Inside waste April/May 2021 by Prime Creative Media

www.insidewaste.com.au

ISSUE 101 | APR/MAY 2021

INSIDE 30 Landfill 37 What circular economy? 42 Truck feature

Just-in-time model not working Glass achieved a recycling rate of 59 per cent.

Waste production up by 5 million tonnes since 2016-17 Findings cover waste generation, source streams, material categories and fates, together with trends measured back to 2006. While the data precedes the significant investments in recycling and resource recovery the Federal Government has made since the 2019 election, its revised 2016-17 data set (first published in the National Waste Report 2018) will be used as baseline data to measure Australia’s progress against the National Waste Policy Action Plan’s 2030 targets. “This is a great outcome. We can all be proud that our efforts are paying off, to take care of our own waste and to do the right thing by sorting our recycling and diverting more waste away from landfill.” Evans used an interesting analogy when talking about the amount of waste Australians produce each year. “In effect, we each produced waste that weighed the same as 40 full kegs of beer and we each sent the equivalent weight of 24 full kegs to be recycled,” he said. “However, our growing population means that the overall amount of

waste Australia is generating continues to increase, up five million tonnes since 2016-17. “We need to continue to work hard to reduce the amount of waste we create, and to recycle more of it, if we are to achieve Australia’s ambitious national target of recovering 80 per cent of our waste by 2030.” Evans explained that this was the driver behind “unprecedented” action by the government to turbocharge the waste and recycling industries, so that waste is treated as a resource which can be recycled and remanufactured into valuable new products. He said that this protects the environment, creates jobs and keeps waste out of landfill. “Our billion-dollar investment in new recycling infrastructure is changing the face of the waste and recycling industries in Australia,” Evans said. “We are also the first country in the world to ban the export of its unprocessed waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres overseas thanks to our new national recycling legislation.” (Continued on page 22)

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BLUE Environment’s National Waste Report 2020, commissioned by the Federal Government’s Department of Agriculture, Waste and the Environment, shows that Australians are reducing their waste and increasing their recycling. Released in December last year, the report is an authoritative compilation of national data on waste and resource recovery and the mechanism for measuring progress against national waste policy targets. “The release of the leading report on waste management and recycling data in Australia, shows that Australians are reducing their waste and increasing their recycling,” Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Minister Trevor Evans said. It showed that Australia created 3.3 per cent less waste in 2018-19 compared to 2006-07, the foundation year of the national data set. Issued every two years, the 2020 edition focuses on the status of waste and recycling in 2018-19, with data analysed on a per capita basis as well as on state and territory levels.

DURING the recent Australian Circular Economy Conference (ACEC), one of the webinars delved into Food and the Circular Economy in Australia and China. One of the speakers was Alana Mann, associated professor for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at the University of Sydney. Mann noted that one outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic was that a lot of countries, like China and Australia, were taking a fresh look at how their food systems operated, both in terms of supply chain and food wastage. Mann said it was pleasing to see how both countries, and the world at large, had risen to the challenge of feeding the world’s population during a trying time, but it had also exposed some of the intrinsic weaknesses within some of the systems. “Circular economies and other models of food provisioning including community supported agriculture and cooperatives, are all coming to the fore,” she said. “China is a leader in these areas along with recycling waste and the development of smart technologies for ecommerce. How we connect with consumers and users ensures the supply chains to address food insecurity and also manage issues around waste are addressed, which is an important piece of the circular economy model.” (Continued on page 24)

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Editor’s Note //

Not all bad news

Trusted Advisors in Property, Environment, Planning, Waste & Local Government Law Experts in all areas of waste including: DAs and Land & Environment Court Appeals EPA Investigations & Prosecutions Waste Contracts Operational Issues & Waste Legislation Waste Transportation Asbestos Issues

IT would be easy to be cynical in my first editorial in the magazine. From the outside looking in, there is a lot of work to do in the waste industry in terms of meeting industry and government-set targets, and everybody jostling for their piece of the pie in what is a lucrative, but very competitive market. Different industry bodies and associations, as well as local, state and federal governments, all have their barrows to push in order to make Australia a clean, green environment. Sometimes we (rightly) concentrate on what is wrong with the industry, when there are some bouquets among the brickbats that are being handed out. The National Waste Report released late last year gets a good going over as one of our cover stories this issue. The good news is that the container deposit schemes that are up and running in most states and territories seems to be working with more than 3.5 billion individual pieces of recyclable containers returned. Also,

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

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glass recycling rates have remained high at 59 per cent in the years that have been covered by the report (2018-2019). C&D waste recycling also rose in high numbers compared to the numbers in the previous report, mainly due to more material being generated and a better recovery rate. Yet, concern remains. Several industry players are concerned that there is still a long way to go if Australia is to reach the 2030, 80 per cent average resource recovery target it set itself. And going by the figures, it is a tough ask. Not least because although there are a lot of figures heading north, so is the amount of waste being generated - from 2.7 to 2.94 tonnes per capita - so it is almost a case of two steps forward and one step back. In the brief time I have been involved in the industry, it certainly seems united in terms of reaching certain goals. Let’s hope this continues as the country and the industry strive to make the outcomes a reality.

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

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 | Davis Earthmoving

When was Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying Pty Ltd founded and why? Established in 1975, DAVIS EARTHMOVING & QUARRYING is an Australian family owned and operated company that began in Sydney, and now has a state-wide footprint in NSW. Starting out in earthmoving and demolition, we recognised early on the value of waste as a vital resource. The past 45 years has seen the company expand and diversify into green waste shredding & mulching services, C&D recycling, mobile crushing and screening. We have a history of successfully delivering professional recycling services to a large client

portfolio including council, government, and private clients in the commercial, residential and civil sectors across NSW. CEO, Eric Davis, is passionate about the recycling/ waste sector and is dedicated to offering professional and environmentally sustainable waste management solutions. What are the key services that Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying offers? DAVIS EARTHMOVING offers modern waste handling and recycling solutions to meet client’s individual needs. We specialise in a diverse range of services; concrete recycling, waste recycling, C&D shredding, green waste shredding, forest mulching, stump grinding, glass recycling, sustainable land clearing, mobile crushing and screening, heavy haulage, and we supply quality recycled landscape and building products. We have over 100 pieces of earthmoving plant and equipment for hire or

contract ensuring we can meet our client’s needs at any time. We have Mobile Crushing Plant for hire to process concrete, brick, sand, rock, tile, asphalt, and glass. We have mobile screeners to screen soil, concrete, green waste, rubbish, glass mulch and fill. We specialise in sustainable land clearing and green waste processing offering a range of equipment, such as specialised forest mowers, horizontal timber grinders, green waste shredders, forest mulchers, dozers, excavators up to 46ton with shears, grapples. All equipment is portable to work on site. Our low loaders transport machines directly to site. We place high priority on in-house machinery maintenance with our own service centre and service trucks delivering quick repairs and maximum efficiency. What are some of Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying plans and ambitions for the next 12-18 months?

Our aim is to reduce the amount of waste going into landfill using best practise resource recovery. We are driven by our commitment to recover, reuse and recycle valuable and environmentally sustainable products for use back in infrastructure, industry, and communities. Our vision is to continue to adapt to the changing needs of the industry and to contribute to a circular economy. We are looking to integrate even more innovative technology into our systems and are planning to add additional equipment to our fleet to further strength our portfolio. In the past month we have purchased a landfill compactor and a new slow speed shredder enabling us to process all types of difficult waste, heavy C&D, bulk waste, mattresses, and tyres. Through our mobile waste processing we hope to help achieve recycling goals for Australia and to minimise our environmental footprint for future generations.

KitKat wrapper made from recycled soft plastics NESTLÉ, together with a range of other companies, has collaborated to develop Australia’s first soft plastic food wrapper made with recycled content. The prototype KitKat wrapper, which aims at closing the loop on recycling soft plastics, has been created by Nestlé, CurbCycle, iQ Renew, Licella, Viva Energy Australia, LyondellBasell, REDcycle, Taghleef Industries and Amcor, who all brought their individual expertise together to collect and process waste soft plastic, turn it back into oil, and create a foodgrade prototype wrapper. Sandra Martinez, CEO of Nestlé Australia, said the project had been driven by a shared determination to resolve the soft plastics challenge – and an enormous amount of good will. “Between us, we have shown that there’s a pathway to solve the soft plastics problem. To build this at scale, across all states and territories, across hundreds of councils, is going to take a huge effort from government at all levels, from industry and from consumers, but I think it can be done. “Manufacturers like Nestlé will have a key role in driving demand for foodgrade recycled soft plastic packaging, and creating market conditions that will ensure all stakeholders throughout the value chain view soft plastics as a 8

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

The KitKat wrapper is made from recycled soft plastics with the input of several companies.

resource and not waste,” said Martinez. Food-grade recycled soft plastic packaging has been a barrier in Australia’s bid to improve waste management and build a circular economy, with a lack of both collection and processing infrastructure making it difficult to keep waste out of landfill and hard

to meet demands for packaging with recycled content. Danial Gallagher, CEO of iQ Renew, said that “to improve the recycling rate of soft plastics, kerbside collection is an important point of convenience. In the trial, soft plastics are collected from kerbside recycling bins in a dedicated bright

yellow bag, then sorted from the recycling stream at our MRF.” “To create the KitKat wrapper with 30 per cent recycled content, the soft plastics were processed, then sent to Licella for conversion back into the oil from which they originally came. This oil was then used to produce new food grade soft plastics,” said Gallagher. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// News

Profile | Linda Scott, president of ALGA and LGNSW Why does the waste industry interest you? I’m a sustainability champion, so reducing waste and recycling is very important to me. Local governments are at the forefront of reducing waste and increasing rates of recycling, working closely with our communities to ensure the best possible outcomes for our environment, and create more local jobs. As president of the Australian and NSW Local Government Associations, I am committed to advocating on behalf of councils to ensure they are properly funded and supported by State and Federal Governments to do this important work effectively. We’ve been pleased to have secured significantly increased funding from state and federal governments for recycling, but we have a long way to go to ensure a truly circular and sustainable economy. What are the key issues around waste resource recovery as you see them? We’re burying items of value, missing out on opportunities to protect our

environment and simultaneously losing local employment opportunities. Together, councils and communities are working hard to divert waste from landfill to recycling, but we need more support. We’re calling for all levels of government to move towards a circular economy, avoiding generating waste where possible and maximising the use of resources already in the economy again and again. What needs to be done to address waste resource recovery? I’m so proud of our Save Our Recycling campaign and our At the Crossroads: the state of waste and recycling in NSW report. We are calling on the NSW Government to: • fund council infrastructure to improve recycling processes; • develop specific regional plans for future waste and recycling; • increase local and state government procurement of recycled goods made with domestic product; and • fund and deliver a statewide education campaign on the

importance of recycling, the right way to recycle to reduce contaminated product, and how to avoid unnecessary waste. The NSW Government could fund these initiatives through the $800 million it collects annually through its Waste Levy. You became ALGA president last November; can you outline what the association is doing at the national policy level on waste and resource recovery? ALGA was a co-author of the National Waste Strategy 2018, along with states and territories and the Australian Government. The strategy and its implementation plan, the National Waste Action Plan (2020), points the way to developing a more circular economy, resulting in a greater recovery of recyclable resources, jobs creation, protection of fragile ecosystems and the reaping of economic rewards. Fundamental to the development of a circular economy is the redesign of packaging, so there is less of it and it contains less mixed material,

making it easier to recycle. Most of Australia’s materials recovery facilities are owned or contracted by councils and currently lack the technical capacity to sort commingled waste and recycling material. It is essential the Australian Government coordinate a national program of investment in advanced waste processing infrastructure and regional waste hubs. Commonwealth, states, territories, and local governments also need to drive market pull-through of products containing recycled material by increasing procurement of recycled goods. Education programs that allow and encourage consumers to do the right thing are also required. Finally, national standards are needed to instil confidence in the safety and durability of the resulting products.

Central Waste Plant Pty Ltd enters into enforceable undertaking with the EPA following breach of licence at Kurri Kurri, NSW

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In accordance with its Environment Protection Licence, the maximum amount of waste permitted to be received at Central Waste’s Kurri Kurri premises between 5 March 2019 and 4 March 2020 was 35,000 tonnes. Between 5 March 2019 and 4 March 2020, Central Waste received 96,214.56 tonnes of waste in breach of the limit under the licence, in contravention of s 64 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW). Central Waste also breached clause 22 of the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014

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Central Waste Plant Pty Ltd (Central Waste) has entered into an enforceable undertaking with the Environment Protection Authority (the EPA) following an investigation by it into a breach of Central Waste’s licence for its premises at Kurri Kurri, NSW.

Organised by:

The enforceable undertaking requires Central Waste to carry out clean up works in the Tomalpin Woodlands and to contribute funds to environmental projects with a combined value of approximately $111,570, and to pay the EPA’s legal costs of $14,874. This notice was placed as a requirement of the enforceable undertaking.

APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

News //

Contractor sentenced over illegal disposal of asbestos A CONTRACTOR who was paid nearly a quarter of a million dollars to take asbestos contaminated soil to a lawful landfill has been handed a 12-month term of imprisonment, to be served in the community, for faking waste disposal dockets. Paul Mouawad was sentenced in the Land and Environment Court on 26 February 2021 following prosecution by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) over the disposal of 1,400 tonnes of waste containing asbestos. An investigation by the EPA found 134 truckloads of asbestoscontaminated soil were collected from a building site in Darlington central Sydney in June and July 2016, but only one truckload was lawfully disposed of at the Elizabeth Drive Landfill at Kemps Creek. The court heard that Mouawad supplied 29 fraudulent waste disposal dockets and a fake Ticket List Report to the construction company engaged on the building site in an attempt to show the asbestos waste was disposed of lawfully, at a licensed landfill. The EPA told the court that Mouawad’s actions concealed the

true location of the asbestos waste posing “indeterminable risks to the environment and human health, now and potentially, into the future”. The EPA submitted the offences were aggravated by Mouawad’s disregard for public safety and the planned and organised nature of the crime. The investigation revealed that in the lead up to the offences, Mouawad had purchased a thermal printer, which he used to create falsified waste disposal dockets. Justice Nicola Pain directed Mouawad, who pleaded guilty to two charges of knowingly supplying false and misleading information about waste, to serve his 12-month term of imprisonment via an intensive correction order in the community. She also ordered Mouawad to perform 250 hours of community service work, not commit any offences and pay the EPA’s legal costs of $60,000. Each offence carried a maximum penalty of $240,000 or imprisonment for 18 months or both for an individual. The company Mouawad was employed by, Aussie Earthmovers, was convicted and fined $450,000 on two charges of knowingly supplying

The contractor supplied 29 fraudulent waste disposal dockets.

false and misleading information about the disposal of the waste in November 2020, following a separate EPA prosecution. EPA director major compliance and investigations Greg Sheehy said rogue operators caused harm to both honest companies and the environment. “The sentence shows that criminal behaviour does not pay,” he said. “The EPA will pursue and prosecute offenders who try to make a quick buck by damaging the environment.” NSW Police separately charged Mouawad with defrauding the construction company by providing

the false invoices. He pleaded guilty to a fraud charge in September 2018 and was sentenced to a 15-month intensive correction order following an appeal to the NSW District Court. He was also ordered to repay the construction company $225,056. The compensation has not yet been paid. Mouawad is also being prosecuted by the EPA for three additional offences, which allege waste, including waste containing asbestos, was illegally disposed of at Arcadia in Sydney’s north-west. He has pleaded not guilty to those matters, which are still before the court. iw

Dorney disagrees with VicRecycle over NSW CDS TOMRA CLEANAWAY has released a statement spruiking the benefits of the NSW container deposit scheme (CDS). This comes on the back of a recent article in Inside Waste where VicRecycle director Jeff Mcguire criticised the Victorian government for stating that its preferred model is the one currently used in NSW. The issue with the NSW scheme, according to Mcguire, is that more money will go into the pockets of companies like TOMRA-Cleanaway. He claims that under the NSW scheme, community organisations and charities receive around half the benefit compared to those in QLD, SA and WA, which utilise a community model. This is because TOMRA Cleanaway take a handling fee. “Under the NSW scheme, community organisations, small businesses and charities forfeit a 10

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

large part of their container handling fees to TOMRA-Cleanaway to take part as Refund Point Operators,” said Mcguire. “This doesn’t occur in the Community (Producer Responsibility) Schemes operating in QLD, SA & WA. What this means is that hundreds of community organisations, charities and sporting clubs taking part as Refund Point Operators in WA, QLD and SA gain 6.5 cents per container collected. In NSW, it’s 3.5-4.5 cents, with the remainder being retained by TOMRA Cleanaway, the NSW Government’s monopoly network operator.” In a statement released last week, TOMRA Cleanaway CEO James Dorney, said the scheme continues to provide strong economic benefits to the community. “Not only is the scheme putting money in the pockets of the people of NSW, thousands of community

groups, charities and schools are also sharing in the benefits with over $18.2 million returned via donations and fees from hosting return points,” he said. “The scheme directly employs over 700 people across the state and provides opportunities for social enterprises such as Vinnies, Hoxton Industries and Citizen Blue to also raise funds as return point operators in our customer-focused and convenient network.” A spokesperson for the NSW/ ACT coordinator Exchange for Change, agrees that the scheme is working well. “The scheme has been an outstanding success since commencing in December 2017, with more than 5 billion containers returned for recycling through its network of more than 620 return points, and over $500 million in refunds returned to the NSW

community,” she said. “Return and Earn has successfully changed people’s behaviour and attitudes to litter and waste, with 3 in 4 NSW residents having participated, and 69 per cent of residents stating Return and Earn increases the amount of recycling they do.” She also pointed out that the scheme coordinator and network operator for the NSW scheme were chosen following a competitive tender process, which revealed what the market was able to provide and the proposed costs. The chosen contractors were determined to have the best value solution for NSW. “Return and Earn welcomes the news that Victoria will soon launch its own container deposit scheme, resulting in all Australians having access to the many benefits of a successful container deposit scheme,” the spokesperson said. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

News //

Bunnings, IKEA and ALDI launch service to reduce waste RETAIL GIANTS BUNNINGS, IKEA and ALDI have joined forces to launch a new initiative that will help Australians reduce the amount of household waste ending up in landfill, which can become hazardous to the environment. Each year, Australians are responsible for the disposal of tens of thousands of tonnes of unwanted household products such as electronics, batteries, white goods and furniture. The chemicals found in e-waste and batteries may be toxic for the environment, potentially harming wildlife and affecting surrounding soil and waterways. If you need to dispose of household items, below is a list of the best places to go. In 2013, ALDI became the only supermarket to introduce a national battery recycling program, which allowed customers to drop-off any brand of used batteries into a recycling bin generally found towards the front of the store. Those unwanted items are then collected by a recycling partner, who sorts them into chemical types, before sending them to a recycling plant which investigates how it can reuse the material.

IKEA will take old batteries and mattresses.

A few Bunnings stores throughout Victoria also have Batteryback recycling bins and in the last 10 years alone, Bunnings customers have discarded several tonnes of batteries for recycling. There are several options available including: • Mobile phones and batteries can be disposed of through the MobileMuster program. • Customers have the choice to either visit 3,500 participating retailers or return their device in a reply-paid envelope. • IKEA will take old batteries, globes and mattresses IKEA runs its own recycling service where customers can drop-off their used cardboard, batteries and globes at recycling stations near the stores exit. For old mattresses, you can pay IKEA $30 and they’ll collect it as they deliver you your new one. This offer is only valid for in-store purchases. According to Planet Ark, Australians are among the highest users of new technology in the world and purchase over 2.4 million computers every year. If you want to make a conscious decision to reduce landfill, dispose of your items such as car batteries, tyres, electronics, paint and white goods to one of the many free drop-off locations around the country. iw

Marine fuel made from plastic waste CLEAN PLANET ENERGY has released details of two new fuels manufactured for use in any ship or vessel. Both fuels are produced using non-recyclable waste plastics as the feedstock, therefore removing waste, which would otherwise go to incineration, landfill or into our oceans. The UK-based renewable energy company will produce these ultra-clean circular fuels inside its ecoPlants, which can accept and convert nonrecyclable waste-plastics. According to data sourced by parties including the US EPA and the World Economic Forum, this year 203 million tonnes of plastic will become non-recyclable waste, meaning that the Clean Planet process not only reduces CO2e emissions and air pollutants, but also tackles the plastic crisis too. “There is currently no legitimate and scaled alternative compared to 12

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

using carbon-based fuels in the Marine and Aviation sector. Whereas cars are moving to electric, the lifespan of large vessels means we’ll be stuck using fossil fuel engines for many years to come. By using non-recyclable waste plastics as a feedstock for fuels in these industries, we can reduce the daily CO2e emissions by 75 per cent, keep fossil-oil in the ground, and win valuable time in the world’s battle to hit net-zero carbon emissions,” said Clean Planet Energy’s CTO, Dr. Andrew Odjo. Currently Clean Planet have two ecoPlants in construction phase, with another four in development and have a mission to build ecoPlants to process over 1 million tonnes of waste plastics per annum. A standard Clean Planet ecoPlant can process 20,000 metric tonnes of waste plastics every year. iw

Fuels using non-recyclable plastic can be used in ships and other marines vessels.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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News //

Cleaning up chemicals Bill passed THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has passed the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Bill 2020 in Parliament. Minister for the Environment,

Consistency is key to the new chemical bill.

