Inside Waste June - July 2020 by Prime Creative Media

Official Publication of the

ISSUE 96 | JUN/JUL 2020

www.insidewaste.com.au Associations, entities and policymakers that underpin the industry have explained to Inside Waste how they have marshalled their own resources and reshaped operations during the COVID-19 crisis.

INSIDE 24 Waste 2020 Conference 28 Waste-to-Energy feature 37 Why we need to be loud

UK takes the lead in meeting plastic targets

Agile and adaptable: WARR industry stares down disruptor wasn’t keeping services going, but keeping governments committed to the reforms they have recently pledged. “Dealing with COVID is critical, but it should not stop the agenda to grow domestically sustainable recycling through infrastructure investment, public procurement and better standardisation of services,” Schmigel said.

Core Communications WMRR has focused on a core communications function to ensure its members were kept fully informed of all changes, rescheduling and delays that impacted their operations. The association moved all the faceto-face events that were previously scheduled, to be held nationally onto Zoom. It was fairly seamless, Sloan explained as the association had already been developing a Zoom communications platform as direction for 2020. “This had been on our business plan and we had already purchased Zoom, so were prepared. The benefit of running the events digitally is that members from interstate who usually couldn’t attend the event were able to be involved. “So, we get a really rich level of audience participation and it enables

members to start to see things from a national perspective. “We really see this new approach as a long term rather than a shortterm strategy for us, “she said. As part of its communications strategy, WMMR increased the frequency of its email communications by adding a new weekly Resource Bulletin to its schedule. “Engagement, knowledge and advocacy is just as important at these difficult times, and we have focused on giving members a means of staying connected. This also supports them in building their business continuity plans for 2020 and beyond,” Sloan added. “The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for Australia to build a resilient domestic economy as this creates bountiful opportunities, and the WARR industry stands ready to continue working with governments to capitalise on these opportunities and create remanufacturing jobs and investment throughout Australia. “This is a sector where the well will not run dry because where there are people, there are and will be waste (resources) ready to be remanufactured back into the products they once were,” Sloan said. (Continued on page 20.)

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THE WASTE and resources recovery industry has demonstrated its resilience and adaptability during the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The heads of the associations that guide their members and the industry have explained to Inside Waste how they how they have marshalled their own resources and reshaped operations. The Waste and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) CEO Gayle Sloan was pragmatic and encouraging when she stated: “The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for Australia to build a resilient domestic economy as this creates bountiful opportunities, and the WARR industry stands ready to continue working with governments to capitalise on these opportunities and create remanufacturing jobs and investment throughout Australia. “This is a sector where the well will not run dry because where there are people, there are and will be waste (resources) ready to be remanufactured back into the products they once were,” Sloan said. The Council of Recyling CEO Pete Schmigel, underscored Sloan’s position, telling Inside Waste that the challenge for ACOR and its members during COVID

As Australia begins to pick up speed towards setting and meeting sustainable targets, the UK is being hailed as a leader within the global WARR industry. During one of the first presentations within The Plastics Revolution session at the National Plastics Summit in March, Nextek managing director Ed Kosior detailed what Australia could learn from the UK. Nextek is a UK consultancy firm specialising in the recycling of plastics packaging from waste up to food-grade quality. He pointed to the UK’s national Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which was set up in 2000 to promote sustainable waste management. WRAP describes itself as a catalyst for positive economic and environmental action. “We work uniquely, and by design, in the space between governments, businesses, communities, thinkers and individuals – forging powerful partnerships and delivering groundbreaking initiatives to support more sustainable economies and society.” In 2018, WRAP established The UK Plastics Pact and late last year, it published its first annual report and baseline data for the Pact, indicating members’ starting position towards its targets. It also pointed out where the challenges lie including one billion problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic items. (Continued on page 22.)

See Gary Moore from UNTHA UK present on ‘RDF and PEF Australia’s future resource?’

info@focusenviro.com.au

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Editor’s Note //

An industry of tenacity and resolve IT WAS VERY encouraging to read the mention of physical and mental health awareness by the leaders of the WARR industry in our lead article Agile and adaptable: WARR industry stares down disruptor. It was so comforting to see such a high level of emotional intelligence behind the names that work diligently at the coal face of influencing and shaping waste and resource recovery policy in this country. No-one can deny that it was a tough two months as we all grappled what it meant to firstly, comprehend the possibility of lockdown and then to actually experience it. But, just like the ANZAC spirit that we celebrated on April 25 (I pulled myself out of bed at 5am to stand on the footpath on a cold Saturday morning with a candle to remember my great uncle who fell in France in WW1) the WARR industry has tapped into its own deep reservoirs of resilience and resolve.

The tenacity of the waste industry has been on display during this time, not in uniform or waved off on battleships, but in its quiet determination to keep the wheels of resource recovery turning. To keep calling government departments to ensure that commitments made when we all felt a lot freer to make them, remained on track. To keep valuable members, some of who were faced with the painful task of letting staff go, informed about their legal and workplace obligations. To keep them motivated and included by regular phone calls and emails. To keep the industry’s key networking event, the Coffs Harbour Waste 2020 Conference alive on a workplace essential digital platform. To keep engaging through email bulletins, Zoom meetings and even contributed articles to this magazine. Often, it takes an adversity to uncover the unifying threads that hold a community together.

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

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Copyright Inside Waste is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. Business Development Manager All material in Inside Waste is copyright Beth Jarvis and no part may be reproduced or beth.jarvis@primecreative.com.au copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical Design Production Manager including information and retrieval Michelle Weston systems) without written permission of michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au the publisher. The Editor welcomes Design contributions but reserves the right to Blake Storey, Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the Client Success Manager accuracy of information, Prime Creative Justine Nardone Media will not accept responsibility for justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on Head Office information published. The opinions Prime Creative Pty Ltd expressed in Inside Waste 11-15 Buckhurst Street are not necessarily the South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia opinions of, or endorsed p: +61 3 9690 8766 by the publisher unless enquiries@primecreative.com.au otherwise stated. www.insidewaste.com.au

INSIDEWASTE JUNE/JULY 2020

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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News //

What was your first job involving waste management/resource recovery? My father (Ian Kiernan) started Clean Up Australia 30+ years ago, so I was by his side for three decades! I worked in public affairs and communications outside the waste industry, but when Dad was unwell, I joined the Board in 2018. Unfortunately, he didn’t recover, and it was a devastating time for us. I was determined his great work would endure and I’m finding it incredibly rewarding being involved with the organisation. What’s the favourite part of your role as chair of Clean Up Australia? It’s the generosity of people who want to preserve and evolve the work we do and rewarding to talk about something you are passionate about and find an audience who wants to help. How has Clean Up changed since you initially became involved? In 2018 it was a steep learning curve and I invited new members to join the Board. We made a thorough strategic review and plan of where we wanted the organisation to be in five years and the next 30! Dad knew that the best outcomes for the environment could be achieved when business, government and the community work together. Those principles will always guide Clean Up. What are some of your achievements that you are most proud? I’m proudest of the Clean Up team and their dedication to make a difference. I’m glad I decided to step back from my commercial career and throw myself into Clean Up. I understand why Dad’s face lit up whenever you mentioned Clean Up. He derived great satisfaction from working with the community to give something valuable back to this great nation.

ACT names new environment commissioner SOPHIE LEWIS is the new ACT commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment replacing the interim commissioner, Dr Margaret Kitchin. She was the 2019 ACT Scientist of the Year in recognition of her research on climate extremes and their specific relevance to Canberra. Lewis is responsible for preparing State of the Environment reports, conducting investigations into environment-related matters, advocating for the environment and raising environmental awareness. The minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Shane Rattenbury, said Lewis would bring a strong focus on climate change to the position given her research background in this field, and knowledge and love of Canberra. “Dr Lewis has extensive experience in researching Australia’s changing climate extremes, including as a lead author with the International Climate Change Panel assessment reports that are used worldwide to develop policies around climate change. Lewis described the ACT as a

Sophie Lewis is the new ACT commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment.

Image credit: www.envcomm.act.gov.au

Profile | Pip Kiernan Chair Clean Up Australia

world leader in addressing climate change in particular, however she acknowledged that there is still a lot to be done to address the challenges and vulnerabilities around our environment and sustainability. “I’m keen to be involved through the Commissioner position,“ she said. “As we have seen with our recent extreme heat, drought and fires, climate change is a huge challenge now and for our future as it will continue to impact on our environment at local, national and international levels.”

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// News

South Australia delivers infrastructure direction A 20-YEAR infrastructure strategy for South Australia was recently released by Infrastructure SA, encompassing short and long-term strategies to grow the state’s resources sector. The Strategy identifies the need to limit the amount of waste that is sent to landfill to ensure more sustainable resource use. The Strategy noted that South Australia produces the most waste per capita of all national jurisdictions but is also the most efficient at processing and recycling its waste and has the nation’s lowest wasteto-landfill rate. However, it stated that, as its population grows, so will the amount of waste. The need for infrastructure to collect, process and recycle this will increase. According to the Strategy, new waste streams generated by solar PV cells, lithium batteries and electronic equipment that come to the end of their lives will need to be well managed.

“End-of-life PV cells will be Australia’s largest waste stream in approximately 15 to 20 years,” it said. Infrastructure SA recommends that both capabilities’ infrastructure need to be leveraged to build the circular economy and expertise in managing new waste streams. “Green Industries SA should further develop a regional strategy that addresses specific waste management logistics and provides infrastructure solutions to meet forecast increases in waste volumes,” it said.

The Strategy noted that South Australia produces the most waste per capita of all national jurisdictions.

Profile | Bucher Municipal Bucher Municipal is a supplier of state-of-theart municipal vehicles for cleaning and clearing operations. It has a product portfolio including refuse machines, compact and truck mounted sweepers, static compact equipment and vacuum tankers. Bucher Municipal machines are application engineered and supported by an aftersales support team that operates 24/7, 365 days a year. When was the company founded and why? Bucher Municipal arrived in Australia via a 2005 acquisition of MacDonald Johnston Engineering Company, a company with a strong local reputation that dates back to its family business origins in 1951. In order to explore growth and expansion opportunities overseas, the company rebranded to Bucher Municipal in 2014. Bucher Municipal is part of the global technology group, Bucher Industries which traces its history all the way back to 1807. What are the key products that Bucher Municipal offers? Bucher Municipal develops and manufactures environmentally sustainable machinery and systems geared towards meeting fundamental human needs and safety for all its stakeholders. Its product portfolio includes side, rear and front loader refuse machines as well as compact and truck mounted road sweepers, stationary and transportable compactors and vacuum tankers. What are some of Bucher Municipal’s plans and ambitions for the next 12-18 months? Bucher Municipal is at the forefront of market trends and the evolving requirements of its customers. Over the next 18 months, its key focus will be on continued investment in product development and electrification, automation and lean manufacturing philosophy throughout its manufacturing operations and further investment in its people and overall operations.

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News //

Victorian EPA revises start date for new Protection Act WMRR has applauded the government’s decision to defer the commencement of the new EP Act by a year.

THE DECISION by the Victorian EPA to adjust the launch of Victoria’s new Environment Protection Act (EP Act) to July 1, 2021 has been met positively by industry leaders. The Act was originally slated to commence this July, but has been disrupted by the inpact of COVID19. The new Act represents a significant shift in approach towards prevention,

as well as a more flexible, risk-based approach to compliance. According to The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR), both of these approaches are welcome, but it will take time for industry and government to work together to get the balance right. WMRR CEO Gayle Sloan explained

to Inside Waste that the association had been deeply engaged with the regulator in a bid to iron out a number of aspects, including challenges with current complexity, and had been advocating that further time was required. WMRR also noted that with the current challenges being faced throughout Australia, including the essential WARR industry, it is consumed with the job at hand of keeping services operating and ensuring the safety of staff and the community, and that it needs to remain focused on this task and not further regulatory change. “This move further cements the fact that the Victorian Government listens to the needs of our essential industry and is willing to consider our concerns and recommendations,” Sloan said. WMRR added that it appreciated the government’s decision to defer the commencement of the new EP Act by a year. “This affords all of us – industry and governments alike – time to work through the sticking points and ensure that the Act meets all its objectives and the industry is given sufficient time to plan for the changes. There is much still

to be done, but this deferment certainly puts all of us in a much better position to drive success,” Sloan said. “Importantly, the EPA is keenly aware that now is not the time to be effecting significant regulatory changes, and as we continue to face mounting challenges related to the pandemic, business as usual is unrealistic. WMRR believes that all governments should reconsider the need to progress additional regulations that will place undue financial and operational pressure on operators who are already facing extremely difficult times. “We would encourage other jurisdictions to urgently pivot towards a post‐COVID-19 world for our essential industry, by actioning strategic policies and plans that will build a solid foundation for a strong and sustainable environment, as well as fast tracking the capital funding, planning and approval of waste and resource recovery and remanufacturing infrastructure. “Doing this now, we hope, will enable us to come out of this pandemic with a strong and viable sector, offering a boost to local economies, creating welcome local jobs,” Sloan concluded. iw

Four-year industry Award review now complete THE FAIR WORK Commission has finished its four-yearly review of the Waste Management Award 2010. Since May 4, 2020, the Award has been known as the Waste Management Award 2020. According to Waste Contractors & Recyclers Association of NSW (WCRA) executive director Tony Khoury, the amendments to the Award were primarily structural in nature or related to incorporating “plain English” terminology. Schedule A of the new Award incorporates information previously contained in a separate document (the FWO Pay & Conditions Guide). Khoury said that while no significant changes were made to employee entitlements or employer obligations, WCRA has recommended that waste management organisations download a copy of this Award and familiarise themselves with it. “This industry award covers employers throughout Australia that operate in the waste management industry and their employees,” he said. 8

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An extract from the award said: The waste management industry means the collection, transportation, handling, recycling and disposal of any waste material whatsoever (be it solid or liquid, organic, biological,

medical, raw or natural, wholly or partly manufactured, decomposed or partly decomposed or in any other state or form and including all domestic, trade and industrial waste) and includes the operation

of transfer stations, landfill sites, incinerators, recycling depots, yards or terminals, treatment plants, compost facilities, alternative waste treatment facilities and other facilities of the same kind. iw The amendments to the Award this year were primarily structural in nature or related to incorporating “plain English” terminology.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// News

Batteries recycled into crop nutrients A LOCAL recycler and supplier of battery materials is testing metal dust from old household batteries for use as crop nutrient supplements. Lithium Australia NL has conducted trials to assess the use of zinc and manganese recovered from recycled alkaline batteries as micro-nutrient supplements in fertilisers. The company recycled alkaline batteries from local pick-up points across the country. After sorting, the batteries were shredded to obtain the mixed metal dust, (MMD) which is sourced from the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Envirostream Australia at its used-battery recycling facility in Victoria. Using the MMD, trials were conducted on pots of wheat in glasshouses. The dust contains high levels of zinc and manganese with minor amounts of graphite and potassium. Zinc and manganese are important constituents of fertiliser micro-nutrients. In the initial round of trials, the company grew wheat in a variety of controlled scenarios. The scenarios included using

The scenarios included using the recycled zinc and manganese separately as fertiliser sulphates.

the recycled zinc and manganese separately as fertiliser sulphates, using a combination of both, and growing wheat without any fertiliser micronutrients. The company said that the results were encouraging enough for it to commit to the next stage of assessment.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

“Recycling all the metals within spent batteries is something that’s rarely done effectively, which is why it remains a target for the company. We have not limited ourselves to recycling only lithium-ion batteries but, rather, have included alkaline batteries in a bid to eliminate all such items from landfill,”

Lithium Australia managing director Adrian Griffin said. In 2019, Australia’s Battery Stewardship Council estimated that, at the end of their useful life, 97 per cent of those batteries were disposed of in municipal waste streams and reported to landfill.” iw

JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

News //

Containers for Change launch deferred due to COVID-19

The government has reviewed the situation in consultation with the WARR industry and has decided on October as the new launch date for the scheme.

THE LAUNCH of Western Australia’s container deposit scheme Containers for Change has been deferred due to the impact of COVID-19 and its expected disruption to refund points. The decision aligns with advice from scheme co-ordinator WA Return Recycle Renew (WARRR). The government has stated that the scheme will now launch October 1. The state government believed that delaying the scheme until after the major impacts of COVID-19 were felt would eliminate public health concerns, such as potential risk of infection from handling containers, as well as over-the-counter refund points contravening social distancing. The scheme focuses on employing

people with disability, older people and Aboriginal people. These community groups are generally more vulnerable and their involvement in the scheme could unfortunately, place them at greater risk of infection. Meanwhile, the closures of schools, pubs, clubs and many other venues has impacted container volumes. WARRR CEO, Tim Cusack said scheme operators, the state government and relevant stakeholders have worked closely to develop an alternative date that would provide the best launch opportunity for refund point operators and the West Australian community. “I’d like to thank all of our network partners for their unwavering support and commitment as we worked

towards launching on June 2, 2020. Our focus has been on supporting all of our operators over the coming months as we look to mobilise and launch Containers for Change on a new date. “We have been overwhelmed by the public support for the introduction and prior to the impact and rapid escalation of COVID-19, we were on track to deliver the most diverse and accessible container deposit scheme in Australia. This remains our commitment,” he said. A revised timeline for the launch of the scheme had been undertaken by WARRR, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and the state government.

