Inside Waste October - November 2019

Official Publication of the

www.insidewaste.com.au City of Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp (below) confirmed that the processing of household recycling in her council’s jurisdiction resumed in late September.

ISSUE 92 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

INSIDE 24 State of waste 32 Energy from waste 36 Circular economy

Perks of taking on food waste

Victoria: A state in crisis

PP: 100024538

ISSN 1837-5618

DOZENS OF COUNCILS AND businesses were hit with the realisation that the recycled content they were responsible for could no longer be sent to SKM Recycling facilities after the company went into receivership in August.

The failed enterprise led to councils sending recyclable material to landfill and it left companies out of pocket, after it was revealed that SKM was $100 million in debt – of which Cleanaway Waste Management was owed $60m.

SKM operated seven sites including three MRFs and a transfer station in Victoria; and a MRF in Tasmania. SKM accepted and processed commingled recyclable material from 33 councils and municipalities in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Due to the closures, councils have needed to react quickly to maintain pubic trust and to ensure material is being disposed of in the best means possible – given the sudden decrease in facilities recyclables can be sent to in Victoria.

One way in which councils are minimising the amount of recyclable

material heading to landfill is through the implementation of glass collection bins, which aim to reduce contamination in mixed recyling bins.

Throughout September, the Macedon Ranges Shire Council installed public glass recycling skip bins across the shire, and the Moyne Shire Council confirmed it will introduce a fourth kerbside bin for glass collection across the whole shire – rather than trialling it in Koroit only for six months, which was the original plan. Due to the closures of SKM facilities, Moyne Shire Council members voted, in September, to extend the trial across the whole shire.

At a council meeting in late August, the Macedon Ranges Shire Council endorsed plans to remove glass from the current mixed recycling household bin collection service and investigate introducing a fourth glass-only bin service, with a trial involving 650 households currently underway.

The council also allocated funds to cover temporary higher landfill

costs, cover additional required staff and resources, and install the aforementioned public skip bins. The Macedon Ranges council is working with a recycling company that will process the shire’s recycling as long as glass is removed and the other recyclables are not contaminated.

Residents can also drop off glass free of charge to the council’s transfer stations in Kyneton, Woodend and Romsey for recycling. And as a last resort, the council indicated that glass can be placed in general red rubbish bins.

A Macedon Ranges Shire Council meeting in late October will cover long-term options for recycling, including the possible introduction of an additional glass-only bin for the entire shire.

While these councils, and others in Victoria, are moving forward with “glass only” recycling services, some leaders in the waste industry warn that the councils should tread cautiously.

(Continued on page 20.)

MORE THAN 50 PER CENT of people say they don’t like leaving food on their plate because it’s a waste of good produce and a waste of money.

Yet Australians produce more than seven million tonnes of food waste every year.

Mountains of edible produce is being chucked out and it’s not new news. Inside Waste explored why such a valuable commodity ends up wilting and rotting away when organisations are striving to change community and business perceptions towards food waste.

According to the National Food Waste Baseline - Executive Summary, published by Arcadis in March 2019, Australia produced 7.3 million tonnes of food waste across the supply and consumption chain in 2016-17.

Of this, 2.5 million (34 per cent) was created by householders, 2.3 million tonnes (31 per cent) was created in primary production, and 1.75 million tonnes (24 per cent) came from the manufacturing sector.

Attitudes towards food waste vary between age groups, gender and living situation, according to a NSW EPA report – Love Food, Hate Waste NSW 2015-16. The report indicated that in 2015, NSW residents aged 18-34 wasted 7.6 litres of food per week, compared to the average of 5.9 litres per week.

It also indicated that men wasted more than women – at 6.3 litres per week compared to 5.6 litres.

(Continued on page 28.)

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Editor’s Note //

Official Publication of the

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

Tackling wasted opportunities SOME NATIONS HAVE had a container deposit scheme (CDS) for several decades in a bid to encourage the reuse of materials. Yet, in Australia, in a state that is struggling to manage its recycling, there is still no commitment from the Victorian government to introduce a CDS program. Having experienced carting numerous full bags of empty plastic bottles to the nearest supermarket on my visits to see family in Germany over the past 15 years, it is noticeable that it is second nature to many Europeans who don’t second guess returning bottles for cash.

They will even go as far as leaving the bottles underneath a public bin, so that others don’t have to rummage through the receptacle to collect a bit of extra coin. In this edition of Inside Waste, we explore Australia’s waste industry’s thoughts on CDS programs and the fact that Victoria hasn’t committed to a scheme. We talk to the state government and waste industry members about Victoria’s recycling challenges

General Manager (Sydney) Terry Wogan terry.wogan@primecreative.com.au

and possible solutions, such as implementing a CDS program.

We also look at what can be done to avoid and minimise food waste from a commercial and residential perspective. For too long, people have accepted rotting fruit and stale bread in their households. We explore how people’s mindsets towards food waste can and are changing. With many households estimated to be wasting several thousands of dollars on binning food each year, there is a financial incentive to think about the purchases we make.

We also delve into commercial incentives to reducing food waste, the challenges faced by organisations prompting these changes, and the reluctance from businesses to take on change.

These topics and many more look at tackling ongoing challenges faced

by Australia in the best way possible.

So the question is, how do we best tackle these wasted opportunities?

Group Managing Editor (Northern) Syed Shah syed.shah@primecreative.com.au Editor Miri Schroeter miri.schroeter@primecreative.com.au Business Development Manager Beth Jarvis beth.jarvis@primecreative.com.au Design Production Manager Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au Design Blake Storey, Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty Client Success Manager Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au Head Office Prime Creative Pty Ltd 11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia p: +61 3 9690 8766 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.insidewaste.com.au

Subscriptions +61 3 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Inside Waste is available by subscription from the publisher. The rights of refusal are reserved by the publisher Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher.

The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

Copyright Inside Waste is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy.

All material in Inside Waste is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material.

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

Legal Notices // Mortdale Recycling Pty Ltd convicted of breaching licence offence and ordered to pay $30,000 plus costs Mortdale Recycling Pty Ltd (Mortdale) has been convicted and fined $30,000.00 by the Land and Environment Court of NSW for breaching a condition of its Environment Protection Licence (EPL) issued to it by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). The EPL authorises activities at Mortdale’s waste facility in Mortdale.

Mortdale admitted the breach and cooperated with the EPA throughout.

The offence occurred between January 2017 and January 2018, when Mortdale received more waste at its licensed premises than it was lawfully allowed to receive. The EPL permitted Mortdale to receive and process 30,000 tonnes of waste per annum, however in 2017 Mortdale received and processed approximately 59,000 tonnes of waste.

On 29 July 2019 the Land and Environment Court accepted Mortdale’s guilty plea and ordered it to: 1. Pay an amount of $30,000.00 to the Environmental Trust in lieu of a fine;

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MR THOMAS PAUL HUGHES CONVICTED OF WASTE OFFENCES AND ORDERED TO PAY $45,000 IN PENALTIES On 31 July 2019 the Land and Environment Court convicted Mr Thomas Paul Hughes for an offence of unlawful transport of waste and a further offence of using a place as a waste facility without lawful authority in breach of ss 143(1) and 144(1) of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, respectively.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (“EPA”) prosecuted Mr hughes for directing the transport and disposal of no less then 4,500 m3 of building and demolition waste from Tuggerah, NSW to a rural property at Wybong Road, Sandy Hollow, NSW (“the premises”) between 21 October 2013 and 21 December 2014.

Mr Hughes directed the waste be disposed of by burying it at the premises. The waste was buried in pits without protective lining.

The disposal of waste at the premises caused actual and potential environmental harm.

Mr Hughes cooperated fully with the EPA and entered guilty pleas to both offences at the earliest opportunity.

The Land and Environment Court ordered him to: • pay $45,000 to the Environmental trust for general environmental purposes; • remove and lawfully dispose of all waste buried at the premises and to recontour and revegetate the premises; • pay the EPA’s legal costs of $60,000; and

2. Pay the EPA’s legal costs; and

• pay the EPA’s investigation costs of $42,593.43; and

3. Place and pay for this publication notice.

• place and pay for this notice.

INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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News //

Profile | Geert Stryg Geert Stryg is a senior project director at Ramboll Energy.

What was your first job in the waste sector?

My first job was as technical advisor on the energy from waste (EfW) facility in Vaasa, Finland.

What’s the favourite part of your role as a project director for Ramboll?

Working in a truly international industry, with clients, regulators, contractors, financiers and other stakeholders from all over the world, and making all parties work together for the purpose of a given project is extremely energising to me.

How has waste management changed during your time in the industry?

The whole concept around the circular economy has finally gained momentum globally. During the past 10 years, the public awareness of the importance of our ability to deal with our waste in a meaningful manner has increased significantly. This has created a public demand for reducing and reusing rather than landfilling. EfW has a significant role in “closing the loop” – through handling the residual waste stream that cannot be reused or recycled, in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.

What are some achievements that you are most proud of?

Building an EfW facility ensures that we are handling our residual waste in an environmentally friendly manner and recovering valuable resources. Energy and resource recovery in an EfW facility is, on all parameters, better than landfilling, and it makes a significant reduction on our green-house gas emissions.

What’s next for you?

My current focus is the successful implementation of the Kwinana EfW facility in Perth, WA. Here we have our strong local owners engineer team assisting our client Avertas in overseeing the design, manufacturing, construction and commissioning of the facility.

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INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

NSW EPA releases C&D waste guidelines THE NSW EPA has published new guidelines to help the construction and demolition (C&D) industry properly dispose of waste. The two new guidance documents will help those in the C&D industry strengthen their procurement and contract processes to avoid engaging rogue waste operators. The documents are Construction and Demolition Waste: A Management Toolkit, and Owner’s Guide to Lawful Disposal of Construction and Demolition Waste. EPA executive director for waste operations Carmen Dwyer said the documents outline quick, easy-to-follow steps the industry can take to make sure they don’t get caught up in waste scams. They help industry bolster their contracts with waste transporters and factor in control measures from the beginning of the procurement process through to disposal.

“We know that most people

in this industry are keen to cut out unlawful behaviour, and the toolkit and guide provide steps that businesses can take to ensure their waste material is lawfully disposed of.

“Unlawful disposal can harm the environment, undercut the legitimate market and remove valuable recyclable resources from the economy,” Dwyer said.

Waste generated from construction and demolition sites, including soil, contaminated soil and demolition waste, must be disposed of or re-used lawfully. In NSW, the owner of the waste and the waste transporter may all be guilty of an offence if waste is transported to the wrong facility. An individual can be fined up to $250,000 and a corporation can be fined up to $1 million. If the offence involves asbestos waste, the fines double.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// News

Tickets on sale for WARR awards 2019 CELEBRATE THE LATEST innovations and achievements in the waste industry by attending the Waste and Resource Recovery (WARR) Awards this year.

Tickets are on sale now for the awards evening, which will be held at the Maritime Museum, in Sydney, on November 14. Organisations across the waste industry will be recognised for their achievements in helping the sector grow and improve.

There will be nine awards given out on the evening, which highlight the best in waste management projects, resource recovery and innovation.

The categories are: • Outstanding WARR Project: Metro and Regional/Rural; • TOMRA Operational Excellence; • Bingo Innovation Award; • Outstanding Facility Award; • Young Professional of the Year; • A.Prince Consulting Woman of Waste Award; • Community Engagement Success of the Year; • WARR Workplace of the Year; and

• L eader of the Year.

Nominees for each category will be shortlisted by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) team based upon the written responses received against the stated criteria questions and supporting documentation provided.

An independent panel of judges will then convene in WMRRfacilitated sessions to choose winners from the shortlists. Finalists will be announced on October 28, 2019 and the winners will be announced at the WARR Awards and gala dinner.

The event is hosted by WMRR and Inside Waste.

The Innovation Award is sponsored

by Bingo Industries; the Operational Excellence Award is sponsored by TOMRA Collection Solutions; and the Woman of Waste Award is sponsored

by A.Prince Consulting.

Inside Waste looks forward to celebrating with all people in the industry and thanks all sponsors for their support.

Profile | GECA Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) is a not for profit organisation that helps individuals and other organisations to make, buy and do better for people and the planet.

When was the company founded and why?

GECA was founded in 2000 to fight greenwash with a mission to create solutions for sustainable consumption and production.

What are the key services that GECA offers?

We’re proud to run Australia’s only not for profit multi-sector ecolabelling program.

The GECA ecolabel enables buyers to purchase goods and services that have a lower impact on the environment and human health, are ethically made and fit for purpose. In addition to our ecolabel, we offer a range of benchmarked life cycle assessment services, GECA Claims Authentication, educational programs and customised consulting.

How does GECA create solutions for sustainable consumption and production?

We are helping to increase both the availability and the demand for products and services that perform better socially and environmentally. Our services have been designed for anyone committed to continuous improvement in their sustainability.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or are a leader in your sector, GECA can help address unique social and environmental challenges.

What are some of GECA’s plans and ambitions for the next 12-18 months?

We recently released a national Waste Collection Services standard, which sets an environmental benchmark for services collecting waste from the point of collation and collection to a lawful processing or disposal facility. Other key areas we’ll be focussing on include carbon, modern slavery and the circular economy.

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Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 INSIDEWASTE

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News //

South Australian councils agree to prioritise purchasing products made from recycled materials

LGA CEO Matt Pinnegar (left) and LGA president Sam Telfer sign an MoU that promotes the use of recycled materials in manufacturing.

NINE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN councils have committed to buying products made from recycled materials to support a circular economy.

The commitment was confirmed with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on September 18, in which the councils are promoting reuse to reduce waste and drive down recycling costs.

The participating councils include Adelaide Hills Council, City of Burnside, City of Charles Sturt, Mount Barker District Council, Rural City of Murray Bridge, City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters, City of Onkaparinga, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, and City of Prospect.

Through the MoU, these councils are promising to prioritise the purchase of recycled-content products through the procurement process, and tracking and reporting recycled-content purchasing by weight.

Local Government Association (LGA) of South Australia president Sam Telfer said while all nine councils are looking to increase their purchasing of products and materials with recycled content, all but the City of Burnside have decided to adopt a target in relation to plastic materials.

“Following a successful initial set up in 2019/20, these councils have 8

committed to buying back recycled plastic materials equivalent to 10 per cent of the weight of plastics collected in their council area, and they will seek to increase this amount in subsequent years until they are buying back 50 per cent of the weight of plastics collected.”

Adelaide Hills Council acting mayor Nathan Daniell said the pilot project aligns with the council’s broader commitment to reduce waste to landfill and improve recycling outcomes.

“The program will lead to improved knowledge and understanding of circular procurement through the increased purchase of products with recycled content. This will in turn provide stability and ongoing markets for recyclable material placed in the kerbside recycling bin.

“It’s essential that we continue to look at ways to reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill,” Daniell said.

This MoU, signed on-site at Advanced Plastic Recycling, is the beginning of a circular procurement pilot project, led by the LGA with the assistance of a $96,500 Green Industries SA grant.

Telfer said the MoU sends a clear message to industry about the types of products that councils want to

INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

purchase as part of their commitment to supporting the environment and improving their sustainability.

“The LGA has commissioned development of a suite of recycledcontent products and materials available for purchase in South Australia. All manufacturers of these products have been contacted to provide information for inclusion in the menu, and are therefore aware of the project.

“We acknowledge that this menu will change over time, and have established systems and processes to keep it up to date. Participating councils will also include information about their commitment in their tender documentation to ensure that their suppliers are aware of it,” Telfer said.

Telfer, who is the mayor of the District Council of Tumby Bay, said his council has not been a part of the pilot project and hasn’t had the opportunity as yet to make decisions on involvement.

“Like all other councils around our state, we are watching the processes and outcomes of it.

“District Council Tumby Bay is a small regional council, which has many different challenges around waste management but, like all communities and councils at the moment, are

looking to do as much as possible make effective and economic decisions on the way our waste is managed,” Telfer said.

South Australia’s Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs supported the project, which he said would help drive local demand for recycled materials, and support local reprocessing and remanufacturing opportunities in the state.

“Improved recycling and resource recovery reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill, which is not only good for our environment but good for the economy.”

For manufacturers, it is also an opportunity to take on the challenge of using recycled materials as the demand for these products will increase as councils commit to these MoU. Advanced Plastic Recycling CEO Ryan Lokan explained that his company already prevents 1,500 tonnes of plastic and 1,500 tonnes of wood from entering landfill each year, which is now expected to increase.

“The greatest benefit coming from mandatory buy back is the demand created. Demand drives innovation and it is companies like ours that will rise to the challenge to meet the requirements for recycled material,” Lokan said. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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News //

Comment sought on EPA Victoria environment regulations THE VICTORIAN EPA is inviting people to have their say on environment and waste management in the state as it implements new environmental regulations and standards from July 2020.

The new regulations and standards are part of the Victorian government’s modernisation of the EPA through the newly passed Environment Protection Act. EPA executive director Tim Eaton encouraged people to have their say on the new Act, which relates to waste, permissions and licences, water, noise, air and contaminated land.

“The new Act and regulations will give EPA more power to prevent pollution and hold polluters to account.

“Where the new Act lays out the increased powers and responsibilities, the regulations and standards fill in the details and create certainty for duty holders to meet their obligations,” Eaton said.

The draft regulations set out obligations in relation to environment protection, pollution incidents, contaminated land and waste.

10

The Victorian EPA is seeking comment on environment regulations and standards.

They offer duty holders a sense of certainty as they set out to meet obligations to reduce the risk of harm to public health and the environment, Eaton explained.

