ISW Apr 2019 by Prime Creative Media

Official Publication of the

ISSUE 89 | APRIL/MAY 2019

www.insidewaste.com.au

The National Waste Policy – just more words or will progress be realised? By Rose Read

PP: 255003/07055

ISSN 1837-5618

THE TIME HAS COME for governments to demonstrate real commitment to positive outcomes. It’s been over four months since environment ministers were presented a refreshed National Waste Policy (NWP), and over 12 months since ministers committed to respond to the China ban. Unfortunately, things happen slowly in waste policy circles. For consideration at the time was the NWP and a Roadmap for Action. The NWP included five key principles based on circular economy thinking. The Roadmap included multiple targets, strategies and milestones; and role descriptions and responsibilities across all levels of government, industry and businesses. The ministers agreed to the NWP principles i.e to improve resource recovery and reuse, build markets for recycled products, improve information to guide investment and strategies; but no Roadmap for Action. Rather, the ministers resassessed their Roadmap goals - more robust targets and funding, support for industry development, increased demand for procured recyclables, a national approach to policy and regulation, and a coordinated approach to waste levies. By the time this action plan is presented to ministers in August, it will be about two years since the China ban. There has been considerable talk, but very little action. This reflects to industry that the government doesn’t see waste and recycling as a priority. It doesn’t appreciate the opportunities and benefits that would be delivered. Nor

does it care about the community disengagement it is creating due to lack of policy reform and action. Progress at a national level is very disappointing. There is a complete lack of political will to urgently address these issues. The failure of environment ministers to sign-off on targets and strategies of the NWP illustrates their ineffectiveness to drive consensus across states and territories. Despite the Department of Environment and Energy continuing its support in finalising the action plan, there’s little evidence of changes to government procurement practices in creating markets, community education around contamination, or completing the product stewardship review. This is not to say those in government agencies aren’t committed to working together to address the issues. It just lacks vision, leadership and national coordination that is outcome-oriented. With the next Meeting of Environment Ministers scheduled in August and the Department’s product stewardship review running late, the rate of progress will continue to be slow and unproductive. It is unsatisfactory from a government policy perspective and disheartening, as solutions exist. What’s lacking is the political will at all levels to drive meaningful change. It raises the question, “What does it take to get our governments’ attention?” Stockpiles continue to grow, unprocessed recyclables are being moved from state-to-state, and state agencies are temporally closing MRFs due to licence breaches from the inability to move materials to local or overseas markets. Sadly, collected recyclables are

being sent to landfills due to lack of alternative options. This is costing the country in many ways, including additional fees to councils, lost revenue and forfeited environmental benefits from nonrecovery of recyclables. It’s not an exaggeration to declare that Australia is going backward in relation to getting policy settings right. We are losing the community’s faith in recycling when they see their waste ending up in landfill. Community and business engagement in recycling is evaporating right before our eyes. What needs to be done is clear. We need to quickly ramp-up action by appointing a national waste and resource recovery commissioner with the resources to implement the NWP. We need strong enforceable targets for the next 5-10 years to develop and expand local markets. If producers do not meet achievable recycled content levels in their packaging, those products should not be allowed on the market. This could be implemented by amending existing container deposit regulations, or by creating new regulations under the Product Stewardship Act. Australia urgently needs a regulated battery stewardship scheme as batteries are a major contaminate and source of fires in collection trucks, MRFs and stockpiles. We need harmonised landfill levies to ensure that waste ends up in the right place. It should not be illegally dumped, stockpiled, buried or burnt when it can be recovered and reused. Australia needs to remove disparities between state regulations, which drive waste to the wrong places.

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Rose Read believes there just doesn’t seem to be any sense of urgency at either a Federal or state government level to progress change quickly.

Planning laws are important, and we need better laws to ensure space is made available for waste management facilities. Facilities need to be protected from urban encroachment and provided with adequate buffer zones. Reinvestment of landfill levies is essential and must be directed into research and industry development to support collection and processing technologies that help improve the quality of waste for reuse. Finally, there is a significant need for greater investment in community education. Multiple grey areas, incomplete education campaigns and confusing messages serve to undermine correct disposal habits. While tools and approaches exist, there is a lack of leadership to take it forward. Australia needs to activate known solutions, which means governments need to demonstrate greater attention to measurable outcomes. Rose Read is the CEO of the National Waste and Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC).

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Editor’s Note //

Official Publication of the

Publisher Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

Don’t let it go to waste ACCORDING to the Ministry of Environment, Australia produced 7.3 million tonnes of food waste across the supply and consumption chain. Despite recycling 1.2 million tonnes and recovering 2.9 million tonnes through alternative uses, Australians still disposed 3.2 million tonnes in 2016-2017. Rabobank recently pointed out that was worth $9.6 billion. Last year, it went down to $8.9 billion. Still, that is a large amount of food waste to contend with. The findings also indicated that the biggest culprits to food wastage were millennials, Gen Y and Z - binning in excess of $1,200 in 2018. And, the biggest culprits are Western Australians and those from NSW. But, as to exactly why this is the trend, it’s hard to say. All we know is that collectively, we are still wasteful. Generally, it is understood that up to a third of the food we purchase does not make it to the dinner table – it gets thrown away for one reason

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or another. The National Food Baseline Report states that 65 per cent of our food waste came from either household food scraps that went to landfill or agricultural harvest-ready produce. Besides cultivating good habits to reduce food waste, there is also a need for best practices in managing it. In this issue, we talk to waste consultants, Ricardo, who share with us their thoughts on effective kerbside collection methodology from Wales that include FOGO management, which Australia could learn from. Inside Waste also attended the recent 2019 Australian Landfills and Transfer Stations Conference. There, Queensland minister for environment, Leeanne Enoch, reiterated the state government’s commitment to transitioning to a circular economy and spoke on the state’s vision in becoming a “zero-waste society” where the waste they produce is reused and recycled as much as possible. Read more about it inside.

General Manager (Sydney) Terry Wogan terry.wogan@primecreative.com.au Group Managing Editor - Northern Syed Shah syed.shah@primecreative.com.au Assistant Editor Jan Arreza jan.arreza@primecreative.com.au Design Production Manager Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au Design Blake Storey, Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty Client Success Manager Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au Head Office Prime Creative Pty Ltd 11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia p: +61 3 9690 8766 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.insidewaste.com.au

Inside Waste is available by subscription from the publisher. The rights of refusal are reserved by the publisher Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format. Copyright Inside Waste is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in Inside Waste is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in Inside Waste are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

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Profile | John Ferguson Director service delivery at Lake Macquarie City Council What was your first job in the sector? After 20 years in local government, I started working in the waste sector six months ago, taking on responsibility for the Waste Services team. What’s your favourite part of the job? I’m loving learning about the waste industry, particularly with the sector moving so quickly. Understanding the issues and opportunities and working with a very progressive and skilled team makes for very interesting days. How has the waste management changed during your time? I have joined this industry at a fascinating time, with decisions across the world having very direct impacts on what we do with waste at a local level. It takes a lot to keep up-to-date and balance daily operations with long-term strategy. What are some achievements that you are most proud of? We have just completed delivering a weekly Food and Garden Organics (FOGO) service. The service has been well-received, with extremely low contamination rates, significant costs savings and positive reuse of a significant proportion of our waste stream. What’s next for you in the short and long-term? We’re reaching the end of a major expansion of our landfill facility to extend its lifetime, and working towards converting waste to resource and seeking innovative ways to develop markets for recyclable materials.

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2019

Australia’s first Circular Economy Lab launched IN AN Australian-first, a Circular Economy (CE) Lab has been recently launched in Brisbane, which heralds the emergence of the next generation of business in Queensland. Leeanne Enoch, minister for environment and the Great Barrier Reef and minister for science, said the Palaszczuk government had pledged $150,000 to start the initiative, which will launch innovative projects to change the way we think about materials, resources and waste in Queensland. “The launch of the CE Lab will help to propel Queensland’s transition to a new low-carbon and circular economy, delivering new opportunities for industry and more jobs for Queenslanders,” Enoch said. “We need to move to a more circular way of thinking and acting towards our valuable materials and resources, instead of simply using and throwing things away. “If we keep resources circulating in the economy, retaining the highest

value for as long as possible, it will provide opportunities for new ways of thinking, new businesses and importantly new jobs.” A key feature of the CE Lab will be to consolidate industry, research and government partnerships and expertise to identify and deliver three initial circular economy pilot projects. These partnerships, once operational, will focus on understanding what actions Queensland can take today to manage the transition to the circular economy of tomorrow. “The CE Lab will test ideas and explore opportunities with leaders from across a range of sectors,” Enoch said. “The circular economy concept is relatively new in Australia, but it is well established overseas, and continues to gain traction. This work certainly aligns with the vision outlined in the Queensland government’s Draft Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy, which is currently open for public feedback.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// News “I commend Coreo and Business Models Inc. on driving the establishment of this trailblazing new initiative.” According to Leanne Kemp, Queensland’s chief entrepreneur, the CE Lab means Queensland is amongst the world leaders in acknowledging that there is an urgent need for a circular economy. “For a long time, we’ve existed in a linear take-make-dispose economy. A circular economy is not just about recycling the products we use, it’s about

creating new economic opportunities,” Kemp said. “A circular economy will transform the way we design, teach, invest and buy. In a circular economy, there is no waste, and at the worst attempt, there is less. “A circular economy designs products with disassembly and reuse in mind and materials are sourced as an enabler for extension of life or reuse in closedloop or extended loop applications.” For more information, visit the Circular Economy Lab website.

Profile | Asia Pacific Waste Consultants Asia Pacific Waste Consultants (APWC) are experienced waste management professionals who are passionate about improving environmental outcomes in both developed and developing economies across the world. When was the company founded and why? APWC was founded in 2018 as A.Prince Consulting’s international arm and is committed to supporting countries and donors reduce waste leakage and transition to a circular economy. APWC is a founding signatory to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. What are the key services that APWC offers? APWC aims to assist governments and communities to identify and address the barriers to achieving cost-effective and efficient waste and recycling systems. Key services offered include comprehensive waste audits and data collection, waste management plans and strategies, training and capacity building, community consultation and stakeholder engagement, community education, infrastructure and systems design and business case development for funding. What are some of APWC’s plans and ambitions for the next 12-18 months? We aim to deliver projects and programs that make a real contribution to reducing ocean plastics through a combination of policies, infrastructure, education and engagement. We are currently developing a global model that allows countries to understand the flow of materials through their economies and develop appropriate interventions to provide the greatest impact.

A key feature of the CE Lab will be to consolidate industry, research and government partnerships and expertise to identify and deliver circular economy pilot projects.

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WMRR welcomes WA’s introduction of a CDS WMRR encourages the WA state government to take advantage of the lessons already learned in this space across the other Australian states.

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THE Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) has welcomed a recent passage of legislation, which would enable a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) to be introduced in Western Australia, acknowledging that the scheme has the potential to deliver huge environmental and social benefits to the state. “We know from experience that CDS’ are a highly effective way to increase collection of beverage containers and reduce litter,” said Gayle Sloan, WMRR CEO. “However, we have so far missed the opportunity to require beverage containers registered under the scheme to include recycled content, which would have meant a genuine product stewardship scheme in WA.” As WA finalises the design of its CDS, Sloan encouraged the state government to take advantage of the lessons learned across the other Australian states. “It’s important that the WA CDS is specifically designed to work for WA, delivering an effective and efficient scheme for all Western Australians,” Sloan added. “We have a perfect opportunity here to take the best learnings from other schemes, while avoiding many of the challenges we have seen unfold.” The CDS also presents WA a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to roll-out state-wide infrastructure that could become the backbone of taking back and recycling a broader range of materials,

including batteries, e-waste and other materials into the future, as well as creating local recycling and sorting capacity to produce raw materials for local remanufacturing industries, ultimately helping WA transition to a circular economy. For the WA CDS to have the best chance at success, accessibility is key, and the state’s large land mass should not be deemed an impossible challenge considering beverages are already being transported to the far reaches of the state. “The government must ensure convenient, accessible and reliable collection points across the entire state to make it easy for people to recover their deposits – the most expensive scheme is one where the public cannot claim their 10 cents,” Sloan said. “A carefully and deliberately designed collection network is required to create transport efficiencies and enable extensive coverage, so that regional WA is able to fully participate in the CDS. The last thing we want is a similar outcome in Queensland where collection points are opening 80m from one another, while there are none in whole regions of Far North Queensland. “Government must also ensure adequate time is spent on delivering frontline services to the community as the measure of the scheme’s success will, in large part, come down to the level of accessibility on day one.” WMRR is also urging the government to ensure that an independent board, one that does not work in the interest of any particular group, but in the interest of the broader community, is set up well ahead of the scheme’s commencement. “The WA government is certainly to be congratulated for passing this legislation. The real test now is whether the scheme is designed to deliver the best outcomes for the community, or if its design will be compromised by vested interests,” Sloan concluded.

WMRR CEO Gayle Sloan congratulates the WA government for passing this important legislation, but says that now, the real test begins.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// News

Funding boost for recycling recovery projects The Labor government invested $500,000 from the Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund into the project, which is the first of its kind in Australia.

THE ANDREWS Labor government is supporting Victorian businesses and councils to improve their recycling practices and expand their operations to recover valuable products and reduce waste going to landfill. Lily D’Ambrosio, minister for environment, officially launched Repurpose It’s new $8.5 million washing plant facility in Epping, which will recover and treat materials previously destined for landfill and convert them into valuable resources. The Labor government invested $500,000 from the Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund into the project, which is the first of its kind in Australia and will divert more than 500,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste from landfill each year. “We’re supporting large-scale infrastructure projects like this one to reduce Victoria’s dependence on landfills, create new jobs and drive investment,” D’Ambrosio said. “Our Recycling Industry Strategic Plan is helping Victoria’s recycling sector adjust to changes in world recycling markets so that more material is diverted from landfill.” Repurpose It are partnering with

Labor government projects, including the Level Crossing Removal Project, Metro Trains, North East Link and the Western Distributor to integrate waste into road and rail infrastructure across the state. The grant comes from the first round of the Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund, which has awarded $14.5 million to support 47 projects through three rounds of the program. “The very best recycling technology is available right here in Epping – investing in projects like this one is not only good for the environment, it’s helping to support local jobs and industry,” said Bronwyn Halfpenny, member for Thomastown. The latest round of the Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund is now open – with grants between $40,000 and $500,000 available to support greater sorting, improve recovery and reprocessing priority materials such as plastic, paper, cardboard and glass. A further $1.2 million is also available to support the market development of recycled materials, under round two of the $4.5 million Research, Development and Demonstration Program.

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Repurpose It are partnering with Labor government projects, such as the Western Distributor project, to integrate waste into road and rail infrastructure.

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News //

Waste disposal levy to be introduced across Queensland A NEW waste management and resource recovery strategy developed by the Queensland government will be underpinned by a new waste levy commencing on July 1, 2019. The change to a risk-based approach to managing waste was triggered after a review of existing waste regulations. The Waste Reduction and Recycling (Waste Levy) Amendment Act 2019 (Amending Act) introducing the levy received royal assent on February 21, 2019 and will amend the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011. The waste levy zone will cover 39 local government areas that house around 90 per cent of Queensland’s population, therefore affecting most of the state’s businesses that dispose of waste.

The waste levy zone will cover 39 local government areas that house around 90 per cent of Queensland’s population.

Types of waste subject to the levy The Amending Act provides that all waste that is delivered to a “levyable waste disposal site” will be subject to the levy, unless it falls within one of the few exempt categories. It defines a levyable waste disposal site as any waste disposal site – whether under the ownership or control of the state, a local government or otherwise – but does not include a part of the waste disposal site that is a resource recovery area (where waste can be sorted and recyclables recovered without paying the levy). Exempt waste will include categories such as waste produced from natural disasters or a serious local event, certain asbestoscontaminated waste, dredge spoil and clean earth. Applications may be made for exemptions and discounts in relation to waste that has been

received as part of donations or litter and illegally dumped waste that is collected as part of an activity, such as Clean Up Australia Day.