WA Environment minister Stephen Dawson explained that COVID-19 had resulted in significant global, national and state impacts and there has been disruption across the board for government initiatives and services. “The McGowan Government, in close consultation with WARRR and DWER, determined that under the COVID-19 environment we were all faced with, there are too many potential health risks and logistical difficulties to start the scheme on June 2, 2020. “The government has also responded to calls from community, local government and businesses for the scheme launch to be postponed,” he said. iw

$1.7 million boost for SA recycling sector SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S waste management and recycling sector received a $1.7 million boost earlier this month with the state government approving a range of projects.

The funding, delivered through Green Industries SA, will assist councils to upgrade and modernise waste collection and recycling services to increase the kerbside

Councils receive a subsidy for the cost of bench-top containers, compostable bags and production of householder education material.

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diversion rate through innovation and improved efficiencies. Twenty-two regional councils will also benefit from transport subsidies which will support councils’ continued recycling efforts by offsetting some of the extra costs associated with processing and transporting collected recyclables. Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said the $1.7 million is for three programs – one to reduce food waste sent to landfill, another to help councils modernise their collection systems and the other is for regional council transport subsidies. “Improved waste management is not only good for the environment, but it contributes to South Australia’s economic growth by creating jobs and developing new business opportunities to recycle and reuse our resources right here in South Australia,” Speirs said. “The single, largest remaining area for improvement in council kerbside systems is food waste which makes up to 40 per cent of the weight of household residual waste bins sent to landfill. “By supporting councils to improve

their collection of food waste we can lower waste management costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a valuable resource like compost.” Speirs congratulated the seven councils awarded funding under the Kerbside Performance Plus (Food Organics) Incentives Program for their commitment towards implementing systems which assist with the diversion of food waste from landfill. Councils receive a subsidy for the cost of bench-top containers, compostable bags and production of householder education material. Twelve local government organisations have also received funding to help modernise their collection services to increase landfill diversion, decrease contamination levels and improve data collection. “High transport costs for recycling in regional areas has long been recognised as a barrier which is why 22 regional councils will benefit from transport subsidies to support their continued recycling efforts by offsetting some of the extra costs associated with processing and transporting collected recyclables.” iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// News

NSW council website nominated for prestigious online award RANDWICK COUNCIL’S website called Our Beach Pollution Ends Here, which encourages residents to “adopt a drain” in a bid to raise awareness and reduce stormwater pollution of Sydney’s beaches, has been nominated for a Webby Award, one of internet’s most prestigious awards. The Webbys are presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Past winners include Google, National Geographic, Nike, ESPN, NASA, Spotify, Instagram and The National Film Board of Canada. The site was launched in November last year and forms the central part of a larger campaign to improve beach water quality. It is one of five nominees in the category of Websites: Government & Civil Innovation. Our Beach Pollution Ends Here site is a key educational element for the council according to Randwick mayor, Danny Said. “Keeping our beaches clean is a priority for us. Randwick Council maintains 35 gross pollutant traps that help to filter stormwater and prevent larger items from entering our waterways. “But the only way to stop micro particles such as vehicle exhaust particles, chemicals and fertilisers from entering our beaches is to stop it from going down the drain in the

first place,” he said. Said described his delight, but not surprise, that a project worked on by the Communications, Business Systems, Spatial Systems, Technology Systems, Engineering and Environmental Health teams at Randwick City is considered worthy of competing with the internet’s best. “This is an incredible achievement and I commend the staff who worked on it as well as the two external agencies we worked with, Paper Cranes and Ernst & Young. “I encourage absolutely everyone to get behind this initiative and vote for the Beach Pollution Ends Here website in the People’s Voice category,” Said said. The Randwick Council nomination is competing again some strong global competition including a NASA website that explores how their technologies impact people’s everyday life; USAFacts which provides an overview of American government data; Vote411 which offers election-related information and The Perfect Candidate, a data driven site created by Australian Futures Project that aims to shift the national conversation from short-term problems to long-term solutions. Last year, people cast more than three million votes from 230-plus countries and territories worldwide, and the site was visited by more than five million people. iw Our Beach Pollution Ends Here site is a key educational element for the council according to Randwick mayor, Danny Said.

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News //

20-year waste strategy takes shape within uncertain times DESPITE THE constraints of COVID-19, more than 10,000 residents of New South Wales along with Australia’s leading resource recovery bodies and councils have made submissions to the NSW 20-Year Waste Strategy. The significance of this strategy has become even more imperative as the use of plastics increases during lockdown and the July export ban on recycled glass and other waste fast approaches. Waste Contractors & Recyclers Association of NSW (WCRA) executive director Tony Khoury has given Inside Waste these insights into his submission.

Khoury added that WCRA recommends that the 20-Year Waste Strategy be broken up into five four-year periods, with milestones, projects and funding attached to each of these periods. There also needs to be a provision for review of the plan. He said that WCRA also recommends a Committee of Management, comprised of seven individuals from each of the Office of the Minister for the Environment, the CEO of WMRR, the CEO of ACOR, the executive director of WCRA, CEO of the EPA, executive director circular economy & resource management (DPIE) and the president of LGNSW.

20 years is a long time

The matter of equity and resultant competitiveness

Khoury said that 20 years is a long time and it would be difficult to make meaningful plans for the waste industry over such a long period of time. “If we were undertaking this exercise 15 or 20 years ago, we would not have reasonably foreseen major matters affecting our industry such as the GFC, China Sword, long distance transport of waste to Queensland, a Container Deposit Scheme, the proposed COAG Export Bans and COVID-19,” he said.

“This has always been prominent in discussions between WCRA and the NSW EPA. For a very long time, the industry has complained that the combination of high waste levies and narrowly focused compliance regulations have added significant cost to facilities licensed by the EPA. On the other hand, the operators of unlicensed facilities and/or rogue operators are faced with much less scrutiny and operate on a lower cost base” Khoury said.

He added that WCRA understood that a full review of the waste levy would be undertaken as part of this 20-Year Waste Strategy. “This commitment does not seem to be adequately reflected in the Issues Paper or the Key Findings. The waste levy is briefly mentioned in the Issues Paper, although the paper is silent on the negative impacts of the waste levy on recycling in NSW. It is WCRA’s strong view that industry must be considered a partner in the 20-Year Waste & Resource Recovery Strategy and consulted on waste levy policy and settings.

COVID-19 has decimated the Australian economy The pandemic has had a widespread impact on the waste management industry in NSW. As a result, WCRA has recommended that the NSW government commission an immediate study of the NSW waste management industry. Khoury said that by undertaking such a study, there would be a better understanding of the issues and the government would then be better placed to launch a waste strategy for the next 20 years. 20 years could end up being too long to make meaningful plans for the waste industry.

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The proposed changes to financial assurances These are currently being considered by the EPA and are likely to significantly increase the cost of operating a recycling facility in NSW. According to Khoury, this will deter new investment in the sector and harm the prospect of NSW meeting the emerging objectives of its 20year Waste Strategy. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic means that the draft Financial Assurance Policy and Guideline on Calculating Financial Assurances will have a significant financial impact on the already weak financial position of many waste facilities. Khoury said that WCRA is requesting that any further consultation and reform be deferred until the extent of the economic impacts of the pandemic are known.

The federal government’s proposed export bans on recyclable materials Central to the collection efforts is the dry recyclable materials collected in the Yellow Bin. “The vast majority of householders have access to this type of recycling service. There is a need to ensure that the proposed COAG export ban of recyclable materials does not lead to the demise of this successful environmental initiative,” he said. He noted that there is concern among some WCRA members that this could eventuate, especially if these changes result in the closure of MRFs. “In nearly all cases, Australia is a net importer of manufactured goods. Consequently, it is extremely difficult to consume all, or even the majority, of many recycled materials within Australia because there simply isn’t sufficient demand for this material. “Therefore, despite support for the intent of COAG’s decision, it will be impossible to recycle and reuse this material onshore unless governments assist in establishing policy settings, supporting new infrastructure and creating demand for recycled products. “WCRA believes that if the ban proceeds in its current form and the federal government doesn’t act to address these issues, then valuable resources and diminishing landfill space could be lost. The NSW government needs to press the point that good clean recyclables are commodities traded on the world stage and these export bans will potentially undermine the current recycling efforts. iw

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Waste glass ban extended to January, 2020 Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley.

AUSTRALIA’S EXPORT ban on waste glass will now commence on January 1, 2021, six months later than the original date of July 1 this year. Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley explained that the change was made following industry consultation. Meanwhile, the schedule for implementing the export ban on waste plastic, paper and tyres remain unchanged. Ley said restrictions related to COVID-19 made it impossible for Parliament to pass legislation in time for the July 1 deadline, but that the government will not waiver on its commitment to banning the export on waste glass. “We will introduce new legislation later this year to implement the waste export ban, giving interested stakeholders an opportunity to review the draft legislation,” she said. The ban on the export of waste plastic, paper and tyres will come into effect from July 2021 through to July 2024. As part of the national response to the ban on waste, the government is asking industry and state and territory

governments to work together to bring forward project proposals that deliver a national solution for mixedpaper recycling in Australia. “Australia has a once-in-ageneration opportunity to improve waste management and recycling through national leadership and by funding infrastructure investments and encouraging new technologies,” Ley added. Assistant minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans, who has also been working closely with the WARR industry during the lockdown period, said that Australia exports approximately 375,000 tonnes of mixed waste paper and cardboard each year. The ban will see a shift to recycling these materials domestically by 2024. “The government is particularly interested in paper-recycling facility proposals that adopt new innovations for recovered paper and generate new jobs in rural and regional Australia,” he said. State governments have until the mid-year to submit their proposals. iw

More government funds to lift manufacturing TWO HUNDRED projects worth more than $215 million dollars are being supported through the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund (MMF) with the federal government contributing $48.3 million. The investments were announced by the minister for industry, science and technology Karen Andrews, who said the job-creating investments couldn’t come at a better time, as the manufacturing sector grapples with COVID-19. A spokesperson for the minister told Inside Waste that there had already been several recycling initiatives included in the funding. This includes Palla Pharma Limited, a Victoria company producing a manufacturing system for the efficient recovery of alkaloid from waste. They have received a $263,371 MMF grant. Andrews said that the government believes that support for these projects will enable manufacturers to modernise how they do business, with critical investment in small- and medium-sized businesses at the face of the coronavirus pandemic. “The federal government is committed to helping Australian manufacturers prepare for the future and to employ more Australians. More

Grants totalling $35 million will go to 59 companies for large scale projects worth over $177 million.

than 2,600 new jobs are expected to be created by these successful projects,” Andrews said. “We established the MMF before the coronavirus pandemic to help smalland medium-sized manufacturers invest in capital equipment and new technologies to transform and upgrade their manufacturing operations. “Now as we face the coronavirus pandemic and look to come out the other side stronger, this investment will be more critical than ever.

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“I am determined to further strengthen Australian manufacturing and the current pandemic gives us the opportunity as a nation to reassess and commit to the values of Australian-made goods.” These merit-based grants are divided between large- and smallscale projects and are the first to be allocated under the fund. Grants totalling $35 million will go to 59 companies for large scale projects worth over $177 million. A

further $13.3 million in grants will go to 141 small scale projects worth over $38 million. According to Andrews, the MMF builds on other federal government investments in manufacturing growth and competitiveness, including the $100 million Advanced Manufacturing Fund, the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, the Entrepreneurs’ Programme, and the $40 million Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre. iw JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

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Consultants Review 2020 update FOLLOWING THE release of the awards, it’s come to the attention of the Inside Waste team that a few notable consultancies weren’t included in the current available list for the existing survey. These include consultancies like Arup and InSitu Advisory who have been providing valuable waste consultancy services to the industry. These consultants and many others will be included in the upcoming survey (to be launched soon). The Inside Waste team looks forward to their participation. We acknowledge the value of this survey for consultants and are always looking for any feedback and suggestions for how to improve this survey year on year. iw

Notable consultants missed in the last survey will be included in the upcoming survey.

Partnership delivers fresh compostable packaging directions THE AUSTRALIAN Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), the Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA) and the Australian Organics Recycling Association (AORA) have partnered to produce a guideline to help businesses make better choices about using compostable packaging. The Considerations for Compostable Packaging was launched to industry via a webinar on May 6. It also comes within International Compost Awareness Week Australia (ICAW), which aims to lift awareness of the value of compost and promote its use, knowledge and products. According to APCO CEO, Brooke Compostable plastics currently account for around 0.1 per cent of plastic packaging on market in Australia.

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Donnelly, the compostable market is growing yet causing real confusion for both industry and end consumers. She believes that the guideline will aid industry professionals to decide when and where to use certified compostable plastic packaging and associated items like cutlery. “With brands facing intense consumer pressure to move away from plastics, along with thousands of Australian food outlets turning to takeaway packaging formats for the first time, there’s never been a more important time for businesses to receive accurate and consistent information about compostable packaging,”

Donnelly explained. “Compostable plastics currently account for around 0.1 per cent of plastic packaging on market in Australia. Yet we know that it is a market that is growing and one that causes real confusion – for both industry and end consumers,” she added. Based on the systems and infrastructure currently available, the guideline identifies the key potential applications and opportunities for certified compostable plastic packaging, with a strong emphasis on packaging that could also facilitate the collection of food waste. These include food caddy

liners, fruit and vegetable stickers and ‘closed-loop’ situations, such as festivals. Recommendations are provided about how to correctly communicate with end consumers, including accurate certification and correct language for labelling and marketing. Statements to avoid are also highlighted, including the misleading terminology and greenwashing claims that are currently contributing to unintentional litter and contamination of the mechanical recycling system. Australasian Bioplastics Association, president, Rowan Williams also explained that the guidelines look up and down the value chain, at where the raw material comes from and also where the finished packaging will go to things such as organics recycling, in the future. “The ABA, as custodian of the only verification scheme for claims of certified compostability to the Australian Standards, welcomes the advent of the guidelines and looks forward to continuing collaboration with APCO, AORA and industry stakeholders.” AORA chair, Peter Wadewitz said that AORA supports the use of AS4736 certified materials for the source separation of food waste in the home or in commercial settings. “It is a suitable alternative to non-recyclable packaging. Compostable coffee cups, capsules and compostable bags can all be successfully utilised through normal organic recycling processes, without concern of contamination.” iw

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EPA Vic review reveals serious inadequacies VICTORIA’S Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has been advised to improve its systems and process relating to chemical waste management, following its failure to properly monitor dangerous chemicals and sites across the state. An audit was commissioned by the EPA board in the wake of the largest illegal chemical waste dumping operation in the state’s history, and the subsequent discovery of illegally stockpiled chemical waste in several sites across northern and western Melbourne. The review revealed a series of failures by the organisation. The audit conducted by Ernst and Young (EY) covers the EPA’s management of 14 chemical waste sites between January 2016 and April 2019. The review was prompted after more than six million litres of chemical waste were discovered at the warehouses as part of targeted inspections related to 2018’s West Footscray toxic warehouse fire. “The past practices revealed by this report will be unacceptable to Victorians, and they are unacceptable to me,” EPA chief executive Cathy Wilkinson said.“For that, EPA apologises to Victorians.” She said the challenges facing EPA have evolved rapidly in recent years, “Combating growing waste crime will require new technologies, intelligence capability and specialist surveillance experts,” Wilkinson said. “We are working more closely than ever before with Victoria Police and WorkSafe to protect the community from pollution and waste.” The EY report found during the audit period, the EPA had inadequate record keeping and a failure to properly monitor the transport of hazardous waste. EY stated in the report that the audit identified gaps in EPA’s governance practices supporting effective oversight of incident prioritisation decisions, lack of clearly defined standards and expectations for retaining key pollution report documents, and opportunities to enhance the use of intelligence sources across the organisation. EY examined the key processes and controls supporting EPA’s regulatory approach to storing chemical waste across a sample of 14 sites. It identified gaps in EPA’s governance practices supporting effective oversight of incident prioritisation decisions, lack of clearly defined standards and expectations for retaining key pollution report

The review was prompted after more than six million litres of chemical waste were discovered at the warehouses as part of targeted inspections related to 2018’s West Footscray toxic warehouse fire.

documents, and opportunities to enhance the use of intelligence sources across the organisation. EY said that it identified that governance structures to oversee interaction, prioritisation and incident triage processes, including critical incident response decisions, required improvement. It also found that clear standards and expectations to support an effective prioritisation and triage processes were not defined for: 1) Prioritisation and triage of incidents, specifically key responsibilities of all staff across teams. 2) Centralised monitoring, review and approval of critical incident decision making. 3) Recording and use of chemical waste incident and intelligence information. 4) Inconsistent approach to the documentation of pollution reports within Integrated Business Information System (IBIS). 5) The report stated that EY had also identified that EPA had not implemented quality assurance processes over interaction and incident records within IBIS. “The risks associated with inconsistent documentation approaches, including lack of available and accurate pollution information, were also compounded by poor system change access controls, system limitations and ‘information reports’ that fall outside the pollution reporting process,” the report summarised.