“We want to hear from community groups, industry, small business operators, anyone with an existing EPA

INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

licence, environmental lobby groups, or any other member of the public or industry with an interest in the environment protection laws.

“By contributing to the new laws that will take effect in 2020, you will be helping to shape the tools that protect the environment and public

health for all Victorians,” Eaton said.

The public comment period, open until the end of October, can include detailed technical submissions as well as simple suggestions.

The draft regulations and standards can be found on the EPA website and the Engage Victoria website. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// News

South Australia holds single-use plastics taskforce meeting A TASKFORCE WITH representation from 15 organisations met for the first time in September to help inform the next steps towards a single-use plastics ban in South Australia.

The taskforce has been asked by the state government to consider what impacts legislation might have on businesses and the community and to provide advice on what a phase out of single-use plastic straws, cups, drink stirrers and food service items might look like.

A wide range of interested stakeholders make up the taskforce, including environmental groups, business representatives, the hospitality industry as well as disability advocates.

The members of the government’s single-use plastics taskforce include: • Australian Food and Grocery Council; • Australian Hotels Association (SA); • Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation; • Conservation Council SA; • Environment Protection Authority; • Green Industries SA; • KESAB environmental solutions; • Local Government Association of SA; • National Retail Association; • JFA Purple Orange (disability advocate); • Disability Elders of All Ages (disability advocate); • Restaurant and Catering Industry Association; • SA Independent Retailers; • Waste Management Resource Recovery Association (WMRR); and • Woolworths Group.

Members of the taskforce discussed solutions and alternatives as part of any move to phase out single-use plastics to ensure South Australians can transition smoothly.

Following the meeting, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) government partnership manager Peter Brisbane said APCO applauds South Australia’s leadership on this issue and their highly consultative and inclusive approach.

“Yesterday’s meeting brought together key players in South Australia and nationally to begin what is going to be a really significant process, not just for SA but also for the other states that are looking on and may end up adopting a lot of what we achieve in SA. “As a national body, working on behalf of all jurisdictions and industry, APCO commends the work to engage all critical stakeholders across the

national supply chain,” Brisbane said.

The phase out of single use plastic is an issue APCO is working actively to address at a national level, through the delivery of the Plastic Free Places program with Boomerang Alliance, and through its work on the 2025 National Packaging Targets, which includes a specific target to phase out problematic and unnecessary single use packaging by 2025.

“Next month APCO will also be hosting a national workshop on the issue, designed to help APCO’s members and partners to move ahead with supply chain adaptations with greater confidence that their actions are aligned or compatible with government priorities,” Brisbane explained.

experiences of why people living with a disability rely on plastic straws – as other options are inaccessible and not suitable for hot liquids.

“We were able to share our wisdom and get people moving from talking about banning things into reducing our plastic consumption in an inclusive way. It was a great foundation meeting and has set the tone for meetings to come.”

Purple Orange is a social profit organisation that helps people who live with disability by promoting the development of policy and practice that makes a difference.

Mills said Purple Orange would like to see an accessible, sustainable solution to the plastic straw as, they should not be banned before a solution is created.

been invited to take part in the single-use plastic taskforce.

“The taskforce is looking at a range of important and complex issues, and it’s vital industry participants are able to contribute to the discussion.”

The taskforce will seek presentations and meetings with those with a stake in any future changes to legislation, and will communicate with the community and business to ensure SA maintains its leading reputation in sustainability and the environment.

SA Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said the issue of plastic use and plastic pollution is currently one of the most pressing topics. “We won’t be left standing on the sidelines watching the impact on our environment go unchecked.

Members of the SA single-use plastics taskforce met in September.

“We were able to share our wisdom and get people moving from talking about banning things into reducing our plastic consumption in an inclusive way.”

Inclusion was a key part of the taskforce meeting, which Purple Orange project officer Kathryn Mills explained needed to be a focus throughout the discussion and before any decision to ban single-use plastic products was made.

She said the meeting was an opportunity for Purple Orange to share their perspective on the need for some single-use products.

“The taskforce got a sense of the

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

“We would like to see this taskforce lead by example in ensuring people living with disability are consulted with on issues that impact them.

“We’ve been supporting the reduction of single-use plastics at our facilities for ten years and we know that reducing plastic consumption can be done in an inclusive way,” Mills said.

A Woolworths spokesperson said the company was pleased to have

“We know that our interstate colleagues are eagerly awaiting the outcomes from our taskforce and from our plastic free precinct trials,” Speirs said.

Australian Food and Grocery Council CEO Tanya Barden said it was good to see the issue of single-use plastic discussed through the taskforce.

“We support national harmonisation to address community and government expectations around plastics,” Barden said. Legislation banning single-use plastics in South Australia is expected to be introduced into Parliament in the first half of 2020. iw

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 INSIDEWASTE

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News //

Fire and Rescue NSW release safety guidelines to help improve safety in waste facilities FIRE AND RESCUE NSW has released version two of a fire safety in waste facilities guideline, following consultation with the waste industry in early 2019.

The document provides guidance on fire safety in waste facilities that receive combustible waste material, including adequate provision for fire safety and facilitate safe fire brigade intervention to protect life, property and the environment.

Released in August, the document has been welcomed by associations such as the Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association of NSW (WCRA) and the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR).

WCRA executive director Tony Khoury said in recent times, fires in waste and recycling facilities have placed a considerable burden on the limited resources available to Fire Rescue NSW. “These guidelines were developed to provide guidance material to better manage the risks associated with fire

New fire safety guidelines help facilities that receive combustible waste material.

safety in waste facilities. WCRA would like to thank the staff at Fire Rescue NSW and NSW EPA for their efforts in developing these guidelines,” Khoury said.

“With rising insurance premiums, we strongly encourage all members to review these guidelines and to implement the required compliance actions.”

WMRR stated it was pleased that Fire Rescue NSW had taken on board

numerous changes and comments that it had put forward.

The original guideline concerned the waste industry due to a range of reasons, including the “overly prescriptive, onerous, and costly nature of a number of requirements”, according to WMRR. Fire Rescue NSW has included several of WMRR’s recommendations, including: • Recognition that the guideline does not apply to all waste facilities and

that it is intended to only be a guideline; • The ability for fire engineers to use alternative solutions, including provisions in the Building Code of Australia; and • Providing clarity around temperature monitoring by changing the original requirement of “automatic temperature monitoring” to “appropriate temperature monitoring”. iw

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// News

Nappies and cigarette butts dampen New Zealand’s green image, litter audit reveals A KEEP NEW ZEALAND Beautiful National Litter Audit, for 2019, has estimated that more than 3.6 billion pieces of plastic are being littered in New Zealand.

It also estimated there are enough disposable nappies littered to fill 159 Olympic sized swimming pools and there are 2,142 littered cigarette butts to each person in New Zealand.

Released in September, the audit reveals staggering figures on the estimated amount of litter covering New Zealand’s “clean green” landscape.

The audit estimates there are more than 394,965,000 litres of littered disposable nappies across the country and 10.2 billion littered cigarette butts.

There are an estimated 258,043,800 litres of takeaway containers littered in New Zealand and more than 265,000,000 litres of illegally dumped items.

In a six-month audit, surveyors studied 413 areas, covering 477,349 sqm. The results were then extrapolated across the area of New Zealand. Sites surveyed were a mix of both urban and rural locations, including public recreational spaces, car parks, industrial and residential areas, retail spaces, highways and railways.

The audit takes a detailed look at the most littered items, the largest contributors to the country’s litter volumes and it gives a regional breakdown.

Cigarette butts were the most frequently identified item nationally, with 39 butts recorded per 1000m² and disposable nappies represented the largest contribution to the estimated national litter volumes – recording 1.50 litre of volume per 1,000 m².

As well as this, the report digs into the most littered brands, with Speights identified as the most frequently found brand, accounting for 5.44 per cent of all branded litter items recorded for 2019.

McDonalds and DB were close behind with each brand accounting for 4.93 per cent.

In order to minimise the amount of material being littered across New Zealand, the Ministry for Environment’s Outcomes Framework has highlighted some key targets for the country.

These include, implementing local authority-led, cross-domain approaches to trends in land and marine-based waste entering the marine environment and having robust data sets for all environment domains.

New Zealand’s Associate Minister

Cigarette butts are one of the most littered items in Australia and New Zealand.

“This Keep New Zealand Beautiful report helps fill an important gap in our knowledge around litter to ensure our ‘clean green’ image is a reality.” for the Environment Eugenie Sage commended the Keep New Zealand Beautiful report in helping to capture some important waste data.

“This Keep New Zealand Beautiful report helps fill an important gap in our knowledge around litter to ensure our ‘clean green’ image is a reality.

“This report also gives us a baseline dataset to monitor litter into the future. It helps us shift to a circular economy, where we focus on designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use longer, and restoring and being restored by nature,” Sage said.

Australia similarly has an annual litter audit report. The Keep Australia Beautiful 2017/18 National Litter Index showed a litter reduction of 10.3 per cent, compared to the previous year.

The most significant decrease observed was 16.8 per cent in takeaway food and beverage packaging.

It too, gives a state-by-state breakdown and identifies the most littered products – again, cigarette butts top the list. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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Indonesia returns 100 containers of waste to Australia INDONESIA’S CUSTOMS officials confirmed, in September, that 100 containers of contaminated waste will be shipped back to Australia.

The containers make up a portion of the 547 containers that Indonesian officials have determined are contaminated by a variety of medical waste, or materials that could be explosive, inflammable, reactive, infectious or corrosive.

Australia’s Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Trevor Evans told Inside Waste that while the government is aware of media reports that containers of recyclables are being returned from Indonesia to various countries, including Australia, the Federal government has not been approached about facilitating the return of any shipments.

“Overseas regulators are understood to be dealing directly with the importers involved in the export of allegedly contaminated shipments of waste, whose responsibility it is to ensure they comply with relevant regulations here and overseas. An

independent auditor is assisting to understand the nature of previous allegedly contaminated shipments of waste that were returned to Australia from overseas.”

However, while the Australian government hadn’t been approached directly, taking responsibility for better managing Australia’s waste is a key priority, Evans said.

“The Prime Minister announced at last month’s Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting that the export of problematic wastes would be banned.

“This ban will drive the growth of Australia’s domestic capacity to process and recycle our own waste, and build demand for utilising recycled materials,” Evans explained.

The timeline to phase out exports of waste is currently being worked on, and will be considered at a Meeting of Environment Ministers in November.

National Waste and Recycling Industry Council CEO Rose Read said that while news of Indonesia sending waste back to Australia highlights the ongoing challenges

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INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

Australia faces, the message remains the same.

“It’s really about creating local markets here for those materials to help our sorting capacity and our reprocessing capacity.”

She said that parallel to the commitments made at the COAG meeting – in which Federal and state governments agreed to develop a timetable to ban the export of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres – Australia needs to ensure it has sufficient markets to deal with these materials on shore.

At the COAG meeting, in August, Prime Minister Scott Morrison explained the agreement made with environment ministers from states across Australia is a step in recognising that Australia’s waste is Australia’s responsibility.

While this is an important commitment, Read said Australia can only achieve this with a greater domestic market for difficult materials such as plastic.

“Plastic is the hardest one and it needs the most attention.”

Additionally, she explained that the country’s current 2025 National Packaging Targets, are not stringent enough to address current challenges, and from a consumer perspective there needs to be more guidance to reduce contamination rates.

“We can’t wait until 2025.

Importantly, we need to continue stronger, clearer and simpler messaging about what goes into that yellow bin.”

Stories in the media such as Indonesia sending waste back to Australia, heighten community concern about recycling, Read said.

“While the amount of material we are talking about is small in the scale of things, the point is, we don’t have solutions for these materials.

The community needs to help by being part of those solutions, but consumers are confused as to what goes into the yellow bin. They are getting mixed messaging.

“We need to have consistent messages state-wide. We are calling on local and state government to have simple messaging,” Read said.

“It’s just a symptom of a broken system that needs to see a significant shift.”

In response to the Indonesian government’s announcement, the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) reiterated its support for Australia to manage its own waste and resources to combat the recycling challenges the country is facing.

WMRR CEO Gayle Sloan said contamination, which is a concern for international importers of recycled materials, is primarily a result of people using their household bins incorrectly.

“Of course, industry and government can and should do more, but so can every citizen by being more diligent about what they put into the yellow bin. What is still lacking in Australia, which is the fundamental reason material has been exported in the past, is greater certainty of remanufacturing pull.”

Sloan said global shifts have resulted in Australia needing to find homes domestically for its recyclables and while this is certainly a positive aspiration, Australia needs to grow its demand for, and use of recovered resources.

“Industry does not want to export these materials and we know that there are many good reasons to sell these materials right here in Australia and turn them back into packaging,” Sloan said.

“Doing so will close the loop on the products we consume, and it will boost local economies and grow jobs.

“Waste management and resource recovery is a shared responsibility and there is no quick or easy fix,” Sloan explained.

“As industry continues to work closely with all levels of government on the solutions, including policy and regulatory frameworks, we urge the community to continue recycling by putting their empty and dry household packaging into the yellow bin as we have many MRFs and remanufacturers who are processing these materials,” she said.

Sloan indicated there needed to be more leadership from a federal level.

“The Federal government has to address packaging nationally, strengthening the laws and framework around extended producer responsibility, and urgently move to a mandatory scheme that includes mandated percentages of Australian recycled content within the packaging, and designing out problematic plastics.”

The Product Stewardship Amendment (Packaging and Plastics) Bill 2019 was read in parliament in September, but currently, Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets are not mandatory.

If the Bill were to pass, a mandatory product stewardship scheme would be established for manufacturers, importers and distributors of consumer packaging and certain single-use plastics in a bid to help manage Australia’s waste onshore. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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Health and safety group formed in NSW for waste industry A WORKPLACE HEALTH and safety group has been formed to better manage safety in the waste industry.

Announced in August at a Safety Summit in Sydney, the newly formed Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association of NSW (WCRA) workplace safety in waste management group will help organisations improve safety procedures.

Recent deaths in the waste industry in Australia prompted the Safety Summit – organised by WCRA and SafeWork NSW. WCRA executive director Tony Khoury said the summit and the announcement of the group aim to help all organisations in the waste industry requiring extra support.

“We all need to reflect and act on what we can do to better manage risks and hazards in our workplaces,” Khoury said.

In order to minimise the risk of these incidents, steps must be taken, such as ensuring traffic management inside yards is effective, a SafeWork NSW spokesperson said.

“Don’t have people working next

to machinery unless there is clear separation. Companies should consult with their workers to find solutions of how this might work.”

At the summit, SafeWork NSW executive director Tony Williams explained that SafeWork will have a greater presence in the field with a program of rolling workplace visits throughout NSW looking at traffic systems, plant condition and maintenance, training and interaction with the general public on sites. icare safety speaker ambassador Kahi Puru emphasised the importance of safety awareness – explaining that workers and organisations cannot afford to be complacent.

Having lost his leg after a workplace forklift accident, Puru expressed the importance of never dismissing a near miss.

At 29 years old, Puru’s leg was crushed in a workplace forklift accident, which resulted in his leg being amputated at the hip. He now shares his story in the hope that others gain a better understanding of the importance of workplace safety.

A health and safety group has been formed to minimise risks and hazards within the waste industry.

Panel discussions at the summit included talks on complacency causing undue incidents, tackling asbestos and a discussion on requiring waste transporters to be licenced by the NSW EPA. The summit also covered EPA and SafeWork NSW plans to target rogue waste operators and reviewing

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With the creation of the WCRA workplace safety in waste management group, these topics will be looked at in further detail in a bid to improve on current practices and workplace processes. iw

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// News

EfW fact sheet gives clarity on Australia’s EfW opportunities AMID “A LOT OF CONFUSION” in the Energy from Waste (EfW) sector, Arup resource and waste management lead Shaun Rainford said the public needs greater access to facts about EfW’s success and challenges, which people now have.

Rainford spoke at the introduction of Australia’s first in a series of EfW fact sheets – launched by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) and Bioenergy Australia in late July.

He explained that there is a need to put the facts forward to a broad audience and set out the fundamentals of energy recovery.

“There’s a lot of confusion in this space. As a peak body this is absolutely what our role is and what we should be doing.

“We also have different policies in each state, with potentially different definitions, which adds to the confusion,” Rainford said.

He noted that while the ACT and Northern Territory have limited policies in place, Western Australia has had a clear policy framework and

understanding of EfW since 2013.

While EfW’s potential is apparent elsewhere in the world, where it makes up part of the energy mix, Australia on the whole has been slow in adopting the technology.

As Miles Mason, business development manager at New Energy Corporation, highlighted, there is a confluence of factors contributing to Australia’s reticence to adopt EfW. “The local community is scared that this could endanger their health, and the regulators in Australia have never had to deal with this, so they’ve had to play catch up to get the right policies in place.”

At the same time, landfill in Australia has been historically cheap, when compared to land-scarce countries in Europe and Asia. Recent changes to the waste industry have opened up a space for EfW, particularly as levies for waste disposal at landfill rise. But, there has been some backlash from the community, Mason explained.

“The everyday punter can get on the internet, type in ‘waste to energy’ and some crazy stuff comes up, and we’re

concerned about that because the waste issues have become a lot more interesting to the community.

“There’s greater media coverage and the interest in EfW as a potential option to deal with waste management issues has grown significantly,” Mason explained.

Working from March 2018 until July 2019, the group comprised representatives from the consulting, industry and local government sectors. Beginning with 12 questions, and text that stretched to over eight pages, the group whittled down the document with input from the national EfW committees.