Levy liabilities If waste is generated in the levy zone or outside of Queensland, a levy will be payable on its disposal, regardless of whether this disposal occurs in a levy zone or a non-levy zone. Additionally, any waste generated in a non-levy zone that is disposed of in a levy zone will require payment of the levy.

Paying the levy The levy will be paid by the operators of levyable waste disposal sites, with the costs expected to be passed along to the site users. Proposed initial levy rates released by the government are: • $75 per tonne of general waste,

municipal solid waste, commercial and industrial waste and construction and demolition waste. • $105 per tonne of regulated waste categorised as moderate risk. • $155 per tonne of regulated waste categorised as high-risk. The levy rates are to be increased by $5 for all classifications on July 1 each year. Waste that falls into the regulated waste categories is commercial or industrial waste of a type set out under the Environmental Protection Regulation 2008 (Queensland). The regulated categories include waste containing arsenic, lead, pesticides, sewage and oils among many others. If the waste contains a mix of classifications, the levy charged for the entirety of the waste will be calculated on the waste attracting the

highest rate. Everyone disposing of waste at levyable waste disposal sites must advise the site operator of the amount of each type of waste they plan to dispose of and whether the waste was generated inside or outside of the levy zone. Penalties of up to $39,165 may apply for failing to do so or for providing false or misleading information.

Preparing for the changes The commencement of the waste levy in July this year will create noteworthy additional operational costs for businesses who regularly dispose of waste. Businesses that will be affected should begin reassessing their waste management policies and preparing for the impact these legislative changes may have.

SA government to loan $3m to reboot local plastics recycling business

This initiative provides an outlet for 25,000 tonnes of mixed plastic that’s been stockpiled or landfilled.

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2019

THE SOUTH Australian government has announced that it will loan $3 million to reboot a plastics recycling business in a bid to help ease the stress felt by kerbside collectors in the state. The money will help to boost the redevelopment of the Adelaide-based Recycling Plastics Australia (RPA) business – who process low-grade waste and turn it into granules that can be reprocessed into industrial products – into an export-ready facility. The funding will be added to RPA’s $9.5 million investment in advanced manufacturing and sorting equipment.

“China’s ban on taking recycling from Australia has put the kerbside collection system and recycling under extreme stress,” Stephen Scherer, RPA general manager, told SBS News. “This initiative provides an outlet for 25,000 tonnes of mixed plastic that’s been stockpiled or landfilled.” According to the state government, China’s ban had limited the type and quality of plastic that it accepted, which means the South-East Asian market had a shortage of certain plastics as raw materials. RPA aims to reprocess waste plastic into those raw minerals in a market-ready form.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// News

Raising the bar on landfill management MORE than 300 waste management and resource recovery operators and a host of international and local experts descended on Brisbane recently to discuss landfill and transfer station innovation, design, operation and regulation, as well as the safety of these facilities, all of which are paramount to the services landfills and transfer stations offer. The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia’s (WMRR) 2019 Australian Landfills and Transfer Stations Conference opened with Queensland minister for environment Leeanne Enoch providing insights into the government’s vision for Queensland. Enoch noted the groundswell of community support for effective waste management and resource recovery and reiterated the government’s commitment to the circular economy. “Queensland now has a waste levy and it will bolster the recycling and resource recovery sector without a cost impact on community. It will lead to job creation and new industries that manufacture products using recycled

content,” Enoch said. “The levy is just one vital component. The Draft Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy, currently out for consultation, sets the course for Queensland to become a zero-waste society where the waste we produce is reused and recycled as much as possible. “We are at an important moment in time to grow as we move into the future of waste management and resource recovery.” Infrastructure planning is by far one of the most fundamental tools to build, sustain and grow an integrated and efficient waste management and resource recovery system, which includes the consideration and maintenance of landfills and transfer stations. “Every aspect of the waste hierarchy fulfils an important role in effective best practice waste management and resource recovery systems, and managing waste according to this hierarchy is absolutely an essential service,” said Gayle Sloan, WMRR CEO. “This is why WMRR and our sponsors have invested in the conference – we recognise that landfill plays a vital

Infrastructure planning is one of the most fundamental tools to build, sustain and grow an integrated and efficient waste management and resource recovery system.

role, is integral to both environment and community safety and we must continue to ensure that our landfills are world’s best practice in order to maintain a network of high-quality engineered facilities that effectively manages our residual waste, while ensuring human health and the environment are protected at all times.” The role of landfills and transfer stations goes beyond the responsible

disposal of waste. They play a fundamental role during periods of service and economic disruption and post-disaster waste management. “In February, floods wreaked havoc in Townsville, leaving thousands of homes inundated,” Sloan said. “The disaster is estimated to have caused $1.5 billion in damage and what followed was a massive clean-up effort. Council should be commended for their efforts in driving the clean-up.”

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APRIL/MAY 2019 INSIDEWASTE

News //

Leading the conversation THE EUROPEAN UNION’S (EU) directives on circular economy and resource recovery have had a significant influence on waste management policy discussion in Australia. Under the EU’s Directive passed in 2018 to reduce the burden of singleuse plastics on the environment, EUwide market restrictions will be applied to plastic cotton buds, cutlery, plates, all products made of oxo-degradable plastic, expanded polystyrene food and drink containers, and other single-use plastic products. The restrictions cover products where sustainable alternatives are available. The widespread reform has now seen the SA government looking at similar measures on single-use plastic, followed by the ACT. The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) regularly cites the EU as an example of the leadership possible to achieve a circular economy. The EU’s 2018 Circular Economy sets ambitious recycling targets increasing progressively to 65 per cent of municipal waste by 2035 and 70 per cent of packaging waste by 2030. Rozalina Petrova, policy officer for waste at the directorate general for environment of the European Commission, joined in 2010 to work on a roadmap document for a resource efficient Europe, which outlined the path to increase resource productivity and decouple economic growth from resource use.

“It also defined the EU framework for various policies to work together and build on each other. The EU Circular Economy agenda stemmed from the resource efficiency strategy and gave a new impetus for policy development in the environmental area,” Petrova told Prime Creative Media. “In 2015, I took up the challenge to be part of negotiating the new EU waste legislation, which set one of the most ambitious set of recycling targets in the world. Reaching the EU’s targets will mean there will be a need to improve separate collection and waste recycling in each country, region and municipality in the EU. “It also means improving the markets for secondary raw materials and boosting investments in waste prevention and recycling.” While economics can often be a barrier to accelerating environmental reform, Rozalina believes that economics are at the core of policies aimed at sustainable development. “We have estimated that achieving 65 per cent recycling of municipal waste in the EU would require up to 30 billion euro of investments by 2035,” Rozalina continued. “The ‘polluter pays’ principle applied in the EU is essential to ensure sustainable financing of the waste management system. Making producers responsible for the waste of their products is an effective way to implement this principle. “Pull measures for secondary raw

materials are also important. Recently, EU legislators agreed on 30 per cent recycled content in beverage bottles.” According to Rozalina, the EU legislation demonstrated how bold, far-reaching and future oriented policy initiatives can make policymakers at national and local levels, as well as in industry and the civil society, all work together to find solutions for a better future. The EU has also set a target for all plastics to be recyclable by 2030 and Rozalina says the EU has to ensure that the design of plastic products facilitates high-quality recycling. “Plastic waste has to be separately collected, properly sorted and recycled to produce high-quality secondary materials. there should be no trade-off between choosing for a recycled plastics product and selecting for quality,” Rozalina said. “A true circular economy is about keeping our resources in the economy for as long as possible. As citizens, we can choose products that are designed to be durable, repairable, reusable, refillable or upgradable.” Rozalina will present a keynote address on day two of Waste 2019, a leading conference for the waste sector in Australia. Attracting more than 630 delegates nationally and internationally, the conference targets anyone who works in, or has an interest in, waste. The three-day conference at the Opal Cove Resort in Coffs Harbour will feature

presentations from government agencies such as EPA NSW, QLD Department of Environment and Science, and Sustainability Victoria. Major waste companies Cleanaway and Bingo Industries, as well as an array of local government representatives will also feature to discuss a variety of waste topics. Technical tours and pre-conference workshops will also form part of the Waste 2019 event, along with networking events with experts in the field and the annual theme dinner. Rozalina hopes the conference will give her the opportunity to get acquainted in detail with the recycling market in Australia, learn from the way Australian businesses and policymakers have dealt with its challenges, share the EU experience and discuss the trends that will shape the future of the circular economy. “I am particularly interested in improving the design, collection, sorting and recycling chain in order to deliver truly circular materials that we can re-inject in the economy for use in high added-value applications, in innovation in waste management and recycling technologies, and in involving the citizens to participate in the move to a zero-waste society,” Rozalina said. Waste 2019 takes place at the Opal Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour from May 14-16. To register your interest in Waste 2019, visit www.coffswasteconference. com.au

Waste 2019 takes place at the Opal Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour from May 14-16.

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2019

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// News

A prime example of Swedish sustainability in action A NEW Kompogas plant, due for completion in 2020, is to be built in the Swedish city of Jonkoping by Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI). The company also financed, developed and designed the whole project and, additionally will own and operate the facility. The installation will make a substantial contribution to efforts to decarbonise the country by processing organic waste to produce biofuel for carbon-free transportation and fertiliser. The start of the execution of the plant in Jonkoping on March 1, 2019, signaled the commencement of a project that will make a major contribution to Sweden’s sustainability strategy. The strategy includes plans to achieve carbonneutral status by 2045. An important component of this ambition is a shift from fossil to green fuels to power public transportation. The City of Jonkoping is playing a key role in these efforts by implementing various measures to recycle organic

waste and produce alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied biogas. One of these measures involves constructing and running a new anaerobic digestion plant. The installation, featuring two Kompogas steel digesters, which will be built on a former landfill site, will tulimately process an annual 40,000 metric tonnes of green and kitchen waste and food leftovers, plus organic substrates from industrial and commercial establishments, to make biogas and high-grade compost and liquid fertiliser – the latter to be used by farms in the region. At the same time, the 35GWh of biogas produced every year, will be enhanced to high-grade biomethane in the gas upgrading installation, also supplied by the HZI group, and sold as bio-CNG to local transport companies and private vehicle fleet operators. Besides processing organic waste, the project will also recycle gas extracted from the former landfill to heat the two digesters.

“Jonkoping is a prime example of how highly developed our technology has become. By processing organic waste from the region to produce biofuel, compost and liquid fertiliser, and using the available landfill gas, this project sets the standard in terms

of circular economy and efficiency,” said Lukas Heer, HZI senior project development manager. The installation will be commissioned in the second half of 2020, going into commercial operation at the end of 2020.

The installation of the new Kompogas plant will make a substantial contribution to efforts to decarbonise the country.

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From the CEO’s desk Environment meetgovernment for the second Just what will it Ministers take for thewill Federal to step time thistask year 7 elected December, up to the it’son been to dofollowing (lead) and the steerfirst the 2018 Meeting of Environment Ministers (MEM) in country out of a waste management and resource recovery April, which was in part a response to the import challenge that has all the makings of an economic and restrictions driven by China’s National Sword environmental opportunity? Policy and the effects this policy has had across thebeen Australian waste andsince resource It’s more than a year China recovery rolled out (WARR) its strict industry. Key decisions derived from the April MEM import restrictions. “National Sword” is now part of the include: vernacular and yet, we’ve seen no real action Australian out of the Federal government (convening meetings does • Reducing waste generation, endorsing target not count). The warnings were loud and clear,aact now of 100% of Australian packaging being recyclable, to build and grow a domestic remanufacturing industry compostable reusable by the 2025, and developing that will create or jobs and boost economy before this targets for recycled content in packaging. happens again. More importantly, let’s do the rebuilding and reshaping work now so that • Australia Increasing capacity.industry for a long time to come. hasAustralia’s a secure, domestic sustainablerecycling and future-proof • AIncreasing demand for National recycledWaste products. whole lot the of talk, a weak Policy and two Meetings of Environment • Ministers Exploringlater, opportunities to advance waste-to-energy and waste-to-biofuels. and are we anywhere close to commissioning additional remanufacturing • capacity? Updating No.the 2009 Waste Strategy by year end, which will include circular economy principles. In March, India shut its doors to plastic waste imports, while Indonesia announced a Itrequirement is time to take stock and been achieved since these (previously decisions to inspect 100 examine per cent ofwhat scraphas paper imports before shipment were announced. Now, seven (7) months may not seem like a long time, 10 per cent), adding further strain to an industry that wants to grow its however domestic inprocessing that timecapacity, we havebut seen markets close (Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam) and is further struggling without Federal government leadership in setting ifayou are an for operator under continued financial seven (7) months could real course a circular economy and driving marketstress, demand for recycled products. make or break you. We’re now at a point where the struggles of our essential industry appear in the news on Following Aprilbasis. MEM, three (3)hasstates step in its with varying a weekly, if the not daily Yet,we the have Federalhad government not risen from slumber, but degrees of financial assistance for industry (councils and operators). This is continuing to hit the snooze button, and we all know, you snooze, you lose! should be expected considering almost all states (except Queensland and Tasmania) have access to significant waste levycoming income On the eastern seaboard, Victoria Australia has a Federal election upeach and ityear. is incredibly important that we continue has approximately $600 million in waste levy reserves in the Sustainability Fund to call on the Federal government to stop snoozing and get on with the job. The Waste and NSW raises than Recovery $700 million per annum from the wastewill levy. There to is Management andmore Resource Association of Australia (WMRR) continue certainly of funds thatwe can bebeen reinvested into our essential industry. advocate no for lack the key positions have consistently calling for – our five-point plan that needs to be actioned now: Funding helps but as we know, the money goes a much longer way with Government and leadership, as well appropriate policy levers. 1. Leadershipsupport in sustainable procurement andas market development, including the creation of a strong remanufacturing sector. VICTORIA 2. Strengthening product stewardship and extended producer responsibility schemes. Victoria has arguably the most active and earnest in supporting the industry 3. A national proximitybeen principle. post-China, two to (2)levies reliefand packages announced (with to support the 50 recycling 4. A commonwith approach industry development a minimum per cent industry, valued at a total of $37 million. The Victorian Government has also gone reinvestment). above and beyond all others states bytoannouncing it would take a leadership 5. A whole-of-government approach circular economy, including consideringrole tax in creating market demand for recycled products. reform and import restrictions to support the sector.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Government announced a $12.4 million support package comprising $2 million of additional expenditure, $5 million additional funding for a loan scheme, together with targeted funding from the Green Industries SA budget. The Government has also offered grants for recycling infrastructure.