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

Sussan Ley, said that with more than 40,000 chemicals used in Australia, the establishment of the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard would provide

greater protection for households, workplaces and agriculture. “Chemicals are used in household items, from cosmetics to paints, cleaning products, plastics and

packaging materials. They are used in agriculture, manufacturing, mining and fuel production and a wide range of applications,” Ley said. “We will now have a consistent system of Commonwealth management that ensures consistency across all states in relation to the use, storage, and disposal of chemicals. “The legislation recognises the need to act now to reduce the potential for environmental damage, while future-proofing our approach to be able to respond to new chemicals and new scientific understanding.” The new chemical standards will be placed on a searchable public register that will provide a single source of information on how chemicals should be managed, to prevent harm to Australia’s unique environment, animals and our communities. iw

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National Plastics Plan key to circular economy THE NATIONAL PLASTICS PLAN is not just a step in the right direction, it is the furthest the federal government has ever gone in driving a closedloop supply chain, according to Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR). The recently released plan aims to fight plastic waste in a multipronged way, proposing wide-ranging initiatives such as plastic-free beaches, new labelling guidelines, eliminating expanded polystyrene consumer packaging fill in food and beverage containers, and greater consistency in kerbside bin collections. “WMRR congratulates the federal government for its leadership in this significant issue – plastic waste. This is the first time the federal government has stepped into the material space and it is encouraging that they are leading conversations which are starting to shift

towards focusing on production and design, both of which are absolutely key to creating a true circular economy,” WMRR CEO, Gayle Sloan, said. “This plan represents an opportunity for all Australian jurisdictions to work together on harmonised initiatives that will give Australia the best chance of working with the community to meet our national targets and aspirations. There are interesting elements in the plan such as plastic-free beaches. The Australian community is one in its ambition to reduce the use of unnecessary plastics and having national cooperation and consistency will drive this agenda forward, ideally eliminating confusion. “The penny has certainly dropped in many areas and we look forward to continued engagement with the government on how all stakeholders – manufacturers, the waste and resource

recovery industry, governments, consumers and more – can come to the table to create a true circular economy across all material streams and not just a successful closed loop model. “These high-level actions announced today are positive and welcome, but this is just the start of the journey; the details that will help us meet our goals and targets will need to be ironed out and our essential industry looks forward to working with all levels of government and other supply chain stakeholders as we strive ahead in our quest to build a sustainable Australia,” Sloan said. “Ideally, the federal government will adopt a polluter-pays model for managing packaging materials, with stronger independent oversight and improved targets of recycled content in plastics, given the current 20 per cent target for plastics is wholly inadequate.” The federal Minister for the

Environment, Sussan Ley said it was time to change the way we produce and consume plastics, and that it was time for everyone to work together in driving sustainable change. “We know the problems, we know that there are good ideas out there, but this is the first national strategy, one that attacks the issue from all sides and which sets clear targets over the next decade,” she said. “Australians consume one million tonnes of single use plastic each year and it is simply unsustainable. We are attacking the plastic problem on five key fronts, through: legislation, investment, industry targets, research and development, and community education. We want to work with companies, bring consumers with us and call out those companies which make false environmental claims about their products.” iw

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Standardised kerbside-bins coming soon ONE OF the desired outcomes as a result of the National Plastics Plan was the need for consistency in wheeliebin waste collection in Australia, according to the federal Environment Minister, Sussan Ley. At the policy launch, Ley said it was important that all councils and the government work together to make the collection systems standardised. “They have all signed on to these national packaging targets, under the National Waste Action Plan, so they all agree we have to get there and clearly one of the best ways to get there is to have the same collection methods in each council,” Ley said. The report stated that there was a lot of confusion with consumers about the roles of the various bins that are being used at the various councils around the country. The report stated that: inconsistency in kerbside recycling, including the colour of bin lids and what is accepted for recycling can cause consumer confusion. The federal government and industry will work with state and territory governments to harmonise kerbside recycling. A spokesperson from the

Environment Ministry said the federal government is working closely with state and territory governments and with industry on a consistent nationwide kerbside recycling collection system. “Australia needs a consistent nationwide kerbside recycling collection system,” the spokesperson said. “If you drive from Western Sydney to the coast, you pass through five different kerbside recycling binsystems. Inconsistency in kerbside recycling makes it difficult for households to know which items can go in which kerbside bin. This leads to contaminated recycling streams, which in turn, leads to lower recycling rates.” They also stated that lifting the country’s kerbside recycling rates will help Australia achieve its National Waste Targets, including 80 per cent average resource recovery by 2030. At the last meeting of Environment Ministers, all ministers agreed to consider national standards for kerbside recycling collection and materials recovery facilities to improve consistency and performance. iw

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Interpol report shows increase in illegal plastic waste imports A REPORT by international enforcement agency, Interpol, has noted that there has been a marked increase in the illegal importation of plastics to lower Asian and Eastern European countries since the China Sword policy was introduced in 2018. Titled Emerging Criminal Trends in the Global Plastic Waste Market Since January 2018, the report stated that before the China Sword was implemented, the Middle Kingdom took 45 per cent of the world’s plastic waste, and while these other destinations have been found, they don’t make up for the volume that China took before 2018. This has led to a situation where there have been “requests from South and Southeast Asian countries

to repatriate illegal containers of plastic waste, [which] have increased since 2018 but remain a long and challenging process. As a consequence, containers have been piling up in Southeast Asian ports and sometimes re-exported illegally to neighbours in the region, transferring the burden of dealing with the illegal waste,” said the report. Most of those involved in the trade get away with it using fraudulent documentation and by the misdeclaration of plastic waste. What is compounding the issue is that there is a noticeable lack of traceability, which is making it hard to find out the source of the original waste. The report recommends that

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Consents are required from importing countries before waste can be transported.

governments within first-world countries strengthen and standardise their licensing systems; make national databases of licensed facilities; clarify the requirements from exporting countries to proceed with repatriation of the waste; enhance the use of existing communication methods; and monitor criminal trends and stimulate intelligence-based investigations. Countries in the firing line of these illegal exports include Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. On January 1, 2021, it became illegal for 187 countries, including China, Mexico, Malaysia, India, and Indonesia that are parties to the Basel Convention, to receive a variety of mixed and contaminated plastic wastes from the US and EU countries. Other shipments require the consent of the importing country before they can be legally transported. Activist organisations such as Basel Action Network (BAN), Greenpeace, GAIA, the Environmental Investigation Agency, and The Last Beach Cleanup, are concerned that these new laws alone may not stop brokers from continuing to find ways to save money by exporting plastic wastes to substandard operations abroad rather than properly managing the waste at source. Due to the massive number of containers and lack of inspection at exporting and importing ports,

activist fear that the unethical waste trade is likely to continue without the major shipping lines playing a leadership role. “For too long Australia and other wealthy nations have pointed the finger at China and Southeast Asia for the global plastic pollution crisis while at the same time dumping increasing tonnages of non-recyclable, singleuse plastic waste on their shores,” said Jane Bremmer from Zero Waste Australia. “Australia acted swiftly in response to this global exposé by announcing a waste export ban for a range of waste materials. While this world-first legislation [Basel Convention] rolls out in Australia right now, it is clear to see that a simple shift to ‘reprocess’ this same waste into a range of exportable products like Process Engineered Fuel (PEF), Refuse Derived Fuel(RDF), Waste Derived Fuel(WDF) and plastic pellets, will in effect see the continuation of waste exports from Australia to the AP region as ‘plastic waste fuel’ and contaminated plastic feedstocks for the recycling sector.” Bremmer also stated that the explosion of plastic reprocessing facilities and waste-to-energy incinerator projects across Australia makes it clear that the Australian government’s intention is to burn plastic waste, which she said will be an ecological and climate disaster. iw

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EPA fines company over dust issue ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AUTHORITY (EPA) VICTORIA has fined Bulla-based Australian Recycling Corporation more than $8,000 for breaching its EPA licence by failing to do enough to reduce the potential for dust to blow off its landfill site. This comes on the back of the Victorian EPA’s zero tolerance approach to waste crime announced near the end of 2020 with the injection of more than $70 million in funding and 70 new officers employed in its new Waste Crime Prevention Inspectorate. “The fire was quickly resolved, but EPA officers saw significant amounts of dust rising from onsite haul roads and a large, exposed stockpile of soil on top of one of the landfill cells, with inadequate controls to prevent dust from leaving the site,” said EPA Northern Metropolitan manager Jeremy Settle. The issue was discovered when EPA officers attended the landfill facility in response to reports of a small fire. “The position of the soil stockpile made it highly vulnerable to wind,

and the fact that there had been no attempt to cover it with materials such as mulch or geofabric, meant the company had failed to comply with a condition in their licence which required effective control of dust,” he said. The Australian Recycling Corporation was fined $8,261 with the added official notices requiring dust controls at the premises. “Even though the landfill is not currently accepting waste, dust can still have impacts on health when inhaled and is clearly a nuisance to people living or using roads nearby,” Settle said. “While the company had a water cart to aid in dust suppression, the position and sheer size of the exposed soil stockpile meant that this type of control was inadequate on its own. “EPA licences come with enforceable conditions designed to protect the environment and people’s health, and licence holders must take those conditions seriously,” Settle said. iw

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Visy injects $2bn into green collar jobs manufacturing VISY EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, Anthony Pratt, pledged an additional $2 billion investment into Australian manufacturing over the next 10 years at a Penrith-based press conference last week. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Federal Member for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh, Minister for Industry Karen Andrews and Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne were all in attendance for the event. According to Pratt, this pledged amount will “create thousands of new green collar, well-paying manufacturing jobs, and bring our [Visy’s] total investment value in Australia to $11bn dollars.” Pratt praised PM Morrison for his economic policies and attributed investment acceleration to his government. “$380 million of that investment has been brought forward over the next 18

months because of the government’s accelerated depreciation policy. It’ll be spent increasing the recycled content of glass bottles in Australia from 30 percent to 70 percent, including offering councils a glass recycling bin,” Pratt said. As of 2021, Visy’s operations currently meet two of the Federal Government’s six National Manufacturing Priorities – “Food and Beverage” and “Recycling and Clean Energy”. During his visit to Visy’s Penrith manufacturing centre, where the press conference was held, Morrison praised Pratt and Visy for the additional $2bn injection after already initially pledging a $1bn deal to make glass bottles at the centre in July last year. “He [Pratt] has given us a shot in the arm when it comes to Australia’s comeback, economic comeback from the COVID-19 recovery,” Morrison said.

“It backs in the jobs, it backs in the technology, it backs in the investment, it backs in Australia.” McIntosh has been a vocal supporter of recycling and the manufacturing industry within her electorate. “I’ve been fighting for our local manufacturers because in Western Sydney, we can be at the forefront of the new era in Australian manufacturing, which means more local jobs, for local people,” said McIntosh. “From Australian made windows and furniture to transport and defence, the Prime Minister heard directly from local manufacturers on the support the Morrison Government is delivering, and how we can further support them to build a resilient and sustainable manufacturing industry. “I also spoke with Anthony Pratt about how we’re both backing manufacturing in Western Sydney.

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Visy’s investment in Penrith is a great show of confidence in our local manufacturing industry. “Our plan is about getting the economic conditions right so manufacturers can do what they do best, from small businesses like PlusTec to large businesses like Visy, so they can scale up, expand, and create more local jobs.” iw

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From the CEO’s desk From the CEO’s desk

Environment Ministers will meet for the second time year on 7 December, following the first THEREthis IS LITTLE DOUBT that over the past two years 2018 Meeting of Environment Ministers (MEM) in we’ve seen progress by the federal government in April, which was in part a response to the import supporting our essential industry. Today, not only are restrictions drivenof federal by China’s National Sword we front and centre environmental policy, Policy and the effects this policy has had across the government has also backed its initiatives with the Australian waste and resource recovery (WARR) substantial funding, and their actions have both industry. Key decisions derived the April complemented and boosted action from on a state level.MEM include: Recently, WMRR participated in the review of the

National Environment Protection (Used Packaging •Materials) Reducing waste which generation, a target Measure, occurredendorsing at a time when the of 100% of Australian packaging being recyclable, federal government released its National Plastics Plan, compostable or reusable by 2025, developing and amid jurisdictional movements andand announcements targets for recycled content in packaging. such as the ban on single-use plastics and fire foam containing PFAS. It got me • Increasing Australia’s domestic thinking about what other policy recycling leadershipcapacity. we need from the federal government • Increasing the demand for recycled products. business as usual to a circular model. While the new to accelerate the move from • Exploring to advance and waste-to-biofuels. Recycling opportunities and Waste Reduction Act andwaste-to-energy its emphasis on product stewardship • Updating theI am 2009 by year end, whichforwill are welcome, notWaste sure theStrategy product stewardship schemes golfinclude clubs circular economy principles. and basketballs will really get Australia to where we need to be. For too long (in my view), the WARR sector has been the whipping boy when It is timego to awry take stock and examine what has been achievedthat since these decisions things with problematic materials in the community pose potential were announced. Now, seven (7) months may not seem like a long time, however human or environmental harm. For many years, our industry has safely stored, in disposed, that timeand we have seen further markets close (Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam) or reprocessed and recycled these materials. Yet, when the blame and if you are an operator under continued stress, (7) months game and fear mongering occur, it is oftenfinancial our industry thatseven cops criticism or iscould make or break you. impacted by ill-considered band aid policies. This is despite our industry being the end-of-pipe recipient of problematic materials created by others though linear Following MEM, wetohave had three (3) states step toinrequire with varying thinking, the with April no requirement do otherwise. Is there a pathway a degrees of financial assistance for industry (councils and operators). This of should product’s creation and lifecycle to be a shared responsibility, with every part the besupply expected considering almost all states (except Queensland and Tasmania) have chain playing a role in better material management? A commonly accepted access significant levy income eachstipulating year. On the eastern Victoria globaltopolicy is the waste polluter-pays principle, that those seaboard, who produce the has approximately $600 million in waste levy reserves in the Sustainability pollution bears the cost – at least part of it – of managing the material at end- Fund and NSWand raises more than $700 million annum fromand thethe waste levy. There is of-life, in so doing, prevents damage per to human health environment. certainly funds solution, that can be into ourhaving essential Not onlyno is lack this of a logical it isreinvested a proven concept, beenindustry. around since 1972 and is today the heart of environmental laws in the EU, which most Funding helps but as know, the money goes a much longer way with OECD countries have alsowe employed. Government support and leadership, as well as appropriate policy This principle is a powerful one because it provides moral, legal, andlevers. financial imperatives to take responsibility and action on products created by those that VICTORIA create them. This policy approach has the potential to drive a paradigm shift in the Victoria has arguably beeninthe activewith and greater earnestthought in supporting the industry way products are created themost first place, and emphasis given post-China, with two (2) relief packages announced to support the recycling to material selection and product design, in order to minimise the costs associated industry, at amanagement. total of $37 million. The Victorian Government has also gone with its valued end-of-life In Australia, this principle is already in action to above beyond otherssuch states announcing it would take leadership role someand extent acrossall products as by beverage containers, paint, oil,amobile phones, in and creating market demand for recycled products. TVs and computers. There is now an opportunity – or in WMRR’s opinion, a true need – to expand polluter-pays to many more materials currently circulating in SOUTH AUSTRALIA Australia. Let’s start with a material that is never far from the headlines and very 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 embarked on the development of a wastefor management strategy by a waste levy toPFAS increase challenging all in the supply chainunderpinned to manage – PFAS. When disposal we think about recycling and recovery and create new jobs. The State will re-introduce (the simple mention of it often leads to panic), firefighting foam comes to mind. a $70/ tonne landfill levyinin 2019.do There are also strong use policy However, what many theMarch community not know is that PFAS attempts is not just to present levers (levy discounts and exemptions) to incentivise the use of recycled in firefighting foam and air bases, it is prevalent in common household items suchmaterial make it cost competitive with boxes, virgin aerosols, material.children’s However,clothing, little hascarpet been and done to asand microwaveable popcorn bags, pizza establish new markets and Government has not taken the lead in the procurement non-stick cookware. While PFAS is widespread, little is said about its heath impacts. recycled material. area grants for resource recovery operations Areofthey, as concluded inThere 2019 by federal available government-established independent in Queensland although no monies to assist in 2018. expert health panel, “mostly limited, or inhave somebeen casesallocated [there is] no evidence, that This is troubling as Queensland rolled out its Container on 1 human November, human exposure to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substancesRefund (PFAS) Scheme is linked with which will likely impact the cost and revenue models of the State’s MRFs – as we diseases” with “no current evidence that suggests an increase in overall cancer risk”? have seen most recently in NSW. Not only is the ongoing narrative about PFAS’ health impacts (and the opportunistic scaremongering) confusing for the community, this confusion is exacerbated when WESTERN AUSTRALIA state governments ban some PFAS products with fanfare yet allow PFAS to be widely The Western Australian Government set Australian up a Wastemarket. Taskforce in direct response to available in other products on shelves in the the China National Sword. As part of this announcement, the Government Our industry attempts to deal with this material when we receive it,State and we urgedaall local councils to begin the utilisation a three (3)-bin system - red for support precautionary approach to PFAS storage andof management in accord general waste, framework yellow for for recyclables greenitfor organic waste over the coming with the national disposal. and However, is concerning that- there years to reduce contamination. While this taskforce is a step in the right direction, is no equivalent framework in Australia to tackle the ongoing production and we are yet to see any tangible results from it or any funding for industry. supply of PFAS materials to prevent their circulation and use in the first place;Ina October, the WA Waste Authority released its draft Waste Strategy to 2030, which comprises framework makes producers responsible. aPFAS comprehensive and detailed the State’s vision of lifecycle management (like all roadmap materials) towards must be thought aboutshared long before becoming a sustainable, low-waste, circular economy. the disposal stage and we need to be strengthening a true polluter-pays scheme in Australia by emulating the EU’s initiatives such as its REACH (Register, Authorisation COMMONWEALTH and Restriction of Chemicals) program, as well as the Classification, Labelling and Following the MEM(CLP) in April, Australia now hasidentification a new Federal Environment Packaging Regulation scheme that requires of the material Minister, Melissa Price, who in October reiterated to media MEM’s commitment to explore to ensure consumers can make an informed choice. waste to energy as part of the solution to the impacts of China’s National Australia needs a true polluter-pays model for materials such as PFAS that are Sword, which troubling (EfW is not solution to recognise recycling). The Commonwealth difficult tois manage at end-of-life anda it is time to that PFAS (along with has also backed the Australian Recycling Label and endorsed the National Packaging many other problematic materials) are national issues. Given the federal government Targets developed by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation has demonstrated a willingness to participate in our essential industry, we need to(APCO), which has to date, failed the to incorporate industry the development use this momentum to tackle large challenging issuesfeedback that have in to-date not been of to these targets. To theinCommonwealth’s been significant able be solved by working isolation and acrosscredit, states. there Action,has collaboration, coordination in reviewing the National Wastemanner Policy,that with the Department of and regulation must occur in a nationally consistent transcends sectors Environment bringing together industry players and States during the review and borders and applied throughout the supply chain. Only then will we be able to process. shift the national conversation to what is produced and how, in order to effectively address the global challenges of climate change and drive circularity. In my opinion, The updatedmodel Policyiswill before Ministers on 7partnerships December. The a polluter-pays thenow way go to go; it isEnvironment the medium that will enable Commonwealth can play a key role – one that goes beyond the development on all levels, while ensuring that the cost and risk of managing a product throughoutof the Policy. WMAA This is supportive of theso Federal Government itsNational lifecycle Waste are spread equitably. is a no brainer, let’s get on with it. maximising the it has, including taxationatand importation powers, to maintain PFASlevers management will be examined WMRR’s 2021 Australian Landfill and a strong, sustainable waste and resource recovery Transfer Stations Conference, which will be heldindustry. in Sydney from 8 to 10 June. For more information, visit www.wmrr.asn.au AHEAD OF MEM 2 There mayChief be movement across WMRR Australia, with some states doing better than Gayle Sloan, Executive Officer, 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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Cover story //

National Waste Report tracks progress (continued from front page) By Holly Keys

Blue environment At a February webinar hosted by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association Australia (WMRR), Blue Environment director and lead author Joe Pickin introduced the report to an audience of almost 300. Pickin highlighted a number of key features of the report, including its first-time deep-dive quantification of mining waste and the effects of container deposit schemes. During the reference year of 2018-19, container deposit schemes were operational in the ACT, NSW, NT, QLD and SA. Combined, these systems collected roughly 3.5 billion containers. The NT system performed best in 2018-19, with 450 collected containers per capita and an overall

return rate of 84 per cent. The NT was followed closely by SA, which collected 351 containers per capita and achieved an overall return rate of 76 per cent. The report suggests that establishing container deposit schemes leads to better quality and more recovered materials, as well as litter reduction. “The quantities of glass, plastic and aluminium collected at the kerbside fell by 16, 15 and 14 per cent respectively,” the report reads. “But when container deposit scheme quantities are added, the combined total of these material types increased by about 28 per cent. NSW reported 33 per cent less container litter since its scheme was implemented.” Pickin went on to explore the report’s material flow analysis for glass, metals, paper and cardboard, plastics and tyres, as part of a wider look at circular economy pathways.

Blue Environment’s material flow analysis involves a quantitative assessment of the state and change of flows and stocks of materials within a system defined in space and time. It measures recycled content, collection efficiency, sorting efficiency, reprocessing efficiency and recycling, landfill and local material utilisation rates.

