: simon@skala.com.au Website: skala.com.au Website: ecoresources.net.au

Many of the plant’s parts were designed using Australian material.

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – TURNKEY SOLUTIONS

Commingled trust WASTECH NATIONAL PROJECTS PRODUCT MANAGER MIKE MCCONNELL TAKES WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW THROUGH THE COMPANY’S MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY CONCEPT DESIGN PROCESS.

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hen China placed contamination restrictions on imported waste in 2017, Australian material recovery facilities (MRF) had to face up to the realisation that their technology wouldn’t meet the 0.5 per cent rate.

According to a 2018 federal analysis of Australia’s municipal recycling infrastructure, a major issue for MRFs is the lack of technical capacity to sort commingled, highly contaminated municipal waste materials to a standard that meets stringent export specifications.

In the wake of China, prices for plastic, cardboard and paper have dropped. Demand for higher quality material however had risen, which offers significant market opportunities for processors willing to invest in technical capacity and optical sorting upgrades.

Wastech National Projects Product Manager Mike McConnell says the complexity of current challenges makes turnkey solutions more attractive than ever.

“The industry is presently facing a unique set of challenges, and many recycling companies don’t have the time to sit down and analyse how to best upgrade their facilities,” Mike says.

“Through evaluating the industry via reports on waste volumes, equipment needs, collection methods and operational requirements, Wastech is able to provide clients with fully realised MRF concepts and design.”

According to Mike, the key to good

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Concept design begins with a study of the client’s needs, starting on the base level of whether they need an existing retrofit or new facility.

business practice when developing a MRF is building trust with the client.

“Effectively turning a client’s initial request into a well-functioning MRF requires trust between both parties.

We need to understand their volumes, waste composition and material process flows,” Mike says.

“At a minimum you will be working with the client for six months, and in some cases, it might take two years. It’s really important both organisations understand each other and the process.”

Mike says concept design begins with a study of the client’s needs, starting on the base level of whether they require a retrofit for an existing MRF or to develop an entirely new facility.

From there, Wastech looks at the client’s required volumes, tonnes per year and what waste streams the proposed plant will be dealing with.

Mike places high importance

on this initial stage, noting the significant variability of waste streams and therefore the customer’s equipment needs.

“Understanding the composition of the waste stream is key as it informs all equipment purchasing decisions,” Mike says.

“For example, what kind of screening is needed? Does the client require optical sorting? Are they dealing with coloured or uncoloured containers?

Are they dealing with both?”

Following this, Wastech examines what outputs the client is looking for in relation to desired end markets and purity.

“Looking at material process flow involves working out how the MRF will achieve the client’s specified requirements, most significantly the levels of purity needed to achieve the finished product,” Mike says.

“We formulate a material process

flow and mass balance analysis, which then helps us determine what equipment is needed, and then we review that in detail with the client.”

Through a partnership with CP Group, an American separation and material recovery equipment manufacturer, Wastech is able to support MRFs for commingled recyclables, municipal solid waste, construction and demolition material, commercial and industrial waste, waste-to-energy operations and e-waste.

Wastech offers a range of screening equipment, notably the OCC Screen which automatically separates cardboard from other fibres and containers.

The company also provides optical sorting sensors, collection hoods to transport handpicked film, eddy currents for nonferrous material, metering drums, air drum separators, silo blowers, trommel screens, balers and conveyor belts.

“Following the initial design presentation, we can adjust and modify equipment choices,” Mike says.

“Once the client is happy and following multiple reviews of the initial concept and design, we conduct a number of site visits where we measure the existing or proposed facility to figure out how the equipment will

Wastech develops 3D models to allow clients to visualise the proposal.

best fit into the space.”

Following this, Mike says Wastech develops a 3D model for the client, which allows them to fully visualise the proposal.

“We find 3D visualisations to be a much more effective communication tool than simple facts and figures or drawings,” Mike says.

The next stage is the tender process, where Wastech provides a quote for the facility’s realisation.

“When we’re working with clients on the design and concept over a period time, be it local government or private companies, a real trusting relationship is established. They know what we are offering is value for money,” Mike says.

“In addition to relationship building, we have a long history of delivering

MRFs, so clients know if they request a certain level of purity that’s what Wastech will supply.”