industry however the Queensland Government has politicians embarkedincluding on the development WMRR will be writing to, and meeting with, key the Federal of a waste management byto a waste levyfor toaction increase environment minister andstrategy we are underpinned asking members join usdisposal in our call by recycling and recovery and create new jobs. The State will re-introduce $70/ downloading and co-signing WMRR’s five-point plan letter, which can be found onawww. tonne landfill levy in March There areelectorate, also strong attempts to use policy wmrr.asn.au and sending this to2019. the MPs in your as well as to both the Federal levers (levy discounts and exemptions) to incentivise the use of recycled material minister and the Opposition. WMRR will also develop a suite of educational materials that and it cost with virgin material. However, little has been done to will make highlight the competitive value of our essential industry, correct the misinformation, home in on establish new markets and Government has not taken the lead in the procurement the efforts of stakeholders, and turn the spotlight on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to of recycled material. There arethat grants available for resource build a remanufacturing industry will offer thousands of jobs torecovery everyday operations Australians. inTogether, Queensland no monies to assist in WMRR 2018. This is we canalthough push for change. As wehave havebeen seen allocated on a state level, where works troubling Queensland out itsEPAs Container Refund Scheme on 1 November, closely andaseffectively withrolled the various and Departments of Environment, this can which will likely impact the cost and revenue models of the State’s MRFs – as we be achieved. have seen most recently in NSW. Take NSW for example. Over the last two months, WMRR’s NSW C&D working group and WESTERN AUSTRALIA the NSW EPA have been working positively towards resolving the C&D Facility Guideline, The Western Government setsite upvisits a Waste Taskforce in direct to meeting with Australian the EPA team and organising to provide insight into theresponse operational the ChinaofNational partWMRR of thisis announcement, Government realities resource Sword. recoveryAs sites. pleased to report the thatState the EPA has shown urged allwillingness local councils to with begin the utilisation of atothree (3)-bin system - red for a strong to work industry and changes the guideline are imminent. general waste, yellow for recyclables and green for organic waste - over the coming years this taskforce is a step in the right Over to in reduce Victoria,contamination. the Victorian While EPA’s ban on SKM receiving materials atdirection, its MRFs we are yet to see any tangible results from it or any funding for industry. In October, unsurprisingly caused numerous challenges, what with 45 per cent of the Victorian the WA Waste Authority draft Waste Strategy to 2030, which comprises market and 30-40 per centreleased of the SAitsmarket going to SKM. Sustainability Victoria and the aEPA comprehensive and detailed roadmap towards permanent the State’ssolutions, shared while visionVisy of are continuing to consult with WMRR on potential becoming a sustainable, low-waste, circular economy. and the Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority have stepped in to take SKM’s tonnages in SA – proving once again that the industry is a committed and tireless worker. COMMONWEALTH Following the MEM in April, Australia now has a new Environment Minister, WMRR is also working with Sustainability Victoria on aFederal recyclable commodities market Melissa Price, who in October reiterated to media MEM’s commitment to intelligence pilot, which commenced in March. The aim of the project is to explore identify waste to energy as part of the solution to theglass, impacts of China’s National opportunities to manage recovered cardboard, metals, paper and plasticsSword, across which is troubling (EfW is not a solution to recycling). The Commonwealth has the value-chain. also backed the Australian Recycling Label and endorsed the National Packaging Targets by the the state Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), Turning developed to Queensland, government’s support for industry is evident, with the which has toofdate, failed to industry feedback the development Department Environment andincorporate Science sponsoring WMRR’s 2019 in Australian Landfill and of theseStations targets. To the Commonwealth’s thereforhas been significant Transfer Conference at the end of March, credit, and minister environment, the Hon. coordination reviewing the National Waste Policy, reiterated with the the Department of Leeanne EnochinMP, officially opening the event. The minister government’s Environment bringing together industry players and States during the review commitment to the waste management and resource recovery industry and while she process. was speaking in relation to Queensland, her comments accurately capture the current landscape when she told attendees: “There is a groundswell of community support for The updated Policy will now go before Ministers on 7inDecember. The changing our attitude towards waste… WeEnvironment are at an important moment time to grow as Commonwealth can play a key role – one that goes beyond the development of the we move into the future of waste management and resource recovery”. National Policy. WMAA is supportive of the Federal It is now Waste up to the Federal government to nurture that growthGovernment and not stuntmaximising it. the levers it has, including taxation and importation powers, to maintain a strong, sustainable Gayle Sloan waste and resource recovery industry. Chief Executive Officer AHEAD OF MEM 2 There may be movement across Australia, with some states doing better than others, but the consensus is, progress is still taking way too long. It is evident that there are funds available in almost all States to assist with developing secondary manufacturing infrastructure, however the only way that this will really happen is if there is government leadership around mandating recycled content in Australia now, not later.

NEW SOUTH WALES At first glance, New South Wales’ eye-watering $47 million recycling support package was heralded as the spark of hope industry needed. However, on closer inspection, the bulk of this package that was funded via the Waste Less, Recycle More initiative and therefore the waste levy, was not new, making it very difficult for stakeholders, including local government, to utilise the funds as they were already committed to other activities. Some of the criteria proposed by the NSW EPA also made it challenging for industry to apply to these grants. On the plus side, efforts are being made by the NSW Government to stimulate demand for recycled content through the intergovernmental agency working groups that have been established, though no tangible increase in demand or facilities have developed… Yet.

Voluntary schemes like the Used Packaging NEPM, under which APCO is auspiced, are not working. We have 1.6million tonnes of packaging waste in Australia, which needs to be used as an input back into packaging. Barriers to using recycled content in civil infrastructure must be identified and removed, and Government must lead in this field and prefer and purchase recycled material. A tax on virgin material should also be imposed as it is overseas. MEM must show strong leadership on this issue. Ministers have, since April, dealt directly with operators and councils that are under stress and we have a chance to create jobs and investment in Australia at a time when manufacturing is declining. Ministers have the opportunity to be leaders of today, not procrastinators – leaders of tomorrow and we are urging them to act and not just talk in December.

QUEENSLAND Unlike its neighbours, Queensland did not provide any financial support to

Gayle Sloan Chief Executive Officer

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Circular Economy //

Downer’s Reconophalt, which includes soft plastic, glass sand and printer cartridges, continues to capture the attention of the public, and the politicians.

Paving the way to a more sustainable society By Garth Lamb IT’S BEEN developed by experts. It’s won a slew of awards. It’s been demonstrated in various capital cities. It’s being heavily promoted by a respected industry leader. It’s captured the public imagination, made news headlines and created a social media storm of likes. So why, why, WHY are we STILL talking about demonstrations and trials, and not just using this as business as usual? The specific product in question is Reconophalt, developed by Downer’s Reconomy team, working in collaboration with other experts, especially Close the Loop. Re.Group has been a part of the journey, supplying glass sand to Downer’s requirements from our materials recovery facilities (MRFs), and working with Close the Loop to recycle soft plastic received via our Return-It container collection division. In March I had the pleasure of attending another demonstration of 20

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2019

There is no longer any need to demonstrate the efficacy of glass sand in road construction. It works. Reconophalt roads meet (or exceed) the performance standards of roads built without glass sand. The recycling industry can produce glass sand to meet the requirements of road construction. Reconophalt, this time in Canberra. As always, it was well received, the product went down perfectly, and everybody involved went home with a sense of comfort that we have a winwin solution that can help create real market demand for recycled glass, soft plastics and printer toner, while also creating better infrastructure for our communities. The trouble is, for all of the impressive results, the kudos, the beautiful blacktop built with product that displaces increasingly scarce virgin resources, for all of that, we still don’t have widespread adoption of standard specifications that mandate the use of products like Reconophalt. It’s still

seen as a bit risky. Something to be demonstrated (again). Something the engineers need to get comfortable with (still). It’s as if we have all the time in the world to deliberate over the pros and cons of something that makes all the sense in the world. That we should do a triple and quadruple check to make sure that this “new idea” won’t fail. Indeed, it feels like we’re scouring around for excuses to avoid moving forward. As the recent release of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) Glass Working Group report makes clear, we don’t have all that much time at all. In fact, we are long, long into penalty

time. It is time to act if we want to see kerbside recycling remain viable, and it’s certainly time to actively encourage and support this type of smart product innovation, rather than throw up barriers. While glass is widely known to be infinitely recyclable, there are only a handful of glass furnaces in Australia able to take recycled glass, and the Australian demand is nowhere near enough to take all of the glass that is collected. Australia imports a significant amount of the 1.25 million tonnes of glass packaging consumed each year. Only about half is recycled, and a tiny amount is exported. There’s a lot of glass cullet that doesn’t have a bottle-to-bottle home. Furthermore, the glass cullet from MRFs is typically a lower grade than can be delivered from Container Deposit Schemes (CDS). As CDS are steadily rolled out across the country, and gradually providing more of the glass that the furnaces need, MRF-produced

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// Circular Economy

glass continues to need alternative markets. To avoid the cost (both financial and public relations) of landfill disposal of glass, there have been some serious stockpiles of cullet and fines built up. In 2014, there was an estimated stockpile of more than 300,000 tonnes of glass in Victoria alone. That’s likely to be much larger now, five years down the track, and certainly much larger when considered nationally. In short, glass recycling is a problem that the “traditional” approach isn’t going to solve. Fortunately, it’s a problem that can be solved, and solved quite simply, by converting the excess beyond ‘bottle-to-bottle’ demand into sand. It will be solved through the uptake of products such as Reconophalt, which utilises recycled content to displace virgin sand. Believe it or not, sand is itself in short supply. The Sydney basin alone consumes seven million tonnes of construction sand per year, and imports between 900,000 tonnes and one million tonnes of sand from outside the region. Plans are even being drawn up to ship sand to Sydney from as far as Tasmania, and investigations have been undertaken into offshore mining of sand from the NSW Inner Continental Shelf. Meanwhile, we’ve got mountains of recycled glass in stockpile, seeking a viable end market.

The solution is so obvious that it hurts. Glass sand must be used to replace construction sand wherever possible. One such application is in asphalt, with a product such as Reconophalt. There are plenty of other potential markets. In fact, it SHOULD be entirely possible to imagine a point where there is not enough recycled glass to meet the demand. Glass sand can be comfortably used in asphalt at a level of 2.5 per cent. Higher percentages are also readily achieved, but 2.5 per cent is uncontroversial. We place 10 million tonnes of asphalt across Australia every year, meaning that 250,000 tonnes of glass sand could be used in the top layers of our roads, without even looking further down the pavement structure into other layers of potential usage. Governments procure roads. Governments could mandate the roads they procure contain recycled content. If this happened, governments could both resolve our glass sand issue, and preserve high-quality construction sand for higher value uses. There is no longer any need to demonstrate the efficacy of glass sand in road construction. It works. Reconophalt roads meet (or exceed) the performance standards of roads built without glass sand. The recycling industry can produce glass sand to meet the requirements of road construction. The public is hungry for it. The market needs it. It is now time for governments around the country to move beyond rhetoric and actually help resolve part of the waste problem. It is a simple solution - one that state and local governments can move on without any need for endless consultation. We’re already spending public money on roads. We will also spend public money in higher recycling costs if we don’t have viable end markets for recovered products. Why don’t we just spend road construction budgets in a smarter way, using this money to help solve the twin recycling and sand supply problems? Our infrastructure should be built using recycled resources when they are at hand. Governments CAN contribute here. They CAN make a difference. They CAN do it quickly, given the many years already invested in trials, in demonstrations, in the development of systems. Let’s move, let’s make this business as usual, not a novelty within the occasional project. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions; I’m pretty sure the road to the Australian circular economy is paved with recycled glass. Garth Lamb is chief development officer for Australian recycling specialist Re.Group. iw

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Waste Transportation //

Transporting waste – a legal minefield By Gavin Shapiro

Transporting waste comes with a lot of complex legal requirements and risks.

TRANSPORTING waste comes with a lot of complex legal requirements and risks. This is a basic overview of some of the key legal issues you need to be aware of when transporting waste – to avoid incurring the wrath of regulators, councils and others.

Am I transporting waste? Many transporters of material that has been separated, resource recovered, or even recycled, consider that they are not transporting waste, but a product – and hence, legal requirements relating to waste do not apply. It may be surprising, but in most states and territories, “waste” is defined under legislation to include many products that were derived from waste, resource recovered, etc. – and the legislation states that simply because such materials have been recovered/recycled, that does not stop them from being waste. The test in most states relates to the source of the material – was it unwanted or surplus to the generator (e.g. the household who threw it out), at the time it was generated? If so, it is likely waste. However, each state has its own definitions and caselaw. And, in each jurisdiction, the point at which it stops being waste after processing differs. So, be sure that you know whether you are transporting waste, and if so, the legal requirements that apply.

Environmental legislation – pollution Each state and territory has laws prohibiting pollution. These are typically land, water and air pollution (as well as noise). While definitions differ between jurisdictions, the rule of thumb is generally the same – if it causes any damage, or change to the composition or nature of land, air or water, then it may be considered pollution. This will include many leaks and spills involving waste. Polluting is usually a criminal offence under environmental laws. In some states, even the potential to cause pollution can be considered an offence, so it pays to put in place controls to prevent incidents. Legislation in many jurisdictions also deems certain waste types, like asbestos waste, as being pollution if deposited on land. Some jurisdictions are more specific about a minimum level of harm to the 22

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environment that constitutes pollution – but not all, and even those who do, generally have a low threshold. These offences carry serious ramifications – criminal convictions, multi-million-dollar fines, and possible time in prison for the worst offences. When transporting waste, it is better to be safe – by putting in place appropriate controls – than sorry. When a spill, leak, or pollution incident occurs, most states and territories have a “duty to notify” – meaning you are obligated to report the incident immediately to relevant authorities, including the EPA. Selfincrimination is not an excuse. This presents a catch-22 for transporters – you must effectively dob yourself in, which may lead to prosecution for the incident, but failing to report is a criminal offence in and of itself. As many people wiser than me have said – the cover up is often worse than the initial crime, so you are far better off complying with the law and selfreporting when required.

Waste legislation and offences We all know that dumping waste by the side of the road is a criminal offence, but the offences regarding unlawful waste transportation are much broader than just dumping. One of the key offences shared in most states and territories is transporting waste to a place that cannot lawfully receive that waste. In a

nutshell, complying with the law means ensuring a few key things: • The receiving location must hold relevant licences/consents; • Those licences/consents must cover the waste stream(s) being delivered; and • If something like a resource recovery exemption is being relied on to deliver waste to somewhere other than a waste facility (e.g. a farm or a building site), that all conditions of the resource recovery exemption, including sampling and testing, have been complied with, and the receiving environment meets all requirements. This can mean, for example, that if you transport waste that you think is construction and demolition (C&D) waste to a C&D waste facility – but it contains asbestos – you can be guilty of an offence. It’s also worth noting that most of these offences are usually “strict liability”. This means that you don’t need to have intended to, or even knowingly, committed the offence – if it happened, then you are guilty regardless (unless you have a defence).

Due diligence Everyone has heard the phrase “due diligence”, but often don’t know what it means. In layman’s term, it means doing what you are able to, to reduce risks. But it’s not just a phrase. For some (but not all) offences under environmental legislation, there are “due diligence” defences. This means that for some of

the pollution and waste offences, if you did all you reasonably could do in the situation to avoid committing the offence, you may have a defence. But be warned – in almost every instance across Australia, defendants trying to rely on this defence for environmental offences have failed to show that they did all that was possible in the circumstances. In practice, this means things like adequate training for all employees, making sure all drivers and employees hold all necessary qualifications and licences, checking documentation properly for all transportation of waste – including making sure the end destination can lawfully receive it – and keeping proper records.

Orders and clean up notices In each jurisdiction, the regulators have powers to issue orders and notices, when an incident has occurred, a breach of the law, a breach of fire safety requirements, or things like contamination or unsafe scenarios. These can require you to take actions such as cleaning up a spill or dumped waste, remediating contamination, undertake works to make a depot comply with fire codes, or to make a facility safe. In many cases these can be appealed, but of course, being an expensive process, it is best to avoid orders altogether.

Proximity principle and interstate transportation The “proximity principle” in NSW is well known – in a nutshell, it prohibited the

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// Waste Transportation

transport of waste more than 150km for disposal (unless you are within 150km of a border). Its primary aim was to stop interstate trucking of waste. Previously, the NSW EPA had indicated that it was no longer enforcing the proximity principle and would be repealing it – but that has not happened to date. We are now in a grey area, where the law is still on the books, but we are unsure if it is actually being enforced. Hopefully, this unsatisfactory situation doesn’t last too much longer, and a national approach is developed.

Waste levy Thankfully, we are now in an era where all East Coast jurisdictions, except the ACT, will soon have waste levy systems – thus discouraging interstate transport of waste, which was exploiting the arbitrage between states. Most people know what the levy is, but not really how it works. The theory is that it is a charge applied to all waste disposal, to make diversion from landfill more economically attractive. But, there are quirks to each state’s levy system – such as only applying to waste generated or disposed of in certain areas, deductions

that are allowed, the powers of the regulators to calculate and enforce the levy, not to mention the difference in levy amounts themselves. There are also key differences in the place and time the levy is charged, and ultimately, who pays. NSW has a system of “intermediary facilities” – where levy liability accrues at each waste facility in the chain but is then cancelled out as long as the waste is sent offsite for lawful reuse, recycling or disposal within 12 months, or if the levy has already been paid. However, there are a lot of potential pitfalls in these systems. So, make sure you know whether the waste levy may apply, at what point, and certify that it has been lawfully deducted or paid, otherwise you may be left holding the metaphorical hot potato that is the waste levy.