Discussion within the group oscillated as to whether to have the document focus in on specifics of the EfW process, using technical language, or to remain broad and accessible to all. Ultimately, the second option won through, leading to the current document that was published on July 31.

“WMRR is providing education and some resources for local governments, state government, policy makers and the general public,” Mason said.

With contributions from numerous sectors, the result is a document without a commercial imperative. The document focusses on facts, rather than a marketing spin, Mason said.

WMRR’s aim is to give EfW a clearer future as part of the waste and energy mix across Australia. As Mason highlighted, while there are solutions for recycling plastics, paper, glass and aluminium, there’s one more area to cover. “We ought to be doing something better with that red top bin,” Mason said.

WMRR CEO Gayle Sloan said WMRR and Bioenergy Australia fully support the fundamental principles of waste management and resource recovery and this fact sheet is a balanced document that discusses EfW within the waste management hierarchy, where it has a clear role above disposal.

“It is a useful document to have as jurisdictions around Australia develop EfW policies, and as all stakeholders – governments, industry, community and more – consider the changing face of waste management and resource recovery,” Sloan said. iw

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From the CEO’s desk AS WE APPROACH the two year Environment Ministers meet for the second anniversarywill of China’s World Trade time this year Organisation on 7 December, following first notification that the it would 2018 Meeting mandate of Environment Ministers (MEM) and enforce stringent qualityin April, which was in part a response the for import requirements from Marchto2018 restrictions driven by China’s National Sword imported recycled materials intended Policy and thefor effects this policy has had across re-processing (to as low as 0.5 the Australian waste and resource recovery (WARR) per cent contamination for some industry. Key decisions derived MEM commodities), andfrom with the the April November include: 8 Meeting of Environment Ministers (MEM) just around the corner, we once • Reducing waste endorsing a target againgeneration, pose these questions – what of 100% of Australian packaging being recyclable, have we achieved in two years and how compostable orcan reusable by 2025, andindeveloping we quicken our pace building a targets for recycled content in packaging. sustainable domestic remanufacturing industry and markets for recycled products?

• Increasing capacity.

There isAustralia’s absolutelydomestic no doubt recycling that Australia’s waste and resource recovery (WARR) • Increasing the demand for recycled products. industry has long preferred to manage our own waste and resources domestically • Exploring opportunities to relying advance waste-to-biofuels. as we know firsthand that onwaste-to-energy overseas markets and is simply not sustainable, • Updating the 2009 Waste Strategy by year willpolicies, includeadding circular given countries are governed independently andend, have which their own economy principles. to general uncertainty in global export markets. However, today, industry is still hamstrung by Australia’s linear culture (we take, use, and dispose), and we cannot It ischange time tothe take stock and examine whatdemand has been since these decisions national paradigm or grow andachieved use of recovered resources were announced.

Now, seven (7) months may not seem like a long time, however alone! We need assistance and leadership from stakeholders who have responsibility in that time we have seen further markets close (Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam) for other aspects of the manufacturing supply chain, as well as our governmentsand (at if you are an operator under continued financial stress, seven (7) months could all levels). makeThe or break realityyou. is, there is no quick or easy fix to this challenge but where others have thrived and we have failed is in the fact that many countries have grappled Following the April MEM, we have (3) decisively states step and responded to the challenge betterhad andthree far more thatinwewith havevarying in degrees of financial assistance for industry (councils and operators).

This Australia. In Asia alone, multiple policies were introduced to slow the importshould of be expected considering allquality states (except Queensland and Tasmania) have recycled materials basedalmost on both of imports and importantly, the increased access to significant waste levy income each year.

On the eastern seaboard, Victoria desire to manage their own recyclables in their own remanufacturing industry, with hasthe approximately $600goals million in waste levy being reserves in the carbon Sustainability Fund additional stated in some countries to reduce emissions. and NSW raises more than $700 million per annum from the waste levy.

There is In Europe, we have seen genuine action backed by legislation to eliminate certainly no lack of funds can reinvested into our essential single-use items, imposethat a tax onbe virgin material, mandate requiredindustry. use of recycled content in packaging, and implement polluter-pays systems funded by the polluter Funding helps as we polluters). know, theWemoney goes much longer with (in many casesbut packaging have also seena ongoing informedway policy Government support and leadership, as well as appropriate policy levers. debate and action leading to the transitioning to a circular economy – if anyone has any doubt of where and why we need this transition, simply turn your attention VICTORIA to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation and read some of their compelling research!

Victoria arguablytobeen the most and earnest supporting the industry It ishas important remember that active this situation is notinunique to household post-China, with two (2) relief packages announced to support the recycling (which still gets the nation’s greatest attention). I would put torecycling you that industry, a total of million.

Victorian Government has also gone for toovalued long inatAustralia our$37 measure of The success has been “diverting from landfill” above all others states by announcing it would take a has leadership and and whilebeyond this is important, the logic and reason behind diversion been lostrole in creating products. along themarket way. Wedemand divert soforwerecycled can create!

By not discarding (linear thinking) and placing products in the ground, we have the ability to turn that product SOUTH back AUSTRALIA into what it came from (plastic into plastic, glass into glass or glass sand, Government announced $12.4 into million support package comprising million of food back into organics,a paper paper), reducing reliance on virgin$2 materials additional expenditure, $5 million additional funding for a loan scheme, together and in the process, creating jobs. Just imagine if we measured based on what with targeted funding from the Green Industries SA budget.

The Government we recreated (remanufactured)! However, in 2019, there isn’t a state in Australiahas alsothat offered grants forquantify recycling infrastructure. can accurately what has been reprocessed and remanufactured,

only what has not gone to landfill. To be fair, there has been some movement in industry however the Queensland Government hasproviding embarked on the development the last two years with a number of states acting and funding; SA and of a waste management strategy by a waste levycase to increase Victoria in particular have done the underpinned heavy lifting (very obviousdisposal why in the of recycling and recovery and create new jobs.

The State will re-introduce Victoria). However, unlike our overseas counterparts, we have not had one piece aof$70/ tonne landfill levyand in it March 2019.toThere are what also strong policy legislation adopted is difficult consider has beenattempts adopted,to theuse 2018 levers (levy discounts and exemptions) to incentivise the use of recycled material National Waste Policy, as “policy” when it contains no targets, actions or funding! and make cost competitive with virgin material.

However, little hasmaterial been done to What is stillitsorely lacking in Australia, which is the fundamental reason establish new markets and Government has not taken the lead in the has been exported in the past, is greater certainty of remanufacturing pullprocurement and of recycled material. grants(or available for resource recovery local end markets.

This There lack of are emphasis understanding) by policy makersoperations on in Queensland no monies havethat been allocated has to assist 2018.

This is the entire supply although chain in many ways means government been in slow to act. troubling Queensland outas itsresource Container Refund(not Scheme onmanagers) 1 November, The nationalasdisregard of ourrolled industry managers rubbish which likely cost and revenue models of the State’s MRFs – as we has alsowill meant thatimpact policy the continues to be linear in thinking where industry have seen most recently in NSW. is only (and often overly) regulated and materials measured only by disposal metrics, making it all the more challenging to recover – just think about the MWOO WESTERN AUSTRALIA situation.

The Australian Government up aunderstanding Waste Taskforce direct response to In Western the absence of national leadership,set policy andinmarket the China National Sword.

As part of this announcement, the State development in Australia, why is it shocking that almost two years on we Government are urgedongoing all localstockpiles councils to the utilisation (3)-bin seeing andbegin challenges?

After all,of thea three materials, justsystem like the- red for general waste, yellow for front recyclables and organic waste - over the trucks, keep coming in the door but wegreen don’t for have the manufacturing pullcoming years to reduce contamination.

While this taskforce is a step in the right onshore and the ships are running out of options offshore! So, what happensdirection, next? we yet tothe seeCOAG any tangible results from it or any funding for plastic, industry.

In tyres.

October, Inare August, said it will ban the export of paper, glass, and the WA Waste Authority released its draft to 2030, which comprises Industry has always said we don’t want to beWaste reliantStrategy on international markets, but a comprehensive and detailed roadmap towards the State’s shared how do we achieve this big stick policy? What we need now is no different to vision what of becoming a sustainable, low-waste, economy. we needed when National Sword hit us –circular we need to build a sustainable, longterm remanufacturing sector in Australia. We need more manufacturers to buy our COMMONWEALTH materials previously demanded overseas, right here in Australia.

Following the MEM in April,isAustralia hasgenerators a new Federal Environment Minister, The first obvious solution to requirenow waste and producers of these Melissa Price, who in October reiterated to media MEM’s commitment to materials to take responsibility for the products they design and to pay the costexplore to energy part ofat the solution to of China’s National Sword, ofwaste managing these as materials end-of-life, justthe as impacts they already do in Europe. which is troubling (EfW is not a solution to recycling).

The Commonwealth Significant national action on product design and material selection is also requiredhas also not backed the Australian Label andhas endorsed thepackaging National Packaging now, in 2025.

Further, theRecycling Federal government to address Targets developed by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation nationally, strengthening the laws and framework around extended producer (APCO), which has toand date, failedmove to incorporate industry feedback in themandated development responsibility, urgently to a mandatory scheme that includes of these targets.

To the Commonwealth’s there has significant percentages of Australian recycled content withincredit, the packaging, and been designing coordination reviewing the we National Waste Policy, with (at theall Department of out problematic in plastics.

And yes, need mandated government levels) Environment bringing together industry players and States during the review procurement, we need to move now to buying recycled materials: we know that process. right now – TODAY – we can put recycled glass into roads, recycled plastics into street furniture, recycled tyres into playgrounds – all of which reduce the need for Thematerials updatedand Policy willviable now go beforefor Environment on 7 December. new create markets more of our Ministers recycled materials.

We just The Commonwealth can play a key role – one that goes beyond the development need government to mandate this, creating market certainty and Australian jobs! of the National Waste WMAA is supportive of the Federal Government As we head intoPolicy. the only Ministers for the Environment Meeting for 2019maximising on the levers8,it2019, has, including taxation importation powers, to maintain November we are hopeful thatand market development, mandated producta strong, sustainableand waste and resource recovery industry. stewardship harmonised national Container Deposit Schemes are all on the agenda, as they are the only way we can move towards better outcomes. Let’s hope AHEAD OF MEMthe 2 last 12 months has driven greater and deeper reflection and that if anything, There may be movement Australia, with some states doing research on what should be inacross a National Waste Policy that we can be proudbetter of andthan others, but the consensus is, progress is still taking way too long.

It is evident we do not simply get fed more of the same because we know that business as usualthat there funds available in almost all States to assist with developing secondary will getare us nowhere. manufacturing infrastructure, however the only way that this will really happen is if Gayle there Sloan, is government leadership around mandating recycled content in Australia chief executive officer, WMRR now, not later.

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

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

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

Gayle Sloan Chief Executive Officer

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Councils break away from three-bin system

By Miri Schroeter (Continued from front page, main story) WASTE MANAGEMENT AND Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) CEO Gayle Sloan indicated that WMRR does not support moving to a fourth bin without considering broader implications and costs.

“WMRR cautions the government against simply turning to additional bins as a solution, because doing so means placing extra costs on councils and householders and increasing truck movements.

“Emphasis must be on solutions that require waste generators and producers taking responsibility for the waste they design and paying for the cost of managing this waste,” Sloan said.

She explained that adding a fourth bin will create additional costs for collection services, potentially result in excess recyclable materials and do little to create market demand for glass.

“At present, we only have demand for about 350,000 tonnes of recycled glass for the 1.2 million tonnes of glass made on shore,” Sloan said.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council acting director of assists and operation Anne-Louise Lindner said the council had taken steps to trial a fourth “glass-only” bin in a bid to test a glass-free recycling method that decreases contamination rates of other recyclable materials that are in demand.

“Until glass is removed from the recycling stream, [the] council will have no option but to send the recycling to landfill. [The] council has identified a processor that will accept its recycling, however it will not take recycling, which contains glass.

“Shards and small pieces of glass can become embedded in paper and cardboard in recycling bins and contaminate the other recyclables.”

The council is asking residents to remove glass from recycling bins while it explores its processing options, Lindner explained. If bin audits show that glass has been removed, the council will look to divert its recycling from landfill and send it to a processor that accepts glass-free recycling.

Sloan said the two big issues 20

Australia is facing are paper and glass recycling; and she also acknowledged that contamination rates need to decrease.

“We need to look at solutions now to enhance paper manufacturing in Australia. Our goal must be creating a cleaner stream for remanufacturing, and creating increased demand, but not at the cost of the household alone.”

Sloan suggested working with existing companies, such as paper mills, to manage recyclable materials, implementing a container deposit scheme (CDS) in Victoria, and focussing on minimising contaminations rates.

“I’m hearing that contamination levels are going up. I’m hearing increasingly now that we need to support industry and support work around what does and doesn’t go in the bin.

“We need to keep supporting our recycling sector in Victoria and get

“We need to look at solutions now to enhance paper manufacturing in Australia. Our goal must be creating a cleaner stream for remanufacturing, and creating increased demand, but not at the cost of the household alone.” those bins as clean as possible and get the right information out,” Sloan said.

She commended the Victorian government for committing to a $6.6m financial relief package to councils directly affected by the closure of SKM and for a $10m loan given to receiver KordaMentha to get SKM sites up and running. But she cautioned governments against simply turning to additional bins as a solution.

Sloan explained that adding a fourth bin for glass would make implementing a CDS in Victoria problematic in the future – given the creation of a bin that may be stripped

of CDS eligible containers.

Furthermore, she reiterated her support for a CDS in Victoria as an opportunity to reduce gate fees paid by councils, given the weight of eligible glass containers could reduce these fees. CDS implementation would provide the community with an income stream and allow costs of collection to be shared with the beverage industry, not just councils and households, Sloan explained.

Moyne Shire mayor Mick Wolfe said the council had decided to roll out a glass recycling bin across the shire as glass currently accounts for about 40 per cent of recyclables in yellow kerbside bins.

Moyne Shire Council is introducing a fourth kerbside bin for glass collection across the entire shire.

INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Industry News

Moyne Shire mayor Mick Wolfe said glass accounts for about 40 per cent of recyclables in the shire’s yellow kerbside bins.

“[The] council will no longer be reliant on SKM as there are other facilities that can process recyclables that are not contaminated by glass.

There are also facilities that will take the glass, crush it and use it as a substitute for sand in road making.

“Not only is this a better solution for the environment, it’s better for the economy,” Wolfe said.

With the bins taking about three months to be manufactured, the change to collection in the shire is likely to begin in early 2020.

Rolling out glass recycling bins is slowly becoming a desired option

for councils in Victoria. While the Macdeon and Moyne shires have done so due to SKM closures, the Yarra City Council sees the benefit of glass recycling regardless of SKM closures prompting moves by other councils.

The council has rolled out additional household glass recycling bins after commencing a trial in June 2019 with 1,300 households in Abbotsford.

Yarra City Council mayor Danae Bosler said the council had been exploring innovative methods to develop a more sustainable kerbside collection model.

“Yarra’s waste revolution has just begun, but already it is proving to be a great success. Residents have been very supportive of the new service and the effort to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill.”

Within the trial area, residents separate their food and garden waste from landfill waste, and their glass from their co-mingled recycling.

In the first four months, there was a 71 per cent increase in waste being composted and recycled in Abbotsford. Residents are diverting about 60 per cent of their waste from landfill – up from 35 per cent from before the trial commenced.

In the waste and recycling collections since the trial started in early June, the council has collected 33.3 tonnes of regular recycling, 22.3 tonnes of glass, and 49.7 tonnes of food and green waste.

The trial in its first 12 weeks, collected 15 tonnes of glass, which is being recycled in Melbourne.

A further 28 tonnes of co-mingled recycling was collected and processed by contractors in Australia.

“Around 90 per cent of glass collected separately can be recycled into new glass products. Any glass that [the] council can’t recycle into new products is being used in bitumen for local roads,” Bosler said.

“Glass in the co-mingled recycling bin leads to a deterioration in the quality of all materials in the bin, and less opportunity to recycle these products. We saw a great opportunity to make our recycled materials cleaner and more valuable, ensuring that they get a new life while also sending less waste to landfill.”

She said the Yarra council welcomes the Victorian government’s commitment to work with councils to overhaul kerbside waste and recycling collections as the state’s current system is not sustainable.

Interim solutions to avoid landfilling With the closure of SKM facilities, councils have been sending hundreds Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Excess recyclable material is being sent to landfill in Victoria due to SKM closures.

“Along with reducing litter, the scheme would ensure the beverage supplier industry takes greater responsibility for packaging, and rewards individuals, community groups, sporting clubs and charities for picking up littered beverage containers.” and thousands of tonnes of recyclable material to landfill.

As late as September 23, the City of Melbourne was sending 45 tonnes of recycling to landfill each day, as the council had no immediate alternative.

After almost two months, the council reached an agreement to resume the processing of household recycling. City of Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp said the council had reached an agreement that will see the processing of household recycling resume immediately.

“The short-term arrangement to process household recycling was reached while KordaMentha seeks to finalise the sale of SKM. “We urge the community to continue separating their waste and recycling. It’s vital that general waste not be mixed in with recycling to ensure recycling services are sustainable and viable,” Capp said.

The council had experienced some difficulty in finding alternative solutions for its recycling as it was in a collaborative contract with SKM along with five other councils.

Prior to Capp’s announcement, City of Melbourne councillor Cathy Oke, who holds the environment portfolio, told Inside Waste the council had contacted other recycling providers for an alternative solution, but industry capacity was limited.

Residents were able to take items that they would usually recycle in their kerbside bin to the Dynon Road centre in West Melbourne and they

were asked to separate their glass and place it in a “glass only” bin.