Mike says the SUEZ MRF in Bibra Lake, Perth, is a recent example of Wastech’s turnkey process.

Wastech was commissioned to upgrade an already existing SUEZ MRF through the introduction of optical sorting equipment, which, according to Mike, led to a significant increase in efficiency and subsequent output.

A spokesperson for SUEZ said in May that the company is committed to taking action to expand recycling and sorting processes.

“SUEZ’s investment in a state-of-theart optical sorting system, in partnership with Wastech, is one of the ways we have enhanced our infrastructure to increase our recovery, and therefore recycling rates at our MRF in Bibra Lake,” the spokesperson said.

“This investment, alongside working with our customers, has allowed us to ensure contamination is kept to a minimum and helped to keep the kerbside recycling system sustainable.”

Name: Chris Andel Phone: 03 8787 1656 Email: candel@wastech.com.au Once the client is happy, Wastech conducts a number of site visits to figure out how the equipment fits into the space.

Website: www.wastech.com.au

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – TURNKEY SOLUTIONS

Expecting the unexpected CDENVIRO’S RICCARDO WONG HIGHLIGHTS THE COMPANY’S TAILORED APPROACH FOR TREATING CONTAMINATED SOILS.

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s Business Development Executive at CDEnviro, Riccardo Wong is passionate about topics spanning environmental remediation, landfill diversion and waste-to-energy.

Much of Riccardo’s agenda is offering business and technical expertise in the waste, recycling, construction and wastewater industry. He develops new strategic markets and works with stakeholders and engineers on bespoke solutions.

For example, Riccardo says that with Melbourne going through developments such as the West Gate Tunnel, safer and quicker processes such as non-destructive digging and hydro excavation are fast becoming popular.

He explains that while these safer processes protect utilities, the downside is they produce a wet waste product.

Riccardo says wet waste is a lot more difficult to manage and control, particularly if the material is deemed contaminated.

“With increased works we are seeing increased volumes of excavated spoils generated in a wet or dry form depending on the method of excavation,” Riccardo says.

The disposal of these spoils is made even more difficult when it is found to be contaminated – which is often the case for works happening in dense metropolitan areas.

“Now that we’re heading into the cold and wetter months, a traditional

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reliance on letting wet material dry is becoming more challenging. This is exacerbated by higher rainfall, which also leads to increased risk of contaminants leaching into the environment if excavated waste is not properly disposed or treated.”

CDEnviro has for this reason looked at a proven treatment option for contaminated soils, helping companies recover reusable material such as sand and aggregates from these streams.

He says that CDEnviro is seeing a lot more contamination as it increases its scope of works in densely populated areas, including demolition activities.

“For example, we see old fuel stations being demolished and having excavated materials with contaminants such as hydrocarbons removed from disused industrial sites or sites in the metropolitan area where there’s heavy traffic.”

Riccardo says that what sets CDEnviro apart is its extensive experience with processing different waste streams.

“Our technology needs to be robust enough to handle variability and material can come from anywhere and contain anything,” he says.

“For example we have plants that are able to process both wet and dry contaminated spoils produced from different activities.”

He adds that CDEnviro works with its customers to wash and recovery as much clean sand and aggregates for reuse.

In many cases, CDEnviro’s products are bespoke.

“We recover sand and aggregates as reusable products which can be reused in low grade construction or put back on site. Contamination is pushed into the wastewater stream where it’s then treated.”

The recovered materials can be reused and offset the demand on virgin material. This reduces the need to travel hours out of the metropolitan area which has a financial and environmental cost attached to it. He says that in many cases, CDEnviro’s products are bespoke and the company co-develops a solution with its customers. “A lot of our work is being able to expect the unexpected in a way that provides a system which can deal with their capabilities.”

Contact: Riccardo Wong Phone: 0473 006 508 Email: info@cdenviro.com Website: www.cdenviro.com

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – COMPOST EQUIPMENT

Green efficiency KOMPTECH’S CRANBO DIRECT IS OFFERING UNIVERSAL BENEFITS FOR FOOD AND GARDEN ORGANICS AND BIOMASS RESOURCE RECOVERY.