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EY said that inadequate monitoring, reporting and trend analysis of Waste Transport Certificate (WTC) data needed to identify trends and areas of key risks associated with chemical waste storage. Also discussions with key stakeholders identified: • Only 10 per cent of all electronic WTC and 4 per cent of all paper WTC were manually reviewed by staff EPA’s Waste Transport System did not automatically link certificate data to existing permissions data (i.e. does not flag licence and permit validity). • Waste transport activities were not effectively integrated with other compliance activities, specifically, the incident response process. • Public intelligence data and information was not effectively used to inform the proactive identification of emerging issues or behaviours that may result in future noncompliance or risks to community safety. • The poor quality of pollution reports and limitations in platforms to share intelligence data and information impacted the effectiveness of reporting. • Poorly designed key incident response performance metrics (KPIs). • EPA’s 28-day incident close out KPI did not measure the time taken from initial interaction to incident response. Further, the 28-day KPI could be circumvented by field officers by manipulating the incident date and priority rating or by closing an incident

before response action was taken. • Lack of clearly defined processes for incident reporting and responding. “Specifically, we identified eight of EPA’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) supporting incident reporting and response had not been updated in accordance with review schedules and two SOPs that had not been finalised or approved. We also identified that training and guidance documentation held within the IBIS Knowledge Centre was outdated and did not reflect the incident response processes,” the report stated. EY said that the scope of its work focused on examination of 14 known chemical waste sites. It said that regarding these sites, based on the procedures performed, which were not designed to identify fraud, it did not identify any instances of fraud or EPA staff intentionally acting in a non-compliant manner with laws and regulations. EY has recommended that the Victorian EPA continues to address the recommendations in this report and determines the appropriate time for the status of the recommendations to be reported to the Board. And, as part of its fraud risk assessment processes, continues to monitor these sites and if any further information is identified in relation to these sites, proceeds to investigate. The Victorian government had recently invested $71.4 million to safely manage high-risk and hazardous wastes including a Waste Crime Prevention Inspectorate within EPA. Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the state government had given record funding to the EPA to strengthen its operations. “It is my expectation that the EPA works tirelessly to protect the environment and keeps Victorians safe from pollution. This is what the community deserves,” she said. EY auditors made a number of recommendations following its findings, including system control enhancement recommendations. “Management also needs to introduce formalised auditing processes over response decision making,” the report stated. “Between now and the legislative go-live, we recommend that management conducts an assessment of other waste sites to review the decision making and outcomes of high priority pollution reports and whether a follow up inspection of the sites is required.” iw JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

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Passenger tyre collection volumes reduce during COVID-19 USED TYRE collections have reduced between 40-50 per cent across the passenger market as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, according to the Australian Tyre Recyclers Association (ATRA). It appears that reductions in this sector are most pronounced in metropolitan areas, while regional sales have been maintained. However, ATRA also reports that truck tyre collections have picked up as online and wholesale grocery deliveries accelerate, resulting in more truck movements. India, which was Australia’s primary disposal outlet for bales of whole tyres, has now closed ports and borders due to COVID-19 restrictions, curtailing illegal exports of bales of whole tyres from Australia into India. The COAG ban on the export of whole-baled tyres remains set for December 2021 and the association said that this ban has been welcomed by industry as well as Indian authorities. According to ATRA, the result of the various COVID-19 restrictions has consequently seen the disposal cost for bales of whole tyres increase up to 10-fold. Stockpiles of used tyres from the baling sector are also mounting, especially in South-East Queensland, as the costs of disposal reaches unsustainable levels. “Policy makers have been

The disposal cost for bales of whole tyres has increased up to 10-fold.

warned that these stockpiles will continue, and are an ongoing social, environmental and also tax-payer risk,” ATRA executive officer, Robert Kelman said. He added that export of TDF at this stage, appears resilient. The report underlined the essential service played by used tyre collection by supporting retail partners. “ATRA operators have instigated various onsite staff and also customer hygiene safety measures including site shift and customer interaction changes,

in keeping with government requirements. The association has also distributed additional advice to its members on these practices,” Kelman said. ATRA’s report noted that despite government moves to ban exports of waste and shift to a circular economy, neither the engineering sector nor government infrastructure departments have capitalised on the available opportunities to use recycled tyre products in mainstream civil engineering projects. Meanwhile, some growth has been

observed in Australia’s domestic market for truck and bus (TBR) tyre retreads based on several factors: - the growing awareness among users of the quality of TBR retreads; - growing sustainable procurement mandates and policies across government and the private sector; - a levelling in comparative cost with low-quality imports. The report said that it’s unclear at this stage whether any softening of this market may be expected as COVID-19 restrictions impact truck and bus usage. Domestic demand for this material appears to be growing as road builders specify its use, and there appears to be increased investment in production capacity. According to Kelman, there is also additional increased demand of retail sales of rubber matting, soft-fall products, including for home-gymnasiums. The voluntary removal of OTRs from mine sites also appears to be gathering momentum in 2020 based on the following drivers: - mining industry and OTR supplier sustainability policies; - traditional owner requirements for removal of waste material from country; - increased state based regulatory scrutiny; and - increased appreciation of the value of OTR material for secondary use. iw

NSW Circular appoints first CEO THE NSW Circular Economy Innovation Network, which operates under the name (NSW Circular) has appointed business engagement expert Lisa McLean as its first CEO. NSW Circular works collaboratively with government, industry, research organisations and communities to initiate, create and communicate circular economy opportunities and solutions for the state. The Network aims to deliver efficiencies through reuse and sustainability through waste reduction to boost productivity, jobs and growth across NSW. NSW chief scientist and engineer, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte, said the new appointment will build on the strong foundations established in NSW Circular’s first year of operations. “The Network has already engaged 16

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with communities across NSW to look at the technological and nontechnological challenges involved in identifying and managing diverse material and waste streams, and how we can extract value from them,” Durrant-Whyte said. Professor Margaret Harding, chair of NSW Circular, said the appointment also builds on the excellent work already undertaken, which helped NSW Circular identify its capabilities in NSW, as well as knowledge gaps. “Having Lisa come on board, with her high-level experience as a senior executive in several organisations engaged in circular economy, renewable and recyclables markets, will enable NSW Circular to begin to extend its operations and develop sustainable business models and processes at scale,” Harding said.

McLean said there has never been a more important time for government, businesses, research organisations and people to be working together to build a circular economy. “I’m passionate about building collaborations between these key stakeholders to bring in the kind of changes our society needs to create a sustainable future. I’m equally excited at the prospect of working alongside Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla, one of the true global pioneers in new recycling technologies,” she said. “Our challenge now is to develop new ideas and work practices, drawing on diverse skill sets and sectors, to create innovative, high impact strategies and solutions for NSW’s pressing waste issue.” iw

Lisa Mclean, NSW Circular CEO.

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Evans says green light remains on for government investment ASSISTANT MINISTER for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans, recently attended a virtual meeting held by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) and assured the industry that government commitments are on track. Addressing the WMRR’s national board meeting in April, Evans reassured WMRR that commitments to build domestic recycling capacity and support local jobs through strategic investment in our sector have not been forgotten. Looking ahead to Australia’s post-COVID landscape, he also suggested that these could be further amplified as part of the pandemic recovery. Evans also acknowledged the sector as “critical and necessary” and explained that, while some resources from other policy areas have been re-directed in response to COVID-19, work around the waste and recycling sector is continuing as planned. According to WMRR, this includes moving ahead with the export bans.

However, there will be a delay of the glass ban due to reduced Parliament sitting days in 2020 but otherwise, the COAG Export bans are expected to be introduced in line with the timetables set out in the Waste Response Strategy. Just prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Prime Minister instigated a National Plastics Forum in Canberra, where he outlined a “1 to 1 to 1” co-investment model between the federal government, jurisdictional governments and industry. Evans told the WMRR Board that this co-investment approach remains on-track with a significant funding commitment from the federal level. He added that “there is lots of good news to come”, and that some projects could be expedited as part of efforts to “turbo charge” the economy as we come out of lock-down. Evans also acknowledged a “very long list” of areas where more work is needed in our sector. This included getting organics out of landfill and

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Assistant minister for Waste and Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans.

into soils, expanding the use of Product Stewardship schemes to manage priority waste streams, and changes to government procurement to increase domestic demand for recycled content materials. Meanwhile, WMMR acknowledged that the association’s financials are clearly going to be impacted by COVID-19 as many of the conferences

and events planned to generate revenue for the association in 2020 have been cancelled, postponed, or adapted to a “virtual” delivery. “Just like many of our members, the association will ‘cut its cloth to fit’, and ensure we keep delivering core services while we prepare for brighter days ahead,” WMRR CEO Gayle Sloan said. iw

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WMRR CEO Statement //

Fromthe theCEO’s CEO’sdesk desk From MY EIGHT-YEAR-OLD daughter has had a few #iso meltdowns over the last two months and I am sure Environment Ministers willsays: meet for the she is not alone when she “I don’t like second this time this 7 December, following the first year.” It’syear beenon tough and there is no guarantee 2018 of the Environment (MEM) in that Meeting we are past worst of it.Ministers Floods, bushfires, April, which was in part a response to the import and now COVID-19 – through it all, Australians restrictions driven by China’s National Sword have demonstrated our resilience. The social and Policy and the effects this policy has had economic costs of COVID-19 are mind-blowingacross the resource recovery (WARR) andAustralian we cannotwaste forgetand those who have lost their industry. Key decisions derived from the April MEM lives to the virus. We can, however, acknowledge include: how our essential industry has responded and worked through this time (pushing forward with • Reducing waste endorsing a target government) to keep our services operating andgeneration, our staff safe. of 100% of Australian packaging being recyclable, Australia is to be congratulated (along with NZ) on its effective response to compostable or reusable by 2025, and developing the pandemic and keeping so many safe. There have also been genuine ecological targets for recycled content in packaging. benefits of the pandemic-driven lockdown that arguably, following the bushfire • Increasing Australia’s domestic capacity. season in the east, many never recycling actually thought we’d see. While the economic • Increasing the demand for recycled products. consequences of the pandemic are akin to the Great Depression, it is vital we take • Exploring opportunities toaadvance and and waste-to-biofuels. this opportunity to strike balance waste-to-energy between the economy environment as • Updating theof2009 Waste Strategy byput year end, which will sustainable include circular we pivot out this challenging time to Australia on a more path economy principles. than what we were on before COVID-19; one that enables climate neutrality as well as competitiveness. It is time to take stock examine what has been sincebuilding these decisions Pre-COVID-19 and and post-bushfires, momentum hadachieved been steadily were announced. Now, seven (7) months may not seem like a long time, however to take stronger action to curb climate change and genuinely move towards a in that time we have seen further markets close (Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam) circular economy in Australia. With the current talk of bold reform occurring withand if you are an operator under continued financial stress, seven (7) months could governments and the national cabinet, this is the time to be resolute and recognise make break theor value ouryou. industry has in creating the Australian society we want to live in. On 28 April 2020, KPMG, at the request of the CSIRO, published their report, Following April Pay-Off MEM, we had three for (3)Australia, states step withestimated varying Potentialthe Economic of a have Circular Economy whereinthey degrees of financial assistance for industry (councils and operators). This should a move to a low-waste, high-efficiency economy in just three (3) sectors alone be expected considering almost all states (except Queensland and Tasmania) (food, transport and the built environment) would yield $23bn NPV in 2025. Tohave access to significant waste income each year. On the eastern seaboard, Victoria achieve this, we need to levy act now to eliminate waste along the industrial chain, rehasuse approximately $600 million in waste levy reserves in the Sustainability materials, and reduce resource dependence. Our global economy remains farFund too andlinear NSW(the raises more thanchain, $700 not million perthe annum from the levy. There whole supply just at disposal end) aswaste we continue to relyis certainly funds that be reinvested intoare our essentialtraded, industry. heavilyno onlack the of throughput of can natural materials that extracted, processed, and finally disposed of as waste and emissions; only 12 per cent of materials used in Funding but as we from know, the money the EU helps for example, comes recycled material.goes a much longer way with Government support and leadership, as well as appropriate policy levers. Doesn’t the business case alone make sense for the transition? On 11 March 2020, the EU adopted its new Circular Economy Action Plan (Competitive VICTORIA Economy of Empowered Consumer), driving forward its goal of climate Victoria has arguably beenathe most economy. active andAustralia earnest in supporting the industry neutrality and creating circular can lead the world on low post-China, with two (2) relief packages announced to support the emissions technology and services; we need to use our geographic andrecycling natural industry, valuedand at alook totaltoofthe $37EU’s million. The Victorian Government has also gone opportunity Action Plan, to leapfrog from where we are above all others statesNational by announcing it would a leadership role nowand withbeyond the rather pedestrian Waste Policy 2018take to an economy that in creating market demand for recycled products. is less reliant on natural capital, low waste and high resource efficiency, with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. SOUTH In AUSTRALIA Australia, we have begun to see coordinated efforts and engagement by Government announced a $12.4 packagethat comprising $2knows million of the Australian government to million deliver support on the changes our sector 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.

will undeniably lead to greener outcomes, economic repair and growth, and long-term local jobs. So, we are on the right path! In May 2020 alone, WMRR industry however Queensland has embarked on the development commented on the the Climate Change Government Authority’s Emissions Reduction Fund review of athe waste management strategy underpinned by aand waste disposalpublished levy to increase and Australian Department of Industry, Science Resources a recycling and recoveryRoadmap and create new jobs. TheforState will re-introduce Technology Investment discussion paper consultation, mapping a $70/ tonne landfill levy in March 2019. There are also strong our attempts out a framework to accelerate low emissions technologies; sector to canuse policy levers (levy discounts and exemptions) to incentivise the use of recycled contribute by building an innovative, sustainable, and long-term waste andmaterial and make it cost competitive with virgin the material. However, little hasin, been resource recovery (WARR) sector through use of, and investment lowdone to establish new markets and Government has not taken the lead in the procurement emission technology, landfill gas systems being the standard at all sites, and of of recycled material. There are grants available for resource recovery operations course, energy from waste. inThe Queensland monies have allocated to assistwould in 2018. impending although COAG wastenoexport bans and been funding announcements in This is troubling asthe Queensland rolled out its Container Refund Scheme on 1 November, part, support transition to circular. However, like the EU, we must detail how which will likelyinimpact the chain cost and of the State’s MRFs – as we each stakeholder the supply can revenue contributemodels to building a resource efficient have seen most recently in NSW. economy, with the key aims being to decouple economic growth from resource use, and setting and meeting ambitious targets for reducing emissions and raw material WESTERN AUSTRALIA reliance. Let’s start with the national supply chains that place the greatest pressure The Western Australian Government set up a Waste textiles, Taskforce in plastics. direct response to on raw materials and emissions – food, C&D, transport, and the China National Sword. As part of this announcement, the State Industry knows the investment pathways and actions related to the COAGGovernment urgedexport all local begin utilisation of articulate a three (3)-bin system - red for waste banscouncils and the to same workthe must be done to the pathways general waste, for recyclables green for organic waste policies - over the coming and timelines foryellow investment, innovationand in technologies, and robust years to reduce contamination. this taskforce is aofstep thebook right direction, and strategies across all materials. While We must take a leaf out the in EU’s we are yet to see any tangible results from it or any funding for industry. In October, and use our geographic isolation to our advantage, developing a comprehensive the WA Waste Authority released its draft Waste Strategy to 2030, which high-quality secondary materials markets, not just for COAG ban materials butcomprises a secondary comprehensive andWedetailed roadmap towards State’s shared vision of all materials. need to significantly increase the the use of recovered becoming a sustainable, low-waste, circular economy. materials throughout our entire economy. We desperately need to embed sustainable procurement across government and industry and jump to sustainable products and COMMONWEALTH services, like the EU is proposing, to transform consumption and ensure waste is Following MEM April, We Australia nowahas a new Federal Environment not created the in the firstinplace. must have nationally integrated WARR modelMinister, to Melissa Price, who in October reiterated to media MEM’s commitment to explore facilitate an effective closed-loop system to support this transition. waste to energy as part impacts of China’s National Australia is an island butofwethe aresolution also parttoofthe a global economy, which means Sword, which is troubling (EfW is not a solution to recycling). The Commonwealth has significant volumes of the materials we use are imported. This may change also backed the Australian Recycling Label and endorsed the National Packaging with COVID, and we can control some of this if we change many elements and Targets by materials the Australian Packaging Organisation build our developed own secondary marketplace based Covenant on remanufacturing and (APCO), which has to date, failed to incorporate industry feedback in the development creating Australian jobs. Let’s not forget our Product Stewardship Act, which has of these targets. To design. the Commonwealth’s credit, there environmental has been significant applicability to product With 80 per cent of a product’s coordination in reviewing thephase, National Waste Policy, the Department of impact determined at the design we can’t throw in thewith towel around the Environment bringing together industry players and States during the review design of imported products. The Act offers powers to specify the materials we process. can and should accept – these are levers Australia must use to grow and domestic remanufacturing, stop the manufacture and use of single-use and/or hard-to-recycle The updated Policy will now go before Environment Ministers on 7 December. products, and restrict the importation of potentially hazardous materials. We can’t The Commonwealth can play a key role – one that goes beyond the development of the wait another year to see this review. National WasteaPolicy. is supportive of thestop Federal Government maximising KPMG’s made strongWMAA economic case – we must thinking about industrial the leversjobs, it has, including taxation and importation powers, to maintain activities, economic growth, community health, and the environment ina strong, sustainable waste and resource recovery silos. A circular economy, with all its known industry. benefits, is the plan for a future-ready and future-proofed Australia. We must be bold and act in all areas of government AHEAD OFincluding MEM 2 ours! post-COVID There may be movement across Australia, with some states doing better than others, but thechief consensus is, progress is still taking way too long. It is evident that Gayle Sloan, executive officer, WMRR 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 Voluntary schemes like the Used Packaging NEPM, under which APCO is auspiced, package was heralded as the spark of hope industry needed. However, on closer are not working. We have 1.6million tonnes of packaging waste in Australia, which inspection, the bulk of this package that was funded via the Waste Less, Recycle needs to be used as an input back into packaging. Barriers to using recycled content More initiative and therefore the waste levy, was not new, making it very difficult in civil infrastructure must be identified and removed, and Government must lead for stakeholders, including local government, to utilise the funds as they were in this field and prefer and purchase recycled material. A tax on virgin material already committed to other activities. Some of the criteria proposed by the NSW should also be imposed as it is overseas. MEM must show strong leadership on this EPA also made it challenging for industry to apply to these grants. On the plus issue. Ministers have, since April, dealt directly with operators and councils that side, efforts are being made by the NSW Government to stimulate demand for are under stress and we have a chance to create jobs and investment in Australia recycled content through the intergovernmental agency working groups that at a time when manufacturing is declining. Ministers have the opportunity to be have been established, though no tangible increase in demand or facilities have leaders of today, not procrastinators – leaders of tomorrow and we are urging developed… Yet. them to act and not just talk in December. WMRR.ASN.AU QUEENSLAND Gayle Sloan Unlike its neighbours, Queensland did not provide any financial support to Chief Executive Officer