Specific requirements for hazardous waste types A range of hazardous waste types have specific requirements relating to transportation. These are termed “controlled” waste in some states, or “hazardous” waste in others. In addition, if waste is also a “dangerous good”, extra requirements will apply.

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These include: • Tracking requirements for hazardous/ controlled wastes both within a state/territory, and for interstate transport; • Special licensing and certification requirements for drivers and vehicles transporting hazardous/controlled wastes; • Labelling and handling requirements for dangerous goods; • Other tracking requirements for problem wastes such as asbestos waste or waste tyres; and • Requirements to take extra precautions, such as covering and sealing loads, and securely packing asbestos waste.

OH&S and chain of responsibility There are also a whole range of OH&S laws and codes that apply in relation to the transportation of waste. These are well beyond the scope of this article. But it is worth mentioning the new, and onerous “chain of responsibility” requirements, which were recently introduced nationally. The updated Heavy Vehicle National Law has been adopted across Australia,

to impose a duty on everyone in a supply chain, to “eliminate or minimise potential harm or loss (risk) by doing all that is reasonably practicable to ensure safety”. This means that OH&S risks relating to heavy vehicles can’t be contracted out. Anyone involved in the transportation of waste will need to take an active role in minimising or eliminating risks in their part of the chain (i.e. exercise due diligence).

One last thing This is intended to be only a basic introduction to the key legal issues in waste transportation. But each law, and each jurisdiction is different, with specific requirements and quirks – not to mention each regulator and council has its own approaches to enforcement and interpretations of the laws. So, if ever in doubt about your legal requirements, it’s best to seek advice. Gavin Shapiro is a partner at Hones Lawyers. He specialises in the waste industry, including waste contracts, waste legislation, EPA investigations and prosecutions and operational issues. Gavin has advised Federal, state and local governments on waste policy, legislation and issues. iw

APRIL/MAY 2019 INSIDEWASTE

Industry News //

The wood pallet – a tried and true transport solution for used batteries in 2007 found lead dust had escaped from the port undetected when lead carbonate from Magellan Metals was loaded onto ships at the port in windy conditions. This incident is unrelated to the ULAB recycling sector and it is a long bow to draw to use this example to suggest the industry is poisoning anyone.

Plastic boxes such as this often become a “convenient receptacle” for other scrap metal and rubbish increasing the risk of short circuit and the potential for fire.

The station wagon incident The tragic accident cited in the article involving the loss of two lives in a private car carrying ULABs appears to be the closest the author can come to identifying an incident in this sector. The author clearly has limited knowledge of this incident, yet it was used to defame the industry even though it involved a private vehicle.

Suggestion that industry is non-compliant has NO basis in fact By Libby Chaplin THE BATTERY industry is disappointed with the recent article by Battery Rescue in the last issue of Inside Waste, titled ‘Why wood pallets shouldn’t be used for transporting ULABs’, which is factually flawed and represents a misrepresentation of the used battery collection and recycling industry in Australia. This article is the industry’s response to those misrepresentations. The Australian Battery Recycling Initiative (ABRI) encourages innovation and development of new products, however, believes the promotion of any such initiatives should be based on fact and merit, not by denigrating a highly successful and compliant industry with unsubstantiated claims.

About the wood pallet The wood pallet is neither a “default device used for transporting used lead acid batteries (ULABs)” nor “inadequate” In fact, it is the preferred Australian Dangerous Goods compliant method of packaging for transporting ULABs throughout the country. Wood pallets are used for the vast majority of the 140,000 tonnes 24

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of ULABs transported to processing facilities each year. Wood pallets are readily available throughout Australia, inexpensive and designed to enable the loading, transport and unloading of heavy products, including batteries, allowing the use of common lifting devices such as forklifts and pallet trolleys. Wood pallets facilitate the collection of ULABs for recycling from even the most isolated rural and regional areas of Australia, limiting illegal dumping, which has the potential for serious environmental contamination.

Best practice in wide use The article suggests the use of metal strapping is the most common cause of fires yet provides no data or source for such a conclusion. ABRI Guidance for Packing ULABs is widely used by industry, and states metal strapping is unacceptable. The inference that the ULABs industry is a safety threat to the Australian public and workers is simply untrue. The examples provided are in no way relevant to the ULABs industry. The “evidence” provided in the piece suggesting the industry is putting

public safety at risk, is spurious.

Recovery of lead from the environment Rather than increasing lead poisoning, the lead acid battery recycling sector plays a significant role in reducing lead in the environment. We all know that lead is toxic and that is why lead acid battery recycling is so important. Recycling of ULABs recovers more than 85,000 tonnes of lead each year, removing it from the environment and reducing the potential of lead poisoning. The ULAB recycling sector has a strong track record in the health and safety arena. The move to maintenancefree batteries has also reduced the likelihood of spills. Accident rates in the sector are quite low and the two incidents cited in the article in question that suggest the industry is poisoning Australian communities and workers is unrelated to the ULABs collection and recycling industry.

The Esperance Port incident For those unfamiliar with the incident in Esperance, a parliamentary inquiry

The author “estimates” that 95 per cent of the industry is non-compliant but provides no source or independent data. ABRI is in regular dialogue with regulatory agencies and has not been made aware of any trends of non-compliance. If such a trend in non-compliance or safety incidents were seen to be on the rise, we would be aware and active in addressing the issue. The author noted that he could only find one prosecution in the past six years. Perhaps, this is because the industry for the most part is compliant.

Plastic boxes have their own risks While they may have their place, particularly in static storage, plastic boxes do have their own risks when used to transport used batteries. Most plastic boxes are transported from generators’ premises, where they have been progressively filled over days, weeks or months, before transport to aggregators or scrap metal dealers. Boxes often become a “convenient receptacle” for other scrap metal and rubbish increasing the risk of short circuit and the potential for fire.

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// Industry News

fully support a strategic review process. The ABRI and the Australian Battery Industry Association are working closely with government to ensure that proposed changes to packing instructions for transport of ULABs are robust and result in real improvements to safety and environmental outcomes. The proposal to replace wood pallets with the plastic box is promulgated in the article by a company with a vested interest and without any evidence of a real problem. A switch to plastic boxes is not warranted at this time and has the potential to destabilise one of the most successful recycling programs in Australia.

Circular economy success story ABRI recommends batteries are stacked only two layers high with a cardboard separator to protect the terminals.

This risk is increased if lithium batteries, which can look similar to ULABs, are placed in the containers without proper care. In that case, the risk of fire increases exponentially.

Boxes may cause additional safety risks According to QHSE consultant Geoff Glaser, “using plastic containers to store and transport used batteries creates a number of potential safety hazards for staff. Lifting batteries in and out of plastic containers with fixed sides, with batteries weighing between 15 and 20kg, places considerable strain on the lower back. This typically results in the batteries being dropped into the container rather than being stacked”. As lids are rarely used or closed, plastic boxes may also accumulate water and liquids. It is impossible for staff unloading these containers to determine if liquids are just water, acid or a combination of various hazardous liquids. Glaser also notes that, “with pallets, used batteries are stacked with terminals facing upwards, insulated between layers, then wrapped and strapped to prevent movement. It is difficult to restrain batteries of different sizes and shapes in any plastic container so batteries are likely to move in transit, increasing the risk of breakage and fire from short circuit should terminals touch”. Glaser goes on to say that “while plastic containers with front panels that can be opened may assist with the loading of batteries, once closed, the extent of movement in transit cannot be determined until the panel is released. That panel may well be supporting a number of unrestrained

batteries likely to fall out onto staff unloading them”. Movement also increases the risk of damage, breakage, acid spills and the potential of fire from short circuit should terminals touch.

Chain of Responsibility At ABRI’s AGM in March, a presentation by Gerard Hines, Ramcar workplace health, safety environment risk and compliance manager, highlighted the importance of Chain of Responsibility legislation, which now focuses on all parties in the supply-chain. Businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the need to ensure goods they package and load are suitable for transport and unlikely to have any adverse impact on the health and safely of those transporting, receiving or handling those goods. As a “Dangerous Good” or “Controlled Waste,” used batteries demand such vigilance no matter the type of container used. The call to replace the wood pallet is unnecessary and unrealistic The call for wholesale replacement of wood pallets with plastic boxes as a mode of transport is simply unrealistic, not only because of the risks described above, but also because many plastic boxes are cost prohibitive: • The initial cost of the plastic boxes promoted in the article is understood to exceed $1,200, approximately 100 times the typical cost of a wood pallet. • It is difficult to accurately calculate the number of plastic boxes that would be required to service the entire market from generators, scrap metal dealers, aggregators and recyclers, however, a conservative estimate is in the region of 30,000. • In addition to the initial purchase

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price, the promoter of the plastic box advises the use of automatic unloading and washing equipment to limit OH&S concerns surrounding manual handling and unloading. • Automatic unloading machines are understood to cost $25,000 each and washers $50,000 each. This added cost would have a devastating impact on recovery rates as we would likely see smaller operators opting out. The result would see an increase in illegal dumping and environmental contamination.

Call for increased policing Resources in regulatory agencies are limited, and as such, increased investment in policing needs to be focused on risk, not hyperbole. If regulatory agencies are seeing a trend of non-compliance, or if there were a sudden increase in accident rates, then such an investment would definitely be warranted. Our discussions with regulators as recently as this past month indicate this is not the case. If regulators or industry were seeing problems, then ABRI would

ULABs are currently one of Australia’s real circular economy success stories. A circular economy has become an important new policy driver in Europe and increasingly in Australia. A circular economy seeks to replace the old industrial model of “extract, make, use and dispose”, with a restorative approach that ensures resources are available for future production and prosperity. In Australia, more than 95 per cent of ULABs are collected and 96.5 per cent of those materials are recovered during the recycling process, with a high proportion used to remanufacture new batteries both in Australia and overseas. It is important to note that the current collection rate for ULAB recycling is above 95 per cent in Australia. Not only is this a significant environmental outcome, it also demonstrates that if recycling is convenient and cost effective, it will happen. The ULAB recycling industry is a shining example of successful circular economy and a self-sustaining recycling sectors in Australia. Libby Chaplin is the CEO of the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative. The views expressed by ABRI represent an industry-wide perspective, not that of one company or product. iw

ULABs being prepared for transport to a processor.

APRIL/MAY 2019 INSIDEWASTE

Industry News //

Surety bonds for the waste industry By Jan Arreza RP SURETY (RPS) is a risk management consultancy that specialises in the provision of surety bonds. With over 20 years’ experience, RPS provides expertise to clients on their contractual security requirements, with an emphasis on providing unsecured working capital facilities. RPS targets niche markets that are under serviced – identifying their needs and developing market-oriented solutions that deliver tangible benefits to all concerned. Now, RPS is setting its sights on the waste industry. According to John Gardiner, principal at RPS, the Australian waste management and recycling industry has to this point been underserviced by the surety bond market. Contractors within the industry are often required to provide contractual security to either their state government licensing agencies and/or their local government councils in lieu of their waste management contracts. This security has been typically in the form of bank guarantees. Examples include: • EPA Financial Assurance – state government EPA agencies often require ‘Financial Assurance’ from licensed waste management contractors. The amount of financial assurance is determined on the volume of waste a contractor processes and provides the EPA a source of funds in the event the contractor fails to perform or becomes insolvent. • Local Government Councils – local councils often require financial security from waste management contractors as a means of ensuring each contractor performs all of its responsibilities under a contract. The amount of security varies from council to council and is usually required for the life of the contract at hand. Gardiner believes that surety bonds are a common-sense solution to the financial assurance requirements of the Australian waste management and recycling industry. RPS conducted research into several industries where contractual security deposits (such as bank guarantees) are required, and decided to focus on the waste and recycling industry for the following reasons: • In recent times, respective state EPA’s have increased their attention on the need of financial assurance 26

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A surety bond is an alternative form of contractual security to a bank guarantee, letter of credit or cash deposit.

•

should a contractor fail to honour their obligations under their license agreement. Currently, contractors are required to lodge either a bank guarantee or cash deposit, the level of which is determined by their annual turnover, waste type etc. Surety bonding is an alternative form of contractual security that is accepted by state and local government, so long as the insurer is APRA-licensed (Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority) and has a minimum rating of A- by Standard & Poors. There is no bond underwriter and or broker currently specialising in providing surety bonds to the waste and recycling industry. RPS approached a sample of current market participants who confirmed their interest in the surety bond alternative. RPS’ preferred insurers, and their reinsurers, are familiar with the waste and recycling industries through their existing bonding in other countries. RPS believe its product is a win-win solution. EPA’s and local government obtain the financial security they require, while the contractors are not required to quarantine their working capital in bank guarantees or cash deposits. RPS sources unsecured facilities from

$50,000 up to $20 million. Facilities are usually for fixed-terms between three to five years. Fees are typically one per cent to two per cent per annum on the drawn-down value of the facility limit. “Respective state EPA’s and local councils will benefit from surety bonds as they provide the contractual security they require, while not imposing any restrictions on a contractor’s working capital, thereby assisting their performance under contracts,” Gardiner said. “Contractors meanwhile benefit from the advantages surety bonds provide over bank guarantees and cash deposits. We are currently working with contractors in NSW and VIC who have expressed an interest in establishing facilities in favour of both EPA and local government requirements.”

Surety bonds – what are they? A surety bond is an alternative form of contractual security to a bank guarantee, letter of credit or cash deposit. The bond is a written undertaking from an insurance company (surety) to a third party (beneficiary) on behalf of a client (contractor). The bond undertaking is identical to a bank guarantee in that it is unconditional and can be called on by the beneficiary at their absolute

discretion. Once issued, the bond is irrevocable and can only be cancelled/ returned by the beneficiary. Finally, the bond is pay-on-demand and the surety must settle any claim up to the face value of the bond within five working days and without reference to any third party, including the contractor. “From the perspective of a beneficiary (for example the EPA or local council), surety bonds are identical to a bank guarantee in that they are an unconditional, pay-ondemand undertaking,” Gardiner said. “Once issued the bond is irrevocable and remains at the absolute discretion of the beneficiary. The bond satisfies their need for financial assurance. “From the perspective of a contractor, surety bonds do not require collateral security and thereby free up working capital. The application process is relatively quick and simple, and the annual fees very competitive to fees associated with bank guarantees.”

What are the advantages? Surety bonds enjoy several advantages over traditional contract security, such as bank guarantees and letters of credit. These include: • They are unsecured – surety bond facilities are provided on an unsecured basis and do not require any collateral security;

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// Industry News

• T hey improve liquidity – unlike traditional bank facilities, surety bonds do not ‘quarantine’ valuable working capital, thereby improving liquidity; • They do not usually impose any reporting covenants other than an annual review; • They are flexible – facilities can be tailored to the exact needs of each client’s specific needs; and • They are cost-effective – surety bonds incur no ‘opportunity cost’ on working capital.

What is involved in the Application Process? Given facilities are typically provided on an unsecured basis, the surety (insurance company) needs the client to meet the following acceptance criteria: • Character – clients must demonstrate an acceptable track record of trading within their industry, including external credit reference reports where appropriate. Membership of any affiliated trade associations are well-regarded. • Capacity – clients must demonstrate a history of profitable trading within

their industry. Externally prepared annual reports must be provided. • Capital – clients must have access to working capital to support their underlying business, including a sufficient buffer to cover times of need. The typical application process takes between seven to 10 working days to process.

What are their Terms? Once a surety bond facility has been approved, they will typically include the following terms and conditions: • Facility limit – this is the maximum amount the surety will provide under the facility. The client can then typically draw down multiple bonds in favour of different beneficiaries up to the value of the facility limit. • Facility fee – this is the annual fee applied and expressed as a percentage, for example 1.5 per cent per annum. Fees are incurred only on the drawn down portion of the facility. • Bond term limits – this is the maximum term a bond can be issued for under the facility, for example for five years.