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recent organics processor received a welcome surprise when he discovered his shredder achieved throughputs of 400 cubic metres of kerbside green waste per hour.

According to ELB Equipment’s Craig Cosgrove, the efficiencies stem from Austrian original equipment manufacturer Komptech. The international supplier has made it its mission to deliver a green efficiency program focused on lower fuel consumption and higher performance.

In Australia, Komptech

Komptech came up with a mechanical direct drive system to reduce fuel consumption.

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distributor ELB Equipment strives to sell premium machines to its wide customer base.

Major private waste management companies have been working with Komptech’s Crambo shredder for a long time, as it has become a widely accepted product in the Australian and New Zealand market.

Its high throughput with general purpose use, aggressive feed with long counter rotating shredding drums, variable particle size through simple screen basket sizes and insensitivity to contraries are just a few of the

system’s highlights.

Craig Cosgrove, Komptech National Sales Manager at ELB Equipment, has been offering the Crambo to ELB customers since 2002 with the Crambo Direct improving on these capabilities over the past few years.

“There’s been a huge push for more power and less fuel. Komptech came up with a mechanical direct drive system to dramatically reduce fuel consumption,” Craig says.

“We know our customers have experienced pain points in the past with increasing fuel costs, so

being able to go from machines averaging 60 to 80 litres an hour to about 35 with the lowest being 19 is important.”

Boasting 35 per cent less fuel use than comparable hydraulic systems, the Crambo Direct leverages a mechanical drum drive with automatic transmission and is available in 4200, 5200 and 6200 models.

Craig explains that the direct drive system eliminates the need for energy-consuming hydraulic circuits.

“You’re transferring more power from the engine to the rotors without going through pumps and hydraulic hoses,” Craig says.

He describes the machine as an “all-rounder”, tackling green and wood waste, as well as food and garden organics. The Crambo Direct is capable of tackling 55 tonnes of waste per hour in the 4200 model, with 80 in the 5200 and 120 in the 6200.

Craig adds that reliability, safety and a quiet engine are all hallmarks of the shredder.

The Komptech Crambo has inbuilt safety design features to prevent damage, as other designs may keep shredding contaminants. Electronic controls monitor the machine to ensure safe operation.

“We’ve been supplying the machines to FOGO facilities where customer want to keep their contaminants to a reasonable size so they can easily pull them out or manually pick them,” Craig says.

Powered by a Caterpillar diesel engine, muffling of the engine compartment aims to keep noise levels to a minimum.

He says that screen basket changes are also simple. This allows for material to be placed straight into windrows for composting or turn product into a mulch.

The Komptech Crambo has inbuilt safety design features to prevent damage.

“There’s been a huge push for more power and less fuel. Komptech came up with a mechanical direct drive system to dramatically reduce fuel consumption.”

Craig Cosgrove Komptech National Sales Manager at ELB Equipment

All machines come standard with Komptech Connect! System that allows users to dial in remotely or off site using a smartphone, tablet, PC or laptop to monitor key performance indicators. The Connect! Hardware module is integrated into the machine and connected to a central control unit that reports events and diagnosis codes, in addition to data on operating hours, fuel consumption and idle time to a central data server.

The data can then be provided to users, dealers, sales partners and the manufacturer for further use. As a result, work sessions can precisely document and support faster coordinated repairs while helping the manufacturer and service

providers schedule technicians for maximum user benefit.

With maintenance options across each state branch and service division in Australia and New Zealand, ELB is able to service its customers with appropriate spare parts and servicing.

Craig says that with many customers operating regionally, the ability to provide machines with a strong availability of spare and wear parts is critical.

Contact: ELB Equipment Phone: 1300 ELB EQU Email: www.elbequip.com/contact-us Website: www.elbquip.com

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – BALERS AND COMPACTORS

On-call support STAR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE EXPLAINS HOW IT PROVIDES ON-CALL COMPACTORS AND WASTE COLLECTION FOR COMMERCIAL CLIENTS AND LOCAL COUNCILS ACROSS NSW.

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he management of consistent waste collection services is a critical function of local councils. When maintenance occurs and councils are already running at capacity, it can be difficult to organise back-up trucks.