Glass material flow For glass, recycling rates have remained consistent and reasonably high given the relatively low commodity value of glass per tonne compared to plastic or cardboard, and the difficulty of recovery from mixed waste loads. In 2018-19, glass achieved a recycling rate of 59 per cent and a local material utilisation rate of 30 per cent. It also achieved a recycled content rate – success in using recycled material – of 27 per cent. The report shows that collection

efficiency – diversion to sorting from landfill – is high at 84 per cent, reflecting extensive collections systems for packaging glass. “However, system losses during sorting and reprocessing are also high, totalling over 30 per cent of collected glass in aggregate, and diversion of non-packaging glass from landfill is minimal,” the report reads. “Of the 59 per cent of glass recycled, half was into products other than glass such as construction aggregates and sands. An estimated 41 per cent of glass leaving use was disposed to landfill.”

Wider trends The National Waste Report 2020 maps trends in recycling by source stream from 2014-15, with overall recycling rising by roughly 50 per cent on a tonnage basis and by 23 per cent per capita. “C&D waste recycling rose markedly

Overall recycling rose by about 50 per cent on a tonnage basis.

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// Cover story

from 2014-15, partly due to larger amounts of material generated but also better recovery,” the report reads. “These materials tend to be homogenous and their management is sensitive to landfill prices. “Demolition waste recycling is a success story in most jurisdictions, providing an alternative source of materials for road base and construction aggregates.” C&I recycling levelled off and declined slightly over the 13-year period, with the report suggesting the “easiest-to-recycle” materials are dealt with and future gains in recovery may be harder to win. MSW recycling dropped sharply before rising again in the last two years. “This trend is worth close examination as it is counter-intuitive and inconsistent with the trend shown in the National Waste Report 2018,” the report reads. According to the report, close examination of the data suggests this is caused by two phenomena: the falling weight of domestic recyclables due to lower sales of newsprint, declining quantities of glass and lighter weight packaging, and changes to NSW data. NSW reports that its new and more rigorous data system found lower quantities of organics and metals than previously reported. “With organics, this was because the previous voluntary system double-counted an unexpectedly large amount of material transfers between facilities,” the report reads. “With metals, it was because the industry did not respond to the voluntary surveys so the data was estimated.” The report notes that NSW corrected recent historical data but not older data, which therefore may contain some double counts. “This is a cautionary tale for jurisdictions that still use voluntary surveys to collect recycling data.” The issue of data sources and quality was highlighted by WMRR CEO Gayle Sloan in the last edition of Inside Waste, with Sloan noting that while the National Waste Report (and ABS reports) is an important source of data, information gathered is not contemporaneous and largely based on individual state and territory data reporting. “In most cases, they are in arrears of one to two years,” she said. “Importantly, as state and territory data systems are independent of each other, there is a host of differing classifications, terminologies, reporting systems, timeframe and

The recycling rate in Australia needs to increase markedly if it is meet the 2030 target.

scopes across jurisdiction.” Sloan added that while the headline numbers show a marginal improvement in recycling and resource recovery rates, 60 per cent and 63 per cent respectively, there isn’t enough data on avoidance, design or consumption in Australia. “It is difficult to see how Australia can meet its target of 80 per cent recovery across all material streams by 2030 if we are not capturing consistent real-time data on material flows across the entire supply chain and continue to have a myopic view of WARR that ignores material creation and management,” she said. According to the National Waste Report, an Australian Waste and Resource Recovery Data and Reporting Standard is under development and due for release next year. “It is intended to provide a framework for gradual harmonisation of data and reporting across the country. The Australian Government has committed $24.6 million over four years for improving national waste data. At the time of writing, details of this expenditure are being formulated,” the report reads.

The future of waste management Long-term trends suggest waste quantities are likely to continue increasing slowly despite slight falls in the tonnes of waste per capita. “As materials get lighter, we could see higher volumes even as the weight of waste levels off. Major projects and programs could stymie

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these trends with large quantities of soils contaminated with asbestos, PFAS and other substances,” the report reads. The long-term trend towards increasing levels of recycling is also likely to continue, helped by government policies, targets and infrastructure investment. “Each additional percentage of recycling can be expected to be harder than the last, but better design linked to circular economy policies may change that equation,” the report reads. “Better recycling of food waste, e-waste and skip bin material is readily achievable. Use of waste as an energy source is likely to continue increasing, including through investment in large-scale thermal energy recovery infrastructure.”

Performance benchmarks According to National Waste and Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC) CEO Rose Read, the report is important because it enables government, industry, business and the community to benchmark performance and track progress towards waste reduction targets. “Australia is working towards an ambitious but important target of 80 per cent average resource recovery rate (recycling and energy recovery) by 2030,” she said. “However, the National Waste Report for 2020 shows that waste generated in 2018-19 was an estimated 74 million tonnes, an increase on the 69 million tonnes generated in 2016-17. With waste generated per capita increasing from

2.7 tonnes per capita to 2.94 tonnes per capita.” Read added that the resource recovery rate for 2018-19 was 63 per cent, up just one per cent from 201718 at 62 per cent, while the recycling rate increased by only one per cent between 2017-18 and 2018-19. “If we continue on this current trajectory where waste generation is increasing and there are only minimal gains year on year in resource recovery, we will not reach the 80 per cent target set out in the National Waste Policy Action Plan,” she said. Read said to hit this target the National Waste Policy Action Plan says Australia needs to be recovering an additional 15 million tonnes per annum – around 58 to 60 million tonnes every year. “That is a 35 per cent increase on the current 43.5 million tonnes recovered in 2018-19. This is no small feat,” she said. “NWRIC considers that for the sector to have any chance of achieving the 80 per cent resource recovery target by 2030, governments must continue to fast track the construction of secondary material processing and energy recovery facilities. “They must also give much more priority to government procurement of recycled materials and implement policy reforms that make secondary raw materials more cost effective than virgin materials and implement more extended producer schemes that reward better designed, more durable and recyclable products and packaging.” iw APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

Food Waste Conference //

Just-in-time model not working for food – too much left rotting Consistency of product is king if you want to reduce food waste.

(continued from front page) By Mike Wheeler MANN said China is embedded in a just-in-time model, which is designed to get food onto shelves and move it quickly. She said that this model has provided a lot of discussion and opportunities for researchers of food systems because it has failed. “With the pandemic, we have a lot of food rotting on ports, we have local fresh food markets closing down,” said Mann. “We have a lot of agricultural workers who are not able to earn a living, nor harvest fruit and vegetables all over the world including Australia. There is a lot of food rotting and milk going down drains and at lot of animals being culled all over the world because we have a lot of inefficient systems that are built on economies of scale but neglect a lot of the social and environmental aspects of food production and consumption that the circular economy approaches address. One of Mann’s bugbears is what she calls the Dragon Head model in China, whereby the Chinese government supports power and consolidation of the bigger companies that shifts power away 24

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

from small holding farmers. This leads to mass production, where only a certain percentage of food – not the low quality – makes it to market. The low quality food is thrown out creating a huge amount of waste “This aligns with the discourse in [China and] in other countries around the world that peasant agriculture is a problem,” she said. “This is paradoxical in that our industrial food systems is creating diseases of affluence all over the world, some of which are preconditions for COVID.” What is the solution to this? Another panellist, James Hutchison, is from Chinese food export specialist company James Tyler, thinks his company has some answers and advice. His company specialises in delivering fresh food produce directly to Chinese – mainly middle class – homes. Like Mann, he sees the Dragon Head approach as one that is not only inefficient, but leads to huge mountains of wasted food going to landfills. “Put yourself in the shoes of a Chinese millennial. You are now part of the world’s biggest consumer market with huge buying power,” he said. “There are 350 million of you.

You are demanding better quality food at better prices. But you have a daily dilemma – where am I going to buy my fresh produce for my family, grandparents or friends? You either go to the big players or the individual local merchants. “And what does that look like to the Chinese millennial? You have the big retail platforms. Consumers trust that platform. “The other side is this individual merchant selling produce on the side of the road. It could be street vendor or local shop. They could be an online retailer and you are putting your trust in them. It is very personalised.” Hutchison said, that if consumers go back to one of the big platforms, then consistency of product is king. He believes millennials don’t want variability, they want the same product day in day out. “You know how hard that is if you are an apple grower or cherry grower and you are at the mercy of the weather. Fresh fruit and vegetables are not a plastic product that you can have the same product 365 days a year. Supermarkets and ecommerce have a very small window that they can take. They don’t want really good

or really bad stuff, they just want consistent quality over again.” Hutchison asked, how do you take an individual merchant’s flexibility and empower them so they can have access to these other markets so they don’t waste crops? His company has an app whereby it has signed up and consolidated orders from thousands of individual merchants around China. The company consolidates orders and then sources the product and looks after the supply chain for these individual merchants and deal with the big global producers. “What is really taking off in China right now is community buyer groups, which is fascinating,” he said. “That is where you have residents in apartment complexes consolidating orders through a group leader. The group leader is coming to companies like us and saying ‘we want a tonne of milk.’ What are the implications of something like that? They are huge. Customers are getting buying power. “From a logistics point of view and food waste, and getting thinks delivered just in time, means you can get bulk orders happening. “Ali Baba just committed US$1.4

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Food Waste Conference

billion to this model. This allows you to use the farm-to-community model. You don’t have to sell any product. I can be at a cherry farm, picking cherries while they are on the tree, and selling them while they are still on the tree. You can pick cherries on the tree to order. This means we can sell the good and bad stuff depending on peoples budgets – all this equals less waste.” Hutchison said he finds this demand-driven model is fascinating because through things like presales and subscriptions, if the sellers knows where the product is going in China, it is sold straight to the buyer, or end consumer, which again means less wastage. The third panellist at the webinar was Hong Kong-based restauranteur, Peggy Chan, who owns Grassroots Pantry. Sustainability is the key ingredient for her business, and she follows three interconnected stages when it comes to the circular economy. “Those three stages are production, consumption and waste management,” she said. “We use organic plant-based foods and we work with small holding farmers

If we address these issues at the beginning of an entity, and support systemic shifts, and limit inefficiencies of the food system, then we can all become part of the solution. and use a system that is distrusted by design. We have a dish, for example, that is inspired by our farmers in Taiwan who grow bananas. Sometimes the banana doesn’t look pretty enough so they can’t sell it.” This is the type of product that can end up in the waste stream However, the farmers decided instead of throwing the bananas away, they would utilise them as ingredients, albeit with their construction somewhat changed. “What they decided to do was dry the bananas and make banana flour,” said Chan. “We tested the flour to make different types of cakes, and we realised cakes more moist, more flavoursome and more delicious than a usual banana cake.” Another by-product of food are the materials in which it comes packed. With a little lateral thinking, Chan and her staff came up with a way to try on save on packaging items of a

bubble tea product from a client to whom she was a consultant. She also found use for the leftover materials. “We developed an alternative bubble tea where it was no longer made with refined sugar and cow’s milk,” she said. “We encouraged our client to make their own milk, which gets rid of all the packaging waste. All the pulp that is left over from separating the liquids can be used to create bakery items so there is no waste there. You are basically creating one ingredient but maximising the use of it and reducing the cost of it as well. “Food retailers need to put more investment and design into how they can transition what would usually become food waste into something that is nutritious for our soil.” When asked about what a circular economy meant them moving forward, each panellist had a differing opinion.

“There is the double burden of food waste in terms of what happens after consumption, post consumption, the food that is left on plates at restaurants , which is one of the biggest places we see food waste,” said Mann. “My thoughts of the circular economy are focussed very much on how we can handle biowaste because a circular economy is all about taking waste outputs from one systems and using at as inputs in another system as a way of mitigating peak oil. So we have waste as a source of something other than nutrients, but also energy.” “The demand driven model is the way to go. That is going to solve a whole bunch of problems,” said Hutchison. “Unfortunately, fresh produce is not plastic. It changes from day to day and week to week and farmers can’t change. We have to flip that model on its head.” “If we address these issues at the beginning of an entity, and support systemic shifts, and limit inefficiencies of the food system, then we can all become part of the solution,” said Chan. iw

The just-in-time method can lead to huge mountains of food waste.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

APCO //

Time for action on plastics for Australian businesses By Brooke Donnelly ONE YEAR on from the inaugural National Plastics Summit in Canberra, the Australian Government has this month released its first National Plastics Plan, which sets a new standard for how we as a country will tackle the plastics issue.

The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) is a key recycling education tool.

It was fantastic to welcome such a comprehensive approach to the challenge, which also celebrated a range of APCO-led programs in areas like plastic packaging reduction, recycling, and recycled content uptake in the Australian marketplace. Critically, the Plastics Plan has shone a highly public spotlight on two essential sustainability deadlines that Australian businesses need to be aware of and meet by making practical changes in their operations. The first is the adoption of the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL), which the Plastics Plan recognised as a key consumer recycling education tool. The Australian Government has committed to work with industry to apply the ARL on at least 80 per cent of supermarket products by December 2023. The labelling program will also be rolled out for business-to-business packaging, with the government also committing to work with APCO to support ARL uptake by small to medium-enterprises (SMEs). Since launching in 2018, the uptake of the ARL Program has been a success story, with more than 500 organisations joining to date, including many of Australia’s best-known brands and retailers. Already tens of thousands 26

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

of iconic household products feature the ARL and are helping Australians to recycle correctly. Congratulations to the Australian businesses that are leading the way by helping to set a new, sustainable approach to recyclability labelling – including Nestlé, Coles, Woolworths, ALDI, Unilever and Arnott’s, to name a few. This widespread uptake was one of the factors that was commended in a recent report from the UN Environment Programme. The ARL Program was recognised as a world-leading consumer education initiative, celebrated for its clarity, reliability and accessibility. Critically, consumers also value the ARL. Since 2018, consumer awareness of the ARL has grown significantly, with awareness particularly high among younger audiences. Consumers also say the ARL helps them to recycle more – with 1 in 5 reporting they would recycle a lot more if the ARL was on their packaging. Three quarters of Australians want to see the label on every item of packaging – while just under half say the ARL would influence their decision to buy a product. APCO has a range of resources, tools and publications designed to help businesses get started on their ARL journey. These include webinars, training videos, style guides and case studies. This year, APCO also launched a new Interactive Learning Program module dedicated to the ARL. The first in an ongoing series, this interactive program covers how businesses can sign up, how the ARL Program supports organisations in working towards the 2025 National Packaging Targets, and why the ARL Program is needed. ARL Program Members also gain access to marketing tools and resources through APCO’s National Consumer Education Campaign. This includes the Check It! Before You Chuck It resource toolkits, designed to help members communicate to consumers that they are using the ARL Program and helping them to recycle correctly. Looking to the bigger picture, the ARL is essential for Australia to meet the 2025 National Packaging Targets and to make the Plastic Plan’s vision a reality. Education is a critical piece of the puzzle and we need to continue to drive engagement and support across

the supply chain. There has never been a better time to be part of the ARL Program. Moving away from labelling, the Plastics Plan also homed in on a highly visible and environmentally damaging plastics issues – problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging. This strong and ambitious approach to the phase-out of such packaging is a positive step. It’s also a piece of work that’s well under way through the 2025 National Packaging Targets, which includes the target to phase out all problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging by 2025. Since the 2025 targets were agreed by industry and government in 2018, APCO has worked with the whole plastic supply chain to produce an agreed list of materials for phase-out – including expandable polystyrene – and agreed timelines to meet that phase out. In December 2019, APCO released a paper outlining the key areas for consideration for businesses wanting to get started on phasing out singleuse packaging. The paper featured a summary of relevant regulation, key definitions, a self-assessment framework, and priority items for consideration. It was also the first action completed under the 2019 National Waste Action Plan. In December 2020, APCO published Strategies for Problematic and Unnecessary Single-Use Plastic Packaging, a practical resource to help Australia’s packaging supply chain phase out this packaging through innovative, sustainable solutions. The guideline contains an easy-touse framework that helps businesses really get to the heart of the singleuse solution – tackling it as a design challenge. There is no silver bullet or miracle packaging material that’s going to help Australia meet this deadline. The framework helps businesses work through the best solutions, whether that’s through redesign, elimination, replacing it with better alternatives, or exploring alternative models like reuse. APCO also has a range of tools, programs and resources to help businesses make these changes in their business, covering concerns like which alternative materials businesses should use, and how businesses can work with

APCO’s CEO Brooke Donnelly said the uptake of the ARL Program has been a great success story.

their domestic and international supply chains. There are already plenty of Australian businesses that are making these changes in their packaging already. Officeworks is a leader in the space, having successfully phased out all polystyrene packaging from its home brand furniture and shredders and now helping the wider supply chain to follow suit. The Plastics Plan also highlighted APCO’s Recycled Content Pledge Project, which will see major brands publicly commit to transitioning a percentage of their packaging from virgin to recycled material. The project will help to drive the critical market demand for recycled materials that will enable Australia to meet the 2025 National Packaging Targets and help to stimulate major investment in packaging manufacturing and recycling processes for the future. A range of leading APCO Member organisations have already committed to supporting the Recycled Content Pledge, including Unilever, Coles Supermarkets, Woolworths Group, Arnott’s Group, Colgate-Palmolive, Australia Post and HP Australia. Australia has a huge task ahead of us to meet the 2025 National Packaging Targets and, in particular, ensure 70 per cent of our plastic packaging is recycled for future use. However, as this month’s new National Plastic Plan demonstrates, there is a comprehensive program of work being rolled out by APCO, our Members, and our partners in government and the community, which will get the job done and deliver a new and sustainable approach to plastic here in Australia. iw Brooke Donnelly is the CEO of APCO.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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Insurance //

Waste industry guide to insurance renewals By Inside Waste MARK Bramley, area director at Gallagher, held a recent workshop held in NSW facilitated by Tony Khoury, Executive Director, WCRA NSW. Along with many other industries the waste and recycling sector faces challenges with obtaining insurance cover and increases in premium rates. Realistically, businesses should be prepared for premium increases of at least 10-15 per cent. This is due to a number of factors. Claims for natural disasters have eaten into the pool of funds reserved for paying claims, with the result that insurers’ profits have more than halved. The recent fires, cyclones and storms have inflated claims for damaged buildings and plant, while liability in all areas have also

contributed to the cost of claims. From the insurer perspective, property damage and business interruption top the risky exposures list, followed by management and public liability, employment liability, equipment breakdown and cyber security breaches. In addition, access to insurers has reduced both in Australia and overseas as the same issues affecting the waste and recycling business sector are being experienced globally. As a result, all businesses should be prepared for ongoing premium increases for property cover, challenges in obtaining full capacity of protection with higher excesses being applied, and increased scrutiny on liability cover How can waste and recycling business owners obtain the insurance cover needed and keep a lid on premium costs? Here are some tips:.

• G eneral risk maintenance: compliance with the NSW fire safety in waste facilities guidelines and Management and storage of combustible recyclable and waste materials guidelines are steps you can take to reduce property risks. • Ensuring that all workers are suitably trained in the policies and procedures of the business along with ongoing training around risks. • Ensuring that all machinery, equipment and vehicles are used and maintained in accordance, with the requirements of the manufacturer. • Ensuring that all conditions of licences and consents are compiled with. • Ensuring security protections are adequate and properly maintained, and that combustible materials are dealt with appropriately.

WE DRIVE THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY.

• I f your bottom line capital supports it, you may benefit from increasing your excess/deductibles to reduce your premium by having the business take on some added risk. • Ensure you’re not selling yourself short, review your sums insured amounts to – ensure they are current with repair or replacement costs. • Ensure your documented business activities truly reflect your operations provided to your insurers because omissions or misrepresentations could cause claims to be denied. • Consider what you claim. Consider whether it is worth claiming small claims just above excess. Large claims will impact renewal premium and acceptance. Similarly with multiple claims for the same event or type of risk. iw

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INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

04.03.21 08:50

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Resource Recovery

RecycleSmart: the Uber Eats of recyclables By Inside Waste FOR years, Australia has had a large landfill problem and it is not going away. Astonishing percentages of recyclable items end up in landfill. For example, only 18 per cent of single-use plastics are recovered from recycling, with 11 per cent leaking into the environment, mostly oceans, according to the latest WWF plastic report for Australia, which was done in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group. When it comes to residential waste, 20 per cent of what goes into a red bin should be recycled. Individual behaviours need to change and this can start now. Rather than lecture, a local company wants to create a fun, fresh and tech-driven experience that draws people in, according to Giorgio Baracchi, who is

the CEO of RecycleSmart, a company that is trying to change the way people think about recycling. “We are here to change the way people feel about recycling so they recycle more things, more often. We achieve that by making recycling digital, fun and easy. We believe recycling should be something you look forward to doing,” said Baracchi. The company is almost like an Uber Eats or Doordash for recyclables. Partnering with councils, it offers a user-centric approach to recycling whereby residents can book their pickup via an app or website) leave their bag of recyclables at their doorstep and a driver will come and take it away to ensure it is recycled properly. It cover the four main categories of waste that have been problematic in homes – soft plastic, E-waste, clothes,

as well as problem waste such as batteries and globes. The company has six councils onboard, including the City of Sydney council. It hopes to be serve all of Sydney in the next 12 months. “Across the nation, we are looking

at ways to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill (...) so we are constantly looking at initiatives that assist our residents in achieving that goal…” said Graham HOPE, waste manager for Randwick City Council. iw

User-centric approach for collecting recyclables.

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APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

Landfill //

Organic waste should not get preference in landfills A well operated landfill can capture 90 per cent of the available generated gas on any given day.