“Glass breaks easily and can contaminate co-mingled recycling.

We are looking at all options in response to the state’s recycling crisis, including asking residents to separate glass from other waste streams,” Oke said.

In order to improve the state’s recycling processes and capabilities, the City of Melbourne Council had joined other Victorian councils in calling for the state government to introduce a CDS into parliament this

City of Melbourne councillor Cathy Oke said the council was looking at numerous options in response to the state’s waste crisis.

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Industry News //

year, Oke said.

“Along with reducing litter, the scheme would ensure the beverage supplier industry takes greater responsibility for packaging, and rewards individuals, community groups, sporting clubs and charities for picking up littered beverage containers.”

The City of Casey had experienced similar struggles, since the SKM closure, in processing recyclable material in its jurisdiction.

The council has an interim arrangement with Polytrade to accept and process recyclable materials, but the amount Polytrade will be able to recycle will vary day-today based on its capacity.

City of Casey manager for sustainability and waste Michael Jansen

“We need to look at campaigns to tackle the underlying value of these programs. Human agency is incredibly important. There’s an underlying value proposition that we don’t take to the public.” said sending recyclable material to landfill always remains a last resort.

“We’re currently delivering around 75 per cent of our recycling to Polytrade while also negotiating a midterm arrangement that will secure our recycling process until July 2021.”

Unlike other councils, the City of Casey isn’t pursuing a separate glass collection, but Jansen said it will review learnings from other councils that are exploring this. “[The] council is concerned that the economics of providing a fourth (and even fifth) bin does not stack up and

Yarra Mayor Danae Bosler (centre) chats to Abbotsford residents at a Yarra Waste Revolution community info session.

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INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

this is once again a solution that will be funded by the ratepayer.

“The provision of an additional bin to all properties will cost the City of Casey more than $6m, not including either the cost of collection or the education campaign required to support it,” Jansen said.

“A genuine sustainable solution requires a coordinated response with commitment from all levels of government and industry. There needs to be a reset of the policy settings that truly recognise ‘waste’ as a resource,” he said.

Victorian Waste Management Association (VWMA) executive officer Mark Smith said that household bins for glass were a reasonable, short-term option, but where the systems fell short, was in its lack of a consistent approach to education, inconsistent kerbside recycling systems, and an overload of information.

“I do think the public only have so much bandwidth. When we are talking about road safety campaigns, sun smart campaigns and recycling campaigns, people only have so much they can take in.

“We need to look at campaigns to tackle the underlying value of these programs. Human agency is incredibly important. There’s an underlying value proposition that we don’t take to the public,” Smith said.

He commended campaigns such as NSW’s Don’t Be a Tosser litter prevention campaign, which looks at the social and environmental implications of people’s actions. Smith explained that similar campaigns, which highlight the effect people’s actions have on waste management and recycling, could help householders dispose of items correctly.

VWMA supports its members to engage with state government in a push for a more collaborative approach towards improving Victoria’s recycling processes and education programs.

“Private contractors are also impacted by SKM’s closure. But it’s hard for them to have a strong voice among councils. We want to ensure, we are not in the situation where are in now, in the future,” Smith said.

A Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning spokesperson said the government will overhaul the kerbside collection system to minimise contaminated waste and support cleaner material streams that can be reused in innovative ways.

“This may include extra bins for households to improve the separation of waste, making it easier to recycle materials.

“We can start now by getting our recycling right at home – keeping some items out of the bin to improve the quality of the recycling we collect.”

The spokesperson said the state government had invested more than $141m in the states’ waste and resource recovery industry, including $37m for the Recycling Industry Strategic Plan.

“This funding is diverting more than 770,000 tonnes of reusable material from landfill every year.”

The spokesperson did not comment on the potential of implementing a CDS program to cope with recyclable materials. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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Industry Review //

The state of waste in Australia

Australia’s waste industry has seen many challenges as well as growth in the past few years.

Contributed by Mike Ritchie THE AUSTRALIAN Commonwealth has achieved a first – a Minister for Waste (and Environmental Management) was announced by the Morrison government.

In the 200 years since colonial settlement we have not had a Minister with ‘waste’ in their title. I hope that ushers in a period of attention and reform.

After the China National Sword import restriction on Australian recyclables, the return of container loads of recyclables, the massive success of “War on Waste”, the 60 Minutes “expose” of waste management activities and a Four Corners documentary, waste is finally attracting attention (not all of it good). The recent collapse of SKM, one of Australia’s largest recyclers, should be focussing a lot of minds.

The increased profile will only be a positive if it generates rapid action and policy reform.

Australia has a mixed record on waste and recycling. On the positive side, we have grown our recycling rate from 7 per cent in 1996 to 58 per cent in 2016/17. That is pretty impressive given that we don’t have a domestic Energy from Waste (EfW) industry, which tends to boost the (often over 90 per cent) recycling rates claimed

by European countries. We have a robust kerbside recycling collection system for households and the essence of good practice in the commercial, construction and demolition sectors.

But our policy settings are weak compared to Europe and are not strong enough to achieve even the existing state government targets (which themselves are relatively weak).

In fact, in 1996, Australia landfilled 21Mt of waste. In 2019, we still landfill more than 21Mt of waste, according to the Department of the Environment and Energy National Waste Report 2018. All 24

of our recycling effort has been taken up by the growth in waste generation (driven by increased per capita consumption and population increases) such that we have made few in-roads on actually reducing waste to landfill.

I am optimistic that with Commonwealth Government involvement we will see a re-emergence of a policy reform agenda and coordinated approaches to national waste and recycling.

Here are some key issues which must be addressed if we are going to create the circular economy that (almost) everyone endorses:

Market price signals There is a significant failure of recycling and waste economics in Australia. The fact is almost all recycling in Australia is subsidised by someone. Only the metals (steel and aluminium) and fibre (paper and cardboard) have sufficient economic value to recycle themselves. In other words, the value of metal and fibre outweighs the costs of collecting and reprocessing it. All of the rest of the materials we recycle are subsidised by someone. Think kerbside recycling (subsidised by ratepayers essentially paying for collection and MRF gate fees), food waste (subsidised by waste generators), container deposit schemes (subsidised by drink consumers) etc.

The bottom line is that if we want higher recycling rates then that comes at a cost to the economy and at a cost to someone. The question is who should pay and how much?

Secondly and self-evidently, waste is something that is discarded or unwanted. So, it will naturally trend towards the cheapest point of disposal.

As I often say in public presentations, “Waste is like water, it will flow downhill – in this case to the cheapest price”. That is a fundamental law of waste policy. If your recycling option costs a dollar more than the cost of

INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

landfill, then the waste will go to landfill (with the minor exception of companies that are prepared to voluntarily subsidise the recycling for environmental good, brand or other commitments).

Which brings me to the role of government. Only governments can remedy market failures. Single companies can’t do it. You and I can’t do it as individuals or consumers (that doesn’t stop us trying).

Governments must create the market conditions for recycling to be viable both environmentally and financially.

Governments set the targets for waste diversion from landfill. They need to give the market the right signals to achieve their own targets.

Most of the 21MT of waste that currently goes to landfill is not financially viable to recycle under current policy settings. Innovation alone won’t fix our waste market failures. The cost impediment is just too high.

Hence governments have to intervene. To their credit most state governments have introduced landfill levies to start rebalancing the market prices, advantaging recycling over landfilling. They use some of the levy money to further subsidise new infrastructure and services. All good. But so far, not enough to drive overall waste to landfill downwards (significantly or rapidly).

If governments don’t want to use market price signals then the only other structural policy lever is to regulate waste by requiring it to be recycled, banning it from landfill or requiring processing. That is the European model and explains much of their higher recycling rates (along with EfW).

For example, unprocessed organic waste is banned from landfill in Europe.

It must be reprocessed into valuable products – compost and energy.

Generating investment and jobs.

Infrastructure funding and planning If we want more and better recycling then not only do we need the policy incentives for companies and councils to invest in it, but we need them to be able to get bits of infrastructure approved and built. That is inherently difficult for waste infrastructure.

Nobody wants a waste processing plant, a transfer station or a composting facility next door to them.

Many councils are responsive to local community concerns. Fair enough. But what that means in practice is waste activities are either being prohibited or pushed further and further away from waste generators (to the city outskirts) increasing traffic and heavy truck movements. Clearly what is needed in all states is a planning policy statement that preferences waste infrastructure in industrial zones and has an approvals pathway that recognises the strategic importance of waste assets. In NSW, for example, the industry has been calling for a State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) for waste infrastructure.

If we don’t have the kit, then we can’t recycle the 21MT of mixed waste that is currently being landfilled.

Finally, on infrastructure (large and small) we need to preference the building of kit to process mixed materials; MRF, C&I sorting platforms, more C&D sorting, EfW, transfer stations and composting facilities, to name a few. Mixed (unsorted) waste represents more than 90 per cent of the materials sent to landfill. The highest priorities are organics processing (composting and anaerobic digestion below), mixed commercial waste sorting facilities and mixed demolition sorting facilities.

Not difficult and well known. Other priority infrastructure includes glass sand manufacturing (from bottles), plastic reprocessing, dirt reprocessing, consolidated well run landfills, community recycling centres and EfW facilities.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Industry Review

How do we pay for all this kit you say? The current landfill levies around Australia raise more than $1.2 billion per year. Of that, less than 20 per cent is hypothecated to recycling and waste management (on average). There is an immediate source of revenue to build infrastructure.

as the organics collection, or to ban organics to landfill, as Europe has done.

And of course, we should not forget that diversion from landfill is one of the cheapest global warming abatement options.

But more importantly we must establish domestic secondary reprocessing infrastructure to convert the materials to a cleaner secondary product. That means not exporting bales of PET containers or HDPE milk bottles but washing and pelletising

Energy from Waste With QLD’s policy currently under discussion, all major states will soon have an EfW policy in place. No new facilities have been completed yet, but that is about to change as construction recently began in WA’s Kwinana EfW facility while the Victoria EPA has issued works approval to Australian Paper’s EfW. More are certain to follow, including PEF from C&I waste, complementing Australia’s 40-plus biomass energy plants.

Properly done, EfW can progressively (over a 40-year time horizon) replace most landfills as the final disposal option for residual waste. We are seeing most state governments (with some notable exceptions) rolling out the following key policy settings: • Don’t cannibalise recycling; • Residual material only – no higher order value, i.e. the residual of the residual stream after processing it; • Meet international air emission standards; and • Generate power or heat (not just waste disposal).

It is reasonable to expect the above high standards from EfW facilities.

And there is a strong argument that the same should apply to landfills, especially when it comes to specifying minimum recovery rates that apply to the supply chain feeding EfW. Being consistent would level the playing field for both of our final disposal options, landfill and EfW. And it would ensure neither becomes a final destination for recyclables.

Organics Of the 21MT that is currently landfilled, more than 10MT is organics (food, garden waste, pallets, timber etc).

Organics breaks down anaerobically in landfill to generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The release of this gas to the atmosphere currently contributes close to three per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. The industry has done well in capturing much of the methane but not enough.

The best solution is to keep the organics out of landfill and instead turn it into compost and return it to farmers. Simple, I hear you say. Yes it is. But it is currently uneconomic for many councils and most restaurants, cafes etc. The solution is either to subsidise composting facility construction and operation, as well

Responding to China and Asian demand The China National Sword policy has restricted the export of plastic and fibre to China by limiting the acceptable contamination rates to less than 0.5 per cent – down from 2 and 5 per cent. China has its own middle class generating their own recyclables. Why keep importing it from the West when China can clean up its own environment by recycling locally generated materials? But it is a big challenge for Australia’s existing recycling infrastructure – primarily Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs). It is almost impossible (and very expensive) to reduce contamination to 0.5 per cent in a MRF. I often hear people say we shouldn’t be exporting recyclables overseas in the first place. My response is we export iron ore, coal, sheep etc.

Recyclables are just bales of plastic and fibre that are traded internationally. We export them because that derives the best return for the MRF operator and the cheapest price for council (saving money for you and I as ratepayers).

That is not to excuse the inclusion of contamination nor to minimise the problems of pollution in the Asian economies.

Solving China National Sword and the flow on restrictions in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India and other countries, requires Australia to clean up its exported materials and on-shore as much reprocessing as possible.

That means improving MRF operations (capital and labour) to reduce the contamination in exported materials, as a first step.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

them here so that we can export a clean plastic pellet. I hear you asking why we haven’t always done that. We haven’t for good economic reasons.

It has always been cheaper and more efficient for the Asian business at the end of the transaction to do it (more automated processing at plastic and fibre mills, cheaper labour, etc).

But not now. Now it is much more expensive to export any contaminated material and have it languish in shipping containers or worse still, be sent back. Australia must act and act quickly. The Australian Council of Recyclers (ACOR) engaged MRA to undertake a cost benefit analysis of preferred solutions. For no more than $150 million, our report said you could de-risk Australian recycling with three simple actions. These include investing: • $90m in infrastructure including local plastic, glass and fibre reprocessing as well as MRF upgrades; • $30m in positive procurement program to build the markets for recycled content here in Australia (such as glass sand in road base and asphalt); and • $30m in waste education to reduce gross contamination.

Where is the money going to come from I hear you ask? Again, landfill levies in Australia currently raise more than $1.2b per year, every year.

Paid by homeowners, businesses and the community generally to improve recycling and resource recovery. To de-risk Australian recycling in view of China’s National Sword and in the long term, the industry does not need much.

Just over 10 per cent in one year, once.

What does the circular economy really mean?

The idea of waste as a resource is an old one. It rejects the status quo “take-make-dispose” linear economy in favour of cycling biological and technical materials. However, although putting materials out for recycling is well accepted; reincorporating those materials into the productive economy has languished. Designing products so that, at the end of their life, their materials can be reincorporated into new products is even less common.

A circular economy goes beyond improving recycling; it aims to close the loop by influencing not just end of pipe recycling but also design, logistics and the entire value chain.

A future where resources come from waste, where waste materials become feedstock for regenerative economies. A future of green collar jobs, of a densely integrated system of remanufacturing that sustains local industry. The circular economy feels obvious, even overdue. The sort of thing that has been talked about for decades but still isn’t happening at scale. The key reason we do not have a circular economy is because recycling costs more money than cheap landfill disposal. Essentially, it is a “market failure” although economists will hesitate to describe it as such.

Insofar as they consider the problem at all, they look at the decisions of each of the actors in the marketplace and consider these decisions to be rational. Therefore, left to the market, the circular economy will not happen.

Governments have to intervene and lead the way for a circular economy because the endpoint is an economy that is more valuable, creates more jobs, is healthier and most importantly, has significantly less impact on the environment. I would argue that fostering a circular economy is so important that it would be worth forming a Circular Economy Commission (akin to the Productivity Commission) that would look to untangle the thicket of obstacles that prevent the market from delivering on the benefits of a circular economy. Or at least, as proposed by ACOR, Australia’s Environment Ministers could agree to a national circular economy and recycling plan that invests in infrastructure, improvement and innovation.

Government procurement would be key in kickstarting a circular economy, but to sustain it initiatives to encourage businesses to buy locally recycled products are also important.

Moreover, in a truly circular economy, ease of recyclability would also dictate the demand for raw materials. So, the relatively easy to recycle PET and HDPE would ultimately displace harder

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Industry Review //

to recycle polymers when it comes to product packaging.

Government procurement In the absence of a circular economy, recycling infrastructure and kerbside collections, although important, are “end-of-pipe” solutions. And they have been extensively supported by some governments and sometimes resulting in an oversupply of (exwaste) resources. A critical gap in our current resource recovery sector is now demand side purchasing. The recycling sector generates material for which there simply aren’t enough viable local markets. With procurement in Australia being worth about $600b annually, and a large percentage of that being government procurement, the end markets for recycled plastics, metals, glass, paper, e-waste and tyres are there. They just need to be accessed.

Governments, as the largest purchasers of goods and services in the country, should lead by creating markets for recycled products and materials. Last year the Victorian government committed to a “recyclables first” procurement policy, essentially using its considerable purchasing power to drive demand

for local recycled products. All governments should follow suit with even more ambitious targets. It is simple enough to turn the glass that is stockpiled around the country into sand for road building, plastic into furniture and railway sleepers, etc.

Extended producer responsibility In 2018/19 saw the emergence of EPR schemes from the shadows. The rollout of container deposit schemes in NSW, ACT, QLD and now WA (with SA and NT having schemes for years) has woken the public to waste management and litter in particular. It is only a matter of time before Vic and Tasmania join the program. Consolidating eight different schemes into one management structure would make sense, but is not a first order waste issue. Extending EPR to other materials is a high priority.

Mandatory EPR schemes for tyres, white goods, mattresses, old cars, oil, e-waste (computers and televisions are already being done), solar panels, single use batteries, gas bottles, smoke alarms, and other items, would do a lot to reduce illegal dumping and reduce the free-riding which plagues current voluntary schemes.

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INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

Better data In late 2018, the government released the National Waste Report 2018, which covers 2016/17 data. The previous one, National Waste Report 2016, was released in 2017 and presented 2014/15 data. As a result, at a Commonwealth level, we are always working with numbers that are between two and four years old and that often includes interpolated data based on past numbers. In addition, the report recognises a number of data gaps and issues. A lot of these issues stem from data problems at the state level. NSW’s recently released 2018 State of the Environment Report uses data that only goes up to 2015 and still excludes recycling data. In the best cases, states use data that are at least two years old.

Policy makers, generators, collectors and processors need good data.