In NSW, the challenge is compounded by the fact that it is the most populated state in the country, with estimates suggesting that number will continue to rise.

According to the 2018 NSW State of the Environment Report, by 2021 the population of NSW is expected to grow to 8.3 million. This means by 2021, nearly 20 million tonnes of waste will need to be collected each year.

Star Property Maintenance (Star PM) Administration Manager Enas

Star PM is a family-owned and operated maintenance services company.

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“With over 15 years’ industry experience, our team of experts prides itself on delivering reliable services, with a strong commitment to quality control.”

Enas Toma Star Property Maintenance, Administration Manager

Toma says that to solve this problem, councils across the state are beginning to enlist the help of back-up services such as Star PM. Star PM is a family-owned and operated maintenance services company with operations all over NSW. Its mission is to add value and convenience to its customers

by optimising their business infrastructure and helping them meet their obligations.

In addition to large-scale waste removal, the company works with commercial construction sites and domestic kerbside collections. Enas says the company is able to remove all types waste, excluding asbestos,

The company has been using Hino trucks for waste collection for years.

hazardous material and paint.

“We work with a number of councils and government bodies on a contract basis. If their regular collection service is overwhelmed, trucks break down or emergency jobs come up, they call us and we can complete the job straight away,” Enas says.

Enas says that Star PM follows procedures to provide a high quality of service as well as regular inspections and reporting of works.

“Star PM keeps multiple drivers and compactors on standby to facilitate back-up waste collections for its clients.”

She says that the company’s experience dealing with large commercial operators allows it to provide the necessary support.

“When a single organisation operates such a large number of properties, multiple waste management challenges can arise, including the scale of regular collections and the likelihood of urgent waste pick-ups,” Enas says.

Enas says that to streamline the process, Star PM regularly removes

dry waste and supplies skip bins for hire.

Enas says Star PM is always ready to facilitate emergency waste collections for councils, which helps reduce downtime and assists productivity. She adds that despite traffic and congestion issues, the company has a simple on-thespot order process and quick turnaround time.

“We are ready and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and have a certified workplace health and safety officer on call at all times,” Enas says.

“With over 15 years’ industry experience, our team of experts prides itself on delivering reliable services, with a strong commitment to quality control.”

Star PM’s 15,500-kilogram fourby-two 13 cubic rear load compactor runs on a Hino FG 500 truck.

Enas says the company has been using Hino trucks to complete waste collection and compaction for many years.

“When we fix our rear load compactors onto the back of the

truck, we can be sure our customer’s needs will be met and their waste effectively handled.”

The company also offers skip bin hire to cater for both residential and commercial clients in a wide variety of marrell bin sizes.

“Our staff can help clients choose what size from our range of two, three, four, six, eight, nine and 12-cubic-metre bins will best suit their application needs.”

Additionally, Star PM can provide heavy duty 1000-litre bags for green waste.

“Star Property Maintenance is always looking for opportunities to grow and expand to add value to our clients and community.

“Our goal is to add value and convenience by efficiently optimising their business infrastructure. We don’t aim to be the biggest property maintenance company, just the best.”

Name: Enas Toma Phone: 02 9606 8656 1300 557 827 Email: admin@starpm.com.au Website: www.starpm.com.au

Star PM is available seven days a week.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 59

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – BALERS AND COMPACTORS

Structurally sound ROWLAND ENGINEERING HAS UNVEILED ITS OPAL BALER RANGE WHICH HAS BEEN REVAMPED TO SUIT AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS.

O

ver the past 10 years, Rowland Engineering has installed and commissioned more than 200 baling and conveying systems.

Incorporating both standard and custom-designed equipment, the company has over this time honed its in-house design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities.

Rowland Engineering recently unveiled its Opal baler range – ideal for cardboard, paper and various plastics. Designed in Germany and

built in China, the company boasts a German build at a reduced cost.

The supplier has been selling the Opal in Germany for over 10 years.

Rowland is aiming to take this strong reputation to the Australian market and make minor adjustments to suit local needs.

The Opal’s rigid and robust baling chamber and neck release ensures it is able to offer a three-year warranty over the front neck assembly and baler body. The company highlights

“We’ve got a wealth of experience in knowing what is going to stand up to the recycling industry and what isn’t.”