By Mike Ritchie SAM BATEMAN has been a champion of the waste industry for as long as I have been in the sector (over 30 years). In that time, including in his latest article in Inside Waste, he has argued strenuously for the role of landfill in an integrated waste management system. On that we agree. We would agree that landfills have a role as the final repository of residual waste for which there is no higher resource value and for hazardous or intractable wastes that need to be safely removed from the economy. So yes, landfill should be part of the circular economy for the disposal of a limited number of non-recyclable low calorific-value materials, that are hazardous. But Sam’s recent article in Inside Waste titled Is landfill part of the circular economy?, in which he argued that we should preferentially landfill organic wastes, I believe, is wrong on a number of counts. In substance, he argues that the best destination for organic waste is landfill and that this results in lower 30

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greenhouse gas emissions and a more circular economy. I have set out below Sam’s key arguments and my response. I hope I have done him, and the science of landfill and climate change, suitable justice in this short reply. Sam argues that putting available organics in landfill is a good way to sequester them and take them out of the active carbon cycle, which is the source of climate change temperature increase. He said: “50 per cent of the organic carbon is resistant to the bacteria in landfill and is stored for many 100’s of years thereby taking that carbon out of the biogenic carbon cycle”. The science behind that claim is immature and highly variable. The furthest back we have excavated a landfill is only 70 years. All of the estimates of very long-term decomposition are based on laboratory experiments and stochiometric modelling. It is true that potentially 50 per cent of lignocellulosic material, such as wood, is slow to break down in a landfill. The other 50 per cent breaks down quickly (e.g. food and garden

waste). But sequestration in the context of climate change means thousands of years or preferably forever. Under perfect conditions, long term sequestration is more likely i.e.: the emission rate of methane in desert landfills can be dramatically lower than that of other landfills. But we are not talking about perfect conditions. We are talking about the thousands of landfills in Australia from the tropical north, the central deserts and the wet south. From the big landfills with gas capture through to the unlined trench landfill with no gas capture, in western NSW. For Sam’s argument to hold we would need good science on the rates of breakdown over hundreds of years under different conditions and to be able to apply a risk weighting to account for uncertainty. Because this science is immature there are currently no approved methodologies (CER or NGER) for measuring and accounting for this possible sequestration. There may be in time, but not now. Conversely, there is pretty good science that organics can be stored in biomass and soils. There are approved

methodologies for measuring and accounting for sequestration. Even so, the regulator applies a risk weighting to account for possible losses to the environment in the long future. That is also why biochar offers so much potential to farmers. We know it sequesters a proportion of the carbon for at least 2,000 years. Sam then said: “The greenhouse emissions are offset by the carbon storage and by the renewable electricity.” As stated above there are no offset mechanisms to account for carbon storage in landfills. Second, only large landfills in Australia have renewable energy generation. That is less than 30 of Australia’s 2000 plus landfills. However, those 30 receive about 60 per cent of the volume of waste. A couple of hundred have flares to – destroy the methane – the rest have nothing. What we do know is that Australia’s landfill stock currently account for over 9 MT CO2-e of fugitive emissions from landfill. That is equivalent to about 2 million cars on the road. It is a big emitter. It is also the second largest

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Landfill

emitter of methane after coal. Again for Sam’s proposition to be valid, all landfills would have to have gas capture and have renewable electricity equipment in place. They don’t. The cost of doing so would be prohibitive. The final and probably the biggest problem in the argument, is the claimed landfill gas capture rate. Sam says: “If extraction bores are drilled within two years of starting the cell, most of the methane is captured and collection efficiencies of more than 80 per cent can be reliably achieved.” This approach conflates “instantaneous“ gas capture with “whole of life” gas capture. It is true that a well-run, well operated large landfill can capture 90 per cent of the available generated gas on any given day. This is the capture rate Sam is quoting. But fugitive emissions occur because the landfill caps crack, from the open face before the cap is in place and most importantly during the “long tail emissions” that occur in small quantities for decades after the landfill ceases to receive waste

and/or after the landfill’s gas capture system is turned off. Long tail emissions are uneconomic for gas capture and energy generation, and are most often allowed to escape to the environment. If landfill operators were required to capture and destroy the methane from the long tail period, it would make the whole gas capture model uneconomic. It must be remembered that gas capture is a commercial activity. It is not done to eliminate emissions. In fact, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that the total lifetime gas capture rate for landfills is lower than 50 per cent and can be as low as 20 per cent in certain circumstances. That means 50-80 per cent fugitive emissions. That means if we landfilled all existing organics, landfills would become even bigger emitters than they are today.

Summary Put simply, the environment doesn’t care when methane is emitted, but that it is emitted at all. If it escapes, it contributes to climate change. And methane is one of the most significant greenhouse gases.

MRA’s Mike Ritchie believes the gas capture model is uneconomic.

Taken with the lack of science on sequestration and low “whole of life” emission capture rates, it is a long bow Sam is drawing, to say we should preferentially landfill organics as part of a circular economy strategy. I agree with lots of what he says about the role of landfill but not this one. What we do know is that FOGO collections generate high quality compost, are massively greenhouse reducing compared to landfill and provide organics to farmers that can

and is, sequestered in soil via known and approved science. FOGO is a massive jobs generator. For this reason we need to move organics out of landfill as soon as possible as part of a science based roadmap to reduce climate change to a maximum 1.5 degrees C rise. To do otherwise is to take significant risk with the future. That is a risk not worth taking. iw Mike Ritchie is the managing director of MRA Consulting.

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APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

Energy from Waste //

Energy from waste – a viable solution to landfill? By Peter Doyle and Alexander Danne LIKE MANY developed countries, Australia is faced with the challenge of how to dispose of its household waste. While the separation of garbage into different categories to aid recycling, through the three-bin system has gained momentum, it is only a drop in the ocean in terms of a solution when considering the volume of rubbish that finds its way into landfill. There is growing interest in Australia in the use of technology to convert waste into energy supported by initiatives and policies at both the federal, state and territory level. The expectation is that this industry will continue to grow in Australia and that new investment will be attracted into the development of this energy source provided sustainability and environmental concerns can be addressed. Generally speaking, Energy from Waste (EfW) technology combusts waste at extremely high temperatures to generate steam, which is then used to produce electricity – the process can also produce other usable industrial by-products. The process is recognised for reducing greenhouse gases by eliminating methane emissions from landfill. Globally: • EfW technology is used in a number of European countries (including France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) and in Japan and Singapore where landfill sites are limited; the US has more than 71 EfW facilities; a number of EfW plants are being developed in India; the Philippines government is reportedly considering allowing the use of EfW technologies to help solve the country’s perennial garbage problem; and Ghana has established the Hybrid Waste to Energy as a Solution of Ghana Project, the objective of which is to develop tailor-made solutions to tackle the problem of waste and power management in Ghana by converting waste into usable energy; and • at least one overseas company, Waste Knot Energy, an innovative fuel manufacturer is producing pellets from dry waste. The pellets are a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and ideal for high-energy 32

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

pollutants emitted from the project are expected to be below the limits set by NSW and at the low point of the best available technology. The plant is expected to be completed in 2024/2025 and is supported by the number of Western Sydney municipal contracts up for renewal in 2024, the 300kt waste transfer station at Erskine Park and the forecasted growth of waste in NSW from 21mtpa to 31mtpa by 2024. The facility represents 30 per cent of the red bin waste disposed to land fill in the Western Sydney region.

Peter Doyle.

use industries, such as producers of cement, steel, energy and bricks. They are manufactured from commercial and industrial waste such as wood, paper, card and nonchlorinated plastics and reduce the waste going into landfill or ending up in oceans. The pellets are cheaper than traditional fuels such as coal or coke and have a high energy content – they are also relatively clean to burn, reducing carbon emissions. What investment has occurred to date in EfW projects in Australia? There has been limited investment in this industry in Australia and the sector is in its early stages of development. There are several projects under way. Kwinana EfW project An Energy from Waste (EfW) facility is currently being constructed at Kwinana in Western Australia and is expected to be operating by 2022. The plant, the first of its kind in Australia, will be able to process 400,000 tonnes of domestic “red bin” and commercial and industrial residual waste a year and convert it into 36MW of electricity (enough to power 50,000 homes). The Kwinana plant has secured long-term supply contracts for most of its waste requirements from the Rivers Regional Council and the City of Kwinana. The Kwinana plant will use technology that already has a strong track record in Europe and meets strict environmental requirements. The thermally treated waste heats water into steam to produce electricity, with metals recovered for recycling and other by-product materials suitable for reuse in the construction industry.

Alexander Danne.

East Rockingham EfW project The East Rockingham EfW project (ERWtE), south of Perth in WA, is under construction and. When completed, it will deliver a cost-effective waste treatment solution. The facility will generate 29MW of renewable baseload electricity for the South West Interconnected System - enough to power more than 36,000 homes. ERWtE has entered into a power purchase agreement with Talison Lithium Australia for 25MW of its generating capacity. It has also secured longterm supply contracts for a significant portion of its waste from the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council and the City of Cockburn. It will achieve a 96 per cent diversion of residual waste from landfill. Importantly, ERWtE is the first of its kind in Australia to use “waste-arising” contracts, giving councils the ability to continue to pursue waste reduction targets with waste supply commitments to the ERWtE. This type of innovative contractual framework will help support WA’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030. The ERWtE will use proprietary-moving grate combustion technology. The project will adhere to EU Industrial Emissions Limits set by the WA Environment Protection Agency – which are among the most stringent standards in the world. Western Sydney EfW project In November 2020, Cleanaway Waste Management announced its Western Sydney EfW project. There is scope for Cleanaway to develop similar facilities in Melbourne and Brisbane. The

Dandenong EfW project An EfW plant in Dandenong South in Victoria was recently given the green light by VCAT, the state’s peak planning tribunal, despite the local council’s efforts to stop it being built. This was after a settlement was reached between Great Southern Waste Technologies, the project’s proponent, and the Greater Dandenong Council. The facility will incinerate 100,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste annually which would otherwise have been destined for landfill. Laverton EfW project Recovered Energy Australia is proposing to construct a $150 million, high-tech MSW gasification to energy facility at Laverton North in Victoria that will convert 200,000 tonnes of general domestic household waste (which would otherwise go to landfill) into baseload renewable energy. The plant will generate 16MW of energy sufficient to power over 30,000 homes. The project has recently received the go-ahead from both the EPA and the local council. Where is Australia at from an EFW policy perspective?

Federal Government At a Federal level, the impetus for the development of the energy from waste sector is being driven by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). In 2015, CEFC published a market report entitled Bioenergy and Energy from Waste. That report identified up to $3.3 billion of potential investment in urban energy from waste – it also noted that generating electricity and

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Energy from Waste //

heat from waste resources could be cost competitive with other newbuild energy generation in terms of capital expenditure but that the technologies were not yet widely deployed in Australia. This was followed in November 2016 by a further CEFC market report entitled Energy from Waste in Australia: A state by state update. That report notes that CEFC has provided a cornerstone investment of up to $100 million in 2015 to the Australia Bioenergy Fund (now known as the Australian Recycling Investment Fund). Recently, the CEFC has provided $90 million as part of a $400 million debt syndicate for the Kwinana EfW plant – the debt syndicate involves several other banks some of which have prior experience in banking EfW projects globally. ARENA also contributed a further $23 million in grant funding to the Kwinana project. It has also committed $57.5 million in funding (by way of subordinated debt) and ARENA $18 million (in recoupable grant funding) towards the construction of the East Rockingham EfW project – this subordinated debt facility is the first of its kind for the EfW sector in Australia and provides capital structure innovation for the project.

State and territory level New South Wales The NSW Government was due to release a draft of its 20-year waste strategy before the end of 2020 but has advised industry it will not be released until the first quarter of

2021. Similarly, NSW has yet to sign up, match and make available the Commonwealth’s $190M Recycling Modernisation Fund, which sees industry and government partner to deliver new infrastructure to sort, process and remanufacture waste plastics, glass, paper and tyres. The National Waste Policy Action Plan has set a number of targets, including achieving an 80 per cent average recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030. Individual States, particularly NSW, which makes up more than 30 per cent of national landfill waste, has a significant role to play in making this happen. In late 2020, New South Wales called for registrations of interest to finance and build a new waste recovery facility and EfW plant near the town of Parkes. Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation sought registrations that demonstrate an ability to develop an “integrated waste recovery, reprocessing and energy production facility” in the planned Parkes Special Activation Precinct (SAP). Victoria In February 2020, the government published its 10-year policy on waste and recycling strategy in a document entitled Recycling Victoria – A new economy. The policy notes that the government will encourage investment in appropriate waste-toenergy facilities that reduce the need for landfill. In recent developments, Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) is leading a

group of 16 councils in Melbourne’s south east to seek proposals from industry for a smarter way to deal with household rubbish. The project will deliver an alternative to landfill. Advanced waste processing solutions will play a role in achieving the Victorian Government’s new target to divert 80 per cent of household rubbish from landfill by 2030. MWRRG has commenced the largest tender for new waste management infrastructure ever undertaken for Melbourne council. This is the first collective tender on behalf of councils for an alternative solution to landfill. The procurement will focus on the financial, environmental and social outcomes councils want to achieve rather than specify a technology. Western Australia The government is focused on transitioning to a sustainable, low waste, circular economy model. The government’s Waste Avoidance and Recovery Strategy 2030 provides targets and structures for that transition including recovering energy from residual waste streams. South Australia In 2018, the South Australian EPA published a discussion paper entitled Enhancing Resource Recovery and discussing the place of energy recovery, which dealt with reforming waste management and creating certainty for an industry to grow.

Following industry consultation in 2019, the EPA published its thermal waste-to-energy (WtE) position statement in 2020. The statement aims to help planning authorities, licensees and development proponents understand the position of the EPA and the regulatory requirements for thermal WtE activities. The EPA will use the position statement to assess development assessment referrals and activities of prescribed environmental significance requiring a licence under Schedule One of the Environment Protection Act 1993 relating to WtE activities. WtE projects requiring development approval will be subject to community consultation and/or notification as required by the Development Act 1993 (SA) and the EP Act during the development, assessment and licensing notification processes respectively. Queensland The government has developed an Energy from Waste Policy, which supports the implementation of the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy as one of its action plans. The Policy does not incentivise or promote EfW but will help to ensure that any EfW facilities developed in Queensland meet technical, environmental, regulatory and community expectations and are in the best interest of Queenslanders. The policy outlines a preference for industries that produce higher value commodities such as solid or liquid fuels from waste materials, over the production of electricity and

The landfill levy is not consistent across the various states and territories.

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Energy from Waste

heat, to align with the Queensland Government’s biofutures agenda. It also outlines measures to ensure that EfW facilities do not preferentially source feedstock from recyclable material such as kerbside or source-separated clean stream channels and that only residual waste is used for energy recovery. The policy also contains requirements on proponents to demonstrate operational performance of proposed facilities; for community engagement, criteria for energy recovery efficiency and environmental protection standards. T asmania A draft Waste Action Plan was released by the government in 2019 and provides a framework for the discussion with local government, business and the community on the best way to address Tasmania’s waste and resource recovery challenges. It identifies several key actions the government will take and seeks feedback on a range of questions from interested parties. As of February 2021, some 66 submissions had been received. The policy notes that the government will continue to investigate and provide support for energy from waste and bioenergy options including the management of and utilisation of forest residues. Australian Capital Territory The government has published its Waste to Energy Policy 2020- 2025. An important element of the policy is that is that it respects the waste hierarchy. As a result, waste reduction, reuse and recycling of material takes precedence over energy recovery applications. Thermal treatment of waste (including incineration, gasification and pyrolysis) is not permitted in the ACT. Nonthermal means of energy recovery such as anaerobic digestion or the production of refuse derived fuel will be permitted. Landfill gas capture and electricity generation will also continue as best practice management of the ACT’s landfills. Where wasteto-energy activities are permitted in the ACT, only residual waste will be eligible as fuel. Northern Territory While renewable energy represents a key priority for the government, which has set a policy of achieving 50 per cent renewables for electricity supply by 2030, energy from waste does not seem to be a priority at the moment. The Roadmap to Renewables report was delivered to the government and was released on 27 November 2017 together with the government’s response. There is a small Renewable Energy Facility at Shoal Bay which was opened in 2005 – the facility is owned and operated

by Landfill Management Services (LMS) in cooperation with City of Darwin and manages landfill gases in a sustainable manner. In Australia there are a number of legal challenges which must be overcome in order to get an EfW project off the ground and to secure project financing.

Companies thinking of setting up EfW plants needs a continuous supply of waste to meet their demands.

Landfill levies All states and territories (other than Tasmania and the Northern Territory) impose either a landfill levy or a waste levy. The rate of levy imposed is not consistent across different jurisdictions although levy settings seem to be moving towards greater parity. The level at which the landfill levy is set will often determine whether EfW is a viable economic alternative to landfill If the landfill (or waste) levy is substantially lower than the cost of an alternative waste solution then there is far less incentive for councils to switch from landfill disposal of waste to an alternative treatment of waste (such as EfW). Some commentators have noted that in some jurisdictions in Australia there is a significant pricing disconnect between disposing of waste to landfill and disposing of it through alternative waste solutions. In Europe, this pricing disconnect has been overcome through government policy settings – for example, using landfill levy pricing to achieve pricing parity with alternative waste treatment solutions (such as EfW). It remains to be seen whether governments in Australia use these levies in a similar manner to achieve pricing parity with alternative waste treatment solutions such as EfW.

Regulatory All states and territories have environmental legislation in place which, inter alia, will regulate emission levels from EfW plants or provide the relevant agency with the necessary statutory authority to set such levels. The technology employed by the EfW plant will need to meet the relevant standards in order to gain up front approval from the relevant regulator and emissions levels from the plant are likely to be regularly monitored and tested for compliance.

Planning A planning approval will be required from the local council in the location where the EfW plant is to be located. If planning approval is not forthcoming, it may be necessary to appeal the rejection of planning approval to the relevant administrative tribunal and/or negotiate a compromise with the local council to satisfy its concerns/requirements.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Technology In order for an EfW plant to be bankable, the technology must be proven. Banks will look at comparative plants overseas and consider their operational record when assessing whether the technology risk is acceptable. Any new technology is likely to have to be at least proven at a demonstration plant before being considered bankable. Banks will want to understand the impact of such enhancements on plant operation and assess whether this gives rise to any increased technology risk.

Supply of waste Again, to be bankable, an EfW plant will need to have access to a continuous and reliable source of household waste. The volume of waste available for processing will be a factor affecting plant size. The obvious candidates are local councils or even a large city and so signing up one or more local councils and/or cities to supply waste over an agreed period sufficient to support bankability will be critical. The arrangements supporting the Kwinana EfW plant are indicative of what may be required in this regard. Banks will not want such arrangements to be capable of termination without them having appropriate step in and cure rights. Negotiation of such rights through a tripartite deed may present challenges given the level of sophistication of a local council or a city may not be as high as dealing with a government agency. If waste is being provided

from more than one region, arrangements for the separation of waste and transportation of waste to the EfW plant will be needed.

Energy offtake The EfW plant will need to be connected to the grid so that the energy generated through the incineration process can be transported. This raises a number of complexities including the need to store energy and to transport that energy to the grid. The difficulties faced by some renewable energy plants, particularly solar farms, in certain locations in Australia in connecting to the grid need to be considered and banks will require a level of certainty around grid connection. To be bankable, the EfW plant may seek to put in place power purchase agreements with customers. If these are put in place, banks will require the usual tripartite deeds to allow them step in and cure rights in a default situation. As noted, there is scope to produce fuel from waste and to supply that fuel to industries which are high energy users. Should this capability come to Australia, bankability will require one or more long-term offtake contracts with credit-worthy third parties. We may see in the future a partnership between an innovative fuel manufacturer and a waste management company to produce environmentally friendly fuel from waste. iw Peter Doyle and Alexander Danne are partners at law firm Gilbert + Tobin APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

Product Stewardship //

Battery Stewardship: if not now, when? By Libby Chaplin, CEO, Battery Stewardship Council A 2018 CSIRO report titled Lithium Battery Recycling in Australia has identified that Australian lithium ion battery (LIB) waste is growing at a rate of over 20 per cent per annum. In 2016, 3,300 tonnes of LIB waste was generated but only 2 per cent of this was collected and recycled. LIB waste generation is forecasted to grow to between 100,000 to 188,000 tonnes by 2036. The consequences of inaction on battery recycling is unthinkable. The time to act is now and the Battery Stewardship Council (BSC) is set to disrupt the status quo. The BSC was formed in 2018 with the support of State and Federal Environment Ministers to establish a product stewardship scheme to recycle end-of-life batteries. The scheme has been designed by industry and received ACCC authorisation in September 2020. The BSC is poised to move into the operational development phase in 2021 with the scheme introduction slated for later in the year. The scheme has a unique design, drawing on the principles of shared responsibility, fair and equitable funding, transparency, and accountability, and is designed to deliver safe environmental outcomes. We have worked closely with the battery supply chain to design the scheme. The support to date from importers, retailers, industry associations, recyclers, and governments has been fantastic. All batteries are included within the scheme except for those batteries already covered by a current product stewardship scheme or those that already have an end-of-life strategy. The scheme operation will be funded via a levy on battery imports that will be made visible to the consumer. Those funds collected by the levy will be used by the BSC to provide rebates to authorised organisations providing collection, sorting and recycling services for end of life batteries. Operational funding for the scheme will come from battery importers. We have seen a strong turnout from battery importers to participate and join the BSC, signalling their commitment to fund the program. Prominent battery brands such as 36

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

The collection of used batteries is currently the perview of local government.