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• A nnual review – each facility is subject to an annual review, including an analysis of the prior year’s trading results. • Deed of counter indemnity – in lieu of collateral security, the surety will request the client executes a deed of indemnity. This is a hold harmless agreement which sets out the rights and responsibilities of each party to the agreement.

Prevailing Markets Surety bonds have been in place in Australia for at least the last 30 years and have been predominantly relied on in the construction, mining and manufacturing industries. In recent times their market awareness has increased significantly, and their acceptance has been taken up in other industries such as infrastructure, energy and transport. As a result, the number of insurance companies providing surety bonds in Australia has increased accordingly. Where there were once two to three core markets, now there is in excess of eight local and overseas insurers who provide surety bonds to the Australian market. More recently, the tightening of

credit terms imposed by the major banks as a result of the royal commission has increased the demand for lines of credit outside the traditional banking market. The surety market is well-placed to take up this demand.

Summary Federal, state and local government deem surety bonds as an acceptable form of security, so long as the surety is licensed and supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APPR), or their overseas equivalent. In addition, the surety must demonstrate a current financial rating of at least A- (Standard & Poors or equivalent). The Australian surety market meets both these requirements. They also provide unconditional, irrevocable, payon-demand undertakings identical to that of a bank guarantee. “In the short-term, we are working with the respective state EPA’s providing them with a better understanding of surety bonds and the benefits they provide,” Gardiner said. “In the longer term, we aim to make all parties involved in the waste and recycling industry aware of our services and the benefits we provide.” iw

APRIL/MAY 2019 INSIDEWASTE

Product Stewardship //

Responsible solutions for unwanted paint and its packaging By John Gertsakis

Responsible disposal of used paint and its packaging

IT’S ALWAYS refreshing and reassuring when you see an industry or product category demonstrate measurable accountability for its product or service. Even more impressive is when you see a voluntary response from businesses that understand the significance of product stewardship and extended producer responsibility. In a recent interview with Karen Gomez, chief executive of Paintback, we discussed the basics about Paintback, the potential for a circular economy, and of course, what makes her tick.

Gomez summarised why we need to ensure that used paint and its packaging should be correctly and safely disposed of through Paintback. “Paint and its packaging is a high volume, low toxicity material stream, much of which is stockpiled in sheds and garages – the ‘sheds of shame’ or your own little landfill I often muse,” Gomez said.

evolution, and it’s clear that she is a systems thinker. “I believe that Loop Circular Economy Platform’s definition sums it up nicely. It keeps more value in products, components and materials and decouples growth from the consumption of finite resources,” Gomez said. “Though I would add that in Australia, where our resources are more abundant than other parts of

Tangible circularity Gomez is quick to highlight that Paintback is an example of the circular economy in motion i.e. a key element and phase in the transition to a circular economy. She is also proud of the organisation’s commitment to research and development. “The Australian paint industry has collaborated across its supply-chain to establish an efficient and effective voluntary approach, achieving national

Paintback 101 Paintback’s purpose is to take paint’s colourful past to a brighter future. It is doing this by creating a national network of drop off points to enable the responsible disposal of unwanted paint and its packaging. It’s open to all paint users – for trade and DIY painters, and as Gomez notes, it’s funded through Australia’s paint manufacturers. “Most importantly, it is an industryled initiative designed stop unwanted paint and packaging from ending up in landfill, while finding innovative ways to reuse the valuable materials we collect,” Gomez said. Paintback is backed by the major companies that supply around 90 per cent of architectural and decorative paint sold in Australia (by volume). Paintback’s founding members are Dulux, Haymes, PPG, Resene and SherwinWilliams Company. Rust-Oleum joined the scheme in 2018. Gomez heads up a small but highly motivated team at Paintback, which ensures effective operational activity, community education, stakeholder management and responsible governance. “It’s made possible by the commitment of the paint industry and through a fee of 15 cents per litre on eligible products,” Gomez said. “It prepays for the collection, transport and treatment costs. It’s also funding our important research into solutions that are higher up the resource recovery hierarchy and educating the community about the scheme.” 28

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Paintback is open to all paint users.

“Keeping this out of landfill and vital waterways is the first reason to use Paintback. But there is much more value we can create from the inherent materials, which is another important reason.” Gomez also explains that Paintback repurposes valuable materials into recycled packaging and alternative energy, noting that much more can be done, and that their ongoing research activities are aimed at addressing current barriers. This includes finding other innovations for unwanted paint and packaging.

Getting circular at Paintback Gomez has a very clear and informed approach to what the circular economy means for Paintback and its ongoing

the world, it’s important to decouple from the negative environmental and societal impacts associated with linear consumption.” The Paintback chief rightly highlights that most of the policy discussion in the last year has been focused on short-phase packaging waste management under the guise of circular economy. “For our part in the debate, we have pointed out that circular economy is not just waste policy, packaging is not necessarily a priority issue when it comes to a circular economy and moving to a genuine circular economy requires a whole of government approach with industry restructuring and taxation issues to be addressed,” Gomez added.

coverage. Through the Paintback levy, the externalities arising from using paint are internalised into the price the user pays,” Gomez said. The funds raised by Paintback underwrite waste companies to collect and transport material that may otherwise be thrown away, and Paintback facilitates recycling and industrial symbiosis that generate economic and environmental value. According to Gomez, for example, Geocycle Australia uses solvent paint in its alternative fuel, substituting using coal-fired energy in cement kilns. It seems that Paintback’s research is working on the barriers that currently limit the economic and environmental value of recovered materials, through developing new ways to repurpose

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// Product Stewardship

the materials inherent in paint and its packaging, with greater attention to packaging design and alternative uses for second-hand paint to make continued use of the embodied energy used to make it.

Challenges, opportunities and government leadership At a time when some stakeholders are arguing for increased regulation and mandatory stewardship schemes, Gomez highlights some pertinent factors related to the role of government intervention and their use of regulatory instruments. “Our biggest opportunity is to increase the depth and reach of paint’s circular economy. The biggest challenge therein is whether regulation will be an enabler or a handbrake. Much regulation has been designed for a traditional linear economy,” Gomez said. Gomez holds a considered yet frank view on the purpose of regulation and the need for clarity when it comes to legal measures over voluntary initiatives. “Now is an opportune time to assess regulations’ efficacy in facilitating circular business models, which includes not adopting a one-size fits all approach and removing duplication,”

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Gomez continued. When it comes to government leadership and smart policy reform, Gomez feel that governments take the easy way out by not considering the particular characteristics of different sectors and product categories. “There has been consistent focus on packaging and kerbside recycling, which is much needed for those sectors who’s export markets have dried up. However, consistently governments want to rely on regulation designed for one sector across many different sectors,” Gomez said. “The Australian Packaging Covenant is the case in point. It duplicates stewardship and regulated schemes that address other types of packaging and it is not designed to address their specific issues.”

Positive outcomes and personal motivations Paintback’s chief sees herself as a specialist generalist, so the opportunity to establish a new product stewardship scheme was very welcome and the perfect “sweet spot” given the program’s focus on helping the environment and consumers. Gomez is especially pleased

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with the very practical outcomes made possible through Paintback. “Every minute in fact – people are returning around 6kg of paint and packaging a minute since we began in May 2016,” Gomez said. “When collaboration really pays off with a positive result, that is rewarding for me. There are a lot of examples, some big and some small. We are bringing together the paint supply chain with all levels of government and the waste sector to support the community in their recycling efforts.” Last year alone, Paintback hosted 30 pop-up collection events at Bunnings and Mitre 10 stores nationally, reaching out to eight million people through such events. And as the program evolves and expands, so too does its communication and education activities. Gomez notes that the trade is really responding to Paintback’s first national advertising campaign, proudly telling their customers they are one of Australia’s most admired painters because they use Paintback, and all of this evidenced through social media with a regular flow of entertaining photos they are sharing with Paintback. In short, it seems like

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there is an enthusiastic vibe among participating painters. My discussion highlighted a great sense of achievement, while also recognising that much more needs to be done over the coming months and years. It also underscored the significance of an industry sector mature enough to drive its own Product Stewardship scheme without the need for government intervention or funding. Paintback, with Karen Gomez at the helm, her committed team and supported by the paint manufacturers, provides a noteworthy example for how many other industries can embrace their environmental and social responsibilities. Within the context of producer responsibility and genuine participation by brands and retailers, Paintback has made substantial progress within a short timeframe, and this is to be applauded. John Gertsakis is the director of communications at Equilibrium and an adjunct professor with the Institute for Sustainable Futures at UTS. He is a sustainability and communications practitioner with over 20 years’ experience as an industry adviser, consultant, research academic and advocate. iw

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APRIL/MAY 2019 INSIDEWASTE

Waste Management // Currently, there is a general lack of emergency waste management framework.

Local governments vulnerable to slow emergency recovery rates By Alison Edmunds BEING PREPARED for managing waste from an emergency is not always high on the to-do list. However, when emergency strikes, local government officers are placed squarely in the spotlight to manage waste recovery operations for the community – quickly and efficiently. On Wednesday, November 23, 2011, I left for work at the Shire of Augusta Margaret River– just another day in the sunny, windy day in the southwest of WA. Margaret River is located approximately 277km south of Perth and has around 12,000 residents. On this particular day, a prescribed burn in nearby Ellensbrook escaped its boundary and developed into a full-fledged wildfire, creating an emergency causing immediate evacuation of the area and leaving me and my fellow residents of Gnarabup, Prevelly and Redgate unable to return to our homes, unsure if they would still be there when we returned. At a community meeting five days later, we were told the fire was under control and emergency personnel were preparing to lift roadblocks and allow residents back into their homes. A wave of relief washed over the community quickly followed by the overwhelming realisation – what do I do now? – and an even more stomach-gripping personal realisation – I’m the Shire’s manager of environmental health, waste and ranger services. So what do we do now? In five days, the fire destroyed 39 houses and damaged 26 others and caused millions of dollars of irreparable damage to homes, businesses and the 30

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environment. At the time, it was the second highest number of houses lost to a single fire in WA. And there I was, responsible for assisting the community with clean-up with only the clothes I’d walked out of the house in and no guidelines, no plan – just a team of exhausted but willing staff ready to do whatever it took to help with community recovery.

Recovery mindset In my role, I was responsible for both public health and waste related issues from the event. This involved: • Property inspections (hazardous material – risks to public health and safety); • Securing sites that pose a health and safety risk; • Organising the removal and disposal of rotting and putrescible food in fridges and freezers and domestic premises (due to extended period without power); • Demolition, removal and clean-up of destroyed residential dwellings containing asbestos; • Removal of bushfire impacted debris and green waste seen to be a fire hazard on residential properties impacted by the fire; • Management of the landfill operations; • Ongoing communication and liaison with a significant range of stakeholders (impacted residents, community, media, incident control groups, recovery committees, state government agencies, etc.); and • Public health management. In the aftermath of the 2011 Margaret River fires, I very quickly understood

that an “on the fly” approach to emergency waste management was not an appropriate, productive, or costeffective approach.

Uncommon common sense Unfortunately, it’s a quite common approach as I recently discovered; ASK Waste Management was engaged by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) in WA to work with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) in investigating Emergency Waste Management (EWM) issues that can affect the rapid recovery of communities impacted by emergencies. My hands-on experience in dealing with the clean-up process meant I knew the challenges on a practical level, which included: • Inadequate access to appropriate guidance, information and advice; • Conflicted, convoluted, and “not fit for purpose” legislation; • Limited understanding of emergency waste profiles and managing hazardous waste; • Quickly identifying suitable contractors and procuring services with evolving scopes and limited timeframes; • Unclear lines of responsibility for clean-up; • Limited recycling opportunities and infrastructure capacity (e.g. available landfill void-space at local landfill); • Difficulty in managing community expectations and insatiable need for information; • Very limited capacity within exiting staff resources; and • No local emergency waste plan to

guide actions. Through our development of the OEM report, I found that not only were local governments generally without resources, information or forwardplanning in the area of emergency waste management, but so was WA as a state.

Statewide issue Through the project, we were able to identify issues that prevent, hinder, obstruct, or delay rapid recovery within WA. These include the following key areas: • Emergency management framework There is a general lack of emergency waste management framework. If present, this would establish the strategic and operational management structures across planning, preparedness, response, and recovery. Effective frameworks ensure emergency waste management is included when planning and preparing for, responding to, and recovering from events that create emergency waste. • Legislative barriers Legislation, at this stage, is complicated and obscure, in terms of emergency waste management. This leads to a general sense of hinderance, instead of assistance. This particularly includes areas where policy, clarification, or direction is required to expediate emergency waste management activities. • Funding and payment mechanisms Many obstacles exist for state government, local government and the community in gaining emergency waste funding and payment mechanisms (including insurance claims), which

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// Waste Management

slows the speed of recovery and increases the cost of clean-up. • Infrastructure capacity The available data relating to the state’s emergency waste management infrastructure capacity was assessed and deemed inadequate, with little to no tools available in assisting data collection on an incident-by-incident basis for local or state groups. • R esponsibility for hazardous waste management in emergencies Generally, it was unclear what responsibilities fell to which parties. Efficient clean-up requires the clear identification of the organisation responsible for funding hazard identification, site stabilisation and clean-up, together with systems to ensure on-site activities are completed. • Additional factors These are many other additional factors that negatively impact effective emergency waste clean-up activities.

Useful tools As part of the project scope, ASK developed tools and guidance documents to provide immediate

assistance with the efficient provision of waste management services following an emergency event, which included: • A flow chart to guide stakeholders through the emergency waste management process; • A legislation matrix that documents the many legal provisions that reference, impact upon or govern emergency waste management activities; • A waste calculator to rapidly estimate the waste types and volumes produced by an emergency event; • An emergency waste management infrastructure and contractor database, which documents approved waste collection, transport, storage, processing and disposal facilities across the state; • Temporary storage facility guidelines that cover siting, approval, operation and closure; • A guideline of (minimum training level) competencies for rapid hazard assessment teams; • A guideline for the identification and stabilisation of hazards; and • A competency matrix for cleanup contractors (skills, equipment,

systems, licences approvals). Adopting one or more of these tools would greatly increase a local government’s chances of having a relatively-smooth recovery process and hasten the ability of the community to bounce back after a disaster.

Any plan is better than no plan Any sort of a plan is better than no plan at all. I wish I had that in those early days after the fires in Margaret River – something to refer to that would assist me and my team in getting our heads around the scale of the clean-up and something that could guide us through the chaotic aftermath. Despite the constraints and challenges currently facing emergency waste management, local governments would ultimately benefit from preparing for the unimaginable. So, as a local government officer, what can you do in the meantime? I would recommend, as a minimum, the following: • Have a plan – integrate emergency waste management planning into your Local Emergency Management Arrangements. Having some sort of a

Digital ways to a cleaner world

plan of how you will tackle the issue is better than having no plan at all; • Assess your internal capacity, train staff and prepare for how you will plug the gaps; • Familiarise yourself with funding streams and scope; • Review disposal capacity locally and regionally and have a backup plan. How would you and your infrastructure cope with 1-5 years’ worth of normal waste generated in a few days?; • Identify temporary storage sites – important in large scale incidents; and • Know who to call for help and assistance. There is never a disadvantage to planning. Never underestimate the importance of effective waste management and the significant role it plays in getting a community back on its feet after a disaster. Alison Edmunds is a senior consultant at ASK Waste Management. She has been working in the waste management industry for more than 23 years and has accumulated significant knowledge and a wide understanding of the industry. iw

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APRIL/MAY 2019 INSIDEWASTE

Waste Management //

Pacific Islands: leading the way with evidence-based decision making

Beach litter counting in Vanuatu.