We can’t ask investors to stump up hundreds of millions of dollars on the back of old and inaccurate data.

Expecting a state and national waste account within six months of the end of each financial year is not unreasonable.

We should also push for benchmarking across the board, especially for local government. That way, councils know who the leaders are and they know who to talk to for tips. Peer pressure and access to best practice will drive improvements.

Community engagement So far, on a state and commonwealth level most community engagement has been on “iconic” waste streams (such as plastic bags and coffee cups). This engagement is easy and cheap; it appeals to people’s emotions and is generally magnified by the media for free. However, it is also quite ineffective in terms of tonnes recycled or diversion from landfill.

But engagement is important. High community participation is necessary in tackling big ticket items such as waste avoidance, organics recovery and to reduce contamination of the yellow kerbside bin. Usually, it is left to local governments to garner community support and provide waste education.

A more streamlined approach on a state or commonwealth level (from standardised bin colours and recyclable types accepted to education material) could go a long way towards streamlining community engagement, reducing its costs and increasing recovery.

Climate change I have often called out climate change for what it is, an existential threat and the greatest challenge of our time. I am also aware that Australia represents only 1.3 per cent of global emissions. However, we are also one

of the wealthiest countries in the world, with one of the highest per capita emissions profiles. Therefore, we need to get to the point where we accept some short term pain in order to reduce Australia’s emissions and to contribute meaningfully to international efforts.

The waste sector contributes 2.7 per cent of Australia’s total emissions. Our waste industry has historically reduced its emissions more than virtually all other sectors. It’s now emitting about 12 million tonnes per annum, down from almost 16 million tonnes in 2000. That’s largely due to landfill gas capture and taking organics out of landfill. We are already punching above our weight, but there is still much that can be done: • Better landfill gas capture and use; • Avoided landfill emissions by diverting waste containing degradable organic carbon; • Save energy by recycling the embodied energy of paper, cardboard, glass, steel and aluminium; • Use EfW to displace fossil fuels and avoid emissions; • Convert suitable waste to biochar and apply to land (carbon capture and storage); and • Use new electric waste trucks or convert existing ones to use biogenic fuels to displace fossil fuels.

In all, the waste sector could reduce Australia’s emissions by about 58MT or 10 per cent of the country’s emissions – and all that at such a relatively low cost, that we should be doing it anyway.

Conclusion In our experience, Australians care for the environment. When it comes to waste, most businesses and households support better recycling (even if it means more work at home to source separate) and somewhat higher landfill levies. However, they expect for most of the levy revenue to be hypothecated to recycling infrastructure and systems.

With that sentiment in mind and a new Waste Minister at the Commonwealth level, we are on the right path. Recycling rates are rising, new technologies are emerging, infrastructure is being built and with it jobs and economic returns. However, the fact is we are struggling to fully cope with the aftermath of China’s National Sword and we are massively underperforming relative to state targets. Waste is politically simple.

Few voters disagree with more and better recycling. We need leadership from government and we need it now.

Mike Ritchie, managing director of MRA Consulting Group, has 25 years’ experience in environmental policy. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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Industry News //

One person’s food scraps are another person’s banquet Targeted and specific messaging can help a message stick in consumers’ minds.

Photo credit: Livia Giacomini.

By Miri Schroeter (Continued from front page, main story) THE LOVE FOOD, HATE Waste NSW report showed noticeable differences in attitudes towards food waste based on different household structures.

Families with children and shared households (non-related), wasted more than other types of households, with 7.0 and 7.1 litres wasted per week respectively – compared to 5.9 litres wasted by the average household.

Households with an annual income of $100,000 and over discarded 6.5 litres of waste per week, compared to 5.9 litres per week wasted by households with an annual income of less than $100,000.

Of the 1,337 NSW residents who completed the survey, 53 per cent indicated they didn’t want to leave food on their plates because it was a waste of good food and 50 per cent said it was a waste of money. Yet, 42 per cent of people aged 18-34 indicated they were embarrassed to ask for a takeaway container when eating out. Although 30 per cent of this age group feel guilty leaving food on the plate – compared to the 14 per cent average – food will often end up in the tip.

NSW EPA director for resource 28

recovery Amanda Kane said one of the challenges is changing consumers’ mindsets – for example in a buffet setting.

“There is an expectation of guests that you have an abundance of food,” Kane said.

She explained that while businesses face challenges in meeting people’s expectations, they can help people by creating an environment where it is normal to ask for a takeaway container in order to avoid food waste.

“People don’t like it when they have food left on the plate. They like it when a restaurant helps them not waste food.”

Kane said a common issue diners face and do not like, is receiving portion sizes that are too large. She suggested that business should offer a range of portions sizes or offer side dishes by request only.

Through the NSW EPA Bin Trim program, Kane works with businesses in the hospitality sector to support them in making changes that benefit customers and ultimately save the business money by minimising the amount of food going to waste.

“The first thing they do is a threebin audit so they can identify where the biggest problems are. For example, if it’s plate waste, offer entrée sizes.

INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

If it’s prep or storage, could you offer specials to move stock that’s coming up to its best before date?

“When they start source separating they see the volumes of food they are wasting.”

Kane said once companies are onboard and see the amount of food they are throwing out, they are willing to make a change. However, it’s difficult to engage cafés and restaurants as they are often too busy to think about

it, she explained.

“It’s been quite hard to engage them, but once they are engaged, we get the results. Interestingly, we are finding once they know how much food they are wasting, it triggers their desire to do something about it.

“In starting to reduce food waste, they are starting to improve efficiency in their stock purchasing. A real strong motivator is once they start doing it, it becomes something the business embraces and employees like that companies do it,” Kane said.

Of 5,077 food businesses that had food waste data recorded in their 1st and 2nd assessment, through the Bin Trim program, there was an increase in recycling of 17,152t, and a 5,953t reduction in food waste generation, Kane explained.

Forty-three Bin Trim rebates have been awarded $769,429 in funds to divert food organics. Equipment funded includes source separation bins, worm farms, dehydrators, macerators and a chicken caravan. In addition to 2,886t of food, these rebates have helped divert 76t green waste, 85t papers, 51t cardboard, 115t plastic (film and rigid), 48t glass, 26t metal and 5t expanded polystyrene. A lot of the nonfood material is packaging diverted in the source separation equipment.

Increasing the cost on chucking food Rawtec associate consultant Kat Heinrich said implementing price signals from a local government level

OzHarvest creates meals using rescued produce from supermarkets and other food outlets.

Photo credit: NikkiTo.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Industry News

OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn said food waste is mostly avoidable.

”Don’t be afraid to get all the wilted and sad looking vegetables from the bottom of the fridge and cook them up into something delicious – soups, stews or even just a quick tray bake can save perfectly edible food from ending up in the bin.” or banning food waste from landfill at a state level are some key ways that food waste could be managed.

“What surprises me in the waste industry for households, is there’s no price signal. You pay for your energy and your water; and you can reduce your price by turning off your water or lights.

“You could either set it up as a pay-as-you-throw, or a rebate service.

I can see that working successfully in Australia as it really drives behavioural change.”

Heinrich said it would encourage people to correctly sort their waste and to reduce food waste as a means to save on those additional costs of disposing of it.

“There are obviously so many actions individuals can take, but people are busy. They receive thousands of messages every day.”

Heinrich explained that in order to get a message across, and for it to stick, it needs to be specific.

“In the UK they are noticing a lot of bread is being wasted. They focus their communications on bread – particularly on actions like freezing your left over bread to reduce food waste.

“It’s a more targeted messaging.

If it’s really broad, and there are millions of things we tell people,

they won’t do it,” she said.

OzHarvest CEO and founder Ronni Kahn emphasised Australia’s shocking 7.3 million-tonne, annual food wastage figure, which costs the economy more than $20 billion dollars.

“The sad reality is people do not value food anymore. In today’s society we have the illusion that food is disposable – with relatively low prices, and constant supply, we have lost our connection to where it comes from.

“If people understood the tremendous effort and resources that go into producing food, they may not be so quick to waste it. There are so many different reasons for why food is wasted, but the good news is – it’s mostly avoidable,” Kahn said.

She explained that in order to minimise food waste, everyone should look at what they have before going shopping, buy only what they need, store food correctly and cook food that needs using up.

“Food is so precious, wasting it makes no sense – economically, environmentally and ethically – but we all do it. From forgetting about food in the fridge, buying and cooking too much, letting it expire, not storing it properly and plate waste – there are so many reasons

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Calculating the amount of food needed for a meal can reduce excess food purchases.

good food ends up in the bin from our homes and businesses,” Kahn said.

“One of the main reasons for food waste is over-buying. Just by getting into the habit of using everything up before buying more, you can dramatically reduce your food waste.

“Don’t be afraid to get all the wilted and sad looking vegetables from the bottom of the fridge and cook them up into something delicious – soups, stews or even just a quick tray bake can save perfectly edible food from ending up in the bin.”

Kahn said tackling food waste

should be an urgent priority at all levels of government.

“Not only does it play a major role in curbing climate change, it has tremendous economic and social benefits through waste reduction and getting food to people who need it most.

“Food waste is emerging as one of the biggest issues of our time.

It needs collective action with changes at all levels of society – law, policy, regulation, investment and infrastructure, underpinned by a fundamental change in the way we consume and value food.” iw

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 INSIDEWASTE

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Major court ruling redefines asbestos waste in NSW Contributed by Gavin Shapiro A MAJOR COURT ruling, handed down in August, will impact recyclers in NSW – particularly those dealing with C&D waste, those that may have exposure to asbestos risks, and all parties dealing with resource recovery exemptions.

The NSW Court of Criminal Appeal (CCA) overturned an earlier Land and Environment Court (LEC) decision regarding waste-related legislation in NSW. In doing so, it has redefined how the meanings of “waste” and “asbestos waste” are understood, and changed the obligations related to resource recovery exemptions under NSW environmental legislation.

The decision means that the courts have now endorsed a zero-tolerance approach to the presence of asbestos in waste, which is likely to have serious consequences to the recycling industry – especially C&D recycling.

The NSW EPA succeeded on all grounds in EPA v Grafil Pty Ltd; EPA v Mackenzie [2019], overturning almost all of the original findings of Justice Pain in EPA v Grafil Pty Ltd; EPA v Mackenzie [2018] NSWLEC 99.

Background The defendants, Grafil Pty Ltd accepted thousands of tonnes of material from a number of recyclers for the building of an access road.

That material was supplied under two

resource recovery exemptions.

Grafil received material over a period of months, always with a certificate from reputable recyclers stating that the material had been tested, met all requirements, and therefore fell under resource recovery exemptions. However, when the EPA attended the site, it tested a range of stockpiles, and alleged that some of the material did not meet the relevant criteria. Moreover, since limited amounts of asbestos had been located (634.64 grams in 44,000 tonnes – representing some 0.000000014 per cent), not only did the material not fall under the exemptions, but it was “asbestos waste”.

The EPA prosecuted Grafil for unlawfully using its land as a waste facility without a licence – an offence under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act).

In the Land and Environment Court, Justice Pain found Grafil and its director not guilty. This turned on a number of key points, three of which were the subject of the appeal.

She found that the material was not “waste” or “asbestos waste” under the POEO Act and she held that since it is the generators that are required to carry out testing, it would be unreasonable operation of our laws to hold the consumers of that material criminally liable if it turned

out not to meet the criteria.

The Court of Criminal Appeal overturned Justice Pain’s decision – and in doing so, changed the landscape for waste in NSW.

Is the material “waste”?

Under the POEO Act, “waste” is defined in the following way: “waste includes… (a)…, or (b)…., or (c)…., or (d)….”.

In the LEC, Grafil successfully argued that the use of “or” between the subdefinitions to “waste” meant that the definition is fairly narrow, as it can only fall within one, or the other subdefinition – but not both. This narrower meaning would mean that in some cases it would be uncertain if material was actually waste – and therefore, whether the POEO Act applies at all.

However, the CCA disagreed. It stated that the definition of “waste” is intended to be wide – and so, the word “or” is actually to be read “and/ or” – falling within one or many sub-definitions.

If there is ever any doubt whether material may or may not be waste, this judgment means that it is safest to assume that it is waste.

Is it “asbestos waste”?

Possibly the most controversial aspect of the judgment, and with far-reaching consequences, is how the court approached the meaning of “asbestos waste”.

Under the POEO Act, “asbestos A recent court ruling on asbestos waste is likely to affect C&D recyclers.

waste” is defined as “any waste that contains asbestos”. This definition is extremely vague as there is no suggestion as to how much asbestos deems an entire stockpile or load as asbestos waste.

The NSW EPA has always adopted a zero-tolerance approach – any asbestos presence, even a microscopic amount, means that the entire stockpile/load is “asbestos waste”. This has serious implications, as a stockpile of, say, 1,000 tonnes of recyclable material with 0.2mg of asbestos would need to be disposed of as asbestos waste instead of being recycled/reused.

In the LEC, the trial judge adopted a pragmatic approach in stating that it would depend on the particular circumstances, such as the source, nature and volume of the waste in question.

The CCA overturned this. It held that if any amount of asbestos is present, the entire stockpile is classified as asbestos waste. The amount of asbestos discovered in the bulk samples in this case was “incredibly minor” (per Justice Pain) in comparison to the per estimate of 44,000 tonnes of materials in the stockpiles – amounting to 0.000000014 per cent of all material.

The industry now has to assume that the presence of even a fraction of a per cent can deem an entire load of waste to be “asbestos waste”. This includes re-examining due diligence and testing regimes, contamination and rejection clauses under contracts, protocols for checking and rejecting loads, as well as environmental insurance.

Are consumers to be liable?

The implication of the CCA’s decision is that even a consumer who has done all that is required of them under the POEO Act can be criminally prosecuted, and/ or ordered to remediate the site and dispose of the material at great cost.

This decision means that the regulatory regime for waste in NSW has become tougher, and risks to all in the industry have increased. However, Grafil may appeal the decision to the High Court of Australia – which would settle some of these issues once and for all.

Gavin Shapiro, a partner at Hones Lawyers, specialises in the waste industry – including waste contracts, waste legislation, EPA investigations and prosecutions. iw Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 INSIDEWASTE

31

Energy from Waste //

Trust – a pathway to getting community on board with EfW

By Miri Schroeter A STUDY CONDUCTED in 2019 by CSIRO and Sustainability Victoria showed that 75 per cent of survey participants believe that landfill is the worst option for managing waste, yet 36 per cent wouldn’t live near a waste complex and 27 per cent wouldn’t live near an energy from waste (EfW) facility.

When it comes to EfW facilities, 24 per cent of the 1,240 plus participants indicated they would “tolerate” living near one and only 4 per cent would approve of living near an EfW facility.

With studies such as this one showing people’s unease at living near a waste facility, Sustainability Victoria waste education coordination lead Ki Halstead said now is the time to build community acceptance for waste facilities.

Speaking at the Waste 32

Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) 2019 Energy from Waste Conference, Halstead said within Sustainability Victoria’s waste and resource recovery infrastructure plan it had identified EfW facilities that were critical to protecting the public and the environment.

“In order for us to protect these sites and increase the public value of the system, within Sustainability Victoria saw that there was a need for us to support the industry in building community acceptance of these facilities and also the services that are provided to them.”

In order to better understand community concerns around EfW facilities and other waste sites, Sustainability Victoria and CSIRO partnered to understand community perceptions and expectations in the waste and resource recovery sector.

Research undertaken by the two

INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

organisations – including the 2019 survey and a similar survey from 2016 – helped form waste projects and develop training for the industry, Halstead explained.

“It’s not just about informing the community about a business and about letting them know why you’re so great. It’s about understanding the community’s expectations and concerns and it’s about how you respond to those expectations and concerns.”

Andrea Walton, a social scientist with CSIRO’s Adaptive Communities and Industries group, said the greater people’s knowledge about waste facilities is, the greater their acceptance.

She said EfW was introduced into the 2019 survey to find out what Victorians thought about EfW in Australia.

She explained that people need to trust and feel confident that the

industry will be held to account, and that operators of waste facilities will listen to them and communicate regularly.

“The higher the knowledge, the more it’s going to drive people’s acceptance. The more benefits you can see, the more that that’s going to increase the acceptance. The more trust you have the more you see a quality relationship,” Walton said.

She explained that trust is equally, if not more important, than informing the community about new and ongoing projects.

“Governance is the friend of trust in industry. Distributed fairness is [also] a big driver. Feeding into that fairness is benefits. It’s the community saying – what are the benefits versus what are the impacts?

“Benefits might be local jobs or societal benefits. With something like waste, you need a really strong narrative as to why we need this

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Energy from Waste

Credit: Ramboll.

The Amager Resource Centre, in Copenhagen, can process about 435,000 tonnes of waste annually.

– how is it fitting into the overall sustainable waste management options we’ve got?

“That’s the sort of thing we think is going to help balance those scales and sense of fairness,” Walton said.

One setback is a setback for all By building public and stakeholder trust, speakers at the EfW Conference, such as Walton, explained that there would be more support for EfW facilities as people gain an understanding of the benefits to the environment and to the community.

But, Justin Koek, director for waste policy at NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, said one failure can be detrimental to the public’s perception of other projects.

“Every project that falls over because of poor community

engagement or poor reputation within the community is a setback for the sector as a whole. It makes the next proponent’s job all that much harder to bring the debate back to something that is a bit more sensible.

“That’s the challenge to the sector – to be able to really make the case, not just on a project by project base, but as a whole.”

He said social licence is a key aspect of moving forward with successful EfW projects.

“If I was to provide any advice to you all, it’s really to get out there and make the case for why this is a good, sensible solution for local communities that is not going to destroy the environment, that is going to generate jobs and help people to better manage their waste.