Energizer, Duracell, Powercell and Panasonic have joined the BSC, as have well-known electronics brands Canon and Sony. The power tool industry has also indicated their participation with brands such as Bosch, Husqvarna, Milwaukee, Ryobi, AEG, Festool, Chervon, and Makita all joining the BSC and other power tool brands are currently in discussion with the BSC. Pilot recycling projects undertaken in 2017 highlighted a strong consumer desire to recycle used batteries. The challenge however was the lack of knowledge as to where they can take their batteries for recycling. The scheme therefore has a strong focus on the expansion of collection points and consumer education to drive the growth of battery collection. Currently, the collection of used batteries is through local government initiatives, other product stewardship schemes, and retailer takeback programs. However, a key element of the BSC scheme design is to leverage existing collection points and promote the establishment of new collection points to successfully increase the recycling rate of used batteries. The BSC already has a number of retailers who have joined the scheme such as JB HiFi, Officeworks, and Harvey Norman. Other retailers and major supermarket brands are currently in discussion with the BSC with a number considering the roll out of new battery collection facilities at their premises. The safety of humans and environmentally sound recycling practices are of paramount concern for the BSC. The BSC will develop accreditation procedures to ensure collection, transportation, sorting and recycling practices are performed to the highest standards.

The recycling industry has been involved with the BSC since its inception. Recyclers such as Sell & Parker, Resource, Total Green Recycling, EcoCycle, Envirostream, Tes-amm, and E-Cycle have all joined the BSC and currently provide services for the

recycling on end-of-life batteries. Recycling end-of-life batteries is a community issue and it needs to be addressed by all participants in the supply chain. Used batteries can no longer continue to go to landfill. Sending used batteries offshore for reprocessing is a loss of a valuable resource to the Australian economy. The opportunity exists to establish new industries and develop a supply of secondary minerals for the use in manufacture that is derived from the recycling of batteries used in Australia. For organisations who joins the BSC, it signals to the community that they support the removal of e-waste from landfill, and the recovery of valuable resources for the growth of an Australian export opportunity, not just now, but for generations to come. iw

The Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme, administered by Tyre Stewardship Australia, has been recognised by the federal Government as best practice product stewardship as part of the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence. If you are a tyre recycler, collector, tyre retailer, local council or a fleet operator and want to get accredited with the Tyre Product Stewardship accredited by Government, the time is now. It’s easy and it is free. If you are committed to sustainable outcomes for used tyres, head to TSA’s website to find out more.

tyrestewardship.org.au

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Circular Economy

What circular economy? By Mike Wheeler “NO ROAD should get made without it being bound by recyclable plastic, no footpath gets made without it being made from rubble and recyclable plastics, and that should be the process to design right from the outset – rather than stockpiling, burning, burying, or dumping plastic in landfills, where it can leach out in the ocean, which is what is happening now.” Passionate is one way to describe Marcus Barber, who is determined to change the way Australian businesses and governments think about plastic waste. Barber is no enemy of plastic, and realises that it has many useful properties – whether it be in keeping food fresh for longer, or as a good packaging product – it’s what we do after we have finished with it that vexes him. Barber is a strategic futurist for the Centre of Australian Foresight, and is currently on secondment with the City of Greater Dandenong in charge of special projects. To his way of thinking, Australia – and especially local, state and federal governments – need to have a change of mindset. A good start, according to him, is to get our head around the idea that we are not a nation of recyclers – we capture and sort waste, but we don’t recycle. Barber’s argument is two-fold – not only is there the obvious environmental downside to plastic waste that needs to be addressed, but it’s also a great resource that can be utilised in many ways that it will have a minimal environmental impact. “It’s not only plastic, but plastic is the biggest one in terms of the affecting the food chain because of the amount of waste we have dumped into the oceans over the past 50 years,” he said. “When you have signs of microplastics sitting 4.5km down in an ocean trench, you have problems. “You see the collapse of tuna fisheries and whole fisheries, because there’s a lack of food because you have fisheries now consuming microplastics instead of what they think is food – we now know that some plastics give off an odour that smells like actual food as it is decomposing in soft water – then you have a problem.” And he believes there is a readymade use for plastics in Australia – building roads and pavements.

Marcus Barber: “When you have microplastics sitting 4.5km on the ocean floor, you have problems.”

“I’ve done some work for the APO (Asian Productivity Organisation),” he said. “In Malaysia, they’ve got a stretch of road they are experimenting with that has a plastic component. They didn’t even sort the plastics – they just shredded it and melted it into a basic road base and its performance is massive. You have effectively got a plastic and rock road being utilised out of waste material. I have spoken to the government of Vietnam and they need can fix some of their issues up in Cao Bang, which is one of the regions near the border with China. There is a significant number of potholes in their roads, which means a lot of maintenance is needed. They can fill nearly every one of those holes with waste material.”

Other uses There are companies that are starting to utilise the waste stream, including plastics. Ecoplas is based out of Mount Gambier in South Australia. Started by engineer Willie van Niekerk, the company is starting to make furniture, stakes for agricultural uses, and fencing. “In the previous five years I worked in forestry, and this new business tickled my engineering interest. I thought I could still do this and stay in Mt Gambier,” said van Niekerk. “Most people think that recycling is something we do when we put something in the recycling bin. We don’t really recycle, we sort. Even myself, I get the product and I crush it up and I make something. I haven’t really recycled it either, I’ve processed it. Once somebody buys it, it is recycled.” In Victoria, the state Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Change, Lily D’Ambrosio, announced in late February $4.4 million in grants were being made available to innovators who can create “everyday products from reusable waste while getting those ideas out of the lab and into the market with a new round of recycling infrastructure grants”. However, the amount that is being reused– so far – is a drop in the ocean. On the other side of the world, in Nairobi, Kenya, a young entrepreneur Nzambi Matee is the founder of Gjenge Makers, a company that produces pavement blocks out of recycled plastics. Matee claims the Nairobi-based company produces about 500 metric tonnes of plastic waste every day, which means there is no shortage of supplies. “Plastic is fibrous in nature, so therefore, the brick ends up having a stronger compression strength,” Matee told the World Architecture website. “We right now have a capacity of producing 1,000 to 15,000 bricks a day.”

Government needs to take the lead While plastics are Barber’s main bugbear, he sees a lot of waste materials, such as brick, plaster, timber and glass, which could also be turned into useful products. According to him, all levels of government can help Australia turn into a real recycler of products. And until they come onboard, then warehouses and landfills are continually going to be the final destination of waste. “All tiers of government can assist in the development of a more effective industry by insisting on second- and third-use materials in product design,” he said. “The government needs to drive this by mandating a much higher use of waste materials for new products.” He said along with plastic waste, other waste products he said that could be used for road construction include waste concrete, brick work and reused asphalt – with plastic being the binding material for the hard concrete and aggregate. He believes there would be a massive demand for such product, so much so that Australia could end up being a net importer of waste. “There is not a single road in Australia that can’t be made utilising plastics, glass, asphalts, concrete, brick work, or second

hand materials,” he said. Barber also believes that the change of mindset he talks about, isn’t just about what is done with recycled products, but also how they are collected. He said that if we start thinking about how the waste is going to be used even before it is being disengaged from its primary use, it will have a flow-on effect on how it is used in the future. “I did some work with the Australian Building and Construction Commission a few years ago and they said that one solution to such waste problems was that not a single building should be allowed to be demolished,” he said. “Every building must be dismantled. If you do that, you’ll do things like change the design parameters going in and that is what is required across the materials industry and manufacturing. We need to change the design parameters so that product is more readily be able to be recycled and therefore we can mandate simple use of second and third use materials.”

Vested interests Barber’s biggest change of mindset is left for the industry itself. There is a lot of money in the waste industry, and everybody wants their bit of the pie. Then there are those in the peripheral industries who might be affected by plastics being used in the aforementioned road and pavement builds. “There are vested interests that will prevent that as long as they can because they don’t like the idea of change,” he said. “They think it will be too costly, or they might have to change the way they do things. The opportunity is present and I would start with footpaths and roads. No road should get made without it being bound by recyclable plastic. No footpath gets made unless it has elements of rubble and recyclable plastics. That should be the process to design right from the outset. “They shouldn’t use a petroleum based binding agent, which we know melts and cracks, is no good in cold weather, and it doesn’t expand as well. Plastic, on the other hand, with its flexibility, ability to bend and wave, doesn’t crack and is impervious to water – what a great product. Rather than stockpiling or burying it, or dumping it out in the ocean, which is what is happening now, let’s put it to better use.” iw APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

Wastewater //

Ragging and choking events are very common when a pump breaks down.

Why monitoring wastewater pumps is important for the environment By Inside Waste SUBMERSIBLE wastewater pumps are an integral part of efficiently transporting sewage from one station to another in urban areas, with the sewage eventually ending up at a STP (Sewage Treatment plant) ready for processing. These workhorses are out of sight and out of mind and situated all over towns and suburbs at regular intervals to accommodate mains sewage collection. There can be many hundreds to thousands of submersible pumps that a large council or water authority can have the responsibility for. Anyone that has been in the industry for any length of time will know that it is not all smooth sailing with pumps. Sometimes, when things go wrong, it can result in a less than spectacular and unwanted overflow event that no one either needs or wants to experience. Typically, these overflow events result in a biologically hazardous, unsightly and pungent situation. This must 38

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

If you ask any service technician looking after their fleet of pumps, all of them without exception will have stories about what they have found in the pump sets. be cleaned up as quickly as possible to prevent any contamination of sensitive biological habitations such as seas, rivers and creeks; not to mention private properties and public areas that are also very politically sensitive. These events will not only cause hazardous environments to become a reality, they can also be costly to fix, which is why it is important to have a system in place that not only knows when such an incident has occurred, but may also be able to be prevented from happening in the first place. It is quite normal that the sewage well column level has to be kept over the height of the pump to effect cooling of the pump sets and to stop cavitation so at no time, can you actually hear or even see the pumps.

There are two main reasons why submersible pump sets breakdown. One is bearing and seal failure and the other is ragging or choking events; with the latter being extremely common. • Bearings faults normally take place over a long period of time, but it is also dependent on the number of peak events where pumps ingest foreign materials. • Ragging and choking events are possible at any time. All it takes is for someone to flush something down a toilet. The list of articles that can be found inside these pump sets after these events, if it wasn’t so serious can be quite comical. The standard articles apart from the norm are towels, underwear, sleeping attire, partially full plastic bags through

to false teeth and from our last account; a full can of tuna was even found. If you ask any service technician looking after their fleet of pumps, all of them without exception will have stories about what they have found in the pump sets. All these articles can lead to serious damage and even stall the pumps. That is why we have created a system to monitor submersible pump systems. How is it possible to get conditional data of the pump sets condition? Permanent on-line vibration monitoring; in addition to other methods currently used that determine a pumps status, for example flow quality. A high IP rated accelerometer, either mounted internally or externally to the pump set and connected to our on-line diagnostic vibration monitor could well have exceptional results in collecting crucial data for adding into your systems network. Data collection is valuable and important

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Detect problems in submersible pumps using ifm’s Smartobserver solution

Sense and Process

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Submersible pumps do the essential – but dirty work – of transporting sewage to treatment plants. Prone to blockages, ragging, and general wear and tear, pumps need to be monitored to avoid events such as overflow and environmental contamination of public and residential areas. Smartobserver can detect the following: n Ragging n Blockage by foreign objects n Faulty or damaged bearings & seals

Optionally, the system can also monitor: n Excess Current n Sewage Level and Control n Flow and Temperature

Interested in a demonstration of how this solution works? Our team would be more than happy to show you – and to discuss how this can be customised to your specific operational needs.

1300 365 088 sales.au@ifm.com www.ifm.com/au

Wastewater //

The system highlights these conditions, so a team can be sent to correct and rectify the offending event, before it turns into a major problem. The system can also run totally independent of any other control system or can be incorporated into your existing Scada or PLC system.

Free flowing wastewater is the end goal of a good pumping system.

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

for monitoring and trending the system. Some pumps are even fitted with reversing modules, to try to eject the foreign objects that affect your system. By utilising the vibration system, a maintenance technician can view these events and the corresponding results to see whether the pumps path has been cleared or not, making it a useful tool for pump monitoring. There is a software that will enable the user to utilise the information more efficiently. It can be viewed on a PC, a phone or tablet allowing a technician to visualise and track the operating condition of all pumps, even when something out of the ordinary occurs. The program can be instructed to send an alarm either as an SMS or an email to the people that need to know that an event has occurred. The

alarm condition can be opened to see what caused the event, including the option of a graphic that offers a snapshot of the offending monitored object in trend form, along with its amplitude. A link will be sent for the client to open and will take the user directly to the alarm page whereby they can see what led to the alarm condition. It is even possible to record spectral waveforms at the initial start of the alarm for review. These type of systems highlight these conditions, so a team can be sent to correct and rectify the offending event, before it turns into a major problem. This type of system can also run totally independent of any other control system or can be incorporated into an existing SCADA or PLC system. iw

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Truck Feature //

Horses for courses when deciding on right truck for waste disposal

Cost of staff is one of the key decisions when purchasing a new rubbish truck.

THE first recorded kerbside collection of rubbish was recorded in 1884 when lawyer Eugene Poubelle introduced waste containers to Parisian streets and made their use compulsory. Fast forward almost 150 years and the early morning sounds of trucks navigating their way through congested suburban streets act as an alarm clock for many – for at least one day a week. Over the years many things have changed in the collection of both commercial and consumer refuse – due to OSH laws, no longer do footie players have a side gig as garbos by day and earning their keep by training at night and playing on the weekend. These days, councils, and those contracted to them, have a bevy of choices when it comes to buying new trucks to collect household waste. Adrien Scott is the Victorian state manager for Solo Resource Recovery and has been in the transport industry for 30 years, the past seven specialising in waste. Solo has approximately 160 rubbish trucks in Victoria – all in various shapes and sizes designed to be fit-forpurpose depending on where they are being used. “We have different trucks for 42

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

different councils, as it depends on what the council’s want and how much they are willing to pay for technology on the truck moving forward,” he said. “We’ve got an electric side loader truck that we bring out for showing councils what you can do with electric trucks. Then I have small trucks in the Mornington Peninsula that go into the high density camping areas and foreshore areas. We are not allowed to hit any trees, so we have to make sure the foreshore area and tree scape is left impeccable. They are small and have a number of cameras on them to make sure visibility is high. They also have low profile aerials, as well as strobe lights that are smaller compared to bigger trucks, but flash more frequent. They are tailor made on the challenges and perceptions of our expectations and the councils, too.” Scott said that price is usually the biggest factor when purchasing a new truck. However, he makes it his business to know all the ins and outs of the latest technologies the trucks have onboard, as well as council requirements, and the standards and regulations that surround the legislation that rubbish collectors have to adhere. He said the challenge that all contractors and councils have

with any equipment of this nature is knowing what they are designed for in terms of fit for purpose. “If you are looking for cab chassis or equipment, you are looking at the restrictions you might have in terms of the operation of the equipment,” he said. “You are looking at the payload capacity of the road and the road network around it. You’re looking at the parameters of the guidelines around the city’s legislation under the various councils. Do they want the latest engines with their environmental aspects, or are they looking for electric or alternative fuel? What type of fuels are they looking for? LPG, diesel, electric or possibly moving to hybrids or further on to hydrogen trucks?” In Melbourne about 80 per cent of waste pick up is contracted out, with the remainder being collected by the councils. He finds that most councils are open to new technologies and ideas, although the aforementioned costs do come to the fore when they buy new trucks. “For example, some councils initially insist that they want Euro 6 engines, which are the latest and greenest engines you can buy,” said Scott. “But, as soon as you give them the price they are happy to settle for

Euro 5 engines because they are still technically compliant under Australian standards and emission targets. The difference in price would be about $60,000.” The regulations surrounding rubbish trucks is pretty clear when it comes to carrying weights, said Scott, as most guidelines are set by the national vehicle regulators. For example, medium rigid truck can still only carry 15.5 tonnes. A heavy rigid truck, which has two-wheels at the back of the truck and one at the front, can only carry 23 tonnes. All these types of features are taken into consideration when buying for councils. “What I look for in councils is how serious are they about capacity and volume, versus street scape,” he said. If they are passionate about making sure their streets look pretty and you don’t hit any trees, then you need to go with lower profile trucks, which don’t carry as much weight. Ones that are looking for more bang for their buck we try and build the best possible truck that can carry the best amount of weight or volume or capacity. It is the easiest formula for everything in the transport sector. Even when I did commercial interstate travel – transport or container transport – it’s how much can you fit in that space before you become overweight and you are no longer legal that is the issue.” Scott said that Solo’s relationships with the various councils it contracts to are good. People within the council know that capital investment for contractors in trucks can be quite high, so reward them with longer contracts that would not be available with some commercial jobs. “If it is in the commercial sector it can be expensive if the return on investment isn’t seen out over the life of a contact,” said Scott. “In a commercial contract you don’t have stability. You might have stability for one or two, or even five years max. “Whereas a council will last longer because they understand the capital investment is greater because you are buying anywhere between five or six trucks through to 20 or 30 or more. “Buying power and knowing that the asset is going to be working for a fixed contract longer allows you to depreciate the asset over a greater period of time, which makes it a little bit more cost-effective.” iw

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Truck Feature //

Second chance for waste specialists IT’S not often that you get second chances in life, so when Ben Harris and Suzanne Magro got the opportunity to re-boot their waste collection service last year in South Australia, they didn’t think twice – and Adelaide Liquid Waste Solutions was born. The story began four years ago in 2017, when Harris and Magro sold their previous sewer waste pumping and treatment business, Septic Pumping Services, to an international waste giant. Operating 11 trucks and known as local specialists in that field, selling the company was never the plan; they had carved-out a successful business and enjoyed their work. But Harris and Magro appreciate that opportunities don’t come knocking every day and signed-off a deal. It wasn’t too long before that international operation left Adelaide, leaving a hole in the market and customers without a reliable waste collection service. Putting their industry knowledge back into action, Magro and Harris started Adelaide Liquid Waste, purchasing four, fresh-off-the-floor Isuzu trucks to round-out their fleet. Two FRR 100-260’s have been fitted out with Hyva four-tonne cranes with an eight metre reach, allowing the team to get in close for portable toilet collection and delivery services. A medium-duty FTR 165-260 and FXZ 240-350, both with vacuum tank bodies, offer customers a reliable liquid waste pumping service. With the help of North East Isuzu and expert body-builders, North East Engineering and Blade Engineering, Harris and Magro built each of their new trucks to exact specifications, safe in the knowledge that the engine, transmission and chassis configurations worked well for their application. Each of the new trucks were built to Harris and Magro’s specifications.

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There are a lot of new features that Adelaide Liquid Waste Solutions use on its new fleet of trucks.

“We always found that when our vacuum tanks were located right behind the cab’s headboard, there was too much weight across the front axle,” said Harris. “I spent quite a bit of time with Darren from North East Isuzu working out the best weight distribution for the FRRs, and we created space on either side of the tank for transporting portable toilets, with the crane situated at the very rear of the tray. “Our drivers love this because they can get in close without having to do any manual delivery of the toilets. “The FTR and FXZ tankers are a big hit with our drivers too, because they’re so easy to use. “Basically, all they need to do is pull up to the site, roll out the hose and operate the control panel at the back of the truck, which kicks the hydraulic pump into gear.” With truck specifics nailed down, Magro and Harris’s next point of action was coming up with a design that would catch the eye and drum up business. They settled on a sleek matte grey paint and logo that has gained

them wanted attention. “In Adelaide, septic trucks don’t have a great image. Some operators tend not to look after them because it’s not a particularly glamorous industry. “We make sure our trucks are washed every weekend and take pride in the way they look, and we know it translates into sales. We definitely want to channel that pride and good energy into our new business.” Within their first three months of operation last year, Adelaide Liquid Waste signed some major commercial contracts and couldn’t be busier heading into 2021. But a champion player needs a champion team, and an experienced driver roster keeps the operation on track, Magro explained. “We referred the drivers that worked for us in the original business to the international buyer… but they’ve all since come back to work for us at Adelaide Liquid Waste,” she said. “These drivers are like the A-Team. They know exactly what they’re doing and they’re amazing at what they do.

“When we bought the business the first time around, Ben and I had no idea about liquid waste – the drivers taught us everything. They’ve stayed with us the whole way through, even in our new venture, so we’re incredibly grateful for that.” With such loyal staff behind them, Magro and Harris wanted to reward the team with the best in comfort and safety – which is why they chose Isuzu Trucks as their transport partner. “The drivers love these trucks,” Magro noted. “They tell me the F Series models are so smooth to drive, it’s just like driving a car… and we normally don’t get comments like that regarding trucks. “With all the new technology and features, the ride is so much more comfortable, they’re just better for bodies that are on the road all day.” Harris explained the new fleet was based on more than Isuzu’s good reputation; it was the trucks’ capability on the job and the aftercare guarantee – leading to whole-of-life cost savings for the business – that sealed the deal. “I’ve driven a lot of different trucks, including some other Japanese brands. My personal preference is Isuzu,” Harris said. “The dealership is close by and they always look after us with servicing or breakdowns. “But most importantly the trucks are reliable. “In a business like ours, you can’t have downtime; it just can’t happen. Reliability is key, working hand-inhand with what we do. “We rate ourselves as running a first-class business at Adelaide Liquid Waste, so our trucks need to be on the same page.” iw

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// Truck Feature

Contractor of the Year award FROM manufacturing waste compactors in a small factory in 1986 in the Sydney suburb of St Marys, Garwood International has grown to become a designer, manufacturer and distributor of specialised waste and recycling collection and compaction equipment. It recently won the 2020 Local Government Procurement (LGP) approved Contractor of the Year award. “It was not only a great honour and a fantastic surprise, especially given the kind year that 2020 has been for us. It also came as a positive vindication of over four years of work spent expanding our product offering and moving into sweepers,” said Garwood International managing director Daniel McHugh. The company has also recently been granted the ability to carry the “100 per cent Australianowed” certification.