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TIPPING

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Cover Story//

The need to carry on with essential services in the waste industry By Claire Moffat (Continued from page 1) BESIDES WMRR taking action during this period, ACOR’s Schmigel explained that while many of ACOR’s changes were also focused on communications, it was the pivots made by member companies that have been important in maintaining an essential service for the community. “That’s included operating with social distancing, increased hygiene, greater personal and mental health awareness for teams, more flexibility in logistical arrangements and responding to increased community contamination in kerbside and decreased volumes in other streams,” he said. For Schmigel, ACOR and its members challenge during COVID hasn’t been keeping services going, but keeping governments committed to the reforms they have recently pledged. “Dealing with COVID is critical,

but it should not stop the agenda to grow domestically sustainable recycling through infrastructure investment, public procurement and better standardisation of services,” Schmigel said. He added that the WARR industry has responded with “terrific agility”. “We’ve managed to quickly allocate resources for the new reality and thereby meet our community and stakeholder expectations and maintain business viability. “Coming out of COVID, governments should really take note. Here’s a mature industry generating domestic jobs that can go next level with the right partnerships. It’s a great source of postCOVID, hi-viz regional employment.”

Health and safety focus National Waste and Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC) CEO, Rose Read explained that the NWRIC’s first priority has been keeping in close

contact with members to ensure they have the information, tools, access to government and support necessary to transition to a COVID-safe working environment.  “Keeping staff healthy, maintaining service levels and ensuring business continuity have been the three key priorities. As an essential service, members were very proactive back in February when they began splitting teams, limiting air travel, moving to video conferencing for meetings and securing supply chains for PPE and other vital supplies to keep staff healthy, trucks moving and waste and recycling processed,” she said. “While our members have been adapting their business operations, the NWRIC and its state affiliates have been liaising with federal and state ministers, agencies and local government. We wanted to ensure that member’s needs are understood and met and agreed funding and

plans for ongoing development of the sector continue.” Read said this includes implementation of the Waste Response Strategy signed off by COAG in early March to progress the waste export ban, and implementation of the National Waste Policy Action Plan. She also explained that the three biggest challenges for NWRIC have been adapting business operations, keeping staff employed and helping staff adapt to a new way of working.  “Due to the shutdown of many businesses and a massive shift to working from home, waste and recycling companies servicing the C&I sector have had a significant hit financially, with revenue dropping anywhere up to 50 per cent overnight. “This has resulted in redeployment to other roles where possible, but in some cases, it has meant redundancies. Members have also deferred or put on hold planned

There has been a slowdown in the international trade of recycled materials and refuse derived fuels recently.

INSIDEWASTE JUNE/JULY 2020

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// Cover Story

Gayle Sloan.

capex investments and other nonoperational expenditure. “Another area of economic impact for the sector has been the slowdown in the international trade of recycled materials and refuse derived fuels, as export markets like India and Malaysia closed ports and wound back cement production. As a result, segments of recycling are scaling back operations and discussing stockpile management options with state agencies.

Challenges with Jobkeeper Read said that while some small and medium size operators had been able to take advantage of government support programs like Jobkeeper, many of the larger more diversified companies haven’t due to eligibility thresholds.

Brooke Donnelly.

“In the short term, most have been able to manage the impacts of reduced revenue to some extent. However, the longer the pandemic continues, the ability of the larger companies to keep people employed will be harder, even when businesses and schools come back online, and commodity markets improve.  “This is why it is so important that federal and state governments don’t drop the ball on their plans to grow Australia’s resource and energy recovery sectors through increased government procurement of recovered materials and shared financial support to build organic, plastic, glass and paper processing capacity,” she added. Waste Contractors & Recyclers Association of NSW, (WCRA) executive director Tony Khoury pointed to an innovation by association member Cleanaway, which pivoted when access to supplies of bottled hand sanitiser became difficult. The Cleanaway team was able to source intermediate bulk containers of hand sanitiser, and by using their internal capability, manufactured and bottled their own brand for staff use. Khoury added that during COVID, WCRA has continued its regular weekly catchup sessions with Department of Planning, Industry and Environment staff. “We continue to monitor advice and announcements to ensure Members are provided with prompt updates so that they can manage the resources required for their operations.   “Meanwhile, as governments start to lift restrictions, schools re-open and the restaurant sector re-starts trading, the waste and recycling industry will be ready to ramp up and respond with the necessary collection and processing efforts,” he said.

Keeping the community together Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) CEO Brooke Donnelly said APCO’s first priority Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Pete Schmigel.

was to ensure everyone within its community was as safe as possible. Then, it focused on how to best continue delivering its work. “One of the solutions that we are all particularly proud of is our new weekly community webinar series. These sessions cover all things sustainability and give our community and network a weekly opportunity to stay in touch, keep learning and keep collaborating,” Donnelly said. So far, APOC has delivered 10 sessions – which are open to anyone – to over 1500 people, with more scheduled for June and July. APOC has also been in regular contact with the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources to ensure packaging continues to be recognised as an essential service. “With many industries across Australia adversely affected, or even shut down, it’s timely to reflect on the essential role of packaging in the Australian economy. “Any interruption to the supply of business-to-business or business-toconsumer packaging could result in significant disruption to the supply and distribution of a huge diversity of products across all sectors. So, a key focus for us has been representing our members’ needs and concerns at a federal, state and territory government decision making level,” she explained. “We have also built in flexibility for our members around some deadlines, because fundamentally we understand that everyone is working through a difficult time.”

Embrace new technology Donnelly acknowledged packaging manufacturer Detmold, which quickly switched its operations to producing sanitiser and surgical face masks for front-line health workers. She encouraged the industry to embrace new technology.

Rose Read.

“Switching to an online platform has allowed us to reach an incredible audience with our webinar schedule, far greater and more geographically diverse than our normal event schedule.” Since March, APCO has launched “Our Packaging Future”, the strategic roadmap for delivering the 2025 National Packaging Targets and released the Considerations for Compostable Plastic Packaging report in partnership with ABA and AORA. “We have also facilitated 12 working and advisory group meetings, bringing together representatives from government, industry and academia from the complete packaging value chain,” she said. “The uncertainty of lockdown has meant a period where we have all needed to pause and adapt to the new normal. In the short term there have been delays such as data collection and trials. But overwhelmingly, the conversation we are hearing on the ground is that the challenge of the current situation needs to be embraced as an opportunity. “At a business level, organisations facing financial stress are asking what efficiencies can they improve upon? And waste represents an enormous inefficiency. Nationally, we have also seen how powerfully Australians can come together to address a challenge. Let’s harness that approach for building a sustainable future for Australia,” she said. In conclusion, WMRR’s Sloan went to the heart of what has been vital for everyone during these remarkable times. “Engagement, knowledge and advocacy is just as important at these difficult times, and we have focused on giving members a means of staying connected. This also supports them in building their business continuity plans for 2020 and beyond,” she said. iw JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

UK Recycling //

What Australia can learn from the UK By Claire Moffat (Continued from page 1, second story) NEXTEK MANAGING director, Ed Kosior believes that the most important takeaway for Australia from the UK approach is the understanding that the markets for recycled plastics can be created locally by supplying recycled content into the products created by brand owners and retailers. He described the steps that Australia could take now: • Strong government action to ensure that recycling markets can be found locally • Clear and ambitious targets for recycling of packaging and recycled content with tax implications for failure to meet the targets • Brand owners need to break the link between the cost of virgin resin and the cost of high-quality recycled plastic to ensure sales are not hindered by old world “discard mentality” • Creating packaging that is 100 per cent recyclable • Making recycling more productive and viable such as removing 22

INSIDEWASTE JUNE/JULY 2020

“The new facility is expected to generate £40 million in revenues per year and will capitalise on the access to plastic waste that Biffa has through its collections and sorting activities, including the 4.1 million tonnes of waste and recycling the group collects from UK households and businesses annually.” pigments from packaging According to Kosiar, there are UK WARR organisations which have invested to meet the targets set by the PACT and to confront global challenges to sustainability.

Viridor makes hefty investment into Avonmouth plant Viridor has been cited as a strong example in helping the UK move towards targets set out by the UK Plastics Pact. One of the main targets is for 70 per cent of plastic packaging to be recycled or composted by 2025. The national rate in 2018 was 44 per cent. Viridor’s decision to open a £65 million ($120.5 million) new plastics recycling plant at Avonmouth will see it process 81,000 tonnes of PET plastic in the first year, rising to 89,000 tonnes by the third year. The new plant will draw heat and

power generated from non-recyclable waste at a co-located energy recovery facility, which forms part of the Avonmouth Resource Recovery Centre. Viridor managing director Phil Piddington, has said that this was just the start of an ongoing investment in plastics recycling and reprocessing infrastructure in the UK.

How Biffa will process 1.3M plastic bottles a day In late January, Biffa opened a £27.5 million recycling plant in Seaham, Ireland for PET plastics. At the same time, the company disclosed that it will be also be investing £7 million in a plant to process 20,000 tonnes per annum of pots, tubs and trays, which are usually made from polypropylene (PP) and PET. The new Seaham plant is capable of processing 1.3 billion plastic bottles a year. Biffa has stated that it considers plastic recycling as a

Jayplas recently opened a plastic film sorting facility near Birmingham.

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// UK Recycling

Viridor’s decision to open a £65 million ($120.5 million) new plastics recycling plant at Avonmouth will see it process 81,000 tonnes of PET plastic.

Image credit: www.viridor.co.uk

“significant investment opportunity” partly because of a potential UK ban on the export of plastics for recycling and restrictions in Southeast Asia, as well as UK plans for a plastic tax and container deposit return scheme. Alongside these developments, the company expects changes to extended producer responsibility as likely to boost demand for recycled plastic material for use by blowmoulders and brands. Biffa has also highlighted that increasing capture rates are expected in order for future Pact and government targets to be met. The company will also convert PET back into high-purity plastic pellets to be sold on to manufacturers and used for a range of applications, from food and beverage packaging to clothing. The new facility is expected to generate £40 million in revenues per year and will capitalise on the access to plastic waste that Biffa has through its collections and sorting activities, including the 4.1 million tonnes of waste and recycling the group collects from UK households and businesses annually.

Jayplas tackles film sorting in Birmingham Jayplas recently opened a state-ofthe-art plastic film sorting facility near Birmingham. The £10 million plant is located at the company’s plastic recycling site at Smethwick and is intended to reduce reliance on exports, the main route through which UK plastic waste film is sent for recycling. The fully automated film sorting facility at Smethwick is capable of processing up to 12 tonnes of film an hour and 80,000 tonnes of film each year. It has been running since October 2019. Primarily designed to process film from retailers including major supermarkets, the plant has also begun to trial the sorting of films collected by local authorities and flexible packaging brought back by consumers in-store. The site was used previously to send containers of plastic waste to China and other Southeast Asian countries. “The UK is taking ownership of its own plastic waste and creating jobs and investment. This ties in

Nextek managing director, Ed Kosior.

with public opinion on how plastic waste should be recycled, and environmentally and ethically, it makes sense for the UK to go down this route.” “There will be about 40,000 tonnes going through the plant this year and it will go up to 80-85,000 tonnes per year at full tilt,” Jayplas operations director, Mike Maxwell said. iw

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Waste 2020 Conference //

Waste 2020 continues with a message of collaboration By Inside Waste EVERY INDUSTRY has a handful of key events. For this industry, it is the Coffs Harbour Waste 2020 Conference was set to be a major event. But with only weeks to go, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 restrictions. But, as we have already reported on the adaptability of the industry, it wasn’t long before it was reshaped into an online event and kicked off on May 6 with more than 70 participants. The webinar has since been running successfully every Wednesday with a host of high-level industry experts covering topics pulled from the conference program. When she officially opened the webinar series, WMRR CEO Gayle Sloan, delivered an update on the current state of play within the WARR industry. “I want to acknowledge the

positive and strong collaborative approach that has emerged across all sectors of the WARR industry as it adjusts to conditions brought by COVID-19,” Sloan said.

Plastic: resource opportunity Environmental Sustainability UK managing director, Dr Geoff Brighty, was the keynote speaker and discussed the latest UK response to plastic waste, describing it as a “resource opportunity”. Brighty stated that, “we all have to think of a different way of working as we move forward. A way which embraces self-sufficiency”. Despite the havoc that COVID-19 has wrought upon the UK, Brighty informed participants that the country was in the process of (virtually) passing the Environment Bill, which reached committee stage in April. Brighty cited this

as an indication of the depth of commitment that the UK held towards the UK Waste Strategy. He described the amount of plastic in the environment as overwhelming and growing at a rate not previously seen. Since lockdown in Australia,waste levels have grown substantially in some council areas.

Dr Geoff Brighty

Brighty added that in response to the plastic crisis, the amount of informative papers being produced by academics, scientists and advocates was, in turn overwhelming, making it difficult for government leaders to feel that they had a firm grip on all the issues. “Policy makers are trying to make sense the information that the scientists are generating, while academics are also generating a lot of information that politicians need to understand. Simultaneously, there is a counterculture which is driving the notion of a ‘plastic-free’ shop as consumers continue to lash out against the extraordinary levels of plastic harming the environment,” he said. “As a result, we are seeing knee-jerk reactions and decision making by some politicians who try to respond to these calls by their constituents.”

Despite the difficult conditions brought about by the COVID-19 situation, there has been a strong a positive collaborative approach across all sectors of the WARR industry.

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// Waste 2020 Conference

As the amount of global waste increased under COVID lockdown, he noted also that the volume of plastic being used to fight the coronavirus was now aggravating an already plastic flooded landscape. He showed graphic images of a beach in Taiwan covered in masks and gloves used by health practitioners. Brighty pointed to a SAPEA Report in 2019 that was presented to the UK government stating how deeply plastic pollution had entered into the public consciousness. “The report referred to ‘a broken and costly plastic system’, ‘20x production increase in 50 years’ and ‘only two per cent in closed loop recycling’,” he said. He said there were four areas presently in the UK’s public discourse: 1. Confusion around what can be recycled and how we can improve that through technology. 2. A real myth around where does the plastic go? Meanwhile people don’t think that energy recovery is recycling. 3. As the public see plastic escaping and products on the market that can’t be stopped such as wet wipes, they want to know where the accountability lies?

4. C onfusion with solutions: If we define the problem, then we can create solutions, but how do we get that co-design to work such as avoiding the recyclable coffee cup with a plastic lid? We need to work to get the end of life to work better

aspirational goal of being the first city to achieve a waste-free future. “This is important because, not having that aspiration [of a wastefree future] just set in the plans but as a council resolution, enabled it to be constantly referred to as our future work. It also reminded council that this was an initiative and outcome we wanted to achieve as a city. “This then became our guiding path that helped underscore our success,” Synowiec explained.