That is part of the message that has been lost and it gets further clouded every time there are poor operators out there,” Koek explained.

Niels Jakobsen, who is a senior project manager for Ramboll, said it is important to have an open and transparent process when it comes to the planning and construction of an EfW facility as this gives regulators confidence.

Ramboll has provided consultancy services to the Kwinana EfW project in Western Australia and projects internationally, such as one in Denmark, which Jakobsen, and his colleague Geert Stryg, referenced in their presentation.

The Amager Resource Centre, in Copenhagen, completed in 2018, can process about 435,000 tonnes of waste annually. It produces 400,000 MWh of electricity and 1,000,000 MWh of heat per year.

Despite being situated centrally in the city, Jakobsen explained its location is no issue and these facilities can be central if community engagement is detailed and continuous.

“If you don’t deal with [social licence] in a proper way, you can actually stop or ruin your project.

It’s important to hear the concern,” Jakobsen said.

The Amager centre is less than 300m away from a new real estate development and existing apartments.

The Danish royal family’s residence is also only 1.5km from the facility, Jakobsen explained.

To cater to the community, the facility features four integrated ski slopes on the roof and a rockclimbing wall up one face.

“People understand the issue and what it’s all about and we don’t see any problems at all. As part of the

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

planning, the public should have access to the facility that’s why there is a ski slope on the roof.”

International success WMRR CEO Gayle Sloan said the EfW Conference was an opportunity for attendees to hear success stories from international keynote speakers. This was represented in the first keynote of the conference when Peter Pluschke, deputy mayor for environment and health at the City of Nuremberg, shared the success his council had encountered with EfW. The first EfW facility in Nuremberg opened in 1969. In the early 1990s, the City of Nuremberg began to consider how its existing waste treatment facility could be replaced and a new plant opened in 2001.

Pluschke said that about 70 per cent of the material treated at the facility comes from households, with the remaining 30 per cent coming from other sources. Yet, the community’s acceptance of the EfW facility was lower when it opened in 2001, than it is now.

He explained that in the process of building an EfW facility, his council held a hearing, which gave many in the community vital information with which they could make an informed opinion. It also reassured them that EfW played a key role in waste management.

“It was a communication process that we had three years to [undertake] from the start of the political debate to the decision.

“We showed them that a good neighbourhood can be achieved,” Pluschke said.

In order to keep the community informed, the City of Nuremberg also provides data on the EfW facility’s air emissions, which can be found on the council website.

Pluschke explained that during a conversation about EfW, it is important to analyse what waste can be processed in these facilities, what materials should be reused and who owns the waste.

“Who is the one that takes ownership? The question of ownership must be clear.”

Pluschke said manufacturers must be considered when talking about ownership and waste management.

“We are not focussing on getting as much waste as possible for incineration. How do you produce something to get it repairable and to get it recyclable?”

Australia’s case for EfW Globally, there are more than 2000 EfW plants in commercial operation processing MSW/C&I. Nuremberg’s

first facility began operating in 1969, and hundreds of other facilities are operating in Europe and Asia, to name a few. Yet Australia is lagging when it comes to using EfW technology in waste management.

Speaking at an ‘Around the States’ panel, facilitated by Re.Group’s Garth Lamb, representatives from each state in Australia discussed the country’s opportunities for EfW. While Walton had said in her presentation that governance and trust are critical in getting community on board, ACT NOWaste executive branch manager Michael Trushell highlighted that the Federal government needed to show more support for states and focus on a long-term strategic commitment to grow trust within different levels of government.

He believes that one of the difficulties state governments face is that the Federal government views waste management as a state issue.

“Therefore the states get in and do what they do. They invest very heavily; they do a lot of reform.”

Trushell explained that the Federal government’s interest in the waste sector has grown, and he hoped that the government would commit to long-term investment, which would give states confidence that that leadership will persist.

“We do work a lot together, but I’d like to see the Federal government show a genuine long-term commitment. They are starting to build that but they need to continue to do that. I’m not optimistic, but certainly the ACT continues to try to work with our Federal and state colleagues and we remain hopeful,” Trushell said.

Pravin Mennon, from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, said he is hopeful that a more coordinated approach will ensue.

“I’m probably a little bit more optimistic.”

He indicated that the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in August showed a collaborative approach in which Federal and state governments discussed the banning of exports and landfilling of certain products, and implementing measure to improve recycling rates nationwide.

“That really only leads us down one or two paths, and EfW very much fits into that picture as part of that process – as part of a nationally coordinated mix.

“Or at least with a framework that is driven nationally for the state governments to put together,” Mennon said. iw

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 INSIDEWASTE

33

Energy from Waste //

Dos and don’ts in EfW projects

By Inside Waste ENERGY FROM WASTE (EFW) opportunities were explored in detail at a conference in Canberra in late August, as projects for EfW facilities in Australia ramp up.

The country is set to have two EfW facilities ready for use in the next few years – both of which are in Western Australia. The Kwinana facility is expected to process 400,000 tonnes of waste per annum, while generating and exporting 36MW of green electricity to the local grid every year. The second plant, in East Rockingham, will see an estimated 330,000 tonnes of waste converted into renewable energy.

While these projects are underway, and more are in the pipeline, there are still barriers to overcome as it is relatively new territory for Australia.

Getting community on board and ensuring planning and construction hurdles are minimised along the way is giving people in the waste and energy sectors a lot to consider.

WMRR hosted an EfW conference in Canberra in August.

With talk of EfW taking off in the public arena, and continuously underway in the industry, the conference, hosted by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR), gave industry leaders timely insight into the dos and don’ts of EfW projects.

Speakers from Australia and overseas offered advice based on experiences

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INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

they have had with EfW projects and facilities.

ResourceCo sustainable fuels CEO Ben Sawley explained that being diligent in the research phase is paramount.

“Have relevant reference points to refer to, and work with the EPA. My advice is not to gloss over things – it makes the process drag out.”

Sawley worked on the Wetherill Park Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) in NSW, which is a waste-to-fuel plant that opened in July 2018.

The plant is licensed to receive up to 250,000 tonnes per annum of dry commercial and industrial (C&I) and mixed construction and demolition (C&D) waste – recovering commodities such as metal, clean timber and inert materials. Sawley highlighted achievements as well as hurdles that were encountered through the process.

The location was well-thought-out, the design was in line with reference plants and consistent communication with the NSW EPA helped the project come to fruition. But, Sawley cautioned others to allow more time for the NSW Department of Planning approval process as in this case, it took four months longer than expected, which strained stakeholders.

“Having a reference point is so valuable. Engage with the regulator early and often. Leverage relevant reference points and have good contingency in the plan.”

Sawley said the process can be a “mindbender”, but good communication with the EPA helps the it move along more efficiently. “There was a genuine willingness by the EPA to understand the fundamentals of the project and to assist us in the evaluation process.”

The approval process for the Wetherill Park project took about one-and-a-half years.

Ramboll Energy senior project director Geert Stryg said the legal

frameworks for the two sectors that EfW projects fall into – waste and energy – are not always aligned, which can cause some difficulty. Ramboll has provided consultancy services to the Kwinana EfW project since 2014. The project reached financial close in 2018.

“Be mindful when you enter into an EfW project – it’s a complicated project.

The decisions we take early on will have a significant impact going forward.”

He explained that planning should involve people with experience in dealing with EfW projects in order to cover all bases.

“You will always receive a mix of whatever you can imagine being thrown into the bin. Our focus needs to be robust enough to take whatever is thrown at them.”

WMRR CEO Gayle Sloan said the 2019 EfW Conference gave attendees the opportunity to hear from international keynotes about the success of EfW working as part of an integrated waste management and resource recovery system.

She explained the EfW is not the be all and end all of waste management, rather, it is a recovery solution above disposal when it is unable to be recycled.

“EfW assists in driving positive diversion and recovery outcomes,” Sloan said.

“Harmonisation was another big theme at the Around the States panel, comprising senior government officers from Queensland, SA, NSW, ACT, WA, and Victoria. Industry reiterated the need for all jurisdictions to come together, led by the Federal government, to develop a nationally consistent policy and regulatory framework which would go a long way in creating certainty for industry and all other stakeholders.”

Attendees had numerous opportunities to ruminate on and discuss the various presentations at the conference, including participating in an interactive session, led by Arup, to share their thoughts on what they believed were the gaps that needed to be closed, the opportunities that could be captured and the barriers that stood in the way of EfW development in Australia.

“From the feedback received at this session, Arup will now develop an industry roadmap to map out the pathways to develop and establish EfW within a successful waste management and resource recovery system. WMRR will soon release this roadmap,” Sloan said. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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Circular Economy //

Manufacturing’s role in CE

By Inside Waste MANUFACTURING MUST be on the table when talking about achieving a circular economy (CE), according to UNSW Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla.

Speaking from an Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) event on CE in Gosford, in August, Sahajwalla gave her insight into the key role manufacturing plays in creating the sustainable reuse of materials that currently end up in landfill.

Sahajwalla directs the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology at UNSW Australia and her research has enabled the safe use of toxic and complex wastes as low-cost alternatives to virgin raw materials and fossil fuels. She also advocates for a CE and works with AMGC to help manufacturers find solutions to reuse materials or recognise the value they have to other organisations.

“Some of these products can actually be put back into our productive economy, but that means we need to have manufacturing as part of the conversation,” Sahajwalla said.

“We need to be able to recognise that yes, there will always be global movements of materials. But there’s no reason why when the materials land here in this country it shouldn’t be seen as a resource and as a raw

material for manufacturing.” She explained that people are passionate about the opportunities for creating a CE, and sharing stories of success will inspire this to increase. “There is a lot of good work going on already. We are off hitting the ground running. [But] we need to able to recognise where these manufacturers are sitting.”

From extracting materials from electronics, to reusing glass and textiles, Sahajwalla gave several examples where value can be extracted from items that are typically no longer seen as valuable.

“Textiles is always an interesting one. We all feel very strongly about it and we are all very aware. We want to be able to support organisations like the Salvation Army and Vinnies where we can all go back and source products through our op-shops and so on. But, there comes a time where a lot of these products are really not fit for reuse.

“This is where we need to start to think, ‘Well if a product is not fit for reuse as a garment, does that mean that those fundamental elements, those fibres that are present in our garments are useless?’ Of course not. Just because something has fallen apart at a macro level, at the micro level those fibres are still well and truly alive and kicking,” Sahajwalla explained.

She said people need to shift their thinking to recognise the value these

The European approach The “how to” part of creating a CE is very well engrained in other nations’ waste action plans – and it has been for several years. In March 2019, the European Commission announced that all 54 actions under the Circular Economy Action Plan, launched in 2015, have now been delivered.

The plan was developed to boost jobs, growth and investment, and to develop a carbon neutral, resource-efficient and competitive economy. In 2016, sectors relevant to the CE employed more than four million workers – a 6 per cent increase compared to 2012. The European Commission anticipates that additional jobs will be created in the coming years in order to meet the expected demand generated by markets for secondary raw materials.

Figures from the commission also showed that in 2016 circular activities such as repair, reuse or recycling generated more than $241 billion in value.

To ensure circularity from the design stage, the Ecodesign Working Plan 2016-2019 was created to promote the circular design of products and energy efficiency objectives. Under this plan, ecodesign and energy labelling measures for several products now include rules on material efficiency requirements such as availability of spare parts, ease of repair, and facilitating end-oflife treatment. The European Standardisation Organisations is developing horizontal criteria to measure durability, reusability, reparability, recyclability and the presence of critical raw materials.

With investment playing a key role in enabling growth, the commission has committed more than $16b in public funding between 2016-2020. The funding is growing waste and resource management, closed loop manufacturing systems and processes to make plastics circular – among other initiatives that will increase the CE in the EU.

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AMGC’s Michael Sharpe acknowledged a number of innovative companies creating value from recycled materials.

items have after reaching the end of their first life. “A piece of glass might break, a piece of fabric might fall apart, but there is value in those inherent elements at the micro level. That’s really where some of the solutions are that are being developed.”

Planet Ark CEO Paul Klymenko said Australia needs to act as it sits in the bottom half of developed countries with regards to CE. Klymenko gave the Netherlands as an example where CE is at the forefront of the country’s waste plans.

The Netherlands’ goal is to have a 50 per cent CE by 2030, and have its economy be 100 per cent wastefree by 2050.

“We’ve got a way to go. We’ve got to actually get people educated better on what CE is, but also give them the tools, the roadmaps – using best practice – to allow them to connect that into their businesses,” Klymenko said. He and his team conducted a survey, with 150 c-suite participants, which showed that most had not heard of the term “circular economy”.

“Virtually no-one had a CE plan in their business unless they were part of a big multi-national that had a CE policy for their operations around the world.”

Planet Ark is leading a National Circular Economy Hub and Marketplace, which aims to accelerate Australia’s transition to a CE. Klymenko said one

of the most common questions he gets asked is around what the marketplace can offer businesses. He also hears from many businesses that are finding a shortage of recycled materials is hindering their progress.

“We are often asked, ‘How can I get more recycled material’. That’s what’s called a market failure. It’s when you’ve got lots of people in the economy that have either got the resources they don’t know what to do with, or you’ve got people who want to buy secondary materials and can’t get them.”

The CE marketplace aims to solve this issue, Klymenko explained.

Manufacturing with reuse in mind AMGC NSW director Michael Sharpe acknowledged a number of innovative companies that are already creating value from recycled materials in Australia. He used NSW company Dresden Optics, founded by Bruce Jeffreys and Jason McDermott, as one example where advanced manufacturing and innovation have led to the creation of a CE. The optometrist manufactures frames from recyclable nylon in a bid to treat plastic waste as a valuable resource.

Dresden glasses are made from both new and waste plastics. So far, Dresden has made limited-

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Circular Economy

edition glasses from milk bottle tops, marine debris collected from NSW beaches, waste plastics from customers, recycled wood chips, beer keg caps and discarded fishing nets. Sharpe explained that advanced manufacturing has a part to play in making projects, such as these, successful and valued.

“One of the good things that we like about it as far as advanced manufacturing is that [Jeffreys] sources the plastics from all sorts of various places – one of them being the beaches up in northern Australia.

“He’s got people collecting the nylon fishing nets that have washed up on the beach. Now, with modern technology, advanced manufacturing technology he can use sensors to tell people which beach the plastic washed up on, on what date, what time it was sent, what date it arrived to the shop – and now they are wearing on their face. There’s a whole traceability around the waste as well, which I think is fantastic.

People really value that information,” Sharpe explained.

Circular Economy Innovation Network (CEIN) NSW co-director Ashley Brinson said manufacturers can help give single-use items a second life, which could reduce pollution.

“Nothing spoils a great day at the beach like that moment you look down and see that plastic milk bottle that has washed up. And that’s irritating.

We look at that plastic that’s washed up and we realise that a lot of it is a single use item.

“We need to redesign the way we are manufacturing products. There’s a lot more to this. Recycling is the most important part, but there’s a lot of smart intervention that needs to take place. We need to go from linear to circular,” Brinson said.

Transitioning to a circular process can be challenging, Downer Group national environmental sustainability advisor Nishi Vissamraju indicated.

She said navigating a CE was a massive task for Downer as many of the processes used in transport infrastructure were quite mature. But there were key drivers, such as cost, offshoring recycling and environmental impacts that made the journey to a CE an ideal option, she explained.

“We started to see the touch points we’ve had along a person’s life. How can we actually pioneer change and how can we provide sustainable products to our key stakeholders and give them the opportunity to do something right for the environment as well?

“That was one of the key drivers,”

Vissamraju said.

In transitioning to a CE, Downer developed Reconophalt – an asphalt product that contains recycled content from materials such as soft plastics, glass, toner and reclaimed road.

“We’ve started to see benefits for the governments who obviously really want to do something in this space.

It’s a solution for local councils who can actually see the environmental benefits,” Vissamraju said.

Taking the initiative For now, Australian manufacturers are not required to use any recycled content in their products – it’s simply a matter of will rather than must.

When asked by an attendee, at the AMGC event, whether mandates were the best way forward, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) CEO Brooke Donnelly said regulations and mandates need to be well-thought-out.

“It’s about the environmental, economic, social and cultural activities that have to go into making this system work.”

Regulations will only be successful with thought, communication and collaboration, Donnelly explained.

“You don’t pull out a big stick, walk up to somebody and say, ‘Hi, I’m Brooke’, and smack them over the head. You walk up and say, ‘Hi, I’m Brooke, let me talk to you about packaging and how you can do it better’. Then you have some more conversations, then you give it a bit of gentle nudging. You put a bit of pressure on. You do all these things because that keeps that cost out of the system.

“I fully acknowledge that you can’t achieve that environmental outcome if you do not have the economics right. Because what you will do is you will create a system that is partially funded or artificially invested in for a period of time and then it will simply fall over. It will not be embedded, it will not be sustainable, and so you cannot do this work unless you actually think about the economic benefit.”

Donnelly said that to achieve a CE, all parties – including government, community, industry and consumers – have a role to play.

“To achieve a CE you need to two things – you need to have a systems view of the world and you need to understand that system is not about blame. It’s about working together.

We are very much at the ‘how to’ part of this work and that means how do we actually deliver on the CE. Not whether we should or whether it’s the right model,” Donnelly said. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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Waste Strategy //

Consultation has closed on the NSW EPA’s 20-year waste strategy – What now?

Contributed by Ross Fox IT’S BEEN 20 YEARS since the Y2K computer glitch was expected to shut down global computer systems but amounted to nothing – what will we be saying in 20 years about the impact of what has been dubbed the “20YWS”?