Shaun McGuire Operations and Service Manager

The company is able to offer a three-year warranty over the front neck assembly and baler body.

60 / WMR / July 2019

this as one of the best offered in the Australian and New Zealand market.

Shaun McGuire, Operations and Service Manager, says the two biggest factors the company has taken into consideration are reliability at a cost-effective price.

“Machines generally offer a 12-month warranty but based on the build quality we’re confident that three years is easily obtainable,” he says.

He says that the 16-to-20 millimetre plates around the chamber and neck release ensure the baler is built to last.

Likewise, guffets and bracing and extra wheels around the chamber ensure the baler is structurally sound. A blocker option prevents excess materials from getting caught in the machine.

Shaun says that minor adjustments have been made to the designs to make them more suited to Australia, including larger hydraulic tanks for warmer local conditions than Germany.

“We’ve got a wealth of experience in knowing what is going to stand up to the recycling industry and what isn’t. I think that is essential, especially when you’re dealing with overseas equipment – you need to know what you’re looking for.

“We have developed a localised version of the baler that can be customised to suit the customer’s needs. If someone wants something different such as a thicker material we’re open to that and try to implement everything they need.”

Rowland Engineering’s baling range covers small 20-horsepower balers

The Opal range was designed in Germany and built in China.

right through to 180-horsepower and includes horizontal channel balers, closed door and twin ram balers.

The company notes it is the exclusive agent for the products manufactured by the Godswill Paper Machinery Company of Taiwan – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of balers.

The twin ram balers are 1.5 by 1.5 metres – 30 per cent larger than the 1175 configuration offered previously.

Shaun says that Rowland Engineering believes its front cylinder neck assemblies are among the strongest in the industry. The company uses Siemens motors, ABB inverters, a hydraulic twister set up which Shaun says is more reliable than previous models and a main cylinder setup in line with the Europe and US manufacturers.

The supplier already uses Schneider electrics and Omron sensors. All motors and are MEPS-compliant, all

electrics are Cat three-safety compliant and the machine is fully guarded for safety. He says the suppliers are highly reputable and have been used in a number of other industries where safety and rigidity is important, including in oil and gas.

Shaun says Rowland Engineering has changed the cut blades and platen rollers to emulate what its customers have always used.

The baler also offers a host of options including full Hardox 500 equivalent floors, 75-millimetre baler chamber top plate, deblockers, perforators and pre-press systems.

All machines are fully tested and verified prior to dispatch and conform to Australian standards.

Interlocks and hatches and doors shut the machine down to prevent safety hazards.

Shaun says that ongoing maintenance costs are reduced through reliable, well made and tried

and tested parts.

Preventive maintenance and service schedules can limit any breakdowns from occurring.

“One customer in New Zealand called us this month with a machine experiencing problems. We were able to troubleshoot it, expedite spare parts to fix it and then line up a trip to overhaul the machine and bring it back to reliability.

“So the ability to help customers even in quite remote areas is a valuable market proposition.”

While all balers are useful for various purposes, Shaun says the channel baler has proved most popular among customers.

Contact: Sean Monaghan Phone: 0404 641 369 Email: sean@rowlandengineering.com.au Website: www.rowlandengineering.com.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 61

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – BALERS AND COMPACTORS

MAC/2 BALERS FOR HIGHER DENSITY

The MAC/2 series offers considerable output improvements.

Two years after launching its first model of the MAC/2 generation, MACPRESSE, a leading manufacturer of bale presses from Italy, added the MAC107/2 to the MAC/2 series.

Through the MAC110/2, MAC108/2 and MAC107/2, the Italian manufacturer has made numerous improvements to the well-performing MAC/1 series. The MAC107/2, in particular, is designed for medium production capabilities at a low cost.

According to Australian distributor CEMAC technologies, the previous MAC/1 series was widely acclaimed by MACPRESS customers across the globe due to its high capability, reliability and low energy consumption. Building on this reputation, the MAC/2 series makes these machines

more efficient and easier to use and allows for considerable output improvements.

A range of features ensure this success, including enhanced hydraulics boosting the output of the machines, while the high efficiency IE3 electric motors achieves up to 30 per cent energy saving.