By Dr Amardeep Wander MARINE litter is found in all oceans — not only in densely populated parts of the world, but also in wild and remote areas, far from obvious sources and human contact. Globally, it is estimated that 6.4 million tonnes of litter enter the oceans each year and eight million items enter the oceans each day. Up to 90 per cent of marine litter is made up of plastics that originate from sources on both land and sea, which makes plastic pollution one of the most widespread and devastating problems facing our planet today. Developing adequate and effective responses to this challenge is paramount and it requires urgent and coordinated action. The small Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu – consisting of 80 islands and a population of just 280,000 – is leading the war on ocean plastics pollution. It is at the vanguard of this battle, with its recent announcement of the most far-reaching and broad-ranging plastic products bans of any nation. These decisions were carefully considered and based on real data collected in Vanuatu — decisions which reflect local issues and recognise the contribution they make to a global problem. 32

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In Vanuatu, the war on single-use plastic began in 2017 with a Facebookbased, community-led campaign – “No plastic bag, plis” – which gained more than 2,000 signatures in a week. The message was heeded by the country’s leaders. In July 2017, Prime Minister Charlot Salwai mentioned in the annual Independence Day address that the country would eradicate plastic bags. The law – banning plastic bags, straws and polystyrene boxes – was formally introduced in January 2018 and went into effect in July 2018 after a sixmonth grace period. In making this decision, the government’s leaders were spurred on not only by the community campaign, but also by beach litter data, where scientists collected almost 24,000 pieces of non-biodegradable rubbish on the beaches of the capital Port Vila in August 2017. The tally consisted of more than 4,400 plastic bags, 3,000 food wrappers, 4,400 plastic and foam packages, 2,600 beverage cans and 2,100 plastic drinking bottles. For generations, Vanuatu has had a thriving handicrafts industry producing alternatives to single-use plastic items. This made the switch from disposable

plastic bags not only possible, but also popular. Tote bags woven from pandanus fronds – the leaves of a local palmlike tree – are common alternatives to single-use plastic bags for Vanuatu’s people. The totes come in complex and intricate patterns, last for years, and are completely biodegradable. Many women rely on the sale of these traditional handicrafts for a living. Weavers, known around the country as “mamas”, learned their craft from previous generations and in turn pass it along to youngsters. The plastic ban has also led to increased sales of traditional totes. An added benefit is that plastic bags were not replaced by higher-carbon-footprint paper bags. The policy change had an immediate impact – locals point out that there is practically no litter on the streets of downtown Port Vila in comparison to the pre-ban days. Since April 2018, the UK and Vanuatu co-chair the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance (CCOA), which is an initiative to unite countries across the Commonwealth in protecting the marine environment. The Commonwealth Litter Programme (CLiP) supports CCOA in meeting its objectives and is implemented by Cefas

(Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) – an agency of the UK government’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In 2018, Cefas engaged Asia Pacific Waste Consultants (APWC), a subsidiary of A.Prince Consulting (APC), to undertake data collection, capacity building and training in two Pacific Island nations – Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. APWC undertook a systems approach to data collection to gain an understanding of how, where and what types of waste is generated and managed from a data, policy, infrastructure and capacity context. The APWC data collection method assessed the amount of waste requiring immediate management and possible reasons waste leaked into the environment, and, in conjunction with extensive household interviews, the socio-economic and waste disposal behaviours of residents. Waste audit data from households revealed that disposable nappies were the most common item found in the general waste stream, at 27 per cent. Disposable nappies also represented the highest littered items, at 19 per cent. The large number of nappies in the waste stream is directly linked to the high birth rate in Vanuatu (sitting at the 5th highest in the Asia Pacific, behind the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Afghanistan and the Marshall Islands). In localities where there are no pre-paid bag waste collection systems in place, communities reported burning, burying or dumping of sanitary waste directly into marine or land environments. APWC data formed an important part of the socio-economic research and marine litter data collected by Cefas marine litter scientists. This combined dataset was presented to the Vanuatu leadership, which led to the foreign minister announcing an extension to the existing plastic bag ban at the Vanuatu Regional Conference on Marine Plastics, held in Port Vila on February 18, 2019. Vanuatu has now banned plastic bags, straws, polystyrene takeaway containers, plastic mesh bags and other plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables, plastic cutlery (forks, knives, spoons), plastic stirrers, plastic

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// Waste Management

egg cartons and disposable nappies. There will be extensive community and business consultation before the ban comes into effect on December 1, 2019. The banning of single-use plastics (including nappies) in Vanuatu is the perfect example of well-considered, evidence-based policy-making, where political will, government leadership and community support are all united. The same might not be true for other jurisdictions. The implementation of the ban on disposable, plastic-lined nappies will be a challenge, one Vanuatu seems confident it can meet. However, in a country that relies heavily on tourism, the implementation of the ban and its impacts on tourism will need to be considered, as well as its impacts on women, already a marginalised group. The other side of the coin is that the advent of the disposable nappies is a relatively new occurrence and traditional knowledge around reusable nappies has not yet been lost. In fact, most of the community groups attending a ‘Nappy Conundrum’ workshop run by APWC as part of the regional conference supported the move. “The thing about Vanuatu is that

95 percent of our junk we import. We don’t make it here. That’s why I’m passionate about bans because you can just stop it from coming in. As many things as we can ban, we’ll ban,” said foreign minister Ralph Regenvanu in February 2019. Plastic bans in countries such as Australia have been more difficult to implement, owing to community backlash and lack of political will. In NSW, supermarkets voluntarily banned plastic bags, then retracted the policy, only to reinstate it with a grace period after some customers attacked cashiers for not providing single-use plastic bags. Nonetheless, single-use plastic bag bans are in place in most jurisdictions in Australia, except NSW and Victoria. The extension of the plastic ban to other single-use items remains contentious. In March 2019, Hobart City Council became the first council in Australia to phase out all single-use plastic items by 2020. Its decision was based on a community survey where 96 per cent of the 3,000 respondents supported a ban, and more than 90 per cent expressing a willingness to pay more for more sustainable packaging options. This is yet another example

Dr Amardeep Wander was responsible for the delivery of the Cefas project in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

of good decision-making based on evidence. Australia should learn from its Pacific neighbours and take concrete action to ensure it plays an active role in reducing marine plastic pollution. Effective policies, including whether Australia should follow the Pacific in banning single-use plastic bags, must be based on evidence. Gathering this evidence is difficult, but without it we risk

ineffective solutions that erode public appetite for reform. A wave of change is building. Through evidence-based policy we can turn the tide on marine plastic pollution. Dr Amardeep Wander is the project director at Asia Pacific Waste Consultants (APWC) and is responsible for all international projects, including the delivery of the Cefas project in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. iw

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APRIL/MAY 2019 INSIDEWASTE

Circular Economy //

Are refillable beer bottles again possible in Australia? By Robert Kelman SURELY THE holy grail of the circular economy when it comes to wide-scale use of refillable drink containers has been written off as a possibility in Australia. But perhaps the old may become the new again. When single-use drink containers such as aluminium cans and plastic bottles became common in the 1970s, refillable containers and the systems developed to recover and refill those containers went by the wayside. The environment bore the brunt of this change, with beverage container litter in states, aside from South Australia, generally considered to make up around 40 per cent of the litter stream by volume. The re-emergence of drink container deposit schemes (CDS) across Australia outside of SA, beginning with the Northern Territory in 2011, NSW in 2017, the ACT and QLD in 2018, and WA by 2020, is good news in and of itself. The NSW deposit/refund scheme is proving yet again that CD schemes increase recycling rates and reduce litter, but it also presents a great opportunity for the return of refillables. Canada, with deposit schemes across all provinces, retains a 30 per cent market share of refillable beer bottles. On average, these containers are returned for refilling 15 times. The EU similarly retains around 32 per cent market share in refillables, both plastic and glass; the Middle East has 21 per cent and the Asia Pacific region

“We already getting good resource savings – virgin material reductions of 37 per cent across the board – but there are additional energy and greenhouse gas savings from glass recycling.” market share of refillable containers is 30 per cent. Glass recovery and recycling generally, extending from the advent of CDS, particularly in NSW and QLD, is on the up. Industry sources advise that the general average quantity of recycled glass in your beer bottle is now around 37 per cent. This recycled-content is much higher at up to 62 per cent in Queensland manufactured bottles. So, not only are we already getting good resource savings – virgin material reductions of 37 per cent across the board – but there are additional energy and greenhouse gas savings from glass recycling. For this reason, the glass bottle industry wants cullet (glass pieces for recycling) and glass like aluminium is endlessly recyclable – i.e. unlike PET, which loses its fibre-durability (PET can however be used in a composite for things like outdoor furniture etc). For every 10 per cent increase in cullet going into the bottle manufacturers furnace three per cent less energy, and five per cent less greenhouse gas emissions result. This

A shift back to refillable drink containers would be in keeping with the public momentum for waste and resource recovery solutions.

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2019

The Oregon bottle scheme coordinator worked with O-I to design a standard refillable beer bottle.

is due to the fact the temperature of the furnace is reduced. All these savings in virgin resources, energy and greenhouse gas emissions in turn of course save producers money. The same and primary mechanism required to facilitate large volumes of recycled glass being available to bottle manufacturers could now also be used to develop a refillable container supply-chain in Australia. That is, the system and infrastructure needed to get the empty bottles back for recycling can also be used to get empty bottles back for refilling. A deposit/refund scheme provides this. Consumers return their one-way or refillable containers for

the 10-cent refund through either retail or depot outlets. It’s estimated that Coca Cola’s existing beverage supply includes seven per cent refillable PET and 12 per cent refillable glass. That’s a total of 21 per cent of Coca Cola’s products sold globally being housed in refillable containers. All that’s required now are willing producers - most likely starting with those bearded boys and hipster girls from the craft beer brewing sector - a bottle washing machine (costs about $150,000); a bar code to discriminate between refillable containers and single-use containers; and a reverse logistics system to get the empty

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// Circular Economy

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refillable containers from the for a waxed cardboard box to carry collection point back to the brewer. and return their empty refillable What’s more, there are plenty bottles. To date, 10 individual brewers precedents, so Australia doesn’t have are utilising the bottle service and a the burden of being a leader on cider maker is coming on board soon. this issue. Additional discussions are occurring The US state of Oregon, for example, with a kombucha label and a clear through the Oregon Beverage Recycling glass bottle is also in development. Cooperative (OBRC), has recently As outlined above, a number of EU O NST R E FO MON TY C R launched a multi-brand refillable beer states have maintained both refillable LU DU bottle and logistics service under glasses and plastic drink containers the existing 10-cent deposit/refund (primarily PET containers above 1.25L scheme. So far, the volumes are small size). Again, these PET units are at only around two million beer bottles slightly thicker than their single-use per annum, but the resource savings counterparts. are enormous, and interest is growing. Bringing back the 10-cent deposit OBRC estimates that the trippage on single-use containers is the first rate for each refillable beer bottle is part in the equation to bringing back 25 times; in other words, their aim is refillables to Australia. that the average refillable beer bottle A shift back to refillable drink that goes through its system is filled, containers would be in keeping with returned, washed and refilled 25 times the public momentum and hunger for before breakage and recycling. The waste and resource recovery solutions; standardised refillable bottle, which is and aligns well with the trend to produced by O-I, is thicker and heavier food and beverage provenance/ than other bottles, and utilised by sustainability, to which the craft multiple breweries with separate brewing sector aspires – but let’s hope labelling. refillables don’t just reside with that While the original bottle is sector. marginally more expensive than the Robert Kelman is director of Reloop non-refillable container (as it’s thicker Pacific, contracted by EU-based and production volumes are lower), advocacy organisations the Reloop it’s a one-off purchase speed and the only Platform, promoting a circular economy with very low operating th its extreme accuracy, and consistency of cut, combined additional cost after initial supply is including refillable containers, sts, the new Yawei laser is the perfect way to takesingleyour low business to the next level. me accuracy, speedHLF andfiber consistency of cut, very operating the washing. use plasticcombined bans and with increasing w Yawei HLF fibercan laser perfectrecycled way to take iw your business to the next level. Consumers pay is a the $3 deposit content.

“A shift back to refillable drink containers would be in keeping with the public momentum and hunger for waste and resource recovery solutions; and aligns well with the trend to food and beverage provenance/sustainability, to which the craft brewing sector aspires.”

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APRIL/MAY 2019 INSIDEWASTE

Kerbside Collection //

Collections are key to quality By Brian Mayne and Dr Darren Perrin WE ALL recognise that recycling is a necessary component of a circular economy, nevertheless, it all goes to waste if the material collected is contaminated. The kerbside yellow-lidded bins have been operating in Australia for several decades, collecting co-mingled dry recyclable material, which is then sorted at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) before being sent off for reprocessing, while the red-lidded bins collect the residual waste. In recent times, there has also been an increase in the number of councils rolling out a third FOGO (food and garden organics) green-lidded bins for its kerbside collection services. The issue of contamination and the quality of recyclables collected has become an increasingly hot topic. High levels of contamination, challenges at MRFs and securing high-value end markets is becoming a regular media highlight. To increase the amount of material collected for recycling and its value, the service needs to prioritise on minimising contamination whilst increasing the capture rate of targeted materials. One way that could increase recycling, reduce contamination and generate additional income and employment within Australia is to investigate a collections methodology that has delivered great success in Wales in the UK. The Welsh government believes that, if applied optimally, its collections methodology offers the most cost-effective overall means of collecting waste from its householders. They also state that Welsh councils subscribing to the model have reduced the risk of contamination in recyclates, making them more resilient to the changes of exporting materials for recycling. Currently, with limited recycling processing infrastructure and end markets in the country, Australia has always relied heavily on exporting materials to countries like China to buy and reprocess the materials collected. However, the recent import restrictions imposed by China under its National Sword Policy has become one of the biggest issues facing the Australian waste industry in recent times. National Sword restricts the importation of 24 streams of recyclable material by setting strict “maximum contamination thresholds”, while also limiting the number of import permits 36

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2019

provided to Chinese businesses. Paper and plastics are two key streams from household kerbside recycling in Australia, with 29 per cent (920,000 tonnes) of all paper and 36 per cent (125,000 tonnes) of all plastics collected being exported to China in 2017. This represents around 65 per cent of the export market for each. The big issue, however, is that the contamination rate of Australia’s kerbside recycling averages between 6-10 per cent, and even after sorting at a recycling facility, is still well above China’s acceptable threshold of 0.5 per cent. As part of its response to the crisis prompted by China’s National Sword Policy, the Australian federal and state governments have been scrambling to consider what actions can be taken to assist the waste industry during this time. This includes a wider plan to update the National Waste Policy to embrace circular economy principles. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, “the World Economic Forum estimates the circular economy could be worth $1 trillion worldwide and $26 billion in Australia by 2025”, therefore getting recycling right must be a key element of any plan. Contaminated recyclates result in lower-grade commodities, and in the worst cases, contamination can completely destroy the quality of good recyclables, sending tonnes of recycling straight to landfill. The focus has often been on the “quantity of materials” collected for recycling, as opposed to the “quality of materials” collected that will be recycled. Therefore, the aim of any collection system should be to maximise recycling and minimise contamination. In order to achieve this, it is important to get the collection methodology right.

Design In the UK, there are three main types of kerbside collection systems. These systems are: • Kerbside sort – involves the sorting of materials at the kerbside by collection operatives into different compartments of a specialist collection vehicle. • Single-stream co-mingled – involves the collection of materials in a single compartment vehicle with the sorting of these materials occurring at a MRF, just like the yellow bin system widely used across Australia. • Two stream co-mingled – residents are provided with two recycling

The Welsh government undertook incredibly extensive research to identify the best collection configuration for its local authorities.

containers and are asked to place different materials in each container, typically paper/card (fibre) in one and plastics, glass and cans (containers) in the other. These materials are kept separate but collected on one vehicle, which has two chambers.