The latest stage of consultation closed on the EPA’s 20-year waste strategy in late September. It is expected consultation will show that industry and each level of government is in broad agreement about the need for NSW to move towards a circular economy in that timeframe.

But what regulatory levers will need to be pulled in NSW in order for the state to achieve this goal? This question is much more difficult to answer and there is not likely to be a similar consensus between the key players. It is timely to consider the key regulatory issues likely to emerge in consultation and the options available to government and the EPA to deliver a lasting impact.

industry has learned in respect of the mixed waste organic outputs order and exemption that “what the EPA giveth, the EPA can also taketh away” (without any prescribed requirement for consultation with affected parties).

This risk has a cooling effect on capital investment based on resource recovery orders – in turn impacting the rate of the diversion of waste from landfill.

Consumer trust is critical There is little protection for generators or consumers of recovered materials in the framework. Recent case law has confirmed that simply because recovered material meets the requirements of an order when it leaves the premises of a generator, does not give any protection to the consumer if that material is tested the following day and fails once it is applied to land. This degree of exposure is likely to undermine consumer confidence in recovered material.

Ross Fox discusses the EPA’s 20-year waste strategy and what it means for the industry.

The regulatory framework The cornerstone of the regulation of resource recovery in NSW is the Resource Recovery Order and Exemption framework. Put simply, orders and exemptions permit material to be recovered from waste and reused in NSW without requiring the person recovering or generating the material from complying with the detailed regulatory requirements of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act (POEO Act).

However, recent controversies over the revocation of the Mixed Waste Organics Order and Exemption on the grounds of environmental risk, and in case law arising from EPA prosecutions, have highlighted the weaknesses in the current system.

Risks to investment in plant, equipment and technology The greatest strength of the framework – that it is flexible and provides the EPA a large degree of discretion – is also its greatest weakness. The Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) 38

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Product liability risks for generators of recovered material

What could be done to improve these risks?

It is now clear that any noncompliance with an order, for example in relation to record keeping, means the material is no longer subject to the order and exemption. Even where the breach is minor, the generator is exposed to the full breadth of regulatory requirements and offences that apply to waste material.

The need for a level playing field Currently, site specific orders and exemptions are confidential to protect commercial information.

However, this undermines competition and limits investment as there is no way to know whether a competitor has a higher or lower contaminant limit or testing regime than a comparable facility.

The government and EPA have a number of options. Some potential ways forward that have been floated by various members of the industry include: • Amending the Regulation to provide that orders and exemptions should be given a practical interpretation to give effect to the EPA’s Waste Strategy; • Adopting an “asbestos protocol” to allow minor levels of asbestos to be appropriately dealt with on-site; • Ensuring amendment or revocation of orders and exemptions is put through a Regulatory Impact Statement-type process which would ensure detailed consultation with industry; • Amending the POEO Act to allow compliance with orders and exemptions to be taken into account in the exercise of regulation action (for example in whether to issue a clean-up notice); and • Providing that “site specific” orders be kept on a public register (minus commercial in confidence information).

Striking the balance Unfortunately, there is no easy solution – rather it is a task of striking a balance between regulation and promoting resource recovery. The challenge for the EPA and government will be to draw out these key themes and strike a balance that promotes the good news story of a shift to a circular economy, but importantly lifts the regulatory burden to actually achieve it. For businesses to have confidence to make investments to support a circular economy, it is necessary to have stable platform with a manageable level of risk in the product produced.

Ross Fox is a principal lawyer at Fishburn Watson O’Brien and an accredited specialist in planning and environment law.

He is also a former principal legal officer and acting director of litigation for the NSW EPA. iw Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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APCO //

Packaging Covenant – 20 years

By Inside Waste TWENTY YEARS AGO, the Australian Packaging Covenant (APC) was heavily focussed on the avoidance of litter and cleaning up Australia. But two decades on, the priorities that influence the direction of the APC have changed.

APCO CEO Brooke Donnelly said while litter prevention still needs to be continuously addressed, the strategic direction of the APC is to support the creation of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. As anyone who follows the 2025 National Packaging Targets will know, the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is at the centre of helping develop an approach to packaging that will deliver on the nation’s goals. These goals being – to have 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025, to ensure 70 per cent of Australia’s plastic packaging will be recycled or composted and to have 30 per cent average recycled content in all packaging by 2025. As well as this,

problematic and unnecessary singleuse plastic packaging will be phased out through design, innovation or introduction of alternatives by 2025.

With these targets in mind, Donnelly said it was natural that APCO’s priorities would develop in line with Australia’s priorities.

“The Covenant has really evolved.

If you look at what its original intent was, it was very focussed on litter and the avoidance of litter.

“Then it went through all parts of the sustainability movement – focussing on a range of other interventions.”

Following the implementation of the APC 2017 – 2022 Strategic Plan, it was clear that the organisation which was to deliver the work (APCO) would need to significantly change, Donnelly said.

“It’s like all organisations, they grow, they develop, they mature.”

Now out of its “teenage” years, APCO is balancing its support for new initiatives while ensuring former priorities are supported and continue to succeed. “We need to keep having

conversations with people about their obligations around litter and we need to be even more direct about that than we have been in the past. If you look at some of the literature early on in the litter discussion it was, ‘you shouldn’t litter because it doesn’t look good in the environment,” Donnelly explained.

“The language around that has shifted and now it’s more prescriptive – ‘you’re actually causing environmental

harm by littering. It’s not just bad behaviour, you’re actually endangering wildlife, you are causing long term environmental damage through the creation of micro plastics’.”

Through the China National Sword policy, public awareness of Australia’s growing recycling challenges has increased. This has boosted the urgency for all Australians to take action, Donnelly said.

APCO members are given recognition through the awards program.

SMART WASTE, SMART THINKING Partnering with you to achieve resource recovery and value adding goals.

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

// APCO

It’s a collaborative approach that APCO continuously seeks to develop.

It’s an approach that APCO celebrates through its awards program each year.

Celebrating collaboration and success

The annual awards, held by APCO, begin with a day of workshopping.

“There’s a lot more to do, but we are doing the right things. We are looking at end markets and finding homes for materials. We are talking about the use of recycled content and we are looking at building domestic capacity here in Australia. We are doing all the right things, the reality is it’s a big ship to turn and it won’t happen overnight, but everything is going the way it should be. “When we look at the China Sword, then you overlay that with the consumer momentum that has come

from shows such as ABC’s War on Waste and when you put all those things together, it creates a perfect storm of activity and engagement that’s coming from not just one stakeholder group, but numerous levels. Community groups, government and stakeholders are all having the same interest at relatively the same time. “It’s one thing for one group to want to do something and see that something is important, but it’s rare when you get different types of groups coming together,� Donnelly said.

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S de Loader DEMO SIDE LOADER AVAILABLE COMPLETE & READY FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY CONTACT: C S PAPAS P : 0420 512 5 2 chris@papas.c .au Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Not only is APCO celebrating 20 years of the Covenant, but it will also celebrate the success of its members through its annual awards ceremony – held in Melbourne on November 20.

All APCO members are eligible, with nominees selected based on each organisation’s sustainability performance throughout the year, which is assessed during the APCO Annual Report process. A series of workshops will also take place prior to the evening’s celebrations. One workshop stream will include discussions on soft plastics and recycled content and the other is an information session on sustainable packaging guidelines and the 2025 roadmap. “That will be in the consultation phase at that stage, so we will have a draft of the roadmap, which we will work through. The Packaging Sustainability Framework, which is the reporting framework for all organisations that report to APCO, has

also been through a review process this year so we will be working through that.�

The awards celebrations will focus on businesses small and large that have transitioned to a circular economy and made steps towards sustainable packaging. Donnelly said the awards are an important way of highlighting the work that is being achieved in this space. “We’ve got to acknowledge the change of direction from brands and especially the major retailers and their focus on sustainability and how they’ve really stepped up in taking the lead and how powerful that is. “They have an ability to influence their own supply chains and work collaboratively with them. You get a great follow-on effect from that kind of leadership as well. The most effective way to do the work is to influence your network and push out through a collective impact model,� Donnelly said. “The awards ceremony is a great night and we’ve got lots of different organisations across the supply chain there. It’s a wonderful engagement opportunity to meet and talk to people, about the important work happening in the sustainable packaging space.� iw

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Equipment //

Twin Ram Baler puts ease into recycling process

Material Recovery Solutions sells a range of balers, and destruction, conveying and separating equipment.

By Inside Waste BALING MATERIAL efficiently and at maximum capacity is a priority for many facilities dealing with large amounts of recyclable products. And with container refund schemes (CRS) being rolled out across most states in Australia, millions of containers are being collected for reuse and recycling – increasing the need for good processes.

The success of CRS programs is apparent through state government

announcements in which the public is given regular updates on milestones that have been reached.

In September, the Queensland government announced, via the Containers for Change program, that 800 million containers had been returned in just 10 months, with an average of about 3 million containers returned each day. Several states that haven’t had a CRS program are now also seeing the benefits of getting on board. The Western Australian government’s CRS program

will commence in early 2020, and the NSW government rolled out a CRS across the state in December 2017.

Additionally, the Northern Territory government is developing a plan to make its CRS program more accessible to regional communities in the state.

With all of this movement in CRS, there is an increasing demand for equipment that can help in all stages of processing these materials.

Companies such as Material Recovery Solutions, offer just that – solutions to make it easier to recover, process

and transport material.

Material Recovery Solutions sells balers; destruction, conveying and separating equipment; and the company manufactures truck bodies.

The company’s managing director Marcus Corrigan said CRS programs, such as Containers for Change in Queensland, are playing a large role in the increase in demand for these products and creating markets for the material.

“There’s a lot of focus on high volume baling.

With an increase in CRS programs in Australia, balers play a vital role.

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Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Equipment

“There’s a lot of focus on high volume baling. We manufacturer a variety of equipment to help with this. We have an array of different types of conveyers, which we primarily sell in the material recovery industry.”

“We manufacturer a variety of equipment to help with this,” Corrigan said.

“We have an array of different types of conveyers, which we primarily sell in the material recovery industry.”

Recently, Material Recovery Solutions partnered with Godswill as the company’s official distributor.

“I would consider Godswill to be the market leader in the Australian and New Zealand markets. They offer a quality product at a competitive price,” Corrigan said.

He said those attributes, combined with great customer service, show the strength of Godswill’s products, which include the company’s Twin Ram Balers. The Twin Ram Baler has a Human Machine Interface that allows operators to monitor or adjust the machine parameters for different materials as well as troubleshoot

problems.

A robust hydraulic chamber side door ensures square solid bales are formed. Additionally, a drop-down end door provides easy access for the main ram for maintenance checks and to alleviate any blockage that may occur.

Godswill baling presses provide an economic and ecological solution in which waste material is compressed into compact bales that can be easily stored and transported back to a recycling company.

The Twin Ram Baler achieves maximum weight, but it can also bale many different materials including plastic film, HDPE, PET, steel cans, aluminium cans and hard plastics.

For those extra difficult materials, an Accent 470 wire tying system can be programmed to apply extra wires to the bale.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Specifications of the GB-TR Series Two Ram Baling Press: • Feed opening dimensions LxW (mm) — 1800 x 1020; • Bale chamber WxHxL (mm) — 1100x750x3550; • Bale dimensions WxHxL (mm) — 1100x750x1400; • Maximum thrust force for D250 — 118 tonnes (240kg / cm2); • Maximum thrust force for D300 — 170 tonnes (240kg / cm2); • Bale Density ( kg/ m3) for D250 — 500-600; • Bale Density ( kg/ m3) for D300 — 680-780; and • Machine weight — 23-27 tonnes.

Special features: • Human Machine Interface; • Hydraulic hopper opening reducer; • Perforator for plastic bottles to increase bale weight efficiency; and • Heavy-duty rollers to bear significant force.

“The Twin Ram Baler is a high volume, automatic, high compaction baling machine that offers the best possible transport for plastic and containers,” Corrigan said.

“Balers are quite complex. It’s important that a quality product is used.”

When purchasing equipment from Material Recovery Solutions, the team

installs it and offers ongoing service and support.

“We offer 24-hour direct, over the phone support. If our customers have a problem with the machinery, our technicians are there to help,” Corrigan explained.

“We very much spend the time with our customers’ operating staff and maintenance staff.” iw

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 INSIDEWASTE

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Equipment //

A compactor for all environments

By Inside Waste ACCESSIBILITY IS KEY when offering a compactor to the market that can cater to urban, regional and remote areas.

For Garwood International, creating a waste transport solution that can be used by any community, regardless of scale, was a necessity. The company’s LitterPact side loading compactor allows waste to be transported by communities undertaking small collection runs.

The LitterPact is ideally suited to parks and gardens, and its light body means it is able to access all roads that a conventional 4WD can.

Garwood International managing director Daniel McHugh said that for remote communities, selecting an appropriate vehicle is really a question of balancing truck size and collection capacity.

“For many of these communities, a return trip to the nearest transfer station, or landfill to empty the truck, can involve several hours of driving and/or several hundred kilometres, so they need to be sure the vehicle has the collection capacity to make the service viable.

“With that in mind, when it came to developing our range of side-loaders, we had our focus squarely on balancing accessibility, collection capacity and operability,” McHugh said.

The Garwood LitterPact body has a simple packing mechanism, operated either by manual or electric controls, which actuate the hydraulic system providing power for bin lifter operation, packing, raising the rear

The LitterPact’s light body means it is able to access all roads.

door, ejection of the load and optional high pressure water blaster.

Its range of features make the LitterPact well-suited to not only remote areas, but also high-density areas.

“As Garwood’s side loader is designed to solve accessibility challenges, this unit is particularly preferred by inner city councils with narrow laneways, side streets and culde-sacs,” McHugh said.

Garwood’s LitterPact includes a unique “sweep and pack” action with

an ejector panel built into the body, designed for the pick-up of general household recyclables and garden waste, he explained.

“The machine doesn’t tip its load; it uses the ejector panel to expel the contents.”

The LitterPact’s additional safety features also make it user friendly.

Garwood’s camera layout includes a rear view, driver’s side view, hopper view and then a fourth camera on the lifter, which allows the driver to pick up a bin by viewing it on-screen.

The LitterPact side loading compactor is ideal for remote communities as well as narrow streets.

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INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

“With our vehicle, operators can do their job by looking at a screen located on the dashboard, which means they can also go back to a single steer cab chassis, but we also offer the option of a dual steer with the same camera system,” McHugh said.

Garwood International is a Sydneybased manufacturer that also has sales management and aftersales servicing teams based in Victoria and Queensland. Additionally, it has the added backup of its aftermarket service partners based Australia-wide.

The company also has a range of street and footpath sweepers, rear loaders and weigh scales. Garwood International is the Australian and New Zealand authorised distributor of weighing systems from Vehicle Weigh Solutions, and the exclusive Australian and New Zealand Dealers for Schwarze Industries and Boschung Sweepers.

Schwarze sweepers are currently sweeping from Tasmania to Darwin, from Perth to Sydney and most places in between. The Schwarze GS6 is built with a generous six cubic metre stainless steel hopper and is available through Garwood International.

The newest sweeper from the Boschung range – the Urban Sweeper

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Equipment

Specifications of the Litterpact: • Sizes range from 4M3, 5M3, 6M3, 8M3, 10M3, 12M3 and 15M3; • Payload between 2,000kg and 6,000kg; • Bin lifter that suits 120 and 240 litre mobile garbage bins; and • Suits cab/chassis with 3,800-5,550mm WB.

Special features: • Designed to solve accessibility challenges; • Bin lifter suits 120 and 240 litre MGBs; • Simple hydraulics and electrics with no special tools needed; • Four cameras, which are located on the rear view, driver’s side view, hopper view and on the lifter; and • A simple packing mechanism, operated either by manual or electric controls, actuates the hydraulic system providing power for bin lifter operation.

S2 – has a width of only 1150mm and can result in fuel savings of 30 per cent.

In the rear loader range, Garwood International offers the DualPact, which is a split chamber rear loading compactor. It is available in 50/50, 60/40 or 70/30 tailgate configurations and body sizes from eight cubic metres up to 22 cubic metres.

For bigger runs, companies can choose the Maxipact, with body sizes ranging from 16-28 cubic metres.

The Maxipact can accept payloads of up to 10 tonnes. It’s best suited to 6x4 chassis configurations. Common applications include hard waste collections and commercial waste runs.

With an extensive range, Garwood International can cater to companies worldwide. The company’s compactors are used widely throughout Australia and have been exported to the UK, China, South Africa, Hong Kong, Mauritius and several Pacific Island nations. iw

Garwood offers a range of equipment from sweepers to compactors and weigh scales.

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Young Professional //

Let’s help our neighbours

By Inside Waste IF AUSTRALIA IS serious about tackling marine litter and slowing resource depletion, a global approach to waste management should be a priority, according to waste consultant Kat Heinrich.

As a member of the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) Heinrich has knowledge of the effects of both good and bad waste management across the globe. When she joined ISWA five years ago, she gained a perspective on waste management that has followed her since then.

“I first came across ISWA in 2014 when I was in Sao Paulo in Brazil. There were all these people working in the field from different countries, and I felt there was a lot to learn. To understand how other cities and nations approach waste is interesting.

“ISWA opened my eyes to the state of waste management across the world. I was shocked to learn that 40 per cent of the world’s waste ends up at uncontrolled dumpsites – not to be confused with engineered landfills.

“These dumpsites are typically located in low-income countries and are a major source of marine litter with plastic escaping into the ocean.