Circular economy leadership City of Toronto director policy, planning and outreach, Annette Synowiec, discussed what is involved in being an international leader through an innovative program focused on sustainability. Synowiec described Toronto as a progressive city which is evident in several of its strategic plans. These include: 1. Resilience Strategy 2. Climate Action Plan 3. Green Market Acceleration Program 4. Green Building Standards 5. Long-term Waste Management Strategy “Diversity is our strength and while we have built our policies around that, we see that the circular economy is not just focused on the city, we want it to permeate much further,” she said. Toronto has operated a recycling program for over 26 years and

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Annette Synowiec.

manages 950,000 tonnes of material from 900,000 customers. Synowiec described the diversion rate as strong, with 66 per cent of waste from single-family homes diverted from landfill, and 52 per cent from multi-family homes. “But the diversion rate is not really a good measure today because a variety of plastic and other materials are not being made for diversion and capture,” she explained.

Waste-free future As a result, Toronto has developed a long-term waste management plan with a target of 70 per cent waste diversion by 2026 with an

Dedicated Circular Economy and Innovation Unit From here, the city was able to begin to apply these circular economy principals: • reduction of reliance on nonrenewable resources and a limit of its carbon footprint; • maximise the use of resources: reduce, share, repair, reuse and recycle; • redesign processes to reduce waste and where possible, regenerate natural systems. According to Synowiec, the communication of the concept of a circular economy was critical in lifting awareness of the goals, as this was not always understood by some council members and needed to be

JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

Waste 2020 Conference //

Amanda Kane.

Rob Gregory.

The Coff’s Harbour 2020 Conference kicked off in webinar format and as with previous years, high-level issues around waste were raised.

explained in plain language. “Because the circular economy was new in North America, capacity building work was necessary. It was essential to assign specific resources as this was new, so we created the Circular Economy and Innovation Unit, which now has six staff dedicated to advancing a circular economy in Toronto,” said Synowiec. This also extends to other areas in the city and its portfolio includes: • Innovation projects and programs for Solid Waste Management services division • Circular Economy initiatives for the Solid Waste Division • Circular Economy initiatives for the community

Organics & FOGO Webinar The second webinar in the series focused on Organics and FOGO and was moderated by MRA Consulting group principal consultant – organics, Virginia Brunton. Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Circular Economy Programs, organics manager Amanda Kane delivered the first presentation. She manages New South Wales’ $105.5 million project to get food out of organic landfill. Kane discussed the current state of the organics industry after the nine-year “waste less recycle more” investment and what can be expected next. 26

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“We now have 50 councils in NSW using the Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) kerbside collection service that allows food to be added to the green lid garden waste bin so it can be recycled into top quality compost,” she said. “Additionally, there are 70 per cent of households with a service, an increase of 55 per cent since 2011. There have been seven rounds of funding, 100 projects and 500,000 tonnes more organics processing capacity, with 150,000 of that in the Sydney metro area. We have leveraged $79 million investment from industry (total processing infrastructure of $121 million).” Kane added that early results from updating analysis was presently showing demand still meeting supply, despite drought, bushfire and COVID-19 challenges.

Green and red bin audit Kane also shared important data from the audit analysis of the green and red bins, which was undertaken by Rawtec Consulting. It was an update of the last audit of the green bin in 2018 and the red bin in 2011. This result was very similar to the previous audit in 2018: • 98 per cent average diversion of garden organics; • 44 per cent average diversion

for food; • t he longer the service, the greater the efficiency-average 46 per cent for more than a year; • average 2.2 per cent contamination; • a high proportion also had no food at all (27-70 per cent); and • paved the way for the FOGO Education Deep Dive project now underway. The red bin audit showed that the NSW average generation remained unchanged since 2011 at 10.1kg/bn/ wk. However, Kane said there were significant variations by region. In the Sydney Metropolitan Area, it had increased to 11.7kg/bn/wk up from 10.2kg in 2011. The Regional Regulation Area was down to 8kg/ bn/wk down from 9.9kg. Service variations were significant with FOGO services 6.5kg/bn/wk, GO service 10.6kg/ bn/wk and no bin-based organics service 14.9kg/bn/wk. In the red bin, there was also 73 per cent recyclables, and food and garden waste was down to an average 41 per cent. Kane summarised that FOGO service reduced the total amount generated, increased dry recycling, recovered more resources and divert more from landfill. She also noted that regional NSW had really taken-up the initiative although some inner-city councils, such as Randwick were more challenged due to the high numbers of multi-level dwellings. Soilco general manager, Charlie Emery, followed Kane’s presentation and discussed the impact of certified compostable products on food waste diversion and recycling facility outputs. Soilco’s current processing contracts manage approximately 85,000 tonnes per annum of garden, timber and food waste materials. In 2012, Soilco introduced a dedicated food waste collection and

processing service. This provided a baseline for collection and processing of food waste sourced from commercial premises such as hotels, pubs and clubs, restaurants, supermarkets and grocery stores in the Illawarra. Since launching the closed loop service, Emery said that these systems have assisted with waste diversion. “Increasing amounts of CCP do not appear to affect the balance of C:N ratios, nutrient levels, moisture content or porosity for feedstocks or finished compost. “We have also seen AS-4736 films such as bin liners visually gone within 14 days under optimised, enclosed, aerobic conditions,” he said. In SA, the landfill bin covered 52.8 per cent of unrecovered resources.

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Charlie Emery.

“We have also seen AS4736 films such as bin liners visually gone within 14 days under optimised, enclosed, aerobic conditions.” “Plastic has long been a bugbear of the composting industry and as a waste processor for some time, the important message is that there is a difference between compostable and conventional plastics. This plastic does not compost over time and it shouldn’t be going into the compostable bin,” he said. South Australia’s East Waste general manager Rob Gregory was the final presenter on the second webinar and shared a snapshot of the results

of the largest kerbside bin audit ever undertaken in South Australia. He discussed the improvement opportunities, and how the audit findings will inform future East Waste programs. East Waste services covers seven councils, over one-third of Adelaide’s metropolitan area and a population of 265,000 use a three-bin system. However, Gregory said that there was still a lot of misunderstanding over the concept of FOGO. The audit, also run by Rawtec Consulting, was the largest, most in-depth audit ever undertaken in SA, covering 2,000 bins, 29 tonnes of material and delivered a deep dive into food waste and behaviours. The results included: • the landfill bin covered 52.8 per cent of unrecovered resources; • 20.8 per cent of food discarded into the landfill bin; • packaging 7.5 per cent; • hard plastics 4.1 per cent; • glass 1.8 per cent; • compostable paper/cardboard 4.2 per cent; • building waste was 3.8 per cent; • hazardous waste 0.2 per cent; • earth based 4.1 per cent; and • residual 39.1 per cent. “The big figure is that around 38 per cent of the unrecovered resources that sit in the landfill bin can easily be put into the organics bin. That’s what we really need to work on,” Gregory said. iw

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Waste To Energy //

Strong growth predicted for Waste to Energy By Claire Moffat THE GLOBAL MARKET for Waste to Energy (WtE) is expected to increase at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 6.45 per cent during the forecast period of 2020-2025, according to a recent report by Research and Markets called Global Waste-To-Energy Market By Geography, Technology, Applications Market Trends And Forecasts. There are now more than 2,000 WtE facilities operating safely across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia and over 200 of those were constructed between 2011 and 2015. Driving the adoption of the WtE market, is an ever-increasing amount of waste generation and concern for its management to meet the need for sustainable urban living, along with an increased focus on non-fossil fuel sources of energy. Despite a growing understanding of thermal technology, several European countries and Japan have indicated that they are planning to focus more on recycling, which saves three to five times more energy and hence, restraining the WtE market.

Australia As Australia moves gradually towards a sustainable WtE market, landfill

gas, processed engineered fuels and anaerobic digestion remain our universal forms of energy recovery, according to the National Waste Report 2018. The report stated that about 1.97 million tonnes of waste has been used for energy recovery, 90 per cent of which was achieved through landfill gas. However, the historical impact of a slow to act government on the national resource recovery industry means that, unlike its European and UK counterparts, which operate within a more nationalist agenda, much of the vision, direction and investment for this market is being driven by private enterprise. This is illustrated by the list of current projects including two which have reached financial closure: 1) Kwinana Waste to Energy project/ south of Perth, under construction. 2) East Rockingham/south of Perth, in planning. And those still under development: • Port Hedland/WA, under development by New Energy; • Mt Piper/NSW, under development by RE Group/Energy Australia; • Western Sydney Waste to Energy, under development by Cleanaway/ Macquarie Capital;

• Aurora papermill, Sydney; • Melbourne PPP project, under prequalification by MWRRG; • Australian Paper, Maryvale/VIC, under development; • Laverton North, under development by Recovered Energy Australia; and • Swanbank, Ipswich/QLD, under development by Remondis.

Vital to sustainability In a WtE Fact Sheet released in the past year, the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association (WMRR) described WtE as “forming a vital part of a sustainable waste management chain, which is fully complementary to recycling, and is already part of the global move towards implementing circular economy principles in waste management.” While EfW facilities are limited in numbers in Australia, WMRR acknowledged that it is important that decision makers in the political, planning, infrastructure, environment, energy, and media sectors are aware of the factual elements relating to EfW.

Combustion processes According to the Sustainability Victoria’s 2018 Resource Recovery Technology Guide, combustion

processes have been widely deployed for processing waste materials across the globe and have the strongest technical and commercial track record of all residual waste treatment technologies. It cites the European example, where energy recovery facilities are coupled with recycling schemes to achieve resource recovery and landfill diversion rate above 75 per cent. Locally, we’re seeing a gradual change in community acceptance of energy recovery through WtE facilities, although the proposal of an incineration facility in Matraville, NSW has recently received strong resistance.

Thermal technology Thermal treatment is growing as an emerging technology, with Australian governments and the private sector increasingly recognising its local potential even though thermal technologies have been successfully used overseas for many years. Veolia Australia and New Zealand has been dominant in this space. Earlier this year, construction began on Australia’s first thermal energy recovery facility (ERF). Based in Kwinana, WA, the site will be operated and maintained (O&M) by Veolia Australia and New Zealand post-construction for 25 years. iw

Driving the adoption of the WtE market, is an ever-increasing amount of waste generation.

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// Waste To Energy

Education and aesthetics key to Australia’s energy recovery path Contributed by Veolia AUSTRALIANS generate approximately 67 million tonnes of waste per annum, which equates to 2.7 tonnes per person, with a recovery rate of 58 per cent. The Australian Governments’ 2018 National Waste Policy estimated that a five per cent improvement in efficient use of materials across the Australian economy could benefit Australia’s GDP by as much as $24 billion. As Australia makes the essential move towards a circular economy, world class technologies are needed to process waste streams, recover valuable materials and effectively extract high value commodities such as energy. Laurie Kozlovic, chief innovation and strategic development officer at Veolia Australia and New Zealand says that Veolia seeks to deliver the best practical solution for its clients, community and the environment, and understands that an integrated waste solution using a variety of waste treatment options is required in order to to resolve the challenges posed by waste, once it is generated in our communities. As part of this, Veolia recognises the role that ERF technologies play in supporting a sustainable future. “ERFs are an important, safe and proven technology that can support Australia’s transition towards valuing materials and valuing resources, locally. These investments are highly engineered and designed to operate to stringent environmental requirements,” Kozlovic. Modern ERF’s are already a wellestablished, proven technology used in many parts of the world to extract valuable embodied energy from residual waste. In Australia, however, ERF technology is only now emerging, with Australia’s first ERF currently being constructed in Kwinana, Western Australia. Veolia will be the Operator of the 400,000t/ year facility, which is expected to be commissioned in 2021. An abundance of low-cost landfill space, restrictive planning legislation and community apprehension have, until recently, suppressed demand and commercial viability for ERF’s in Australia. Recently, a changing waste policy context, restrictions on waste

“Education is key. As with anything new or with any change, it’s important that stakeholders have access to factual and contextualised information. Additionally, the local benefits and impacts – real and perceived – need to be clear. Not everyone is going to be in favour of the technology, and that’s ok, what’s important is that people are objectively informed.” exportation, and Australia’s desire to create a viable domestic recycling market, have led to a policy shift to broaden the technologies used in order to achieve the demand for desired circular outcomes. Globally, Veolia has over 60 municipal waste Energy Recovery Facilities, providing electrical or electrical and thermal power. In 2019, Veolia’s municipal solid waste ERF capacity was 11.2Mt/year, which represents six per cent of global capacity. Internationally in 2017, Veolia generated 3,248,000 MWh of electricity (equivalent to the consumption of over 400,000 inhabitants), and 238,000 MWh of thermal energy (equivalent to a heating consumption of over 133,000 households), from the operation of their ERF facilities. Although Veolia can draw upon its international experience, capability and knowledge of ERF’s, there is still much to be done in Australia to make ERF’s an accepted technology. “Education is key. As with anything new or with any change, it’s important that stakeholders have access to factual and contextualised information. Additionally, the local benefits and impacts – real and perceived – need to be clear. Not everyone is going to be in favour of the technology, and that’s ok, what’s important is that people are objectively informed,” Kozlovic said. Looking abroad, Veolia has successfully designed and operated over 10 ERFs in partnership with local authorities in the UK. This experience has provided Veolia with the collective understanding of long-term contracts, which are often over 25 years, and insights into supporting other emerging technologies, industries and skills. In Birmingham UK, for example, Veolia worked in partnership with the Tyseley Energy Park (TEP) to drive

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forward industrial growth alongside the green technology sectors. TEP has become an Energy Innovation Zone where the main focus is to integrate low carbon technologies and to develop the business models and demonstrator technologies needed to support new approaches to clean energy as well as overcome the regulatory barriers necessary for them to succeed. Toby Terlet, project director at Veolia Australia and New Zealand said, “Adopting a similar model in Australia can encourage technology developers and universities to get actively involved, understand the emerging technologies better and develop students who find waste technologies interesting. Energy Innovation Zones have a very important role to play in the community. We need to encourage long term career pathways in the sector and assist in improving the living conditions in the community by reducing fuel poverty.” A common sentiment is that ERF’s will have a negative impact on recycling habits. As ERF’s are only one technology in the waste treatment process, the opportunity to recover more lies at the point of generation. “The contamination problem is largely behavioural, not technical. Behaviour takes a long time to change and can be turned upside down with minimal effort. It is so important that we look at ERF’s as an option to dispose of our unwanted residual waste. Recycling can coexist with ERF’s, and in my experience, the recycling percentage improved through education and proactive involvement within the community,” Terlet said. An example of exceptional recycling rates has been achieved through Veolia’s partnership in the Hampshire region where a series of specialist infrastructure designed to

Toby Terlet, Veolia’s project diirector.

maximise recycling and electricity generation, has resulted in over 92 per cent of the county’s waste diverted from landfill. The network of integrated waste management solutions includes three ERF’s, Material Recovery Facilities, composting facilities, drop-off centres and a network of logistics. Another consideration for Veolia’s UK ERF’s, which can be unexpected, is the form and design of the buildings themselves. From domes, to green walls, wooden structures and unusual shapes, the architecture and aesthetics of the ERF infrastructures have drawn award winning accolades for sustainable design. “Visual amenity is a key consideration when you plan to have a facility that will be in the community for 20 or so years performing an essential service – you want it to be a memorable and enduring place, whether it’s a waste facility or not,” said Kozlovic. iw JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

Waste To Energy //

Analysis: foundations laid for a WtE industry

East Rockingham WtE facility is investing in the latest technology to recover metals and aggregates from ash.