“As a 100 per cent Australian family-owned business, we’re extremely proud to have been formally certified as such,” McHugh said. “Being able to display the ‘Australian Owned’ logo is not only a massive point of pride for us, we believe it also highlights an important point for consideration for many of our customers.” Partnerships are one of the keys to the company’s success, in what can be a competitive marketplace. Garwood International is working towards helping minimise environmental impacts and maximise the effectiveness of promoting a cleaner environment for future generations. The company’s commitment to this has been cemented by partnering with two companies that are focussed on the sustainable future – Schwarze Industries and Boschung – who are both offering equipment designed to

provide a cleaner environment. After announcing that Garwood would be exclusively distributing the Boschung S2.0 fully electric compact sweeper to the Australian sales market in 2019, Garwood delivered the first demo unit into Australia in June 2020 and the demos have not stopped. Before taking possession of the sweeper, Garwood International’s national technical manager travelled to Boschung’s main facility in Switzerland in early 2020 to take part in a series of service and maintenance training courses covering all aspects of the machinery. It expanded the training in Australia to include it maintenance technicians, who are now qualified to work on the units. The Boschung S2.0 also has an integrated Borrma vision management tool, which means that Garwood technicians can establish a secure remote connection with unit’s onboard diagnostic

Garwood International has gained the 100 per cent Australian-Owned Certificate.

system to check for faults or issues. The unit is already gaining interest from councils and contractors alike. With zero emissions, no engine noise and the ability to work an eight-hour shift from a single charge McHugh and his team believe this environmentally sustainable piece of equipment is set to change the face of sweeping across Australia. iw

Collaborative process needed when purchasing vehicles DAVID Robinson is a fleet procurement specialist who has consulted for various councils and organisations when it comes to purchasing vehicles designed for picking up rubbish and other council activities. He started off as a design engineer in the heavy vehicle industry, and quickly realised that there is no single truck on the road that is the same. While costs are important, he said that they are not the most important aspects when weighing up the pros and cons of a purchase. Costs are the last thing I usually look at,” he said. “I look at three main things ¬– fit for purpose, safety and cost. We do a lot of work up front looking at specific things. We don’t buy off-the-shelf or specific plant. We buy and then modify. Once we have worked out what we want, then we look at the suppliers that know what we want.” Robinson sees it as a collaborative process, whereby both the buyer and seller work together for the best outcome so that the machine does its job efficiently and within the scope of what is needed. It is important that the supplier listens to the wants and needs. Sometimes this isn’t the case.

“If we are getting a truck built, there are some vendors that will go ‘this is the product and this is what you are getting,’” he said. “However, we prefer to tell people what we want and they will build what we want. We have specific needs for our crews. “And that is one of the important things sellers need to realise – we need suppliers that can work with us to build what we want,” said Robinson. “It will allow us to inspect it during the build to make sure it’s what we want. In saying that, we usually agree with the specs of the truck up front, so we don’t build as we go along. We just make sure it is on track and make sure it is all right and we get what we asked for.” Once the vehicle has been purchased, the next issue is making sure that it’s kept road worthy and can be serviced readily. Keeping an expensive piece of equipment off the road due to mechanical problems can have a knockon effect to the rubbish collectors or any other duty that needs to be carried out. “Servicing is important, because if you have a certain piece of equipment and you can’t get it serviced locally, then you are doomed,” he said. “We

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generally stay within the area, so if we have to go some distance to get it serviced, it becomes an issue. Luckily in Victoria, there are a few manufacturers in Melbourne. If not, we have a local dealer who can service most things. They’re quite good.” Safety is probably the biggest issue in terms of features. Robinson and his team will do a risk assessment on the concept before they go out. They make sure that whatever they buy complies with all the relevant standards and Australian design rules. “We will specify things like, if you are climbing onto trucks that there is an access ladder and the appropriate number of steps to get onboard,” he said. “A lot of people in the truck industry will put a single step that is high off the ground and doesn’t comply with any standards. We have to make sure we are complying with the standards for both safety and for the industry standards themselves. We do ask of a risk assessment. Sometimes we might get an external consultant to do a risk assessment. We have a final state of what the equipment is and the risk assessor will apply any safety stickers on the equipment and that sort of

thing. If there is anything that we need to bear in mind then we will incorporate that into our safe working procedures. In particular with government, safety is a big thing.” Once the safety aspects have been verified and Robinson is happy with those specifications, it’s time to look at the features. “Even with garbage trucks, you might think they are all the same,” said Robinson. “There are a lot of standard sizes – that can handle a certain amount of tonnage – and there are different types of bin lifters and wheel bases, or a truck with three axles or two axles depending on the size. It is all about carrying capacity with those sorts of trucks and size. “ With some of the other vehicles, the operators want a small truck and pile it up as much as they can as well as tow a three-tonne trailer. Robinson quickly realised that they didn’t know that they were overloading and they can’t do it. “The legal carrying capacity is always a big legal issue with any truck or piece of plant. You need to sit down and work out what you need to do. You really have to know the loads and weight carrying capacities.” iw APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

Truck Feature //

Safety, environment and maintenance are keys to truck purchasing decisions CLEANAWAY is one of the biggest players in the refuse collection business, and has a variety of trucks for the various collection services it offers. It currently has a fleet of 5,300 vehicles, with more than 3000 of them being trucks. It has an array of trucks designed for a range of different tasks and terrains. “Our purpose-built fleet includes a variety of assets ranging from Rubbish trucks can usually cost between $400,000 to $500,000.

heavy vehicles used in municipal collections, to trailers, vacuum tankers, light vehicles and a range specialised equipment used in industrial applications,” said Cleanaway’s head of fleet and logistics George Gerdan. “Our vehicles are maintained and serviced regularly through our network of 35 workshops and accredited third-party service partners to ensure operations continue to be safe, efficient and uninterrupted,” said Gerdan. “In a typical year, we purchase circa 250-300 trucks, but our current year forecast is for close to double this number following a string of contract wins.” Trucks used for municipal waste collection typically cost between $400,000 and $500,000, depending on their size and features, with larger more specialised assets costing up to $1 million. The trucks last for about 10 years and

are serviced every seven to eight weeks on average, so that they are kept in premium condition. “We buy only from truck manufacturers meeting the highest safety standards, consistent with our number one priority of reaching Goal Zero and our Home Safe value,” said Cleanaway’s fleet asset manager Paul Marlan. The features required depend on the waste stream, which in turn influences the type of chassis style, said Marlan. For example, trucks used to collect food organics and garden organics material have to be more resistant to corrosion. “Customers, such as councils, may also have requirements such as low entry cabins with a small step up for drivers and runners,” he said. In considering which trucks maximise payload, as measured by weight, Marlan also takes into account the cost of maintenance. A truck that is

more expensive to buy might be less expensive overall because of operating efficiencies. “We have to understand the TCO so we can make an ‘apples for apples’ comparison between suppliers,” he said. “We’re trying to get the balance right between all of these different features so we can find the right trucks for our needs and those of our customers across the commercial, industrial and residential sectors.” Cleanaway is also reducing the environmental impact and carbon emissions of its vehicle fleet by trialling energy-efficient, low-emission electric vehicles. These types of vehicles are becoming more popular with councils. “This is good for the environment, society and the economy, which is the triple bottom line of sustainability and in line with our mission of making a sustainable future possible,” said Marlan. iw

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// Young Professional

Educator out to change behaviour around waste “We are behaviour change specialists in the field of waste and resource recovery, as well as wider sustainability. EnviroCom has worked in partnership with councils and businesses to provide education, technical and training services within the sector across metropolitan and regional areas.”

Spreading the word

Rachel McIntyre.

By Inside Waste RACHEL MCINTYRE still remembers the day when it was explained to her how recycling worked. “One of the mothers who was assisting with the launch of the first recycling program in my primary school explained the processing of recycling and she said, ‘instead of sending it to the garbage tip, we are going to take this bit of paper to a factory and turn it into a new piece of paper that we can use again’,” said McIntyre. “I was aged about 9 at the time and I remembered thinking, ‘That is genius! Why haven’t we being doing this all along?’ That set me up for a very supportive view of recycling from a very early age.” Almost 30 years later, McIntyre is exactly where she would like to be in terms of career. After getting an environmental degree in Sustainable Resource Management and Marine Science at the University of Newcastle, she worked at an ecological consulting firm for 18 months before heading overseas. After the 12-month break, she returned to Australia in the middle of the GFC and pickings were slim on the environment front, but she saw opportunities in the waste space. “I started seeing jobs in the waste industry and thought that was something I could see myself in and something that really aligned with my values. I’ve always been a bit of a recycling nerd,” she said. Seven years ago, a role within EnviroCom came up and McIntyre became a consultant for the company, which is part of the JJ’s Waste & Recycling Group.

It is an educational role that covers a whole gambit of areas within the waste disposal industry. McIntyre helps deliver professional development face-to-face workshops and webinars to primary school teachers and early learning centre educators. When it comes to early learning centres, they have the National Quality Framework and a number of sustainability requirements they must meet within this, said McIntyre. “We provide those workshops to assist them in meeting or exceeding those targets. We provide them with kits that have a Waste Calculator and resource CD to assist them with conducting their own internal waste audits and identifying opportunities for waste minimisation. We also supply books, posters and activities to provide them with the confidence, skills and tools, in terms of physical recourses, which will allow them to conduct ongoing waste education,” she said. EnviroCom also delivers pop-up education displays in shopping centres whereby McIntyre and her team will talk to people about a range of wasterelated topics, including how to make the best use of council waste collection and other related services. “It was about raising awareness about simple food waste avoidance techniques, such as meal planning and shopping to a list. The displays also heavily promoted the EPA’s online Food Smart Program,” said McIntyre.

to create opportunities for these community members to obtain information about some of the basics of Australian life, in an environment that is safe and supportive, such as within their own language or peer groups.”

Media influence And how does the public respond to all these initiatives? It can vary, according to McIntyre, but she is quick to point out that world events, and the media, have a huge say in how their campaigns are perceived. “A couple of years ago when the China Sword policy was announced there was a Four Corners program that aired,” she said. “And although there was a lot of interesting and accurate information, I think a lot of people in the waste industry didn’t feel that it told the full story. Unfortunately, I felt that it undid 20 years’ worth of recycling education in many respects. “I felt that the takeaway a lot of people got from the report was that most recycling is sent to landfill, that most of our country’s recycling went to China, and so there was no longer anywhere for it to go and that we don’t do any on-shore recycling, which is not accurate. A lot of councils and education consultants in the waste industry have had a hard time selling the recycling message in the past two or so years in the wake of that report, because often residents were responding with ‘it all goes to landfill anyway, so what is the point of recycling?’”

Wish list McIntyre is positive that the education systems they have in place are good, but there is still room for a lot of improvement in certain aspects. It’s not just about educating the kids and local communities about recycling content, but about getting manufacturers and businesses to see waste as a useful tool that can be reused as content in finished products. “I have been frustrated by the lack of recycled content in everyday packaging and items,” she said. “We hear about the struggling recycling industry, and so we need to create markets for the product. The price of recycling has been declining, and with the China Sword policy, it crashed through the floor to the point where councils and contractors were paying to get rid of it, rather than receiving money. “However, there has been a number of positive things to come out of that China Sword policy. Why are we sending our waste to other countries, and less developed countries, when we have the potential to do so much with it here? When you look at the carbon emissions created from all the shipping around the world it seems an unnecessary strain on our environment. I’m really excited to see the target of 30 per cent recycled content to be used in packaging by 2025 set in the National Packaging Targets 2025, and with initiatives such as the Recycling Modernisation Fund and Remanufacture NSW, we have the opportunity to really make a go of it.” iw

McIntyre loves educating kids on the positives of recycling.

Delivering to the community EnviroCom also delivers its programs to CALD (cultural and linguistically diverse communities). The team is often assisted by translators to remove language barriers. “Many new migrants/refugees may not have had positive experiences with the governments of their countries of origin, and may have reduced ability to access important information due to language barriers. It’s important

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Capabilities Statements //

CSS Recycling Equipment Solutions Company Overview: With 20 years of experience in our unique Australian and New Zealand region, CSS Recycling Equipment customises waste, organics, and scrap metal processing solutions, by taking a collaborative and consultative approach with their clients. From the provision of ad hoc machinery and technology to fit an existing processing line, up to complete plant and materials handling solutions, CSS Recycling Equipment designs each solution specific to client’s requirements. CSS Recycling Equipment takes a comprehensive approach, starting with on site reviews of existing processes, machinery and capability, analysis of client objectives, challenges, and end materials. By working closely with clients and with exclusive global suppliers to curate the best possible solutions, CSS becomes a trusted strategic partner, integrating technology, improving processes and bottom line results. The technologies represented by

CSS Recycling Equipment Solutions are sourced from around the world, are proven and reliable and have been tried and tested in our region. CSS Recycling Equipment specialises in processing all types of materials from C&D to C&I, from MSW to FOGO, Biomass and Wood, Compost and to hard to process waste. Products and Services: Specialising in all aspects of reduction, separation and recycling technology: • Complete consultative and collaborative plant design and delivery • Fuel Preparation Technology • Shredding • Screening • Air Separation • Baling and Shear Baling • Plastics Washing and Preparation • FOGO • Waste to Energy technology Brands: • 3Tek Scrap Metal technologies (USA) • Beier Machinery (China)

• Ecostar Dynamic Screens (Italy) • Ecohog Air Separation Technologies (Northern Ireland) • Hammel Recyclingtechnik (Germany) • Jono Enviro (China) • Lindner Recyclingtech (Austria) • Vezzani (Italy) Core Capabilities: Collaborate, consult, design, deliver and the supply of high quality equipment and plant solutions for C&D, C&I, Biomass, Organics, Wood Waste, FOGO, MSW, Scrap Metal industries. Source innovative and strategic solutions both within and outside of our stable of equipment solutions, always with the client’s outcome as our focus.

Utilise our global relationships and local knowledge to deliver positive business outcomes for our clients and continually improving environmental solutions for Australia and New Zealand. Specialists in: • hard to process waste • mobile and static processing solutions • manufacture of custom components • high quality and on budget projects Contact Details: CSS Recycling Solutions PO Box 359, Dee Why NSW 2099 Phone: 1800 644 978 Email: info@cssequipment.com.au Web: www.cssequipment.com.au

Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying Pty Ltd Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying Pty Ltd is a family owned and operated company, specialising in a broad range of services. These include waste recycling, mulching services, land clearing, concrete crushing and screening, quality recycled landscape and building supplies, heavy haulage, glass recycling, as well as plant and equipment hire. Established in 1975, our Australian owned company has a rich 45-year history as an industry leader delivering projects for Councils, Government and private companies across NSW. Davis Earthmoving has over 100 pieces of plant and equipment in our privately owned fleet. These range from mobile concrete crushers, soil screens, timber grinders, forest mulchers, dozers, excavators, dump trucks to an extensive range of earthmoving equipment. This enables us to meet the client’s needs at any time. Our high-end plant & equipment are portable to work on site and our floats bring them directly to site. We have experienced personnel, our own service centre and service trucks for field maintenance to ensure minimal delay in works. We have a proud reputation for 48

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

our high quality of work, safety and client satisfaction. With Eric Davis at the helm, his passion for the industry, hands-on approach and vision to innovate continues to lead our company successfully into the future. Products and Services: • Waste Recovery • Crushing & Screening (Soil, Glass, Brick, Concrete) • Green Waste Shredding • Timber Mulching • Concrete & Brick Recycling • Land Clearing, Road Widening & Forestry • Earthmoving Plant Hire • Recycled Landscape Supplies • Glass Recycling • Heavy Haulage Brands: • Concrete Crushers • Soil Screens • Timber Grinders, Feller Bunchers & Forest Mulchers • Dozers, Rollers, Compactors & Drotts • Dump trucks

• Floats, Tipper Trucks, B-doubles • Excavators 5 ton – 46 ton with multitude of attachments • Loaders tracked & rubber tyred

for sale and delivery. We offer bulk haulage. We also have a civil arm in excavation and demolition. With over 45 years experience, we’re armed with exceptional skills to deliver quality services.

Core Capabilities: Contact Details: Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying is a market leader in Environmental and Green Waste Shredding and Mulching. Our experience spans across land clearing for subdivisions, new road constructions, road widening, pipelines, dam access, rail projects, firebreaks and grubbing. We process timber and green waste at Resource Recovery Facilities and landfills across NSW. We specialise in soil screening and concrete crushing for brick, concrete, soil, sand, fill and glass. The company produces recycled landscape and building supplies

Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying Pty Ltd PO BOX 19 TERREY HILLS NSW 2084 Phone: (02) 9450 2288 Email: davisem@davisem.com.au Web: davisem.com.au Key Contacts: Lynne O’Sullivan Administration Manager Phone: (02) 9450 2288 Email: davisem@davisem.com.au

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// Capabilities Statements

Komptech CEA Company Overview: Komptech CEA is the Australasian distributor of Komptech machinery and systems for the treatment and processing of solid waste and organics waste materials for recovery and recycling. Our product range includes over 30 different types of both mobile and stationary machines that cover all key processes in modern waste processing including: • Single-shaft and dual-shaft industrial shredders • Compost windrow turners for commercial operations • Star screen and trommel screen machines • Material separation equipment including windsifters, ballistic separators and stone contaminant separators • Stationary recycling system solutions including shredders, separators and screening machines Brands: • Diamond Z • Screenpod • Trackstack

• Rowan • Komptech Core Capabilities: With a specialized product portfolio that includes over thirty different types of machines covering all key processes in modern waste handling, a consultative guiding approach to solution development for customers, and full service aftersales support and parts, Komptech CEA has become a leading supplier to the recycling and waste processing industry. Providing customer value is our focus as we strive to be the industry’s technological leader through continual innovation. Komptech CEA is dedicated to working with you to help you solve your waste problems and identify opportunities with comprehensive, detailed solutions driven by world-class technology. Contact Details: Sydney 6 Skyline Crescent Horningsea Park, NSW 2171 1300 352 378 www.komptechcea.com.au

Melbourne 109 Merola Way Campbellfield, VIC 3061 1300 352 378 www.komptechcea.com.au Brisbane 103 Axis Place Larapinta, QLD 4110 1300 352 378 www.komptechcea.com.au Adelaide 260 Cormack Rd Wingfield, SA 5013 1300 352 378 www.komptechcea.com.au Perth 230-232 Welshpool Rd Welshpool, WA 6106

1300 352 378 www.komptechcea.com.au Auckland 96 Gavin Street Mt Wellington 1060 0800 435 269 www.komptechcea.com.au Key Contacts: Craig Cosgrove Product Manager 0417 320 082 c.cosgrove@cea.net.au Simon Humphris Product Manager 0478 196 263 s.humphris@cea.net.au

GCM Enviro Company Overview:

Brands:

GCM Enviro is a leading distributor for the latest in waste management and recycling equipment; from landfill compactors and shredders through to state-of-the-art screeners and compost turners. We offer high quality equipment from world-renowned European manufacturers including TANA, Terra Select, Backhus and Jenz. GCM Enviro’s mission is to provide customers with innovative technology in soild waste management combined with state-of-the-art control and monitoring systems. The objective of this mission is to improve our customer’s business and enable them to increase revenue - “from waste to value”. Our philosophy is to maintain constant dialogue between manufacturers and clients to ensure that design is governed by market requirements, particularly in the harsh climatic conditions we experience. Throughout the country, we have sold over 3200 machines. These machines have earned an excellent reputation for robust design and reliability.