At the same time, the XL channel design with 1.5-metre extension allows for considerably better backpressure. For these reasons, the MAC107/2 provides up to 30 per cent higher densities for cardboard and 15 per cent for plastics.

The enhanced main cylinder mounting, redesigned bale cutting system and better maintenance accessibility considerably improve the service life of the machine.

Larger hopper dimensions and revised counter pressure cylinders are other areas where the machine has been significantly improved.

At the same time, MACPRESSE maintained its design advantages for all machines with boltable Hardox protection on all wear surfaces.

Contact Contact: Eric Paulsen Phone: 0455 920 888 Email: eric.paulsen@cemactech.com Website: www.cemactech.com

BALER PC24 HD GALVANIZED The heavy-duty Baler PC24 HD Galvanized is designed to handle difficult recyclables such as aluminum cans and PET bottles. It’s capable of processing recyclable types such as aluminium and tin cans, plastic bottles, expanded polystyrene, hard plastics and textiles.

Available through Australian distributor Wastech Engineering, the galvanised vertical baler uses a one-step process for baling and draining of plastic bottles and aluminium cans, with a built-in reservoir to capture residual liquids.

One of the highlights of the Danish supplied Bramidan technology is the high press force of 24 tonnes that produces extremely dense bales. For example, aluminum cans are baled so dense that they don’t need to be tied off.

Bale weights of up to 55 kilograms for aluminium cans and 105 kilograms for plastic items can be achieved.

The flap door also allows easy loading of materials into a completely closed chamber. An option for a regular painted model instead of galvanised is available.

In terms of noise, the baler boasts a low reading of about 62 to 64 decibels. According to Wastech Engineering, this is impressive when compared to the decibel reading of a refrigerator – on average 50 decibels.

62 / WMR / July 2019

The heavy-duty Baler PC24 HD Galvanized is designed to handle difficult recyclables.

Contact Contact: Alan Barclay Phone: 1800 465 465 Email: abarclay@wastech.com.au Website: www.wastech.com.au

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LAST WORD

Ministers: make plastics a priority AUSTRALIA NOW HAS ITS FIRST ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR WASTE REDUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND A NEW ENVIRONMENT MINISTER. ROSE READ, NATIONAL WASTE AND RECYCLING INDUSTRY COUNCIL CEO, RECOMMENDS THE PAIR MAKE THEIR FIRST MOVE IN TACKLING PLASTICS.

N

ational leadership in waste management from the Commonwealth has been lacking and limited over the past eight years, so the opportunity to fill this void is very welcome.

It is encouraging to see the Coalition Government step up and create an Assistant Minister specifically responsible for waste reduction, with Queensland MP Trevor Evans appointed to the role. Sussan Ley also takes over as Environment Minister, moving on from her Regional Development Assistant Minister role.

This appointment is an Australian first and welcomed by the National Waste and Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC). Industry expectations are high and Minister Evans must now promptly deliver against pre-election promises and pledges. It will be the outputs that matter.

The last real show of any national leadership was back in 2009 to 2011, when the first National Waste Policy was published, the Product Stewardship Act 2011 and the Product Stewardship (Televisions and Computers) Regulation 2011 were created. Prior to that would have been

Rose Read says the ministers should focus their time on developing Australia’s plastic recovery.

the Product Stewardship (Oil) Act 2000 and the National Environment Protection (Used Packaging Materials) Measure in 1998. These are positive initiatives, but they are piecemeal and lack policy and regulatory coherence, creating major gaps which affect investment and infrastructure development. This is unacceptable for an essential service.

For any new appointment, the first 100 days is a critical phase to make a positive impression, lay meaningful foundations, garner jurisdictional and industry respect and support. With the shutdown of markets in China, news reports of contaminated plastics

dumped into South-East Asia, growing plastic stockpiles, closure of material recycling facilities and recyclable plastics sent to landfill, plastics are clearly at the top of the list for Minister Ley and Assistant Minister Evans.

According to the Commonwealth Government’s National Waste Audit Report 2018, Australia in 2016-17 produced 57 million tonnes of waste, 2.5 million tonnes of which was plastic. Only 307,000 tonnes (12 per cent) of this plastic was recycled, the majority of which (215,000 tonnes, 70 per cent) was exported overseas for processing, where the nature of its processing is unknown.