By Inside Waste TWO INDUSTRY senior managers have given their insights into the future of Australia’s waste-to-energy (WtE) industry to Inside Waste. They are optimistic that the current health and economic crisis won’t have a long-term impact on the WtE industry. According to East Rockingham Waste-to-Energy general managercommercial, Jason Pugh, WtE projects are difficult to develop, even in mature markets. They can regularly take five years from conception to financial close, and that puts strain on the resources of the project developers. HRL Technology Group senior process engineer, Anthony Douglas said that policy uncertainty and its impact on access to long-term residual waste supplies is probably the biggest issue facing the WtE industry. IW: What do you think are the biggest issues facing Australia’s plans to develop its WtE facilities and technology in 2020? JP: In emerging markets such as Australia, the risks are amplified, and many project developers will fail to achieve their ultimate goal of building a WtE facility. The biggest issues can be summarised as: 30

INSIDEWASTE JUNE/JULY 2020

“Australia is now focusing on transitioning to a circular economic model and reuse of incinerator bottom ash aggregates (IBAA) is a good example of such a transition. Victoria seems to be leading the way with mandatory use of recycled aggregates in new construction projects.” • high cost and risk to project developers; • inconsistent regulatory environments across Australia; • access to long-term waste supply agreements and power offtake agreements; • economic access to the power network; • lack of energy re-use alternatives such as central heating; • market not mature enough to support “merchant” facilities, so waste and power needs to be almost fully contracted to access project finance; and • immature market brings a risk premium for investors that requires a much high internal rate of return to attract finance. AD: NSW is currently preparing its 20-Year Waste Strategy, which provides an opportunity to refresh its prescriptive and commercially challenging policy towards WtE. While Victoria’s new “Circular Economy” policy has just placed a prescriptive 1 million tonne per annum cap on thermal WtE

capacity in Victoria, this provides an immediate disincentive for WtE developments not currently holding or finalising environmental or planning approvals,” he said. IW: Where is Australia in developing the uptake for the product that results from the energy or heat from facility, or the resulting materials like ash? JP: Buyers are fairly agnostic to the source of generation in terms of the uptake of energy from WtE. Power sales depend greatly on price and being competitive against other forms of generation. The good news for WtE is that it can provide relatively cheap energy to the market and around 50 per cent will be base load renewable energy. Australia is now focusing on transitioning to a circular economic model and reuse of incinerator bottom ash aggregates (IBAA) is a good example of such a transition. Victoria seems to be leading the way with mandatory

use of recycled aggregates in new construction projects. The East Rockingham WtE project is investing in the latest technology to recover metals and aggregates from ash. We are also working with Curtin University to test different civil work applications for IBAA. In mature markets like Europe, IBAA reuse is commonplace with over five million tonnes used in the past 10 years. Government has an important role to play in the adoption of new recycled products through economic incentives and legislative requirements. AD: Long-term product offtake agreements help with project financing but are difficult to obtain for over-the-fence integration with industrial energy users, hence, electricity to the grid is the most bankable option. Finding recycling options for bottom ash will be critical to allow WtE gate fees to remain competitive with landfill. Proponents will need to work with participating councils, state government environmental departments and potentially roads departments to develop new markets for ash derived materials, likely using European and UK standards. If Australian states are serious about the circular economy, then increasing the emphasis on procuring recyclable content in tenders will be an important step to support the industry. IW: Where do you think that Australia is placed now in developing long-term (30-40 years) sustainable WtE facilities? What impact will the current health and economic crisis have on these goals? JP: The foundations for a sustainable WtE industry in Australia has been created with the establishment of the first two plants in Western Australia. It’s important the industry supports higher order waste management practices and that has been achieved through the waste arising contact structure, which ensures the plants only receive genuine residual waste.

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// Waste To Energy

“Australia is about 30-40 years behind Europe, so I expect that we will have fewer WtE facilities and lesser capacity per head of population than in the UK and Europe, because of the progress of recycling over that time. However, with increasing populations as well as increasingly multicultural populations throughout Australia, changing consumer habits and behaviours and changing producer responsibility takes time.”

HRL Technology Group senior process engineer, Anthony Douglas.

This also manages the perceived risk of too many WtE projects in Australia. Funders will focus on residual waste volumes in Australian states and only fund a limited number of projects. In terms of the current health and economic crisis, I don’t expect that there will be a long-term impact on the WtE industry. Interestingly, the Confederation

of European Waste to Energy Plants (CWERP) have highlighted the role WtE plays in ensuring viruses don’t spread through waste disposal. The high temperature of the process ensures all bacteria and viruses are eliminated from the waste.

The transition to WtE IW: Where is Australia right now in the WtE space? AD: WtE is transitional infrastructure. That is, as Australia transitions toward a truly circular economy, where resources are kept within the economy as long as physically possible. However, for some materials, there is a limit to how

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many times they can be recycled before needing to be repurposed or utilised for energy or another type of resource recovery process. Australia is about 30-40 years behind Europe, so I expect that we will have fewer WtE facilities and lesser capacity per head of population than in the UK and Europe, because of the progress of recycling over that time. However, with increasing multicultural populations throughout Australia, the process of changing consumer habits and behaviours and takes time. That is where WtE can provide a better outcome for residual waste than creating a landfill legacy for future generations. If WtE is viewed

as infrastructure, then developing new infrastructure is good for the economy. However, I also don’t think the current health and economic crisis will significantly impact on the development of WtE in Australia. IW: How can the public contribute to the efficacy of the WtE industry? AD: I am confident that there will be more growth in interest in this area in the public sphere. WtE is focused on residual waste remaining after households and businesses have sourced separated recyclables and food organics and garden organics, where those collection services presently exist in Australia. As such, the composition of residual waste will change over time with changes in consumption, season, recycling behaviour and producer responsibility. The UK and European experience indicate that WtE has a place alongside recycling and organics recovery, so I do think there is also a place for WtE in Australia. iw

JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

Waste To Energy //

The State of EfW 2020 By Mike Ritchie ENERGY FROM WASTE (EfW) is destined to replace landfill for much of the disposal of high calorific waste streams in Australia which cannot otherwise be recycled. It is just a matter of time. Why would you landfill residual carpet, textiles, dirty plastic or broken timber when you can extract the energy value from it and avoid burning the equivalent coal? Why would you landfill organic residual streams (such non-recyclable pallets, non-recyclable cardboard, oily rags) and in doing so generate copious landfill greenhouse gas emissions, when you can extract the energy value via EfW and significantly reduce emissions? The choice seems pretty clear. The bottom line is, faced with a choice for the final disposal for residual (non-recyclable) waste streams between landfill and EfW, the answer should be EfW. Compared to landfill, EfW offers renewable (and non-renewable) energy and significant greenhouse gas reductions. Given the rising costs of landfill, EfW can now compete on price. The market and the regulators are now wide awake to the potential of EfW. In combination with FOGO (separated Food Organics and Garden Organics collections from homes and businesses) and traditional recycling, EfW can transform Australia’s waste management system.

STATE

INSIDEWASTE JUNE/JULY 2020

TECHNOLOGY

OWNER

CAPACITY (TPA)

STATUS

East Rockingham

Grate fired EfW

HZI/ SUEZ/Acciona

300,000

Under construction

Kwinana

Grate fired EfW

Macquarie/Phoenix Energy/Dutch Infrastructure Fund/Acciona/ Veolia/ Keppel/ Seghers

400,000

Under construction

Boodarie Port Headland

Gasification

New Energy

130,000

Seeking financial close

Hazelmere

Gasification

EMRC

90,000

Under development

Coolaroo

Gasification

Visy

100,000

Operating

Brooklyn

Gasification

Citywide

10,000

Operating

Maryvale

Grate fired EfW

Australian Paper/ SUEZ

650,000

EPA Approved – not built

Laverton North

Gasification

Recovered Energy Australia

240,000

EPA Approved – not built

Dandenong South

Gasification

Great Southern Waste Technologies

100,000

Under development

Berrima

Cement Kiln - RDF

Boral

100,000

Operating

Tumut

Co-generation

Visy

200,000

Operating

The Next Generation Eastern Creek

Grate fired EfW- MSW and C&I/C&D

Dial a Dump Industries

500,000

Planning process (L&E Court)

Mt Piper

Grate fired EfWRDF

ReGroup/Energy Australia

200,000

Planning process

Botany -Orora

Grate fired EfW– RDF and paper mill residuals

SUEZ/Orora

165,000

Planning process

Eastern Creek

Moving bed grate fired EfW - MSW

Cleanaway

500,000

Planning process

Parkes

Grate fired EfW

Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation

Large scale e.g. 250,000 +

Project concept

Adelaide Brighton Cement Kiln

Cement Kiln –RDF

Adelaide Brighton Cement ResourceCo RDF

70,000

Operating

Swanbank

Grate fired EfW

Remondis

500,000

Proposed

Redbank Plains, Ipswich

Gasification (MIHG)

Wildfire Energy

Up to 15,000 (demonstration plant)

Proposed (awarded grant funding)

VIC

NSW

Policy setting We now have a draft of final EfW policies in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and the Australia Capital Territory. Queensland has a bio-energy policy but no specific EfW policy. Tasmania and Northern Territory have yet to start. Most EfW policies have similar broad principles: • don’t cannibalise recycling; • be a bona-fide energy generator; and • don’t pollute (meet EU emissions standards or the Australian equivalent). The NSW and recently released SA policies both stipulate protections for existing recycling by specifying that all material into an EfW plant must have been source separated or preprocessed (to recover recyclables). The NSW policy specifies the percentage of waste that can go into

FACILITY

QLD

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// Waste To Energy

Waste Suitable for EfW

Mixed Processing

Source Seperation

Biological

Landfill

Thermal

Anaerobic Digestion

an EfW facility based on the number and types of recycling bins available to households and businesses. It requires that all domestic, commercial and demolition streams are processed through a “Facility” and that only the residual can be sent to EfW. It is a clunky policy, which requires amendment but the intentions are clear. The SA policy requires a threebin system for households and if more than 40 per cent of the total household waste is incinerated, the landfill levy will apply to the excess. Victoria has a less prescriptive approach but currently sets a maximum tonnage of 1MT through EfW. That threshold seems to be designed to put an upper limit on EfW as a technology but the policy reasoning is not particularly clear. Queensland Bio-Energy policy makes clear that QLD is looking for new renewable energy sources to drive economic growth and reduce dependency on coal. It leaves it to proponents to run the gauntlet of the approvals process.

Emissions Residual waste burnt in an EfW facility can include both renewable (organic waste streams) and nonrenewable residual wastes (such as plastic and oil-based textiles such as carpet and the like).

Renewable wastes To the extent that the EfW generates power from the renewable (organic)

Grate Fired EfW

Gasification

Pyrolysis

“State governments are finally starting to drive and plan for waste management infrastructure within their jurisdictions. The mandated expansion of FOGO in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne is testimony to that trend.” waste streams, it has close to a zero-carbon footprint. Organic waste streams include food, garden waste, timber, wool, natural rubber and textiles. Think of them as “new” carbon that is part of the daily cycle of life. As compared to “old” carbon including oil, coal and gas which are brought up from deep underground and are not part of the living biosphere. Those “new” carbon organics would have decomposed in the environment naturally (the wood pallet comes from a tree that would have naturally died and composted if humans had not intervened). It is known as biogenic carbon and has a zero carbon account. To the extent that this biogenic energy replaces coal, the EfW has a negative carbon footprint. That is, it abates climate change. It has avoided equivalent emissions from coal fired power stations. To the extent that the organics have been diverted from landfill, where they would have decomposed to generate methane (a potent greenhouse gas), the EfW is again substantially carbon abating. It has avoided emissions from the landfill. (Methane is now regarded as 25 times more potent as a greenhouse

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gas than carbon dioxide.) Keeping organics out of landfill is a critical climate change abatement activity. Landfills represent 2.7 per cent of Australia’s total emissions and these are totally avoidable.

Non-renewable wastes These are the “old” carbon including oil, coal and gas. Every tonne that we mine and burn contributes to climate change. To the extent that the EfW facility burns “old” carbon (mainly plastic which is made from oil) it is contributing to climate change. However, this is a direct substitute for coal so to the extent it replaces coal it is not making the situation worse. It just isn’t improving it in the same way that using “new” carbon waste does. The overall effect of these positive and negative forces is that EfW is a significant abatement activity and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfill and coal fired power stations.

Facilities There are a range of EfW facilities being built, approved or in the planning consent process as we speak.

RDF

The table (above) is not comprehensive but picks up the large applications in the traditional EfW space. Anaerobic digesters tend to focus on separated food or sewerage and have not been included.

Where to from here State governments are finally starting to drive and plan for waste management infrastructure within their jurisdictions. The mandated expansion of FOGO in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne is testimony to that trend. The release of EfW policies points to the willingness to investigate and approve new energy generating facilities based on waste. The rise in the landfill levies points to a willingness to drive recycling over cheap landfill. The rise in landfill levies points to Governments getting serious about creating a circular economy. “Finally”, I hear you say. Landfill has its place but not as a repository for recyclables, high calorific waste, organics or metals. EfW has its place as a final repository for high calorific waste streams. It has no place as a final repository for recyclables. EfW has an important role to play in providing energy to the economy from high calorific waste streams at a lower greenhouse gas footprint than coal. For high calorific residual wastes, EfW is a no-brainer compared to landfill. iw

JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

Waste To Energy //

Integration and co-operation: key to success in Waste to Energy Image credit: ARC

The Amager Bakke facility in the centre of Copenhagen.

By Inside Waste AMAGER BAKKE is an iconic waste to energy (WtE) facility in Copenhagan, Denmark which delights councils, governments and most of all, residents. Ramboll explained to Inside Waste how this was achieved. Ramboll, which has been at the forefront of WtE for decades, cites two key drivers necessary to realise a truly successful solution for both industry and society: the integration of technology in the urban context, and a close co-operation between the private and public sectors. However, the company told Inside Waste that a large gap remains in Australia and globally for the potential recovery of resources contained in residual waste. Ramboll said that WtE technology is a mature, well-proven solution to minimise landfilling and contribute to the increase of renewable energy share from residual waste and is integral for the transition to a circular economy. WtE plants handle municipal solid waste (MSW) and commercial and industrial waste (C&I) that can’t be otherwise recovered. The main benefits of WtE include the conversion of residual waste into electricity, process steam and heat, the recycling of ferrous and nonferrous materials, the avoidance of 34

INSIDEWASTE JUNE/JULY 2020

methane emissions from landfill and CO2 emissions from associated energy generation with fossil fuels.

Amager Bakke: strong council involvement Amager Bakke is the new WtE plant located in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark and an example of a solution where social, environmental and economic benefits have merged to create value at many different levels. The facility was established by Amager Resource Centre (ARC), an intermunicipal company owned by five councils located in the Copenhagen Metropolitan area, as an important step to meet future demands in waste management. Importantly, the facility will supply low-carbon electricity to 550,000 people and district heating to 140,000 households. According to Ramboll’s WtE division global market director Bettina Kamuk, integration has been paramount to the project’s success. “Compared to other WtE plants, ARC has succeeded to integrate the plant within the city centre, very close to residential areas and major tourist attractions, making the plant an icon,” she said.

Public engagement critical The involvement of the public is important for a successful planning process. People in Denmark got used

to the presence of WtE facilities over the years and are now aware that WtE isn’t dangerous for health or the environment. “Residents are not concerned of living in close proximity of an WtE facility, whereas in many other parts of the world, it may be shunned to the industrial districts and considered an eyesore,” Kamuk explained. The Amager Bakke facility has been fully integrated into the social context of Copenhagen and is open to the public for recreational activities such as skiing, hiking, running and rock climbing, and even has a rooftop café. Environmentally, Amager Bakke has hit major milestones, including a plant net efficiency of 96 per cent (calculation based on the higher calorific value of the input waste), most air emissions below 10 per cent of the permit limits, and the recovery of around 40 per cent condensed water for each tonne of incoming waste, partly replacing ground water resources.

Circular economy The facility is also an important part of the integrated waste management system of Copenhagen and plays a crucial role in the transition to circular economy. “Another important aspect for success is that WtE works in handin-hand with the recycling scheme, where one industry leverages off the

other,” according to Kamuk who said that Denmark has a high rate of waste recycling (based on source separation) and only waste that cannot be reused or recycled is delivered to the WtE plant. To show that WtE and recycling walk hand-in-hand, ARC just opened a new recycling station in close proximity to the WtE facility. Amager Bakke also represents a reference for raising public awareness on the importance and benefits of such a facility within the community. The public continues to be actively engaged by participating in open days and organised visits to the facility to learn more about the plant and waste handling. Local school visits frequent the facility, with classes on the correct way to handle waste and an introduction to circular economy principles. Within the private sector, the engineering consulting and technical expertise of Ramboll has been instrumental in its success. ARC CEO Jacob H. Simonsen said, “Ramboll has contributed strongly in making Amager Bakke a reality. As our chief technical adviser throughout the whole process, it would have been very hard to see Amager Bakke standing here without the contribution from Ramboll.” Ramboll WtE market director Australia, Niels Jakobsen, is currently project manager on Ramboll’s assignment as owner’s engineer at the Kwinana WtE project – Australia’s first large-scale WtE plant. Jakobsen told Inside Waste that while Amager Bakke is considered a global example of technological success, integration and cooperation, there is still much to be done in Australia. Jakobsen sees great potential in the implementation of WtE in Australia, although he acknowledges more integration and collaboration is essential. “In European countries we have experienced that public consultation and stakeholder involvement is critical for the success of WtE projects. It is important that the public, neighbours and NGOs are involved in the realisation of the plans,” he said. iw

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At Amager Bakke waste-to-energy facility located in the centre of the Danish capital of Copenhagen every effort has been put into boosting the energy efficiency to record-high levels. The facility is integrated into the urban environment, inviting the Copenhageners to ski down the slope on top of the facility. Ramboll has been the Ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Engineer throughout the planning, procurement and implementation of the facility, which supplies low-carbon electricity to 550,000 people and district heating to 140,000 households. Ramboll has worked on waste-to-energy projects in 45 countries, providing consulting services for 155 new units and retrofits. https:// ramboll.com/wte.