• • • • •

TANA Terra Select Backhus Jenz Gremac

Core Capabilities: We offer a variety of waste management solutions for our clients with our range of Landfill Compactors, Shredders, Trommel Screens, Windsifters, Windrow Turners, Lane Turners and Biomass Processors. At GCM Enviro, we build lasting relationships with our customers, from the sale of quality equipment and machines, to the servicing, maintenance, spare parts and technical assistance to support the equipment in the field. Our service team has specialised knowledge, training and experience to carry out all types of maintenance to our range of machines. We also have a comprehensive spare parts department for products from our manufacturers.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Recent Projects/Installations: CENTRAL COAST COUNCIL In February Central Coast Council took delivery of one of our new Tana E520 Landfill compactors, the 52 tonne compactor will be put to work at their waste management facility. GREMAC E2 TROMMEL SCREEN The GREMAC E2 Trommel Screen has just been released in Australia and is set to be a game changer for landscape

companies, recycling businesses, contractors and farmers. It is now available exclusively through GCM Enviro. Contact Details GCM ENVIRO 34 Beaumont Road Mount Kuring-Gai NSW 2080 Phone: 02 9457 9399 Email: sales@gcmenviro.com.au Web site: www.gcmenviro.com APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

Capabilities Statements //

Hitachi Zosen Inova Company Overview: Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) is a global leader in energy from waste (EfW), anaerobic digestion (AD) and Powerto-Gas, acting as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor delivering complete turnkey plants and system solutions for energy recovery from waste. Since 2015, HZI Australia, a 100% subsidiary of HZI, is developing new projects in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. Its first project, the 300,000 tpy East Rockingham WtE is now in construction and will start commercial operation in Dec 2022. Products/Services: • Thermal treatment of residual waste, energy recovery, flue gas treatment, and residue recycling • Dry anaerobic digestion of food & green resources, renewable power production, biogas upgrading to biomethane and bio-CNG • Power-to-Gas for volatile electricity into renewable synthetic gas for a

carbon-neutral economy • Development, Design, Build, Finance, Own, Operation & Maintenance Brands: • Hitachi Zosen • Aquaroll, DYNOR, Kompogas, • HZI Etogas, HZI DryMining Core Capabilities: Energy from Waste, Renewable Gas, EPC Recent Projects/Installations: EAST ROCKINGHAM WTE East Rockingham, Perth 300,000 tpy EfW for domestic and industrial waste from Greater Perth. Designed, built and commissioned by the EPC consortium HZI and Acciona Industrial with HZI’s scope ‘chute-tostack’. First EfW plant in Australia by HZI inclusive integrated bottom ash aggregate and metal recycling; partowned and operated by HZI. www.erwte.com.au

ANRÖCHTE ANAEROBIC DIGESTION & COMPOST PLANT Anröchte, Germany Digests and composts 30,000 tpy food and green organic resources to renewable electricity and nutrientrich compost. Demand-driven power is generated with 12 hours biogas buffering and two generators. In accordance with Germany’s latest requirement for >90% organic anaerobic digestion and low emission standards for biological treatment. https://www.esg-soest.de/?mp_id=314 HZI JÖNKÖPING BIOGAS AB Jönköping, Sweden Processing 40,000 tpy food and green organic resources into liquid fertilizer, compost, and carbonneutral biogas which is upgraded

to bio-CNG and used as a renewable alternative in diesel trucks. The plant contributes to Sweden’s transport sector decarbonisation strategy. It is designed, financed, built, owned, and operated by HZI. https://hzi-biogas-operations.com/ Contact Details: Hitachi Zosen Inova Australia Pty Ltd Level 17, 40 Mount Street North Sydney, NSW 2060 Phone: 02-8003 4110 Email: info@hz-inova.com Web site: www.inova.com Key Contacts: Dr Marc Stammbach 02 – 8003 4110 info@hz-inova.com

Komatsu Forest Company Overview: Komatsu Forest is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of forest machines. We are represented on six world continents by a network of dealers and our own sales companies. Komatsu Forest’s head office is in Umeå, Sweden, and we have two manufacturing units, in Sweden and the USA. Our own sales companies are located in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Austria, France, United Kingdom, Russia, USA, Australia and Brazil, and our network of dealers represent us on all other important forestry markets. Our extensive service organisation takes care of the machines, ensuring that they perform their best throughout their service lives. We have workshops throughout the world, service vehicles for quick assistance, in-house machine and methodology instructors to help maximise productivity, and support functions for everything related to our machines and services. Products and Services: We offer products and services that 50

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

increase productivity while simplifying the working day for you as a machine owner. We combine all our services under our Customer Care concept. This is our promise that you will enjoy the benefits of Komatsu Forest’s investments in research, development, servicing, support, logistics and innovative services. These combined resources are at the very heart of Komatsu Forest’s offer. Our goal is to make your working day as safe, problem-free and profitable as possible, no matter where in the world you operate. Let us show you that by choosing Komatsu, peace of mind and accessibility can become a natural part of your working day. Brands • Komatsu • Peterson • TimberPro Core Capabilities: Our world-wide network of highly trained service professionals is ready for you. We know how important it is to be

close to service and maintenance when help is needed. Therefore, we have a market-wide network of highly trained service professionals that knows your Komatsu, Peterson & Timberpro machine in every detail. They are, in turn, in constant contact with the Komatsu Forest head office so your voice or needs are never more than a call away from our collective expertise. Furthermore, we are constantly developing new services that will help you in your everyday work. We offer: • Workshops and field services throughout Australia & New Zealand • Well qualified personnel with expert knowledge of Komatsu & affiliated machines • Field Service that enables us to remain close to you and your

machine • Support and maintenance throughout your machine’s service life • Maintenance agreements with fixed maintenance prices and other benefits Contact Details: AUSTRALIA Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd 4/11 Ave of Americas Newington, NSW 2127 T : +61 2 9647 3600 E : info.au@komatsuforest.com NEW ZEALAND Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd 15C Hyland Cres Rotorua, New Zealand M: John Kosar + 64 274 865 844 M: Paul Roche + 64 21 350 747

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Capabilities Statements

Onetrak

Onetrak Company Overview:

Products and Services: Onetrak is an Australian owned heavy equipment supplier with a national footprint. Sales and service outlets are located in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. The business now consists of 7 branch locations, 40 field service vehicles and around 100 staff members.

• • • • • • • • • •

Material Handlers Bulldozers Excavators Wheel Loaders Graders Backhoe Loaders Crushers & Screens Grapples & other attachments Carbonisers Rockbreakers

Brands: Onetrak specialises in equipment for bulk material handling including waste and recycling, extractive industries, construction, earthmoving and forestry. Onetrak offers complete heavy equipment solutions including new and used machine sales, rental equipment, attachments, service and parts. The aftersales teams service and supply parts for all makes and models.

• • • • • • • • • •

Fuchs Material Handlers Dressta Bulldozers Hidromek Construction Equipment Rotobec Material Handling Attachments Striker Crushing & Screening Anaconda Material Handling Screens Hyundai Construction Equipment (Tasmania only) Tigercat Carbonisers Alicon Rockbreakers Timbermax Winch Systems

Applied Machinery

Contact Details: Phone: 1300 727 520 Email:contact@onetrak.com.au Web: www.onetrak.com.au

Onetrak Tumut 208-216 Snowy Mountains Hwy Tumut NSW 2720

Onetrak Hallam 1-5 Marlo Place Hallam VIC 3803

Onetrak Davenport 8 Wallis Road Davenport WA 6230

Onetrak Bridgewater 80 Possum Road Bridgewater TAS 7030

Onetrak Mount Gambier 11 Pinaceae Court Mount Gambier SA 5290

Onetrak Somerset 2 McKays Road Somerset TAS 7322

Onetrak Rocklea 28 Shettleston Street Rocklea QLD 4106

Australasian Specialty Coatings that allows for bespoke designs for your particular needs.

Brands:

Contact Details: 55-61 Nissan Drive Dandenong VIC 3175 Phone: 03 9706 8066 Email: sales@appliedmachinery.com.au Web: www.appliedmachinery.com.au Company Overview: Applied Machinery is one of Australia’s largest suppliers of quality recycling machinery. Over 30 years industry experience enables us to deliver turnkey solutions for all manner of recycling applications across Australia. Products and Services: • Shredders and granulators • Plastic washing, tyre, and e-waste recycling plants • Repelletising systems/screen changers • Polystyrene recycling machines

• • • •

Genox Polystar Fimic Greenmax

Core Capabilities: Applied Machinery has the capability to service the smallest single machine requirement, through to the largest of multi-site, staged installations and complete recycling line, turn-key projects. We supply some of Australia’s largest recycling organisations. A wide range of shredders and granulators are always in stock for quick delivery.

Products/Services: Contact Details: ASC Head Office 1/14 Chicago Avenue Blacktown, NSW 2148 Phone: 02 8840 8888 Email: enquiries@acoatings.com.au Web: http://ascoatings.com.au Company Overview:

ASC is a team of experienced coating and flooring professionals. We specialise in repairing and coating concrete and steel surfaces in harsh environments – waste handling, tipping sheds, chemical Recent Projects/Installations: storage and high traffic surfaces. We are fully certified to ISO 9001, ISO PORT PLASTICS 14001, and AS 4801 Standards. Port Macquarie Polystar Repelletising system and Genox When you call in ASC you get a large format shredder to drive recycling professional, reliable team dedicated operations in the Port Macquarie region to solving your problems and delivering the best outcome, on time. and reduce the need for transport of We have a solutions-oriented approach recyclables to metropolitan centres.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Tipping Shed Floor Resurfacing Chemical Bund Coating & Lining Concrete Repair & Remediation Corrosion Prevention Coatings High Traffic Surfaces Leachate Resistant Materials High Grip & Anti-Slip Coatings Waterproof Membranes Tank Lining Acid Resistant Coatings Expansion Joint Rebuilding & Sealing Water Treatment Plant Coatings

Recent Projects/Installations: TIPPING SHED FLOOR RESURFACING Banksmeadow, NSW Remediation of Eroded Concrete Slab 1500m² Leachate-Resistant Floor Surface CHEMICAL STORAGE AND PUMPING BUND Lidcombe, NSW Acid & Chemical Resistant Bund Re-lining Full Remediation of Bund Internal Surfaces

APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

Capabilities Statements //

Diverseco

ResourceCo

• Truck wheel washes for EPA and road safety compliance. • Automated waste sortation systems: comprehensive and completely automated robotic sortation systems for MRFs.

Company Overview:

Contact Details: As one of Australia’s leading measurement and automation solutions providers, we at Diverseco pride ourselves on the sheer scope of our problem-solving expertise and supply of industry leading innovative technologies. We are heavily involved across a wide range of industries, with a comprehensive solutions portfolio specific for the waste management industry that includes both driver-specific solutions and robotic automation solutions for material recovery facilities. Products and Services: • Waste vehicle on-board payload optimisation and overload monitoring (Chain of Responsibility and legal-fortrade operations). • Weighbridges and portable truck scales for accurate vehicle weighing and accountability.

Brands: • Waste Robotics • BinWeigh Core Capabilities: At Diverseco, our core capabilities reside in our ongoing ability to meet and exceed customer requirements through our extensive problem-solving resources: we are ideal partners for any organisation looking to turn their operational problems into new, profitable capabilities.

ResourceCo Head Office Level 1, 162 Fullarton Road Rose Park, SA 5067 Phone: (08) 8406 0300 Email: enquiries@resourceco.com.au Web: www.resourceco.com.au Company Overview: ResourceCo is a global leader in the recovery and re-manufacture of primary resources, extracting maximum value from materials otherwise destined for landfill.

A fleet of service vehicles offers on-site solutions for all hydraulic, fabrication, electrical, air-conditioning and engineering requirements.

TOPCOAT ASPHALT PLANT 6 Meyer Road, Lonsdale SA 5160 ResourceCo Property led the project

Products and Services:

72 Glenwood Drive Thornton, NSW, 2322 Phone: 02 4966 3777 Email: hyvapacific@hyva.com Web: www.hyva.com

• Waste Handling Equipment (Rear loaders / Compactors) • Hookloaders • Skiploaders • Vehicle Loading Cranes

Company Overview:

Brands:

Hyva Pacific is a leading provider of innovative and highly efficient transport solutions for the commercial vehicle and environmental service industries. Its products are used worldwide across a range of sectors including transport, construction, mining, materials handling and environmental services providers. HSR Southern Cross is the HYVA distributor for NSW and the exclusive Australian HYVA PRESS Waste Handling Equipment distributor. HSRSX is strategically located in Western Sydney.

• • • •

INSIDEWASTE APRIL/MAY 2021

Hyva Press Hyva Lift Flli. Ferrari Cranes Hyva Crane

Core Capabilities: Hyva /HSRSX is the ‘one stop shop’ for the commercial vehicle and waste handling industry, providing a wide range of high-quality equipment including installation, engineering, service and repair in our workshops or onsite.

ResourceCo Pty Ltd ResourceCo Material Solutions Southern Waste ResourceCo Cleanaway-ResourceCo SUEZ-ResourceCo ResourceCo Property Tyrecycle Pty Ltd

Spartel Pty Ltd aspects organic waste processing from waste generation to soil beneficiation products, technology, process data processing and control, odour prevention and control

Contact Details: Contact Details:

• C&D & C&I Recycling • Disposal, Treatment & Management of Contaminated Soils • Renewable Energy & Alternative Fuels • Tyre & Waste Rubber Recycling • Recycled Construction Material

• • • • • • •

Recent Projects/Installations:

Hyva Pacific

Products and Services:

Brands:

Contact Details: 3309 Logan Road Underwood, QLD, 4119 M: 1300 069 970 E: onboardsolutions@diverseco.com.au W: diverseco.com.au

management of a new Topcoat Asphalt Plant in 2020. A collaboration between leading companies Topcoat Asphalt, ResourceCo, Tyrecycle and McMahon Services, the plant will produce high recycled content mixes including recycled asphalt and crumb rubber.

Products and Services:

Harrie - 0414 37 66 99 E: info@spartel.com.au W: www.FAB-COM.com.au Company Overview: Spartel Pty Ltd was founded in 1995 by Dr Harrie Hofstede, specialist waste management scientist in waste composting and pollution control. The company has a consulting arm, Hofstede & Associates, and waste technology R&D programme under the umbrella. The R&D has resulted in six patents in international markets. We have designed and developed two main large-scale composting systems under the FABCOM® Brand. FABCOM® Tunnels and the FABCOM® MAF system. Core Capabilities: The overall core capability is all

• FABCOM® Tunnel compost plants • FABCOM® MAF composting system • Wireless data transmission and processing over a 2 km radius • Aeration controlled by process data • Remote access process control • Design and construct of compost plants • Development and optimisation of compost process and products • ODOROV™ effective odour control agent for organic waste • High nitrogen composts (4% N) Recent Projects/Installations: : FABCOM® MAF SUEZ Newcastle Raymond Terrace NSW Dedicated FABCOM® MAF aeration system for post Bedminster compost maturation & drying; Capacity 10,000 tpa

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Capabilities Statements

STEINERT Company Overview: STEINERT is a manufacturer of superior magnetic separation and state-ofthe-art sensor sorting equipment. Headquartered in Cologne, Germany with subsidiaries in Australia, USA, Brazil, STEINERT supplies the waste, metal recycling and mining industry globally. With over 130 years of history STEINERT is at the forefront of technology and innovation with a focus on quality, reliability and continuous research. STEINERT’s presence in Australia encompasses a manufacturing facility in Melbourne, Victoria where the Australian designed and made magnets originate. STEINERT’s Test Facility in Perth, Western Australia provides customers with the opportunity to test small and large samples under conditions that very closely match real life scenarios. Customers beneﬁt from the very latest ﬁndings and technological advancements in a tried and tested environment, utilising the latest STEINERT sensor-based combination sorting solutions. STEINERT’s Service Technicians are based on both the east coast and

west coast of Australia and have the capability to support your service requirements around the country, both on-site and remotely. This strong presence ensures best support of the magnetic and sensor sorting equipment for the customers in Australia. Products & Services: • Overhead suspension magnets, electric and permanent • Magnetic drums, electric and permanent • Eddy current separators • Near Infrared sorters • Optical sorters • Induction sensor sorters • X-ray transmission/fluorescence sensor sorters • Combination sensor sorters • Service & maintenance Brands: • STEINERT MAGV/MAGX suspension electromagnet • STEINERT MAGP permanent suspension magnet

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• STEINERT MTE electric drum • STEINERT EddyC eddy current separator • STEINERT ISS induction sensor sorting system • STEINERT KSS combination sensor sorting system • UniSort PR EVO 5.0 NIR sensor sorting system Core Capabilities: We support customers from the project design stage with application knowledge, material testing in our test facilities, process consultation, supply of equipment, on-site commissioning to continuous service support, maintenance and repairs from our Australian team. Our manufacturing facility in Melbourne

enables us to hold critical spare parts for our equipment and perform full repairs and refurbishments in local response times. Together with our team of service technicians we are able to provide a high standard of after-care for our equipment. Contact Details: STEINERT Australia Pty Ltd 14 Longstaff Road, Bayswater VIC 3153 P: +61 3 8720 0800 E: sales@steinert.com.au W: www.steinert.com.au Key Contacts: Johann Hefner Resource Recovery P: +61 499500801

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APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

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SPECIAL FEATURE www.insidewaste.com.au

ISSUE 101 | APR/MAY 2021

INSIDE 30 Landfill 37 What circular economy? 42 Truck feature

Just-in-time model not working Glass achieved a recycling rate of 59 per cent.

Waste needs to be treated as a resource – report THE leading report on waste management and recycling data in Australia shows that Australians are reducing their waste and increasing their recycling. Blue Environment’s National Waste Report 2020, commissioned by the Federal Government’s Department of Agriculture, Waste and the Environment, was released in December last year. The report is the authoritative compilation of national data on waste and resource recovery and the mechanism for measuring progress against national waste policy targets. Issued every two years, the 2020 edition focuses on the status of waste and recycling in 2018-19, with data analysed on a per capita basis as well as on state and territory levels. Findings cover waste generation, source streams, material categories and fates, together with trends measured back to 2006. While the data precedes the significant investments in recycling and resource recovery the Federal Government has made since the 2019 election, its revised 2016-17 data set (first published in the National Waste

Report 2018) will be used as baseline data to measure Australia’s progress against the National Waste Policy Action Plan’s 2030 targets. “The release of the leading report on waste management and recycling data in Australia, shows that Australians are reducing their waste and increasing their recycling,” Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Minister Trevor Evans said. “This is a great outcome. We can all be proud that our efforts are paying off, to take care of our own waste and to do the right thing by sorting our recycling and diverting more waste away from landfill.” Evans highlighted that Australia created 3.3 per cent less waste in 2018-19 compared to 200607, the foundation year of the national data set. “In effect, we each produced waste that weighed the same as 40 full kegs of beer and we each sent the equivalent weight of 24 full kegs to be recycled,” he said. “However, our growing population means that the overall amount of

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SIZE REDUCTION EQUIPMENT To effectively process or recycle waste, plant operators rely on high-powered and reliable size reduction equipment. Shredders, crushers, granulators and grinders not only make quick work of waste products, but can also help save operators time and money, while ensuring end-market product purity. If you are a manufacturer or supplier of shredders, crushers, granulators or grinders that service the waste and recycling industry, then the June/July issue of Inside Waste is an excellent platform to get your message across.

We will be the best external marketing partner you’ll ever have

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For sales please contact Chelsea Daniel-Young on: M: 0425 699 878 or E: chelsea.daniel@primecreative.com.au

Garwood Rearloader

Model types: Litterpact GII and GIII Configuration: Fitted to any 4x2 and 6x4 cab chassis Capacity: From six through to 29m3 Payload: From 2t to 10t Length: 2400mm-7400mm Construction material: High tensile steels Weight: 1800kg-6200kg Maximum load on arms: 180kg Lift cycle time: Variable – about 6 sec Compaction system: Paddle and push panel type More: www.garwoodinternational.com.au or (02) 9756 3756

Model types: Miner, Bantam, Compact, Powapact, Maxipact Configuration: Fitted to any 4x2, 6x4 and 8x4 cab chassis Capacity: 4,5,6,8,10,12,15,20,22,24,28m3 Payload: From 2.5t-10t Length: 2600mm to 8200mm Construction material: High-tensile steels Weight: 2200kg-7800kg Maximum load on arms: WCL 800kg Lift cycle time: Variable – single lift 6-12 sec, WCL 8-14 sec Compaction system: Rear loading with sweep and pack action More: www.garwoodinternational. com.au or (02) 9756 3756

Garwood International

Garwood Dualpact Model types: 50/50, 60/40 and 70/30 splits Configuration: Fitted to any 4x2, 6x4 and 8x4 cab chassis Capacity: 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 22, 24m3 Payload: From 2.5t to 10t Length: 2800mm to 8200mm Construction material: High tensile steels Weight: 3000kg-7800kg Max load on arms: 300kg single lift and 800kg WCL Lift cycle time: Variable – single lift 6-12 secs, WCL 8-14 secs Compaction system: Rear loading with individual hoppers sweep and pack action More: www.garwoodinternational.com.au or (02) 9756 3756

Garwood International

Schwarze GS6 Tempest Dimensions: 7320mm x 3400mm x 3000mm *Typical measurements listed. Exact measurements depending on options and truck manufacture. Gross weight: 14 tonne to 15.5 tonne Hopper capacity: 6 m³ Water tank: 946L dust suppression system Fuel tank: 200L Turning circle: 990mm Max sweeper width: 2032mm Max Sweep Speed: 25KPH Key users: The biggest seller in the Schwarze range, the Schwarze GS6 Tempest has been specifically designed to meet the needs of urban councils and sweeping contractors. Contact: www.garwoodinternational. com.au or 02 9756 3756

Garwood International

Garwood Sideloader

Schwarze A4 Storm

Garwood International

// Product Profile – Waste Collection and Transportation

Boschung Urban-Sweeper S2.0

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Garwood International

Garwood Frontloader Model types: EV026, EV031 and EV033.5 Configuration: Fitted to any 6x4 & 8x4 cab chassis Capacity: 26-31-33.5 Payload: dependent on chassis selection Construction material: Bisalloy and Hardox Maximum load on arms: 2800kg Lift cycle time: 18 secs Compaction system: Twin telescopic pack cylinders. Half and full pack ejector. Base price: P.O.A More: Daniel McHugh (02) 9756 3756, www.garwoodinternational.com. au or info@garwoodinternational. com.au