Configuration The Welsh government undertook incredibly extensive research to identify the best collection configuration for its local authorities to achieve its statutory target of recycling 70 per cent by 2024-25. Currently, it recycles 62 per cent and is considering a new target of 80 per cent by 2035. To achieve these high recycling rates, the Welsh government developed a “Collections Blueprint”, which recommended a service profile for the collection of waste from households, and included several central policies, which included: • Weekly separate collection of dry recyclables via kerbside sort, with material being collected separately in boxes and/or in reusable sacks, with two or more boxes provided per household and recyclables being sorted into separate compartments on the collection vehicle by the collection staff; • Weekly separate collection of food waste; • The use of modern lightweight, multi-compartment vehicles for a single-pass collection of dry recyclables and food waste;

• F ortnightly collection of residual waste, from collections with reduced residual waste capacity, where “no side waste” policies are enforced; and • Garden waste is collected separately and charged for service. Following a review of the Blueprint, where over 140 pieces of evidence were analysed, it was found to offer clear benefits in terms of cost and material quality, whilst offering no relative overall disadvantages in terms of recycling performance and health and safety. The Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP) has identified some underlying principles that can assist local authorities in the decisionmaking process, which include quality of material, cost efficiency, cost effectiveness and public acceptability. By reviewing the work from Wales against the principles identified by WRAP, it can be identified that kerbside sort satisfies the principles most effectively. Evidence supported the view that separate collection results in higher quality and less contaminated materials. This is likely to result in the material being appropriate for higher value-added closed-loop uses. Evidence regarding collection system cost (both from actual cost data from Welsh authorities and from comparative cost modelling projects) indicates that the Collections Blueprint represents a lower overall cost option than alternative collection systems. It should be noted that the investment

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// Kerbside Collection

cost for implementing the Collections Blueprint may mean the savings may not be immediate. However, there is inconclusive evidence in determining whether the Collections Blueprint attains higher or lower levels of public satisfaction with the service, particularly regarding the dry recycling element of the service design. The introduction of kerbside sort recycling systems in Australia could, for many councils, be an attractive alternative and is currently being considered in some areas. While it may not be appropriate for all councils, there is a need to carefully review the current kerbside collection service configuration and alternative options available to ensure material quality is at the forefront of the service design. There are several practicalities that need to be considered when delivering the Blueprint service, including the type of vehicle, container and messaging that is used.

Vehicles There are different vehicles used by local authorities in Wales. The most popular is a vehicle that offers several

fully-enclosed compartments, which can be assigned to different materials depending on recycling priorities. The range of materials that can be collected and sorted includes paper, cardboard, mixed plastics, glass, cartons, textiles, food, batteries and small WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment). It includes special sealed stillages for food waste, and compartments that are loaded and unloaded, locked and unlocked hydraulically, removing any need for a forklift to come in direct contact with the vehicle.

Containers One of the major criticisms of the Blueprint is the space taken up by the number of containers, which could put off householders. However, this issue has been overcome by the design of a novel set of stackable containers. Three recycling boxes are stacked on top of each other and mounted on a pull trolley with wheels. Each container has a flap opening, allowing residents to sort recyclable materials into the respective plastic container for paper, plastic, cans, glass and brown cardboard. This

container takes the same space and is as manoeuvrable as a wheeled bin.

Communications Regardless of whatever collection system is used, it needs to be supported by robust communications. If people are to participate fully, they need to clearly know what their services are, what their service rules are and what happens to their recycling after it is collected. A major benefit from the use of kerbside sort approaches is that it enables collectors to give direct feedback to householders on what items should be placed out for collection and what items are contaminated and therefore not collected.

Deliverability In conclusion, there are a number of issues that need to be taken into account if a similar collection service was to be delivered in Australia. These issues are: • Availability of vehicles and containers; • Participation of householders in a source segregated scheme; • Support of waste management

companies to deliver a source segregated service; • Economic viability of the service; and • Established market for the materials. However, the benefits of such a collection methodology, which could result in higher recycling rates with less contamination and increased participation, is worthy of further discussion and investigation. Brian Mayne is Ricardo Energy and Environment’s regional director (Wales) for waste management and resource efficiency. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management and Chartered Environmentalist and is responsible for project direction and management, business development and technical delivery across a range of resource efficiency areas for Ricardo. Dr Darren Perrin is a chartered waste manager working in waste management for 20 years and Ricardo director for Australia, responsible for Ricardo’s market-entry strategy into Australia, and bringing together of a combined local infrastructure and utilities offering comprising of waste, water and energy consultancy services supported by the UK skill-base. iw

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www.arcadis.com/au APRIL/MAY 2019 INSIDEWASTE

Circular Economy //

Why we need to talk about textile waste and look at new ways to divert it from landfill By Graham Ross AUSTRALIANS love their clothes. Each year, on average, we consume more than 27ks of clothing per person and that trend is increasing. But what happens to our clothes once they’re past our personal use-by-date? The fast fashion habits of consumers continue to see us fill wardrobes with the latest designs and freely donate clothing to charity stores who are at capacity. Given our consumption of fashion is the second highest per capita in the world, many are surprised to learn that textile waste still flies under the radar in Australia. While recycling plastics, cardboard, aluminium and glass has been in the consciousness of Australians for decades and is something many of us now do without even thinking about, we are currently not given the opportunity to recycle textiles even if we wanted to. Australia has continued to ignore the increasing problem of textile waste, allowing it to consume landfills and charity stores to the tune of more than 369 million kilos every year (based on an average waste of 15kg per Australian). If our lofty goal is no textiles to landfill, the problem of textile waste has to be recognised, and from there, all stakeholders will need to play their part in effective solutions.

Do we love our clothes too much? Clothes are personal. They define what we like and what we love, and they clearly represent the community we belong to, or want to belong to, and share our values with. Clothes also embody our mood, our personal style and sometimes our political beliefs. But I want to ask the question: Do we love our clothes too much? Is this connection with clothes and what they represent, standing in the way of us taking advantage of the opportunity to recycle and repurpose clothes? No one ever says, “I love your plastic water bottle”. That’s because, we don’t have an emotional connection to plastic bottles and so throwing them into the recycling bin has become the norm for 38

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2019

Graham Ross believes Australia is well-placed to deliver global leadership on the growing problem of textile waste.

most of us. It’s this mind-set that has supported the plastic recycling industry to develop into a mature industry. It’s about time we adopted that same attitude to clothes. Recycle them rather than throw them out. To be clear, donating clothing to charities is not something we are discouraging at all. Good quality clothes in good condition can be resold, helping charity stores to raise valuable funds that support those in need. But where do all the torn, stained and “loved-todeath” clothes go?

Resource recovery While recycling plastics has been around for almost 50 years, textile recycling is very much in its infancy, held back by outdated business models and limited innovation efforts, which struggle to cope with modern-day multifibre clothing. Until now, the industry considered textile recycling to be the

collection and shredding or “ragging” of materials for use in products such as insulation, stuffing and for shop rags. I concede that these processes have been supported, ensuring that at least some of the growing feedstock yearon-year of unwanted or used textiles are repurposed for at least one more lifecycle before they are destined for landfill. And, there is a considerable textile export industry. In fact, during 2016/17 Australia exported 94 million kilograms of clothing. Exporting used textiles was once a strategic and strong revenue stream, but global markets are now swamped by a tsunami of fast-fashion, pushing down export prices and forcing waste import restrictions to tighten in many countries, such as China, Uganda and Vietnam. Locally, for some textile industry sectors, exporting is not cost effective, and where there isn’t a second-hand

market, companies simply offload their waste textiles into landfill and wear the waste levy costs.

So, who owns the problem? More than 100 billion garments are made each year. Globally, 87 per cent of disposed textiles are sent to landfill or incinerated, 12 per cent are mechanically recycled by cutting or shredding into fibre, insulation material or rags and below one per cent are chemically recycled. As you can see, there is a massive gap between what’s made and what is currently recycled. The fashion industry has acknowledged their significant impact on the planet caused through CO2 emissions. This includes the impacts made on land and water systems by product manufacturing and product waste. While recognising the problem is commendable, unfortunately the fashion

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Circular Economy

industry has also proven, in the past, that change, or action will take time. Statements from concerned individuals and organisations telling retailers to sell less, or consumers to buy less, are simply unwanted noise that distracts from serious debate, and most importantly, the action required to deal with clothing consumption and the challenges it causes. At a recent UK government inquiry into the impacts of the fashion industry, one of the recommendations proposed was a “charge of one penny per garment on producers”, which could raise £35 million ($65.27 million) to invest in better clothing collection and sorting in the UK. In Australia, anyone who owns a car has paid into a similar scheme when replacing tyres or changing their engine oil, these programs ensure the user pays for the environmental impacts of product waste. I believe any such scheme allocated to the Australian fashion industry would take time to get the stakeholders to the table and be a sizeable challenge to implement, even if it was government mandated. And the user pay levy would need to be more than just a couple of cents, which has been proposed,

to cover administration costs of the scheme. The solutions lie in adopting circular economy principles that address key areas of product and supply-chain – design, education, logistics and waste. These initiatives drive cost reductions, and more importantly, create new revenue models.

Why we need government support? For the recycling of textiles to become a feature of our lives, we all have to work together – brands, consumers, charities and governments – to build a sustainable textile recycling industry. I believe governments and councils will drive significant change by committing to a recycled content procurement target. This meets the issue of textile waste in Australia on two fronts – by encouraging textile waste collection and recovery and stimulating the recycled product industry. Thankfully, there are proposals on the table at federal and state government levels. To build a textile recycling industry, data is needed to identify waste flows and volumes – in fact, until we recognise textiles as a legitimate waste

stream, funding for education and real solutions will be stymied. While household textile waste collection may be a long way off – if it happens at all – we know that by councils agreeing to host recycling centres, their residents have the chance to be early adopters of textile recycling. In fact, councils could include clothing collection points at the existing recycling centres for our most loved clothes. These clothes were once destined for the rubbish heap but could be recovered and processed back to their raw materials by innovative textile recycling companies.

Legacy Australia is well-placed to deliver global leadership on the growing problem of textile waste, due to our overwhelming supply, combined with the local demand for solutions and recycled products. Put simply, that overwhelming supply of textile waste is caused by being heavy consumers of imported clothing and our recycling efforts, which rely on exporting back into diminishing secondhand markets. Australian consumers are calling for real solutions to clothing sent to landfill. They don’t need mind-set change;

they need and want solutions for their unwanted clothing. We already happily donate clothing to the charity sector to extend the life of our garments, and for many of us, this removes our guilt around large consumption. Retail brands are starting to offer take-back schemes to reward customer loyalty, which drives sales, and at the very least, play their part in landfill diversion of clothing. But, let’s not forget, we recycle only a small amount of textiles in Australia, and for those that are recycled, it is only by one more short lifecycle. Now is the time to address textile waste and realise Australia’s recycled textile industry. Any investment in textile recycling will be profound environmentally and economically, and one that will change the face of the resource recovery industry in Australia. Generations will look back and wonder why it took us so long to recycle such high volumes of valuable resources. Graham Ross is the co-founder of endto-end recycling eco-system BlockTexx and founder/CEO of sustainable sportswear company Kusaga Athletic. Ross’ determination to drive positive change in the textile industry comes down to one question: if not us, then who? iw

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WMRR Young Professionals //

Pushing for society-wide change towards sustainable and circular futures By Jan Arreza WITH tertiary studies in sociology, statistics and evaluation, and over 10 years’ research experience, Jenni Downes is working hard in leading the UTS’ Institute for Sustainable Futures’ efforts towards improving municipal household waste and recovery outcomes. The senior research consultant has a particular passion for research and evaluation to develop effective strategies for household-level, organisational and society-wide change towards sustainable and circular futures. She has in-depth experience in collaborating with government, business and civil society to design, deliver and evaluate

household and business behaviour change programs and waste recovery strategies and plans. Downes is also a regular media commentator and is often sought for expert opinion pieces on the challenges of waste prevention and recovery, particularly residential recycling. “I’ve always been interested in the consumption side of things from my University days, where I was involved in several campaigns around waste reduction. But professionally, I was in the energy efficiency sphere for quite some time before I realised that I wanted to bring both of those aspects together,” Downes said. “I took the knowledge that I had

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with program design evaluation and behaviour change in energy efficiency and decided to transition across to resource efficiency, consumption and waste. I conducted research to better understand how we can achieve the sort of changes that we need in the waste sector, particularly focusing on the “people” side of things. “As a research consultant at the Institute, we do work on behalf of a range of clients from government, business, industry and community organisations to try to solve and understand the human side of things – in terms of what changes need to be made and why. “We do a lot of research to understand these underlying problems, talking to people and drawing on the latest theories and best practice to design projects that can then be evaluated to see how everything is going.” Downes was previously secretary of WMMR’s NSW Young Professionals and credits this for getting to grips with the waste industry after the transition just a few years ago. She now chairs WMRR’s NSW Waste Educators Group, hoping to increase knowledge sharing amongst educators and improve the overall outcomes achieved from the significant time, resources, energy and passion poured into waste education by the sector. “I think I am in a unique position being from a University Institute, as I can play a role in emphasising the research and the various different positions people have in the waste industry, and then bring all of that information together to create a balanced view of everything,” Downes said. “I definitely came into this industry with a lack of direct experience and knowledge and found it very challenging in the early days to try to get to grips with incredibly complex systems, a long history of policies and work, and just making sense of everything. “Despite being new in the industry, I have been privileged to be able to work across so much knowledge and then package that up in a way that is useful for the industry and the public. That is very exciting for me because it is something that I believe there is a lack of currently in the industry.”

Jenni Downes is passionate about evaluation and research to develop effective strategies for society-wide change towards a sustainable future.

Last year, Downes was selected to be the resource recovery expert judge on the panel for Sydney’s Climathon 2018. Sydney Climathon is a 24-hour climate change hackathon, which takes place simultaneously in more than 100 cities around the world and is facilitated in Sydney by Climate-KIC Australia. “Last year’s pitch was to develop a business model that prevents, reduces or reuses waste in the areas of food, fashion, containers or packaging. I found the experience to be very rewarding as I was able to get a new perspective of resource recovery management from engaged and innovative teams who generally did not have a background in waste management,” Downes said. “Attending these events reignites my passion for the industry and allows me to further build my networks, meeting many like-minded people to talk trash with, and working with industry and government on collaborative initiatives to progress Australia’s transition to a circular economy. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with organisations critical to driving the circular economy like Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), the NSW EPA and multiple progressive councils. I look forward to engaging in further collaborations with these organisations in 2019.” If you are interested in joining the WMRR Young Professional, please contact office@wmrr.asn.au. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Circular Economy

Circular fashion takes centre stage in Melbourne By Jan Arreza FASHION circularity took centre stage in Melbourne recently with the second annual Australian Circular Fashion Conference (ACFC) being held once again to challenge and change Australians’ addiction to fast-paced trends and the embedded environmental issues found in the fashion supply-chain. The ACFC aims to give the industry the right tools and resources to better understand what they could do within their own businesses. Globally, 85 per cent of textiles end up in landfill, which is why ACFC founder Camille Reed believes circularity is something the industry must address now if there is to be a future for fashion at all. “It was an exceptional day and the event ran beautifully. We’ve received incredible feedback on the calibre of speakers, the positivity from the fellow attendees, the execution and experience delivered, and the great networking opportunities. The conference elevated Australia’s leadership role globally, hosting seven international guests from across the world,” Reed said. “It was a history making moment for this industry and for the Southern Hemisphere. We had three of the most renowned and highly regarded sustainable fashion brands globally and two incredible private companies addressing Australian businesses on their key recommendations on sustainable materials and supplier standards. “We strive to deliver nothing but the best year on year and a very new concept introduced this year was the University Challenge, which is an integral part of the ACFC program and showcased an important and underdeveloped opportunity – partnering Universities with industry companies to generate

solutions that will address the industry’s sustainable barriers.” During this year’s event, Reed and her business partner Wendy Cameron also officially launched the new Australian Circular Textile Association (ACTA), which will act as the voice of the country’s fashion industry to help it in its desire to evolve towards sustainability. “In preparation for the launch, we made sure every conference attendee had an expression of interest form and brochure so that we could hit the ground running and take on members right away. We’re ready to engage with members who are actively seeking answers on responsible business practice and sustainability goals,” Reed said. “Our first offering in our services portfolio will be extensive research and development (R&D) within the Australian business network to run a textile takeback program. As this will be the core focus over the next year, we’ll look at running a series of workshops with various stakeholders. “Further to this offering, we’ll continue to align like-minded organisations and fellow associations in order to provide current information, not only to members, but also to our affiliated solution providers. Our services portfolio will include workshops, case studies, consultancy, central knowledge exchange, lobbying and R&D.” In the short term, the ACTA will be working to actively generate its new member base, as well as exploring collaborative opportunities with European companies and local waste providers around equipment and facility upgrades. The ACTA will also be working hard to establish a national clothing take-back scheme in Australia. “Within 18 months’ time, we look

Camille Reed addressing the crowd in attendance during the second annual ACFC in Melbourne.