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A LOCAL LANDMARK (AND A GLOBAL BENCHMARK FOR ENERGY RECOVERY)

Credit: ARC

Maximising resource efficiency: https://ramboll.com/amager-bakke

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// Opinion

A call to action By Adam Faulkner SOMETIMES I think that we as an industry are our own worst enemy. The COVID-19 pandemic hits, and the largest social, economic and humanity response hits simultaneously across the globe. And what does the waste and recycling industry do? Nothing. We do exactly what we do best, continue to service the hundreds of millions of bins across the nation, process them at our global leading resource recovery hubs, package up the resources for value adding and re-manufacturing, and responsibly dispose of the residual. Oh, and we’ll just grab the gas from those residuals and create some renewable energy while we are at it. Sure a few councils jumped at shadows, but by in large we seamlessly provided our exceptional services at a time when the world stopped. I was told by a certain minister that we aren’t loud enough. When everyone has their hands out, why would we give money to a sector that is operating without disruption? We could be loud. We could be very loud. We could stop collecting. For one week. Imagine how loud that would be. But we are (mostly) too mature, too level-headed, and too professional. We love our industry and love what we do. Our preference is to have nuanced conversations with ministers that give them wins while delivering real outcomes. The problem is, we have run out of airtime. If it’s not COVID-19, or doesn’t start with a billion dollars, it’s not newsworthy, which is code for not vote getting. In June 2019, I predicted in my Inside Waste industry piece that exportation of recyclables would be banned by 2025. The Prime Minister some months later walked into COAG and announced exactly that. I was out by a year or so, but the fact is we should be leading the policy discussion, influencing the future, and being proactive instead of constantly reactive. Here at NAWMA we made a bold commitment to process everything in Australia by 2020. And for three glorious months in 2019 we achieved it. We did it. Every single tonne of yellow lid commingled recyclables collected, carefully sorted, and separated into material type went into secondary reprocessing

in Australia. Considering we are servicing around half of South Australia it showed it could be done. That was until Norske Skog was purchased and a lock put on the gate. The sale of Norske Skog paper mill in Albury is well documented. It does however, continue to concentrate on the domestic fibre market in Australia. The market is both concentrated and oversupplied. Through the COAG bans, depending on how you interpret them, will put another 400,000–700,000 tonnes per annum of fibre into this concentrated and oversupplied market. Those MRFs able to achieve whatever stringent prescribed or outcomes-based specification to export, will do so into more obscure and shrinking markets, as the US and China move to import pulp only. The days of mixed paper from yellow bin recycling are numbered. Visy and Opal (Orora) are bloody good recyclers, but they are already making 100 per cent recycled content fibre packaging. There are only so many boxes that Australians buy. But then we import a whole bunch of stuff, which brings in additional paper and cardboard (and plastic obviously) packaging that we need to catch and recycle. Extra household bins are not the answer in my opinion. Onshore infrastructure capacity is, coupled with actual, sustained and mandated demand through purchasing of recycled content products. In my opinion, we need centralised fibre and plastics processing capacity and we need it now. I propose that just a few of us (more clever than me) could in one day plot the infrastructure needs, feedstock catchments, and market entry points across Australia for all streams. We could develop the specifications to go into government procurement documents that would pull through the demand. And while we are at it, perhaps we could even agree on recycling labelling (the ARL is a bloody good start), settle compostable vs biodegradable, and after lunch finish off with the harmonisation of levies, policy frameworks, diversion targets, and regulatory settings. Full hypothecation of the levies back into the sector would, naturally, be done over drinks that night. So, I am going to make an

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Adam Faulkner, CEO of the Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority, national vice-president of WMRR.

“I was told by a certain minister that we aren’t loud enough. When everyone has their hands out, why would we give money to a sector that is operating without disruption? We could be loud. We could be very loud. We could stop collecting. For one week. Imagine how loud that would be. “ offer. One that will allow us as an industry to be both proactive and collaborative. Instead of an arm wrestle between the states for the COAG funding envelopes, I call on each of our industry association heads to join me on July 1 by videoconference to map out where the centralised kit is needed and for which stream. I call on Gayle Sloan (WMRR), Peter Shmigel (ACOR), Brooke Donnelly (APCO) and Rose Read (NWRIC) to join me in getting this done. Each of us can bring 4-5 friends to add value to the conversation. Because it’s my idea, I get to go first. I’m bringing Garth Lamb (CBD; ReGroup), Mark Rawson (MD; Rawtec) Matt Genever (Director; Sustainability Victoria), Jodie Bricout (Australia’s leading Circular Economy thinker), and Vaughan Levitzke (CEO; GISA). Paula Drayton of Resource Advisory will facilitate the session, and the output will be a 10 page document, one page for each jurisdiction, one page for the national summary, leaving a page for a fancy cover. July 1, 2020 by videoconference, we are going to do what we have threatened to do for 20 years. Who’s in? The intent is not to replicate the National Waste Policy, but rather give it some actual direction and a roadmap for federal government, state government, and private sector

co-investment. Putting states and territories against each other in a funding arm wrestle won’t achieve a future-proofed industry. In times when there is a lack of clear information, anxiety will fill the space. I think we have made government, brands, and consumers for that matter, too anxious. Let’s simplify the messages, and between the ever-increasing number of industry associations, agree on the spaces we can agree on and be loud on those spaces. Being loud, after all, gets votes. Design the packaging with recycling in mind, make it recyclable/compostable and/from recycled. Any product, any material. There, done. My five-year-old daughter recently asked me why recycling was so hard. She, in her very first reception class had nailed it. I told her that a lot of stuff is made without considering recycling. She paused, and unremarkably returned with “they should try harder” and ran off to play with our 12-week-old beagle. If government is looking for an industry that is “shovel ready”, which has large infrastructure projects that have community benefit, and can couple jobs with emission reductions, then here we are. iw Note: Adam Faulkner is the CEO of the Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority, national vice-president of WMRR. JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

Young Professional //

How one young engineer is living his environmental dream By Inside Waste FOR VEOLIA AUSTRALIA and New Zealand landfill engineer Fangzhou Du, known as ‘Ark’, a love of the environment has run through his blood for decades. “Working within the environmental field is always of great interest to me,” he told Inside Waste. “I was attracted by the potential of applying bitotechnology in many areas, of which the environmental field is a very important one. We had always been educated about how impotant the environment is to us and how much it has been damaged. This led to a degree in biotechnology at Beijing Forestry University, then a Masters in biomedical engineering at Beihang University and onto a PhD study at Queensland University. The research topic focused on wastewater sludge treatment to remove contaminants, enhance reuse and energy recovery via anaerobic digestion. It was this research and deep interest that bought Du into his present career. “This really brought me into the solid waste area where I see the challenges and huge potential, as well as the importance of waste management to us,” he said. “After finishing my degree, I decided to move out of the academic field to the industry, to the front line. I believe combining the knowledge obtained during study and research, with the practical experience in the industry, will make me really able to contribute something good to our environment.” Du described himself as “very lucky” to obtain the career opportunity with Veolia Woodlawn Eco-Precinct. “It is such an attractive concept for solid waste management, including turning general waste to methane through anaerobic digestion, then generating green electricity in situ, reusing the residual heat from the power generation for a fish farm. “Finally, the sourcing and separation of organic fraction within the waste for application in potential land remediation and wastewater management,” Du said. 38

INSIDEWASTE JUNE/JULY 2020

himself as a technology specialist in the solid waste management area. This would include not only landfill but a knowledge about the different technologies in the waste management area, including sourcing, incineration, recovering/ reuse, FOGO, glass and C&D.

Education is the key

Ark Du is an advocate for education to lift public awareness of waste recycling.

“It is such an attractive concept for solid waste management, including turning general waste to methane through anaerobic digestion, then generating green electricity in situ, reusing the residual heat from the power generation for a fish farm.” Complex challenges He explained that anaerobic digestion and waste reuse are the two key aspects of his previous research that he is able to carry over into the Woodlawn Eco-Precinct. “They match so well, but there are still so many challenges that I have not had a chance to touch before. When working in an operation site with such a good and complex concept, there are challenges and opportunities popping out all the time. This is really the drive and also the most attractive part of my current career.” This is Du’s first role within the WARR industry, encompassing Landfill operation planning, landfill gas capture for power generation, water and landfill leachate management, as

well as R&D projects onsite. “For me, the most challenging part of my current role is the complexity around minimising the environmental footprint and impact of the operation, including fugitive greenhouse gas/odour emission, leachate generation and so on.”

Advocate “Personally, I do want to mention that one of the most annoying challenges are the plastic bags within waste, which can cause all kinds of troubles for our operation.“ “I really want to use every opportunity to advocate for reducing the use of plastic bags,” he said. Despite the challenges that 2020 has brought, Du is optimistic about his future. In five years’ time, he sees

When asked what his top three priorities for the WARR industry would be if he were Prime Minister or Environment Minister, Du is clear. “Education would be a priority. I think one of the biggest challenges for the resource recycling industry is at the very beginning, with the generation of well-separated waste.” Du believes that if people can really conduct good waste separation and collect as much recyclables from the general waste stream as possible, and then separate the recyclables in proper categories, it would be a lot easier for the industry to do the downstream works to recycle and reuse them. “This is being done in many other countries and, I believe, this will be the most economical and environmentally friendly way to start resource recycling,” Du said. Another part about education, according to Du, is to let the public know more about different technologies and increase their acceptance of them. He said that he wants to provide more support to the waste industry to divert waste from landfill, which he believes is still the cheapest and maybe the most convenient method for waste management. “This makes it a very strong competitor for resource recycling. So, it will need extra drive, especially economically, to make resource recycling more competitive and attractive,” Du said. “Finally, I would give more support to joint research between academia and industry. It is clear that we need so much more innovation and creativity for better resource recycling. “Joint research between academia and industry is a very effective way for the government to introduce these innovations and creativities,” he added. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Equipment News

Luehr Filter’s flue gas treatment By Inside Waste

Luehr Filter specialises in air pollution control.

LUEHR FILTER is a global expert in the field of air pollution control equipment and flue gas treatment systems for waste to energy plants. Throughout 2020, Luehr Filter plans to continue assisting its current Australian customers in the field of dust and fume control equipment design, supply and maintenance. Luehr Filter Australia managing director, Trevor Baud, said the company is also focused on working with Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant providers to offer the best available technology for flue gas treatment systems, locally supported at globally

“Luehr Filter would like to assist Australia in transitioning away from its reliance on landfill, by offering its proven technology and extensive experience in meeting the world’s most stringent emission standards for municipal waste to energy plants.”

competitive prices. “Luehr Filter would like to assist Australia in transitioning away from its reliance on landfill, by offering its proven technology and extensive experience in meeting the world’s most stringent emission standards for municipal waste to energy plants,” he said. iw

Luehr Filter is committed to working within the WtE market.

A win for the little guys! MRA wins 8 of 11 categories to be voted best recycling and waste consultancy in 2020... Strategy, policy and planning Tech & infrastructure assessment Economic modelling Education and consultation Tender development Logistics studies Environmental Carbon

Contact our award-winning team today and find out what we can do for you. Call 02 8541 6169 or email info@mraconsulting.com.au mraconsulting.com.au

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

Equipment News //

Exploring the benefits of Waste to Energy By Inside Waste ELB EQUIPMENT has a 60-year history in Australia and New Zealand. Previously focused exclusively on underground utility construction, the company has been supplying the waste recycling industry for over 10 years. “As Waste-to-Energy (WtE) has again come to the fore of industry and community consciousness, it’s worth noting that a surge in interest in the concept 12 years ago is what inspired ELB’s management to begin catering to the waste recycling industry,” ELB Equipment managing director Christopher Malan said. “The megatrends in waste recycling in Australia and New Zealand are the increased adoption of FOGO, public policy supportive of WtE projects, and the development of fully enclosed urban recycling centres that require complex stationary plant installations versus traditional flexible outdoor mobile applications.” ELB Equipment is actively working with clients in all of these arenas to bring great solutions to Australia. Komptech is ELB Equipment’s core brand for the waste recycling market, with trommels, star screens, shredders, windrow turners and separators. While the food waste recycling

ELB Equipment also helps clients identify better automated mechanical means of cleaning and preparing input stocks for WtE.

INSIDEWASTE JUNE/JULY 2020

ELB Equipment has been supplying the waste recycling industry for more than 10 years.Caption

process is fundamentally similar to green waste recycling, according to Malan, certain measures need to be taken to manage higher rates of feedstock contamination and average moisture content, odour issues – particularly in urban environments – and concerns around pathogens. ELB Equipment is currently working with a number of clients and partnering with various engineering firms and technology providers building new ready-made FOGO facilities, Malan said. He adds that contamination

and classification of feedstocks is one of the biggest concerns in waste recycling. “This is no different with WtE. Many people think that incinerators are easy – you just dump in trash and it burns. Nothing could be further from the truth.” The input material for an incinerator needs to be carefully controlled, Malan said, to ensure moisture content is low and energy is not wasted by converting water to steam. Feedstock also needs to be curated to ensure high calorific content, with input material pre-treated in such a way that it burns optimally. “Very importantly, contaminants – whether they be materials that won’t burn such as metals, or chemicals that might interfere with the process, be dangerous to burn, or emit harmful pollutants – must be carefully removed from the waste stream,” Malan said. “In this sense, WtE is just like any recycling, the only difference is where the end product goes.” ELB Equipment is currently helping clients identify better automated mechanical means of cleaning and preparing input stocks for WtE, Malan said and expects to be more involved in the field as WtE takes hold in Australia and New Zealand. As cities become denser and waste recyclers are more challenged to work efficiently, housing NIMBY facilities like organic recycling in proximity to neighbourhoods is becoming increasingly necessary, he explained.

“While large, 100,000tpa open-air recycling facilities will always have a place, nine out of ten new facilities are smaller, closed treatment plants that allow for better environmental control and a reduced carbon footprint,” Malan said. “Although the mechanical requirements are largely the same (shredders, screens, separators), conveyors do much of the work of wheel loaders, aerated tunnels and forced aeration floors tend to take some of the place of traditional windrows, and considerable thought has to be put into the choreography and layout.” Malan highlighted that an indoor organic recycling facility might have to do with two acres what a traditional facility does with 20. ELB Equipment has recently hired new talent specifically to address the complexity and challenges of fixed plant installations, he said, and has begun partnering with local engineering, construction and fabrication firms to help ELB deliver bespoke recycling solutions. In addition, ELB Equipment will shortly be merging with Construction Equipment Australia (CEA,) a supplier of material handling equipment to the waste recycling industry with JCB wheel loaders, excavators, and telehandlers. Malan said that the company is excited to be able to bring a broader array of products to its customers and to have more reach and resources to provide an even better service. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Equipment News

Custom plant solutions for Australia By Inside Waste THE BACKBONE of Australia’s waste management methodology of reduce, reuse and recycle is being tested, as countries have stopped accepting waste shipped abroad. This has exposed a weakness and an opportunity for Australia’s waste strategy. Meanwhile, across Asia and Europe, waste-to-energy (WtE) is an integral part of maximising every resource. In Australia, it is difficult to find suitable waste- to-energy solutions to

fit small and mid-sized operations as they can be cost-prohibitive, and the engineering, compliance and supply chain is difficult to navigate. A handful of WtE projects are finally approaching completion across Australia after overcoming challenge after challenge. As a country, Australia is facing the unknown when it comes to how resources will be shared around the world due to COVID-19. As the economy registers the impacts of the virus, Australia is clamouring to open up more jobs, bring manufacturing back within our

borders, and to do so in a way that will help reduce operational costs. Australian manufacturers and waste operators, large and small, need to revisit WtE as an opportunity for energy recovery and waste reduction. Lambion Energy Solutions have implemented more than 3000 small- to mid-sized projects globally over the past 90 years, specifically for biomass and waste fuels. Flexible in plant size, from 500 KW to 25 MW, typical customers include waste operators across all applications, and also municipal, industrial and medical waste producers, hospitals, the paper and chemical industry and the wood waste and forestry industry. Lambion Energy Solutions, working in partnership with local company CSS Energy Solutions, offer accessible WtE plant solutions for Australia.

Besides the cost benefits of waste to energy plants, industry operators and companies investigating the benefits of WtE can access Lambion’s deep experience and resources. This includes complete engineering and supply chains, legal planning and environmental compliance and procedures, combined with CSS Energy Solutions’ knowledge of local Australian and New Zealand waste industries. Project scope consultations are available for plants ranging from 500KW to 25 MW/th input systems across multiple waste streams including municipal, industrial, medical and wood waste and other reliable fuels. iw For more information please get in touch with CSS Energy Solutions on enquiry@cssenergy.com.au or 1-800-644-978 or visit www.cssenergysolutions.com.au.

ajg.com.au/pandemic-preparedness

In times of crisis, we’re here for you. Stay up to date for your business and employees with our Pandemic Resource Center. Guides and resources to help businesses manage their risks and navigate insurance implications during COVID-19.