Dimensions: 6008mm x 3048mm x 2505mm *Typical measurements listed. Exact measurements depending on options and truck manufacture. Gross weight: 8.5 tonne Hopper capacity: 3.6 m3 Water tank: 750L dust suppression system Fuel tank: 120L to 180L Turning circle: 991 mm Max sweeper width: 3048mm sweeping width Max Sweep Speed: 25KPH Key users: Mounted on an Isuzu NQR 400, the versatile Schwarze A4 Storm high dump sweeper is ideally suited for councils with small town areas, or inner-city councils with narrow streets. Contact: www. garwoodinternational. com.au or 02 9756 3756

The Boschung Urban-Sweeper S2.0. A Compact Sweeper that is fully electric powered and re¬leases ZERO emissions. Company: Garwood International Product/model name: Boschung Urban Sweeper S2.0 Unit Dimensions: Length 4300 mm (With standard broom) Width: 1150 mm Height: 1990 mm Gross Vehicle Weight: 3500 kg Hopper Capacity: 2.0 m3 with 1200 kgs payload Water Tank: Clean water tank 190L with 400 litres recycling water tank Sweeping Width: 2300 mm (standard broom) Features: Ability to deliver entire 8-hour shift at a charging rate of two hours with the supercharger, or eight hours with standard charger, LED Lights Two 20kw electric motors for a maximum speed of 45km/h Options/Extras: Automatic central lubrication system, Spray gun with high pressure water pump, 3rd front broom, Articulated hand suction hose More: info@ garwoodinternational.com. au or (02) 9756 3756

APRIL/MAY 2021 INSIDEWASTE

Product Profile - Waste Collection and Transportation //

Waste Robotics

Low Entry Dennis Eagle 23m3 Olympus Integrated Rear Loader

Diversco

P450 8x4 Day Cab Product/model name: P450 8x4 Day Cab Unit Dimensions: Chassis length 9060mm; height 2860mm Weight: Front axles 7,127kg; Rear axles 2,773kg Drive Type: Euro 5 diesel combustion engine with SCR emission system Motor: 13 Litre in-line 6 cylinder; 450hp @ 1900rpm; 2,350Nm @ 10001300 rpm Gearbox: Opticruise with fully automated clutch and retarder; Clutch independent PTO Safety Features: Driver and passenger seat belt pre-tensioner; Driver and passenger side curtain airbags; Lane departure warning; Advanced emergency braking; Adaptive cruise control Price: Price available on request More: www.scania.com.au or marketing @scania.com.au for further information

Scania

Dennis Eagle

Product/model name: Low Entry Dennis Eagle 23m3 Olympus Integrated Rear Loader Unit Dimensions: 10.2m (L) x 2.5m (W) x 3.5m (H) Est Weight: GVM (Gross Vehicle Weight) = 23.5t | Tare =14.5t | Payload = 9t Drive Type: 6x4 Motor: Cummins b6.7 Euro 6 Rotor diameter/lengths/speed: Bin Lift System = Terberg Omni Trade (80l to 1300l bins) Speed (slow/high): 10-12 secs. per cycle Suitable material: General and Commercial Waste, Recycling, Glass & FOGO No. of units in range: Globally circa 15,000 units in operation Throughput: Finished product size: As above Designed: General and Commercial Waste, Recycling, Glass & FOGO Options/Extras: Weight Scales, bin anti-rollaway, telematics Price: POA More: www.dennis-eagle.com.au/ or sales@dennis-eagle.com.au

Product: Waste Robotics (Intelligent Automated Waste Sortation Systems) Throughput: Moderate – Extremely High (# of robots dependant) Compatibility: Single Stream MRFs, Mixed Waste MRFs, Construction & Demolition Material Detection: PET, HDPE, PP containers, Aluminium, Iron, and Steel, Organics, Cardboards and Paper Level of Automation: Fully automatic, Artificial Vision, Machine Learning Retrofittable: Yes. Transportable, Packaged Systems also available. Price: From $350,000 Email: peter.hern@diverseco. com.au Mobile: 0411516919

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30 Landfill 37 What circular eco nomy? 42 Truck feature

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of 59 per

Waste a resouneeds to be tre rce – re port ated as cent.

DURING the recen t Australian Economy Conferenc Circular e the webi nars delve (ACEC), one of THE leadi d into Food the Circu ng repor lar and t mana gement and on waste and China Economy in Aust t ralia of the biggesAustr . Report 2018 ESIA is one alia show recycling data in One of the ) WHILE INDON s that Austr pollution reduc speakers data to meas will be used as basel to the plastic ing their alians are Mann was Alan utors e , assoc contrib waste and on becam their a against the ure Australia’s progr ine this situati waste Austr increasing recycling. Faculty of iated professor for ely close the ess National to genuin in the ocean, alia is gene banned wasteBlue Arts and the ts. together China Waste Actio produc d work to after to rating Socia (FASS) at increase, n Plan’s a Environme recycle l Sciences continues lders need exacerbated Australian 2030 targe Policy up five millio the Univ emerged as nt’s Natio y stakeho Repo ia by using since 2016 ersit “The relea the country ts. All industr Mann note n tonnes ing in Austral waste. rt 2020, commission nal Waste se of the imports and -17. d that one y of Sydney. Feder loop on packag report on leading ed by the for global plastic out the COVI “We need of al Governme waste mana g major portal D-19 pand outcome of to continue nt’s Depa ls are runnin Agricl, recycling gement and reduce the emic was ulture, Waste rtment of a lot of to work hard data in Austr Now its landfil countries, amount of that largest landfil and to was relea that Austr alia, show and to recyc like waste we Indonesia’s Australia, sed in Dece the Environment, alians are s create, space with le one serving were takin China and mber reducing waste and The achieve Austr more of it, if we g (the only at how their g a fresh their of spacereport is the autho last year. increasing are to Bantar Geban look alia’s ambi food syste Assistant ed to run out compilation their recyc target of industries, both in tious natio ms opera Waste Redu of national ritative ment ling,” recovering driving new Jakarta) predict terms of nal ted, to governwaste ing ction businesses, Envir data supp 80 waste al food local per and accord onme and on ly chain cent of our by 2030.” resource wastage. ntal this year, by the and environment and recovery mechanism Mann said Trevor Evans Management Minis pleasing ss of the efforts issue. job creation, Evans expla it was Maritime for measuring and the ter officials. said. to see how ineffectivene foragain the ined e er the tion. that in manag Minist driver behin “This is progress st national and the ry to protec some this was both coun Recycling nating Coordinating a great outco world the d ointing that Coordi tries, packaging indust the strong 8, 2020, the be proud Issued every waste policy targe by the gover “unprecedented” “It is disapp me. We can Investment, to the chall at large, had Waste that tand that. passed in ON DECEMBER that of ts. actio Affairs and risen two years nment to all ion Bill was enge of did not unders to the Bill She told Inside to editio off, to take our efforts are , the 2020 the waste Maritime Affairs turbocharg n n focus feedi the Senate world’s popu thees on encouraging the amendment within the and Waste Reduct t amendment. paying and Ministry for care of our itan told e is extremely support for the statu lation durin ng the and B. Pandja withou to do the so that waste recycling industries, recyc of a desire own wast change.” However, it time, Luhut s the Bill ion of for sia ling t the Senate g into cities, waste but right a indicat the in 2018-19, Indone trying e and inquiry it of suppor with “In our thing by is treated was an recycling t ic Forum, analy resource sed onthe nity to deal see the level of the intrin had also exposed sorting our as a Despite a senate Greens and Labor, and diver a per capit with data which can is not withou World Econom some coastlines, Australian commum. sic weak ting more ts by the away from a basis as be recycled remanufac However, Sloan to move forward. ays and our as on state some of would and attemp waste well wasteand landf tured into and our waterw the syste nesses within on how that the to the Bill that packaging proble Findings the territory levels. of toxic plastic ms. valuable new produ Evans highl ill.” suggestions disappointing “Circular support the amendments bans coming and cover waste cts. accumulation “While it is economie pollution and on a single sourcesstrea created 3.3 ighted that Austr generation “With the export our food system models of meet He said that s fell through pass. address plastic alia , is harming per cent the need to food provi and other growing amendment this prote . fates ms, material categ sector did not in 2018-19 less wast peopleand environme in shortly, and WMRR is urging all including ning to see sioning cts the ories , toget n the recycling e ry, the compared health of our nt, creat , her with indust community d in concer vote, it is hearte need to do more to measured es jobs and 07, the found to 2006ng fishing waste out how we can national targets agricultur we This has resulte back to 2006 trends “Our boomi ry that the keeps of landfill. ation year e and coop supported to think about world, is under consensus that ing that we consume WARR indust . national t in theWhile governments all comi of the “Our billio eratives, limited and the the -larges the within the packag to data data the with second marine ng of set. n-dollar are ing to the fore, tackle commitment levels investmen recycling “In effec ficant inves tprece risingsigni tackle packag “China is been given. of des the ” she said. of. government’s pollution t, we each infrastruct t in new threat from that we’ve a leader tments in the amoun e is strong and dispose m of plastic 2025, that weig ure Byand produced the face in these resou seen to-dat recycling time to voluntary tools along with massive proble assurances hed oceans of the waste is changing areas waste plastic debris. Gove intorce es that it’s ourrecov “What we have for action. Real recycling ery despite its kegs of beer the same as 40 body leakingrnment “WMRR propos industries and developm waste and – if the Federal support remains fragile of the first National full has made plastic waste elect in Australia,” recycling ely independent olders ent of smar 0 tonnes packaging community the since the equivalent and we each sent e to 800,00 ion, its revise set up a genuin for ecom “We are also Evans said. stakeh taken to tackle and organisation Canberra, prior to 2019 the weight of could increas (first” he said. merce. How t technologies ntative of all action to be the first 2016-17 t in lia. to be recyc 24 full kegs the world taken, published io, dthe truly represe ng but not with cons country in we conn data set jobs in Austra Plastic Summi led,” he to no action is ect umers and chain, includi and create Sloan said. said. Natio gloomy scenar in the ry, to unprocesse ban the export of “However, in the supply the supp users ensu e is clear,” COVID-19. y which nal Waste around the Despite this its d waste plast ly chain packaging indust can “The messag res frustration ped a strateg approach is means that our growing popu s to addre and tyres limited to the insecurity ic, paper, ic Much of the which we y has develo ss-as-usual in lation has been ss the overs Econom countr busine ways lians ment food glass and overall amou tive “The eas thank amend the national find produc ted at the World around wast also manage anymore. Austra of s to our nt of failure of the reliance on recycling genuinely close was presen Davos last issues new not acceptable e are addre legislation the continual together to . continuation l Meeting in by using a lia work is at gulate (Cont Annua than an ’s ssed, focused on look Austra self-re .” inued on important Forum a first ing in which ry-led deserve more industry to page 22) piece of world took loop on packag d products. economy packaging indust any, efforts to the packaging the circu year. Here the mode if a radical target a voluntary, lar industry’s best d plan, with Australian recycle are serious about (Continued l.” has made little, Despite this Waste covere by 70 per Indonesia’s if we scheme that on page issue (Inside plastic debris “This is key being 24) address this Packaging’s to cut marine years. progress while progress.” Institute of on the next five making real of regulation d the Australian APCO cent within by the lack ence and the t understan added. on page 24) hamstrung Virtual Confer 2020), the Senate didn’ (Continued industry,” she opportunities depth during the packaging d to the “real initiatives in plastic waste . She said on page 22) Sloan pointe decrease of domestically” (Continued degree. loop needle on the g cant the by buildin to close by any signifi be achieved fails to move is one WARR that this could Gayle Sloan d to 13th May WMRR CEO, ently pointe 2021 10:0 has consist leader who 0 | Reg

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Wasted Space //

Of golf clubs and ‘sneakers’

DEAR MINISTER, In my last communique I touched on how our antipodean friends had missed the boat as they not only passed the Waste Recycling Bill in a rush, there were some crucial elements missing from the legislation. Fear not, they have more than made up for it. It appears that it’s not single-use plastic bags, straws or throwing plastics in landfill that are the problem, but golf clubs. And plimsolls (or as our Aussie cousins call them, sneakers) that are the issue. So

much so, that our friends in Canberra are going to throw the best part of $15 million dollars at the problem to try and fix it. Remember how 006 threw a wobbly on the 7th at St Andrews making his seven iron look like it should have been in the hands of an extra in Braveheart? And we spent an age looking for it, but to no avail? It would seem that Aussie golf fairways are littered with these pollutants as are the athletic racetracks with ‘sneakers’ from Broome to

Brisbane, Darwin to Dandenong and everywhere in between. To be fair, it’s all part of what they are calling a stewardship program – a name that the Right Honorable’s in Canberra have taken a liking. It seems if an association spruiked an idea on how to make sure waste is disposed of in a desirable way a few years back, and the bean counters didn’t like it, all you have to do is give it a new name and everything is hunky dory. Still, the numbers are pretty impressive. Not as many zeros as

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aste.com.au ISSUE 101 | APR/M

30 Landfill 37 What circul ar economy? 42 Truck featur e

INSIDE 26 AWRE Conference 40 Wastewater 43 Young Professional Glass achieved

a recycling

rate of 59

per cent.

AY 2021

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ISSUE 100 | FEB/MAR 2021

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Just-in-tim e model not working

How Indonesia

Waste ne plans to be edsplastic-free to be bytre a resource –2040 report ated as Plastic problem is not business as usual

ISSN 1837-5618

DURING the recent Economy Confere Australian Circula r nce (ACEC) the webina rs delved into , one of the Circula Food and r Economy in Australia and China. THE leading All industry stakeholders need to work together to genuinely close the report on waste management One of the loop on packaging in Australia by using Australian recycled products. WHILE INDONESIA is one of the biggest and speakers was Report 2018) Mann, associa Australia shows recycling data in Alana contributors will to the plastic pollution ted profess data to measur be used as baseline or for the Faculty reducing their that Australians are became situation this in the ocean, e Australia’s of Arts and waste and against the progress wastewaste Australia is generat Social Science increasing (FASS) at their recyclin China banned Nationalafter exacerbated ing to increase, s the Univers Waste g. Action Plan’s Policy up five million continues ity of Mann Blue Environ Sydney the country emerged as asince andtargets. imports 2030 noted that tonnes . 2016-17. ment’s Nationa one outcom “The release the COVIDReport 2020, major portal e of of for global plastic waste. “We need 19 pandem commissioned l Waste report on waste the leading to continue ic was that a lot of countri Federal Governm by the Now its landfills are running out of to work hard reduce the es, like China ent’s Departm recycling data management and amount of to Australia, Agriculture, Indonesia’s largest landfill, with ent of space in waste we create, and Austral and to recycle were taking Waste and ia, shows that the Environ more of it, a fresh look at how their was (the only one serving ians are Gebang Bantar new industries,Austral driving ment, thereleaselocal if we are to achieve Austral the ineffectiveness of the efforts by d in businesses, reducin ON DECEMBER 8, 2020, the Recycling food system December last waste and ia’s s operated, both in terms increas predictedgtotheir run out of space The report Jakarta) year. and environmental jobiscreation, target of recover ambitious national packaging industry to manage the issue. and Waste Reduction Bill was passed in of supply chain the authori Assistant Waste ing their recycling,” ing 80 per food wastag compilationprotection. tative this year, according to governmentwaste and cent of our She told Inside Waste that the strong of national e. Mann said the Senate without amendment. by 2030.” Environmental Reduction and data on that some in pleasing to it was officials. Management “It is disappointing Bill and resourc support for the amendment to thewaste see Despite a senate inquiry into the Bill e recovery Trevor Evans Ministerfor MaritimeEvans explained that and the world how both countries, mechan and Minister Coordinating said. that. understand not did this Senate the the the within ism desire a of driver indication an was Labor, was and Greens the by for attempts and the behind “unprec measuring at large, had “This to the challen against Investment, Coordinating risen edented” action great and extremely is progres However, s encouraging to is aAffairs the nationa by the governm Australian community to deal with outcom the amendments to the Bill that would ge l wasteitpolicy e. We can be ent to turboch world’s popula of feeding the all of the Affairs Issued every for Maritime targets.for change.”proud that Ministry our efforts the level of support seetwo packaging problem. arge address plastic pollution and support waste and tion during are off, to take years, the 2020 recycling time, but edition the a trying Pandjaitan told Indonesia care of ourLuhut B.paying Sloan is not without the focuses However, so that “While it is disappointing that it had also the recycling sector did not pass. own waste on the status waste is treated industries, to do exposed of the intrins and recyclin suggestions and “In our cities, Economic Forum, of waste World to move forward. the right as a thing resourc amendment fell through on a single g in 2018-1 on how This has resulted in concern by sorting ic weaknesses some recycling and 9, with ourcoastlines, the e which can be recycled some of the analysed on within waterways and our our bans coming exportdata divertin the remanufacture vote, it is heartening to see growing within the WARR industry that the a per“With system g more waste and away from capita basis d into valuabl of toxic plastic waste “Circular econom s. landfill on state accumulation as need the shortly, and to andinterritor well to meet more new product consensus that we need to do as .” e government’s commitment to the ies and other s. levels. WMRR is urging Evans models of the food systems and He Findings cover harming is hted all highlig national ytargets, tackle the packaging that we consume food provisi massive problem of plastic pollution thatour said that this waste generat created 3.3 Australia oning including source streams governments protects the our people. perhealth ion, about how we can to think cent of environment, and dispose of. commu remains fragile despite its assurances less , material categor waste in nity 2018-1 creates jobs supported agriculture andisfates, the fishing industry, “Our with the limited and 9 compar tackle packaging ies strongtogethe and keeps waste “What we have seen to-date ed booming and cooper and organisation of the first National to 2006out 07, the founda r with atives, are all coming measur under of landfill. second-largest tools that we’ve been given. tion Realed back tovoluntarytrends community support for action. year of thein the world, is “Our billionto the fore,” Plastic Summit in Canberra, prior to nationa 2006. dollar investm she “China is a levels of marine While the data “WMRR proposes that it’s time to l data set. threat from rising recyclin action to be taken to tackle packaging ent in new leader in these said. COVID-19. precede the “In effect, plastic debris. By 2025, the amount gofinfrastructure along with independent body we each produc is changing set up a sgenuinely the face of and create jobs in Australia.significant investm Much of the frustration around the recycling waste areas that weighe ents in recyclin the waste and ed wasteinto our oceans development and resourc leaking and d theplastic truly representative said. e recover g of all stakeholders recycling industries in “The message is clear,” Sloan same waste failure of the amendment has been of smart techno the as 40 kegs beer y Federal for ecomm Governm – if Australia,” Evans to 800,000 tonnes increasefull andcould logies chain, including butofnot in thethesupply is ent has made we each “The business-as-usual approach erce. How “We are also focused on the continual reliance on said. equival sent we connec since the he said. the first country with consum election, its is taken,” to weightnoofaction packaging industry, ent to the 2019 t the world to not acceptable anymore. Australians the packaging industry to self-regulate. revisedlimited 24 full kegs ers and users in to be recycle 2016-17 data ban the export the supply (first publish the ensures gloomy scenario, Despite this ways of ed in find productive set in which we can d,” he said. unproce deserve more than a continuation of its chains to Despite this industry’s best efforts to ssed the Nationa “Howev waste address insecurity which plastic, paper, country has developed a strategy l Waste to genuinely close theer, our growing work together and tyres a voluntary, packaging industry-led and also manag food address this issue (Inside Waste covered glass populat means around waste Economicoverseas thanks to e issues at the Worldnationa was presented ion the overall using loop on packaging in Australia bythat scheme that has made little, if any, our new the Australian Institute of Packaging’s amount of are address llast recyclin g is ed, Davos legislat Forum’s Annual Meeting in (Contin an important which Australian recycled products. ion.” progress.” Virtual Conference and the APCO ued economy model. piece of the circula year. Here the world took a first look aton page 22) “This is key if we are serious about r initiatives in depth during 2020), the ” target understand radical a didn’t with plan, Senate (Contin Indonesia’s making real progress while being ued on page needle on the decrease of plastic waste 24) to cut marine plastic debris by 70 per hamstrung by the lack of regulation on Sloan pointed to the “real opportunities fails to move by any significant degree. years. five next the within cent added. she the packaging industry,” to close the loop domestically”. She said WMRR CEO, Gayle Sloan is one WARR (Continued on page 24) (Continued on page 22) that this could be achieved by building leader who has consistently pointed to

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in Her Majesty’s bank account, but one million plus ‘sneakers’ will be repurposed into matting, while up to 200 tonnes of golf clubs (that sounds like a whole bag of First World problems right there, Minister) will also be recycled into usable gear of one form or another. I think the Aussies are starting to get it, Minister, but I guess it is a case of having to. Since our friends in Beijing decided that importing other peoples’ non-sorted waste was not the best idea to come out of the Middle Kingdom, our colonial cousins have been scrambling to find a place to put all their rubbish (haven’t they heard of the Simpson Desert, or Great Sandy Desert – surely they could dig a hole there, no?). Anyway, it was also interesting to see that the country released its National Waste Report – a lot of interesting stuff going on there. It seems their container deposit system is doing the job it was set out to do – with a massive 3.5 billion containers collected in the time frame set out in the report. It will come as no surprise to you that the Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Manager Minister Trevor Evans decided to use a metaphor incorporating beer kegs to illustrate how much waste an individual created compared to how much each person recycled. Trust the old cobbers to come up with such a comparison, although if we were to do the same in Blightly, I’d hate to see what all the used gin bottles stacked end-on-end would look like – probably do a couple laps around the UK I’d say. Time to head off into the sunset, Minister. Going to find out if I can make a dent in those 40 kegs I’ll be consuming this year. JB iw

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