The agenda and the attendance doubled at this year’s event, and included some new aspects that focused on industry participation.

to oversee two to three large retailers who will be offering nationwide textile take-back programs for their customers,” Reed said. “We’re also going to start planning for the 2020 ACFC, as well as develop potential ideas for a tradeshow to

showcase transformative global companies who offer possible business solutions. We’ll look to include more local experts and strategies and we’ll be highlighting the economic viability of sustainable fashion and textiles businesses.” iw

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Equipment //

Profits back into pockets

The AirHog EH-81 Air Suction Separator is now available for the Australian and New Zealand waste and recycling markets.

By Jan Arreza ECOHOG is introducing the AirHog EH-81 Air Suction Separator to the Australian and New Zealand waste and recycling markets. At a fraction of the cost of a windshifting unit, the AirHog suction separator is a powerful and affordable tool for operators separating lights from heavies. The AirHog EH-81 is a suction system designed for the removal of low-value, lightweight fractions such as paper and foil from applications, including compost, wood and other waste streams. The AirHog incorporates a frequency-controlled heavy-duty fan, air hose and extraction hood. A standalone unit, the AirHog 42

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“Cleaning and sorting your waste stream, regardless of the application, is critical to waste and recycling operations profitability. Once a facility is built, it can be cost-prohibitive to incorporate new technology to improve the quality of a waste stream – until now.” is designed to attach to existing facilities or mobile conveyors across all applications including aggregates, waste, wood, scrap metal, compost, glass clean-up, trammel fines, and more. It is designed to be flexible, with forklift lifting points and lifting eyes for craning to ensure ease of movement. “Cleaning and sorting your waste stream, regardless of the application, is critical to waste and

recycling operations profitability. Once a facility is built, it can be cost-prohibitive to incorporate new technology to improve the quality of a waste stream – until now,” said Neil Coyle, CSS Equipment & Recycling Solutions. “The AirHog extraction hood is easily positioned over a moving waste stream or conveyor. The lightweight material is blown through the extraction hood into a detachable

sock or bin, and the higher density material remains on the conveyor to pass through the process. It’s easy, flexible, and most importantly, costefficient.” Suitable for a range of applications, the AirHog removes unwanted contaminants, improving quality downstream and reducing the need for manual sorting. With adjustable electronic fan speed controls, and adjustable fittings suitable for various locations in an existing or new processing facility, the AirHog can be designed to fit any conveyor system. Low operational costs, high throughput and low maintenance, the AirHog offers quick and easy setup, and has low emissions and noise outputs.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Equipment

The Ecohog removing the superlight fraction from C&I waste.

Suitable for a wide range of applications, the AirHog removes unwanted contaminants, improving quality downstream and reducing the need for manual sorting. With adjustable electronic fan speed controls, and adjustable fittings suitable for various locations in an existing or new processing facility, the AirHog can be designed to fit any conveyor system. Key features at a glance: • S uitable for a wide-range of applications; • Removes unwanted contaminants, improving quality downstream; • Reduces the need for manual sorting; • Adjustable electronic fan speed controls;

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• A djustable fittings suitable for various locations in the existing processing facility/setup; • Designed for movement via forklift; • Low operational costs; • High throughput; • Low maintenance; • Quick and easy setup; and • Low emissions and noise outputs. iw The AirHog EH-81 is suitable for a wide range of applications.

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Equipment //

Safety first before anything else

Fleet owners are seeing the benefit of the system that they are willing to spend the extra money for it.

By Syed Shah LAST YEAR, we managed to catch up with Blair Rundle, Wabco Australia’s TR-AM product support manager, to talk about the benefits of a good safety sensor system and how the smallest margins in detection can mean everything for dump trucks. IW: Could you tell us about the collaboration between Wabco and Daimler? Blair: The Daimler and Wabco partnership dates back to the early 1980s, when ABS brakes were organised for heavy commercial vehicles and there was a strong tiein. The Daimler Econic is the only truck that I know of that has a tail guard system. And the Wabco sensor has parts of the Econic system, 44

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which allows us to fit the tail guard system without fitting other components that would normally go on another type/brand of truck. It’s certainly new to us and the first Econic trucks are in the country at the moment through Daimler. Wabco is in the process of working through fitting up of our system in these newly released trucks. IW: Is there a long-term supply agreement for Wabco parts on Mercedes trucks? Blair: Since 1981, there has been a long-term supply agreement for Wabco parts on most Mercedes trucks, but this is new as it is a separate system. I think within Europe they’ve had a mandate to have some sort of reversing technology on rubbish collection trucks.

IW: Will there be a need for such a regulation in Australia? Blair: Not so much in Australia. There’s no rules or regulations to say that if you want to run a rubbish truck in the country, that you would need a reversing system. In Europe, there has been a law passed for rubbish trucks to have this technology fitted into it. That’s why bin truck companies come to us and ask what can be added to their trucks – and that’s really where we sit at the moment. IW: What is the motivation behind this? Blair: Safety and the chain of responsibility. When this system was first released to trailers, we put it on EBS Trailers. Then, around two years later it was released so that it could be mounted to a rigid truck. It was only

Wabco is in the process of working through fitting these systems in newly released trucks.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Equipment

in 2017 that we have seen quite an uptake of customers. We now need to look at how we limit our liability with the chain of responsibility changing. These include all types systems that are currently out there which can stop the vehicle before it makes contact with something. In addition, there are obviously a lot of people in the past that have used cameras, but that still relies on the driver putting his foot on the brake before hitting something, while our system will automatically stop the vehicle before any impact. IW: What is the differentiating factor when compared with other sensor systems? Blair: The other side of our system links into the marker lamps of a vehicle and will flash faster as you get closer to something. A driver of a truck normally spends probably 80 per cent of the time looking at their mirrors and down the side of the vehicle. This is where they will see the site markers flash faster as they get closer to something, meaning they don’t have to turn their attention to somewhere else, like a camera that is mounted in the centre of the truck. IW: Can existing cameras be used in conjunction with Wabco’s system? Blair: The camera is best used in conjunction with our system, because if our system stops and brakes the vehicle, and if an object was in the blind-spot of the vehicle, you would not know why that truck has applied the brakes. With a camera, you can then look behind you to check if an object is there. IW: How would this impact operations and the sector moving forward? Blair: It will limit the impact, which is why we have been pushing it. When we first brought the system into the market, we had a lot of people talking to us, with some waste companies being in excess of $100,000 in reverse damages in a month! IW: I imagine that is a steep cost to bear for waste companies? Blair: It is, and these companies have to justify that cost. Our system may not be cheap, but what we find with a lot of companies is that they end up liking the system and they’ll spec it out on all new vehicles because it just makes sense to do so. IW: What is the initial capital investment for businesses wanting to implement this and what is the expected ROI?

A good safety sensor system can mean everything for dump trucks.

Blair: At the end of the day, to retrofit a truck with our system, it could be between $5,000 - $6,000. We have some specialised workshops that have some very neat and quicker ways of fitting these systems, which can help customers save on the cost. There has been a lot of interest about our product recently. It has been on trailers for a while now and there are a couple of companies that work within the CBDs nationally that are talking to us at the moment to put the systems in their new vehicles. IW: What would you like to see in terms of legislation in this space? Blair: It has taken us quite a while to get roll stability support on a trailer in Australia and that is still not passed until this time next year – so it all takes time. Ultimately, in terms of safety, you’d want it installed in every vehicle. This is the kind of technology that you want on the market, however, it comes at a cost for fleets. With rising fuel costs, you might get people who are unwilling to spend any more money to invest on these types of technology. We deal a lot with trailers. In terms of the roll stability side of things – it’s like when the seatbelt was first introduced. When they first came in, not many people would use them. However, we never knew how much it was actually worth until we were met with an accident. At the same time, we’ve been able to drive for years without that happening. The same goes for EBS – we don’t really know until the trailer goes over. And if you then tell somebody that roll stability and plugging the lead might have prevented that, only then will there be some emphasis on it, then maybe, more fleets will install the EBS.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

IW: Can you see a movement towards that direction moving forward? Blair: I do. With any new technology, it normally takes a few years before people pick it up, but with the technology and safety trailer EBS, we are already selling quite a bit of it now. And there is no mandate

to do it, so fleets owners themselves see the benefit in it and are willing to spend the extra money to have that safety. What we find is that more often than not the industry picks up on safety technology before government bodies enforce it, which is great. iw

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FORCE Series II Front Loader

Configuration: Available on 4x2, 6x2 or 6x4 Chassis Type: Side Loader Capacity: 20m Xtreme featured (14, 18, 22, 25, 29 and 35m3 also available) Payload: Approximately 10,000kg Construction: Body 3.2mm Hardox 450 (or equivalent) material, Hopper Bowl 8mm Creusabro 8000 material Weight: (Subject to Body Size and Chassis) Lifter Cycle Time: 8-12 seconds full cycle Hopper Volume: 1.5m3 (Subject to Body Size) Hopper Clearance: 2.8m3/min More: www.buchermunicipal.com.au or 03 9271 6400

Type: Front Loader Model Types: FORCE 285 and FORCE 335 Configuration: Available on 6x4 or 8x4 Chassis Capacity: 33.5m3 featured (28.5m3 capacity also available) Payload: Approximately 11,000kg Construction: Body 4mm and floor 5mm Hardox 450 (or equivalent) Max Load on Arms: 2,500kg (3,600kg option also available) Lifter Cycle Time: 12 seconds total (up and down) Compaction System: Duel 4 stage telescopic pack cylinders, half pack â&#x20AC;&#x201C; full eject More: www.buchermunicipal.com.au or 03 9271 6400

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Type: Rear Loader Application: Hard waste, domestic, commercial and recycle waste collection Capacity: 20m3 featured (6, 8, 11, 14, 16, 18 and 24m3 capacity also available) Payload: Approximately 10,000kg Construction: Body 3.2mm3 Hardox 450 (or equivalent) material Lifter Cycle Time: 7 seconds for full width lifter style Hopper Volume: 2.2m3 (Subject to Body Size) Compaction Pressure: Approximately 480kg/m3 More: www.buchermunicipal.com.au or 03 9271 6400

Model Type: Single or Dual Control Configuration: 4x2, 6x2 or 6x4 Engine: Mercedes-Benz OM 936 LA, Euro 6, 220kW (1,200Nm at 1,200 to 1,600rpm) Transmission: Allison 3000P 6 speed Automatic Transmission Brakes: Disc brakes with EPB (Electronic Braking System), ABS (Anti-lock braking), ESP (Stability Control), ASR (Traction Control), Frequent Stop Brake and optional ABA 4 (Active Brake Assist)/ Lane Keeping Assist Suspension: Mercedes-Benz Air Bag Suspension on all axles Wheelbases: 3,900mm to 4,800mm (4,575mm to 5,475mm Technical WB) More: www.mercedes-benz-trucks.com/en_AU/home

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Product Profile: Waste Trucks //

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Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Wasted Space

A bag too far THE VOTES are in and we, the folks at Wasted Space, have decided to dub all of you, our loyal followers, Wastesiders (read the previous issue of Inside Waste)! Hurrah! Okay, now that we have got that out of the way, let’s get to something a little more serious. The country has got a serious crusade against the use of plastic bags. A couple of the folks here in NSW had a small fit when they were “inconvenienced” by the major

supermarket chains stopping the use of plastic bags sometime mid last year. Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for the war on waste, but these folks relied greatly on those grey plastic bags for trash bags back at their apartments. Then, sometime this year, we read a few heart-wrenching pieces of news about washed up whales with hundreds-of-kilograms of plastic in their gut. Our two Wasted Space personnel then decided, “that’s it”. A challenge was made to try and “banish” plastic from their lives. First, the rest of us in the office thought, “Well, good on these chaps. Nothing better than seeing another environmental crusader!” How far would they go, right? Now, we knew of a local news story earlier in the year online about the lady who decided to go anti-plastic after witnessing the demise of albatross chicks from plastic. So, our heroes decided to try out the routine and got rid of everything possible that was plastic – from wrappers to bottles and everything in between. They gave up mac and cheese simply because it came in plastic packets (seriously). We

are pretty sure that the toothbrushes were gotten rid of as well (we believe in bamboo handle toothbrushes but, we’re not sure about where the alternative bristles were going to come from - maybe hardened horse hair, we were guessing) just because they’re made of plastic. Now, that lady in the news channel had swapped soap for home-made baking soda, but we still wanted our friends with their skin on, so we gave them a free pass on the soap. Next question was, how were they going to buy their food produce from the supermarkets if it was packed in plastic containers? Simple. Go vegetarian, buy cloth bags and dump their avocadoes, oranges, melons and apples in them. The lady had used her t-shirts to carry her fruits so, our friends felt like geniuses. However, this is not a sustainable lifestyle (no pun intended). What we are saying is that it is the right move to ban single-use plastic items like plastic bags and people should choose the lifestyle that minimises the use of it as much as possible. It is also arguable that replacing this

September 25-27 Waste and Recycling Conference 2019 Crown Towers, Perth The Waste and Recycle Conference will once again be held at Crown Towers, Perth from September 25-26. The conference theme will be announced in due course. The Conference, hosted by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR), Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER), and Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA), is still leading the waste and resource recovery event in WA.

areas including collections, resource recovery, landfill and transfer stations, waste to energy, commercial and industrial waste, construction and demolition waste and wastewater. https://www.wasteexpoaustralia.com. au/en-gb.html

type of plastic with glass, tin or new types of biodegradable plastic – might be costly and undermine hygiene and food preservation. And yes, our two plastic crusaders were back to eating mac and cheese, and last we checked, they had no horse hair in between their teeth. Most importantly, they were still using their cloth bags.

DIARY May 14-16 Waste 2019 Conference Opal Cover Resort, Coffs Harbour The Coffs Harbour Waste Conference is the leading conference for the waste management industry in Australia. Attracting over 630 delegates both nationally and internationally, the conference is targeted at anyone who works in, or has an interest in waste management issues, with particular relevance to local government. https://www.coffswasteconference. com.au/2019/ August 26-28 Energy from Waste 2019 QT Canberra, ACT Under the theme of ‘Powering Change’, this leading industry conference will bring together international and local experts to discuss and debate all aspects of Energy from Waste (EfW), with the goal of understanding what the barriers to acceptance are and how we can ensure that EfW can be established in Australia, while supporting an emerging circular economy.

October 23-24 Waste Expo Australia Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre Waste Expo Australia is the largest gathering of waste management and resource professionals in the country, offering a premium freeto-attend business-to-business conference hosted alongside an impressive exhibition. Waste Expo Australia will focus on seven targeted

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

October 30-31 Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour AWRE is the most established commercial event dedicated to the Australasian waste and recycling marketplace. It is a two-day collaboration showcasing the present and future of waste disposal and recovery and has become the most respected showcase of efficient, profitable and sustainable waste and recycling solutions on the Australian exhibition calendar. The event brings together the industry to generate quality sales leads, discover the latest trends, showcase innovation, network with key waste and recycling decision-makers from industry and government, and attend high-quality practical seminars and workshops. https://awre.com.au/

What it should have been In the last issue’s article, “Why wood pallets shouldn’t be used for transporting ULABs”, the following lines were printed: “The risk was highlighted in 2016, when one of Australia’s largest pallet hire companies discontinued supply of wood pallets to a battery recycler in Wagga Wagga, NSW, following their operational employees’ blood testing for elevated lead levels. This case reinforces that people working in lead industries have a potential chronic exposure problem and need to be monitored for lead blood levels, and that the use of wood pallets can only serve to increase this risk.” This should have been: “Workers in the lead industries have a potential chronic exposure problem and need to be monitored for lead blood levels and that the use of wood pallets can only serve to increase this risk.”

APRIL/MAY 2019 INSIDEWASTE