Need advice? Call Gallagher’s Mary Rolph on 02 4979 3357 or email mary.rolph@ajg.com.au Lambion have implemented more than 3000 small- to mid-sized projects globally over the past 90 years.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

To the extent that any material in this document may be considered advice, it does not take into account your objectives, needs or financial situation. You should consider whether the advice is appropriate for you and review any relevant Product Disclosure Statement and policy wording before taking out an insurance policy. 0520-1.1

JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE

Genox Granulators – GXC, GC & GMC Series

Application: Size reduction of a variety of materials to a uniform particle size. Plastics, timber, paper, cardboard, copper, aluminium, textiles, security destruction, foams, etc. Features: Robust drives and gearboxes, high-performance rotors, intelligent control panels, heavy-duty construction for maximum longevity. Options/Extras: Vertical crammer to improve throughput of some materials, screen sizes available to suit most output size requirements. Wet processing machinery also available. Infeed/outfeed conveyors are common inclusions. More: www.genoxmachinery.com. au / www.appliedmachinery.com.au or (03) 9706 8066

Application: Size reduction of a variety of materials to a very small, uniform particle size in a single pass. For bulky materials, granulation is often used a secondary size reduction process after shredding. However, for many applications, granulation is a standalone process. Features: Large diameter, high-performance rotors, robust drives and gearboxes, intelligent control panels, heavy-duty construction for maximum longevity. Options/Extras: A variety of rotor configuration available to suit specific applications. Screen sizes available to suit most output size requirements. Wet processing machines also available. Infeed/outfeed conveyors are common inclusion. More: www.genoxmachinery.com. au / www.appliedmachinery.com.au or (03) 9706 8066

Genox Machinery

Genox Vision Series Shredders

Nemus 2700 Mobile Drum Screen (Track)

Application: The HDPE washing line is designed for rigid plastics with a wall thickness ranging from 1-25mm such as typical liquid drums and containers, milk bottles, wheelie bins and pipes. The PE/PP film system is designed for washing plastic films with contamination levels exceeding 80 per cent, minimising the recycling water flow rate and evaporation losses. Features: Heavy-duty, robust, over-engineered construction to handle the most demanding of applications in the most trying environments. Intelligent control panels ensuring maximum efficiencies and throughput across the systems. Options/Extras: Conveyors, sorting systems, extraction and bagging stations to suit specific applications and requirements. Phone: www.genoxmachinery.com.au/ www.appliedmachinery.com.au or (03) 9706 8066

Unit Dimensions: 10,500mm x 3,000mm x 3900mm Weight: 22t Motor: Diesel engine 70 kW Screens material this size: Offering a broad range of drum choices from 8mm to 40mm in hole size, various wall thickness and material quality. Screen type: Screening drum Diameter: 2000mm Length: 5500mm Effective screening area: 30m2 Drum rpm: Max 23 min-1 Designed for (material): Built to efficiently screen aggregate/dirt/rock, C&D fines, compost, contaminated soils, food waste, mulch, MSW, and wood waste. Throughput: Up to 170m3/h (dependent on material) Base Price: POA More: info@elbquip.com or 1300 ELB EQU (352 378)

ELB Equipment

Genox Plastic Washing Systems

Tana Shark 440DT

Unit Dimensions: 6,940mm x 2,855mm x 3,70mm Weight: 25.4t Motor: Diesel engine CAT® C13 Rotor diameter/lengths/speed: 610mm x 2820mm x 23/34 min Speed (slow/high): Low speed, high torque Hopper Size: Filling height 2898mm No. of shafts: 2 Throughput: Up to 80t/h (dependent on material) Designed for (material): Built to efficiently shred asphalt shingles, food waste, green waste, land clearing, pallets, rigid plastics, tree stumps, and woody C&D. Price: POA More: info@elbquip.com or 1300 ELB EQU (352 378)

Unit Dimensions: L15750mm x W2830mm x H3700 Weight: 28300kgs Drive Type: Tracks Motor: Cummins Diesel Rotor diameter/lengths/speed: 920mm diameter / 3000mm length / max 30 rpm speed Speed (slow/high): slow Hopper Size: 6m³ Suitable material: MSW, Tyres, Mattresses, Green Waste No. of shafts: 1 Throughput: Depends on material Finished product size: (if applicable) 35mm – 200mm+ Designed for (material): All waste types Options/Extras: Overband magnet, various screen sizes More: sales@gcmenviro.com.au /www.gcmenviro.com.au or call Daniel Kastowsky at 0417 269 378

GCM Enviro

Crambo 5200 Dual-Shaft Shredder (Track)

Trommel

Unit dimensions: Designed and manufactured to suit specific requirements Weight: To suit application Motor: To suit application Screens material this size: To suit application Screen type: Mesh or punch plate Designed for (material): Comingled, MSW, C&I and C&D Throughput: To suit application Base price: To suit application More: www.wastech.com.au or (03) 8787 1600

Product name: CP Screens - Various Unit dimensions: Designed and manufactured to suit specific requirements Weight: To suit application Motor: To suit application Screens material this size: To suit application Screen type: Disc; rubber and steel (cast chromium) Designed for (material): Comingle recyclables, MSW, C&I and C&D Throughput: To suit application Base price: To suit application More: www.wastech.com.au or (03) 8787 1600

INSIDEWASTE JUNE/JULY 2020

Wastech Engineering

ELB Equipment

Genox Machinery

Product profile //

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Wasted Space

Too many bins

that bin lids differ in colour and meaning across local government areas, and even neighbouring streets. According to IV’s recent advice to government on waste and recycling, just nine councils in Melbourne are fully compliant with bin lid colour. Nine out of 31. Nine! While the state government has stated lid colours will become consistent, and eyebrow or two has been raised. Red bins, purple bins, green bins, why not a specialised bin for batteries? Across the border, the lid colour challenge is equally ubiquitous. In high-density inner-city neighbours for instance, residents may have two bins. Take a 20-minute ferry ride to the affluent Northern Beaches and there’s an abundance of bins. And for those living in multi-unit dwellings? Forget about it. While individual councils maintain total control of kerbside waste and recycling, the problem of

insidewaste.com.au Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

inconsistency will remain. The other question is, what’s to stop someone putting red bin waste in the yellow bin when the red bin’s full? Contamination rears its ugly head again and the waste industry is left to pick through the mess. Wish-cycling, a term us waste experts use for the everyman process of chucking something in the recycling bin and hoping for the best, causes many tonnes of recycling to be lost to landfill each year. It’s worth noting that brown plastic, which looks eco-friendly and often houses trendy kombucha drinks, cannot be recycled at kerbside. But it’s plastic? Nope, chuck it in the red bin next to the hordes of Amazon sourced polystyrene. Does the answer lie in more bins? Or should we be looking at the back end, where the actual value lies? You tell me. iw

Officia l Public ation

Official Publication of the

www.insidewaste.com.au

of the

Associations, entities and policymakers that underp the industr y have explain in to Inside ed Waste how they have marshalled their own resources and reshap ed operat ions during the COVID-19 crisis.

www.inside

waste.com.

au ISSUE 96 | JUN/

24 Waste 2020 Conference 28 Waste-toEnergy featu re 37 Why we need to be loud

INSIDE The National Waste Policy 08 News – just more words or will 24 ABRI Response 40 WMRR Young Professionals Agile and progress be realised? 42 Equipment adap table: industry st ares dow WARR n disrupto r THE TIME HAS COME for governments to demonstrate real commitment to positive outcomes. It’s been over four months since environment ministers were presented a refreshed National Waste Policy (NWP), and over 12 months since ministers committed to respond to the China ban. Unfortunately, things happen slowly in waste policy circles. For consideration at the time was the NWP and a Roadmap for Action. The NWP included five key principles based on circular economy thinking. The Roadmap included multiple targets, strategies and milestones; and role descriptions and responsibilities across all levels of government, industry and businesses. The ministers agreed to the NWP principles i.e to improve resource recovery and reuse, build markets for recycled products, improve information to guide investment and strategies; but no Roadmap for Action. Rather, the ministers resassessed their Roadmap goals - more robust targets and funding, support for industry development, increased demand for procured recyclables, a national approach to policy and regulation, and a coordinated approach to waste levies. By the time this action plan is presented to ministers in August, it will be about two years since the China ban. There has been considerable talk, but very little action. This reflects to industry that the government doesn’t see waste and recycling as a priority. It doesn’t appreciate the opportunities and benefits that would be delivered. Nor

UK takes the lead in me eti plastic tar ng gets

does it care about the community being sent to landfills due to lack of disengagement it is creating due to lack alternative options. THE WASTE and resour of policy reform and action. This is costing the country in many ces recove As Australia indust ry begins to pick demon Progress at a national level is very ry has ways, including additional feeswasn’t to strated its keeping service towards setting resilie up speed and adaptalost revenue s going, but disappointing. There is a complete lack nce councils, and meetin keeping govern bility during and forfeited targets, the ongoin g sustainable ments comm members to UK is being of political will to urgently address g challe environmental non- s nges presen benefitsthefrom reform itted to the start to see hailed as a they have leader within COVID-19 pande ted by the things from a national recent the global these issues. The failure of environment recovery It’s not “Deali an mic. of recyclables. perspective. WARR indust ng with COVID ly pledged. During one The ry. “We really of the associto declare that Australia of the first ministers to sign-off on targets andheads exaggeration is critical, but it should see presentation ations within The that guide not as a long term this new approach s Plastics Revolu their strategies of the NWP illustrates their is going backward in relation to getting to grow domes stop the agenda rather than tion session at the Nation industry have members and the tically sustai term a shortal ineffectiveness to drive consensus policy settings right. strateg explai Plastics Summ recycling throug nable ned to Inside y for us, “she March, Nextek Waste how it h infrastructur said. As part of they across states and territories. Wehow arethey losing the community’s faith managing directo in invest its e ment, public Kosior detaile marshalled have r Ed strategy, WMMR communications procurement d what Austra Despite the Department of their in recycling when they see their andwaste better standa increased the learn from reshaped operat own resources and Rose Read believes there just doesn’t freque rdisati the UK. Nextek lia could Environment and Energy continuing its ending and ions.up in landfill. Community of service toon be any sense of urgency at ncy of its email is consul s,” Schmiseem a The Waste UK communicat tancy firm by adding gel said. support in finalising the action plan, and business in recycling is either a Federal or state government specialising ions Resourengagement a new weekly ce Recovery recycling of Associ Resource level to progress change Bullet quickly. Core Com plastics packag in the there’s little evidence of changesation to ofevaporating right before our eyes. Australia (WMRR in to its schedule. municatio waste up to CEO Gayle Sloan ing from ) be done WMRR “Engagemen ns food-grade government procurement practices in Whatpragm needs to is clear. was has focuse quality. t, knowledge encouraging atic and d on a core He pointed advocand comm and when creating markets, community education We need to quickly ramp-up action laws are important, to the UK’s acy is just unicationsPlanning she stated national as important Waste and functi to “The COVID Resour members at around contamination, or completing by pande appointing : a national waste andwerewe need on betterensure laws toitsensurethese spacedifficu is lt -19 times, and mic has kept (WRAP), which ces Action Programme reinfo we have focused on informfor all with the product stewardship review. rced the need resource recovery commissioner the made fully available management chang was set up ed waste of es, resche for Austra giving in 2000 to promote build a resilie dulingFacilities lia to the NWP. and delays that impac sustainable staying conne members a means This is not to say those in government implement facilities. need to beofprotected ntresources domestic to ted their waste cted. This economy as management this create suppo also s bountiful . WRAP describ agencies aren’t committed to working We opport need strong enforceableThetargets from operat urban ions. encroachment and provided rts them in association a catalyst for and building their es unities, together to address the issues.the It WARR just indust for the next 5-10 years to develop and withmoved adequate buffer zones. business contin positive econom itself as all to-fac the ry stands e faceuity events that environment to ic and ready ue workin were previo of landfilland al action lacks vision, leadership andcontin national expand markets. If producers Reinvestment levies beyonisd,” Sloan plans for 2020 scheduled,do g withlocal usly governments to capitalise “We work unique . to be held “The COVID coordination that is outcome-oriented. not meet recycled essential and into -19 added. on these nation onto content ly, and by allymust be directed opportachievable Zoom. It was in the space and create pandemic has unitie s reinforced fairly seamle remanufactu research and industry development between govern design, With the next Meeting of Environment levels in their packaging, those Sloanproducts the need for ss, ring jobs and explai businesses, invest ments, Australia communities, througshould to the support collection andbuild processing Ministers scheduled in August ment and the not be allowed onhad thealread market.ned as a resilient association hout Austra thinkers domestic econo to and individ y “This is developing that help this a sectorThis uals – forging improve Department’s product stewardship review could belia. implementedZoom by amendingbeen technologies createthe my as where s bountiful a communicat powerful the well will partnerships not run dry opportunitie and the WARR ions platfo becauseexisting quality of waste running late, the rate of progress will and container deposit regulations, directi s, rm asfor reuse. where there industry stands on for breaking initiat delivering groundpeople, there to continneed continue to be slow and unproductive. or by creating are new regulations under the2020. Finally, there is a significant ready are and ives to suppor ue “This workin will had sustain be (resources) g with govern t more waste been on able econom to capita ready toProduct for our greater investment in community It is unsatisfactory from a government Stewardship Act.plan and ments lise on these be reman back into the we had alread business In 2018, WRAP ies and society.” ufactu opportunitie red needs education. Multiple and greycreate areas, policy perspective and disheartening, urgently a regulated productsAustralia y purchased Zoom, established s reman they once so were The UK Plastic were,” Sloan investment and ufacturing jobs and incomplete education campaigns as solutions exist. What’s lacking is battery stewardship scheme as batteriesprepar ed. The benefi said. s Pact and of runnin throughout late last year, it publis g the events t The Counci Australia. “This confusing serve to undermine the political will at all levels to drive are a major contaminate l of hed its first digitallymessages is a sector that and membsource is annual report and Schmigel, unders Recyling CEO Pete where the ersand from interst baseline data correct disposal habits. will not run dry meaningful change. It raises thecoredof fires in collection trucks, well usually MRFs Sloan’s positio for the because where couldn’t attend ate who Pact, indica telling there exist, n, ting While tools and approaches there question, “What does it take Inside to get Waste our that stockpiles. are people the event were able to , there are the challenge position toward members’ starting for betoinvolv and ised. a lack of leadership towill take forward. governments’ attention?” ACOR and its memb We need harmonised landfill beitwaste s its target “So, welevies (resou ers during s. get a reallyAustralia needs to be It also pointe activate known rces) ready to remanufactu Stockpiles continue to grow, ensure that COVID waste ends up in the right d out where audien ce participation rich level of red back into the challen produc ges lie includ solutions, which means governments unprocessed recyclables are being moved the place. It should not be illegally dumped, and it enable ts they once ing one billion proble s were,” Sloan need to demonstrate greater from state-to-state, and state agencies (Contiattention stockpiled, buried or burnt when it can matic and unnec said. nued on page single-use essary 20.) plastic items. to measurable outcomes. are temporally closing MRFs due to be recovered and reused. (Continued Rose Read is the CEO of the National licence breaches from the inability to Australia needs to remove disparities on page 22.) Waste and Recycling Industry Council move materials to local or overseas between state regulations, which drive (NWRIC). markets. Sadly, collected recyclables are waste to the wrong places. ISSN 1837-5 618

By Rose Read

JUL 2020

INSIDE

ISSUE 89 | APRIL/MAY 2019

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ISSN 1837-5618

leafy, green councils that already have three bins. And, even if that contamination were to suddenly vanish, what are we to do with that clean source-separated waste? End markets are still industry’s greatest challenge, and despite lofty promises, the Federal Government’s Recycling Investment Fund remains untapped – over a year after it was announced! Inconvenient questions aside, the Victorian state government announced it would begin rolling out a state-wide fourbin kerbside recycling system next year. Reforms will be implemented gradually, with the state government supporting the rollout of new glass bins and bin lids from 2021. How this will work in practice is yet to be determined, with councils currently not accepting the same materials due to differences in what processors will accept. Add to this

PP: 255003/07055

WHEN INFRASTRUCTURE VICTORIA’S (IV) interim waste report came out in October last year, the media went mad. Six bins? How can we introduce six bins when plenty of councils don’t even have kerbside recycling? Even state opposition Leader Michael O’Brien got involved, telling ABC radio that despite liking many of IV’s suggestions, “six bins sounds a bit novel”. The outrage was misplaced, however, with those of us who actually took the time to read the report knowing that IV never made a six-bin recommendation – or any recommendations at all. All IV did was highlight a link between high-performing resource recovery jurisdictions and greater household separation. But of course, who’s got time to read the report? And, more importantly, does the answer to our resource recovery challenges really lie in more bins? Contamination is rife even in the

Paving the Way Congratulations to our partners Downer, Close the Loop and the ACT Government on the successful launch of Reconophalt in the ACT.

info@focus

See Gary Moore from UNTHA present on UK Australia’s ‘RDF and PEF future resourc e?’

enviro.com .au

We look forward to partnering with you to build more sustainable roads in the future.

JUNE/JULY 2020 INSIDEWASTE