The remaining 2.2 million tonnes of plastic was sent to landfill, while just one per cent was recovered as energy.

Why are these figures important?

It puts our plastic problem into perspective. It isn’t insurmountable and shows that Australia is more than capable of solving this issue quickly.

As first priority for our new national ministers, the NWRIC proposes they should focus their time and resources on the following actions to develop Australia’s plastics recovery and reuse industry.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 65

LAST WORD

STEM THE EXPORT OF PLASTICS

BY DEVELOPING LOCAL MARKETS For higher order plastics, PET and HDPE they need to get these plastics back into packaging they came from.

To do this, the ministers must fast track the uptake of these secondary resources by working with manufacturers and the Australian Food and Grocery Council.

If manufacturers who use PET and HDPE in their packaging do not achieve 70 per cent recycled content by 2021, the Federal Government should mandate it with a regulation under the Product Stewardship Act. Some manufacturers have already started and this action is very much within the remit of the Federal Government.

For other plastics (mixed plastics), PVC, LDPE, PP, PS and other, Federal Government investment is needed to facilitate the uptake of these plastics in civil infrastructure as well as support the development of new products. To progress this quickly, the ministers need to influence their counterparts in treasury to put in place recycled content requirements for procurement of appropriate civil construction.

They should also require all departments and agencies to report annually on the current percentage of recycled content in products and infrastructure purchased.

Where there are no markets for mixed plastics, short-term financial incentives or rebates should be given to divert the mixed plastics to current fuel manufacturing facilities or to landfill, rather than being stockpiled creating fire risks. Or worse, still hidden in exported paper and cardboard bales.

This will require the federal ministers together with their state counterparts and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) to come up with a shared funding model using product stewardship investment funds matched

66 / WMR / July 2019

with contributions from state and those specific APCO members putting these materials onto the market.

UPGRADE SORTING, PROCESSING AND REMANUFACTURING FACILITIES As a minimum, all material recycling facilities should be upgraded so they can sort into three plastic types: PET, HDPE and mixed plastics. This equipment should be subsidised by the Federal Government’s proposed Australian Recycling Investment Fund, together with the installation of more advanced sorting, washing, granulating and shredding equipment.

IMPROVE COLLECTION SYSTEMS To produce cleaner streams of plastics, the government’s Product Stewardship Investment Fund should be used to develop more industry-led and funded free plastic take-back schemes like Redcycle for other plastics such as agricultural films. These funds should be used to facilitate greater consistency between state container deposit schemes and encourage Victoria to introduce such schemes as a matter of urgency.

CONSISTENT AND EFFECTIVE EDUCATION The Federal Government has also committed funds to the Australian Council of Recycling and APCO to deliver nationally consistent community education campaigns and a mobile app.

For these to be successful, our federal ministers need to also secure their state and local counterparts support.

Otherwise, there is a risk that they are just adding to the plethora of messages confusing the community.

REDUCE THE VOLUME OF PLASTICS WE CREATE This means holding packaging

companies truly accountable for the material they put on the market, including the current APCO national targets to make all packaging compostable, reusable or recyclable by 2025. In the case of plastics, where there is no secondary market the material should be substituted with metal, paper or certified compostable plastic.

If a company does not achieve these targets by 2025, the NWRIC recommends government put in place a regulation under the Product Stewardship Act that requires a financial contribution from noncomplying companies to cover the cost of collection and disposal.

MOVING FORWARD The actions proposed by the NWRIC are not new. The skills, knowledge, technology and private investment exist. What has been lacking is political leadership and policy effectiveness, backed by targeted investment and smart legislative reforms.

Funding without complementary adjusted policy settings, improved procurement requirements and intelligent regulation, is money being poorly spent. The key will be funding underpinned by effective policy reforms.

With our new federal ministers freshly appointed and funded, the NWRIC is optimistic that change will take place quickly. We will work with the ministers and their department to help ensure these changes are executed in a timely manner.

The industry wants to see Australia’s international reputation as a responsible global citizen improve and expand. Our current status as a nation that transports its waste to other countries is unacceptable.

Rethink

waste

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