Uncontrolled dumpsites contaminate drinking water, pollute the air and

harm human health. Closing and replacing them with safe waste facilities is a massive challenge that won’t be solved quickly or by one organisation.”

Through ISWA, Heinrich has helped run a public awareness campaign about this issue, and how waste is managed in different parts of the world. Her view is that Australia needs to step up and help other nations to tackle marine litter among other global challenges.

“We need to look outside our borders and help low-income countries to set up sustainable waste and recycling systems. It’s crazy that in the 21st century waste is not being managed properly.”

She explained that long-term partnerships, offering financial support, and understanding that each community requires infrastructure that fits their needs and capacity, is key in improving waste management globally.

Heinrich’s approach to the issue is not only shaped by her involvement in ISWA, but also through eight years of working with Rawtec and through her commitment to the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) Young Professionals Group. In 2015, she founded the South Australian WMRR Young Professionals group, which she chaired for three years. “I set up the group because I felt that there were a lot of young

Kat Heinrich founded the South Australian WMRR Young Professionals group.

professionals working in the sector who’d never met each other and I thought it would be nice to share our experiences.”

In a more casual setting than is seen at other waste group meet-ups, she and other young professionals in the sector catch up and visit sites to broaden their knowledge of the industry.

“It’s a good cross sector of people working in the industry. We approach

Photo credit: Timothy Bouldry

Uncontrolled dumpsites are typically located in low income countries.

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INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

issues from a fresh perspective.”

As someone who hadn’t planned a career in the waste sector, but has since been heavily involved in the industry, Heinrich encourages others to join groups such as the WMRR Young Professionals and ISWA to broaden their perspective.

“I started out in the waste industry in 2011 as a consultant with Rawtec.

Prior to this, I studied economics and did management consulting – helping councils with strategic planning and performance management. Over the past eight years, I have worked on many different projects, but I’ve become most passionate about reducing food waste.

“Australians waste so much food.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been researching how other countries and cities are tackling this issue. With the right policies and legislation, Australia can dramatically cut food waste volumes reaching landfill, and this would have many flow on benefits including creating jobs, improving our soils and reducing water use.”

Working on a range of projects, while also pursuing her passion for fighting food waste, Heinrich plans on continuing her work in the industry at Rawtec on a range of projects – from disaster waste management planning, to preparing business cases for new waste services.

If you are interested in joining the WMRR Young Professionals, please contact office@wmrr.asn.au. iw

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

// Product Profile

FinesSort Metals Recovery System

CJD Equipment

L958F Wheel Loader Application: The L958F is popular in quarries, feedlots, material handling, farm use, waste recycling and general construction.

Features: It combines reliability, versatility and high performance – making it an excellent choice for Australian operations. Easy-to-access service check points make daily operations more efficient. The L958F comes with and ergonomic spacious cab and a 3m3 bucket. It is engineered for high productivity and gives an excellent return on investment. All SDLG wheel loaders are rigorously tested to ensure reliability in action.

More: www.cjd.com.au or 1300 804 139

Lincom

Mobile trommel screen – MPB 20.55G Application: Pronar mobile trommel screens are used for effective separating of even the most difficult of materials, including municipal waste, wood waste and chips, compost, biomass, coal, soil, gravel and aggregates.

Features: • Energy efficient – low consumption of diesel fuel; • Easy operations with operations parameters set by operator; • Low maintenance costs with manufacturing processes that use the latest technology and materials; • Drum compatible with universal design and technology of work; and • Possibility of various applications.

Options/Extras: • Magnetic separator; • Conveyors – 6m; and • Remote control TG-T9-2 (10 • Toothed belt. button); More: www.lincom.com.au or • Wind sifter; 043 888 0810 • Fuel saving sensing; • Hydraulic rear support leg; • Central lubrication – 8kg; • Additional fuel pump;

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

Application: Uses powerful magnetic components to recover ferrous and nonferrous metals from fine waste streams.

Features: Receives the discarded “fines” material that has passed through an initial screening process. The material flows through the machine’s magnetic separators removing even partially magnetic metals from the flow, dropping them onto a cross-belt conveyor and into a recycling container.

Designed with multi-stage separation process using the most effective and proven technology. Constructed according to heavy industry requirements.

Result: Quick payback period.

More: www.eriez.com.au or 61 (3) 8401 7400

Garwood Rearloader

Garwood International

Application: Screening of compost, wood/biomass, soil/gravel, general waste.

Features: • Diesel power drum screen; • Flat, corkscrew style drum for durability; • 10m2 to 27m2 drum sizes; and • 30-100m3 per hour in most green waste compost.

Mobility: Trailer or tracked More: www.elbquip.com or 1300 ELB EQU

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

M&K Intelligent Robotic Waste Recycling System

FOCUS Enviro

ELB

Komptech Nemus 2700

Eriez

Application: Removes non-ferrous metallic contaminants from plastics, glass cullet, electronic scrap, automobile shredder residue (ASR), boiler bottom ash, spent foundry core sand, and mixed metals.

Features: Designed with an eccentrically mounted magnetic rotor within the non-conductive larger diameter shell for separation of non-ferrous metals. The eccentric rotor concentrates its eddy current forces into a zone of separation at the end of the belt. By focusing its field, this design ignores ferrous material in the flow.

Options/Extras: Choose the correct rotor assembly to suit the application.

More: www.eriez.com.au or 613 8401 7400

Product: The high-tech MRF, which incorporates M&K Screening, air separation and metals recovery technology, also includes a three-armed Zen Robotics Recycler unit.

Application: Designed to increase efficiency and lower the cost of waste recovery.

Features: • M&K trommel screen; • M&K double drum air separator; • M&K single drum air separator; • M&K Eddy current separator; • Zen Robotics robot sorting; and • M&K automation and control.

More: www.focusenviro.com.au or (02) 4365 4247

SE-7000 Suspended Electromagnets

Eriez

Eriez

RevX-E Eddy Current Separator

Application: Effectively removes ferrous metal contamination from waste and compost streams, protecting process equipment and helping to deliver a quality product.

Features: High force index across a deep field to remove the most difficult tramp iron. Oil expansion tank prevents condensation to extend coil life. Designed for any installation angle, allowing the user to rotate the magnet to maximise effect.

Options/Extras: 23 magnet sizes, 69 standard models and bespoke designs available.

More: www.eriez.com.au or 61 (3) 8401 7400

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 INSIDEWASTE

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Product Profile //

FOCUS Enviro

Product: The Solid Recovered Fuel Facility shreds, screens and density separates to produce a solid recovered fuel.

Application: The materials used to produce solid recovered fuel pass through a series of shredders, screens, air classifiers/density separators and magnets. Inert materials, recyclable plastics and metals are extracted from the shredded material, leaving a mix of mainly non-recyclable paper, card, wood, textiles and plastic.

Features: • Waste screens; • Air density separator; • Pre-shredder; • Belt feeders; • Trommel; • Two-drum air density separator; • Optical sorter; • Eddy current separators; and • SRF shredders (UNTHA).

More: www.focusenviro. com.au or (02) 4365 4247

Superior Pak

Superior Pak Electric Waste Collection Vehicle Application: Municipal side loader and commercial rear loader models available.

Features: • Australian made; • 6x4 cab chassis configuration; • Quality industry proven waste collection body; • Superior Pak EV CanBus electric/hydraulic system; • SEA-DriveTM 180 electric driveline technology; • Five-year battery warranty and three-year EV motor warranty; and • 220 kWh battery pack with power regeneration during braking and 22 kW on-board charger.

Options/Extras: 1-8 camera CCTV system and on-board weighing systems.

More: www.superiorpak.com.au or 1800 013 232

INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

Application: Commercial and industrial.

Features: • Australian made; • Suit 6x4 and 8x4 cab chassis; • 12m3, 14m3, 17m3, 20m3, 24m3 and 26m3 body capacity; • Hardox 450 wear plate and Bisplate 80 construction; • Available in STD, heavy-duty and hardwaste variants; • Available with or without bin lifter: and • Various lifter designs catering for 240 to 1,100 litre MGB’s and cardboard bales available.

Options/Extras: 1-8 camera CCTV system and on-board weighing systems.

More: www.superiorpak.com.au or 1800 013 232

Superior Pak

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

Superior Pak Pegasus Front Loader

Superior Pak

CSS Equipment 48

Application: Pre-shredding and onestep shredding and fine shredding.

Feature: Used in MRF process lines and single stream materials.

Options/Extras: Static shredders with options for shred size on most waste or recycled materials.

More: www.cssequipment.com.au or 1800 644 978

Superior Pak Collector Rear Loader

Ecohog SM1 Windshifter Application: Air separation of light waste from heavy materials.

Feature: Static or semi-mobile forklift frame.

Options/Extras: Static unit for plant and semi-mobile with optional conveyors for independent use.

More: www.cssequipment.com.au or 1800 644 978

Application: Hardwaste and industrial.

Features: • Australian made; • Suit 6x4 and 8x4 cab chassis; • 19 m3 and 25 m3 body capacity; • Hardox 450 wear plate and Bisplate 80 construction; • Extra HD ribbed body design for maximum strength; • Available with or without bin lifter; and • Full width Tuckaway lifter, bale and platform lifter designs available.

Options/Extras: 1-8 camera CCTV system and on-board weighing systems.

More: www.superiorpak.com.au or 1800 013 232

Lindner Shredder Range CSS Equipment

M&K Solid Recovered Fuel Facility

Superior Pak

Application: Provides ideal automatic removal of unwanted iron-based objects from materials conveyed on belts.

Features: Constructed of quality steel centre tubes with welded dividers to securely hold magnet stacks. Standard pulley models use powerful ceramic magnets in an axial interpole circuit. Pulleys are all– welded heavy-duty construction for use in severe applications involving extra-long conveyors, heavy loads or start–stop operations.

Options/Extras: Custom pulley face widths, shafts and lagging.

More: www.eriez.com.au or 613 8401 7400

Superior Pak Collector Extra HD Hardwaste Rear Loader

Garwood International

Eriez

AIP Pulley

Application: Industrial and recycles.

Features: • Australian made; • Suit 6x4, 8x4 and 10x4 cab chassis; • 25 m3, 31 m3, 33 m3 and 35 m3 body capacity; • Hardox 450 wear plate and Bisplate 80 construction; • 2000 kg bin lift capacity (factory set limit); and • Twin “scissor action” multi-stage half pack/full eject compaction system.

Options/Extras: 1-8 camera CCTV system, on-board weighing systems.

More: www.superiorpak.com.au or 1800 013 232

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

JONO Enviro

Superior Pak ‘Kerbside Collect’ Rear Loader

Application: MRF design and supply.

Feature: Turn-key design and supply of MRF plants.

Options/Extras: All equipment built to European specifications.

More: www.cssequipment.com.au or 1800 644 978

Application: Specialised kerbside waste collection.

Features: • Australian made; • Suit 6x4 cab chassis; • 17 m3 rear-loading body capacity; • 8.3 m3 (dual entry) secure bulk goods cage with hydraulic lifter; • Hardox 450 wear plate and Bisplate 80 construction; • Extra HD ribbed body design for maximum strength; • Available with or without bin lifter; and • Full width Tuckaway lifter, bale and platform lifter designs available.

Options/Extras: 1-8 camera CCTV system and on-board weighing systems.

More: www.superiorpak.com.au or 1800 013 232

CSS Equipment

Ecostar Hexact DDS Screen Application: For screening sizes of most waste materials, including comingled recyclables.

Feature: High-speed screening with “anti-wrap system” to eliminate wrapping on screen.

Options/Extras: Hexact Model is a fixed plant screen that can minimise footprint for screening, due to high productivity.

More: www.cssequipment.com.au or 1800 644 978

Superior Pak

CSS Equipment

// Product Profile

Superior Pak Raptor Greenwaste Side Loader

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

Superior Pak

Garwood International

Garwood Dualpact

M&K Waste Recycling Plant

FOCUS Enviro

Product: Trommel screen, picking cabin, MRF designed, manufactured, installed, commissioned and support a waste recycling system that combines a number of separating and recovery modules.

Applications: • C&D and C&I waste Features: • FBS1200 feeder c/w variable speed; • STS925 trommel c/w fines collection system + Fe recovery and swivel stockpile conveyor; • Six-bay recovery system; • Lights recovery; • Fe recovery; • Hardcore recovery; • MK electrical panel; and • A number of link conveyors.

More: www.focusenviro.com. au or (02) 4365 4247

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

FOCUS Enviro

M&K Skip Waste Recycling System

Product: The Waste Recycling Plant uses the latest technologies to reduce operating costs and boost performance.

Applications: • C&D and C&I waste Throughput: Processing up to 40 tonnes of waste per hour Features: • Feeder; • Shredder; • Trommel screen; • ACS118 single-drum air density separator; • ACS114 single-drum air density separator; • Water bath (wood recovery); • Recovery cabins; and • Maintenance walkways.

More: www.focusenviro.com.au or (02) 4365 4247

Superior Pak Collector Mini Rear Loader

Superior Pak

Superior Pak

Superior Pak Raptor Side Loader Application: Municipal and commingled/recyclables.

Features: • Australian made; • 15 m3 (4x2) through to 35 m3 (6x4) capacity; • Hardox 450 wear plate, Optim 600 and Bisplate 80 construction; • 5.6 - 6 second, lift-arm cycle; • 3,485 mm max bin reach capacity STD; and • 1.75 m3 hopper capacity STD. Options/Extras: 1-8 camera CCTV system and on-board weighing systems.

More: www.superiorpak.com.au or 1800 013 232

Application: Green waste.

Features: • Australian made; • Suit 6x4 cab chassis; • 27 m3 through to 35 m3 capacity; • Hardox 450 wear plate, 304 stainless steel and Bisplate 80 construction; • 5.6 - 6 second lift arm cycle; • 3,485 mm max bin reach capacity STD; • 2 m3 Hopper capacity STD; and • Specialised compaction blade with internal (body) non-return Greenwaste teeth.

Options/Extras: 1-8 camera CCTV system and on-board weighing systems.

More: www.superiorpak.com.au or 1800 013 232

Application: Commercial.

Features: • Australian made; • Suit 4x2 cab chassis; • 6 m3, 8 m3 and 10 m3 body capacity; • Hardox 450 wear plate, grade 350 and Bisplate 80 construction; • Available in STD, heavy-duty and hardwaste variants; • Available with or without bin lifter: and • Various lifter designs catering for 140 to 1,100 litre MGB’s available.

Options/Extras: 1-8 camera CCTV system and on-board weighing systems.

More: www.superiorpak.com.au or 1800 013 232

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 INSIDEWASTE

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Wasted Space //

Keeping it lean with a spring clean WE ARE HEADING towards the end of the year. That means one thing for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere – summer is here, our legs will come out from underneath those thick pants and woollen socks and those singlets and shorts may reveal more than we bargained for. While it’s a time to celebrate in the sun and purchase a new outfit or two for various end of year events, it’s also a time for a bit of a spring clean.

Here at the office, some of us wastesiders find satisfaction in clearing our drawers of old paperwork and that crumbled biscuit that got lost in the top drawer. But when it comes to the realisation that a spring clean could also benefit us in our personal lives, it can be daunting to realise how quickly our belongings stack up. When was that orange and green striped jumper last worn? How did those sneakers end up with large holes in the front? That’s where that “Where’s Wally” costume went!

Let’s get real. If something has

been sitting in your wardrobe for five years, you’re probably not going to wear it again. If your toes are sticking out of the front of your sneakers, you’re definitely not going to wear them again. So either alter it, repair it, repurpose it or find a new home for it.

In order to clear out our homes of clutter, we have come up with the “wastesiders textile challenge”. The challenge is that must repurpose one item we no longer use – by for example creating a cushion out of that striped top that is simply too large. Next, we must repair one item – for instance the jacket that just needs a few new buttons to feel stylish and new again. And lastly, we need to give one item a new home.

While giving away one item may seem a few too many, we know that second-hand stores do not want our old, ratty painting singlet. Just like someone who is purchasing secondhand goods from various online platforms, in-store shoppers want

quality goods. So while the challenge includes giving away just one item, it is simply a means to consider what is actually being given away.

While at the second-hand store, it’s also a great incentive to look at others’ clothes. One of us wastesiders found a real steal with a sunshine yellow linen shirt, which will be perfect for the summer season and super trendy as it encourages a circular economy. The same wastesider acquired some sweet new kicks, which simply needed a fresh pair of laces and a quick clean around the edges.

As he heads into the silly season, he is now equipped with two new items that are not only promoting reuse, but giving that black shirt a well needed

rest – quite frankly, we’re all glad to see some colour on him for a change.

What we have learned during our clean-up frenzy is that it is important to consider the merits of each item that is no longer worn. It could well go to a new home or it could help in making that doorstop you’ve always wanted. The key is to think before you throw something out and similarly, think before you buy something. If you need it (or just really want it) see if you can find something similar second-hand or take a day to think about why you want it. If there is no good reason and you buy it anyway, chances are it will end up at the bottom of your cupboard in time for you to give it away next spring. iw

November 14 WARR Awards and Gala Dinner Maritime Museum, Sydney The 2019 WARR Awards are brought to you by the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) and Inside Waste magazine. Organisations across the sector will be recognised for their achievements in helping the sector grow and improve.

agenda will cover a range of topics including soft plastics and recycled content, as well as information sessions on the updated Sustainable Packaging Guidelines and the Annual Reporting Tool.

DIARY October 15-17 WasteQ Regional Waste Management Conference Toowoomba, Queensland As part of the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia’s (WMRR) commitment to delivering high quality, learning events and conferences, this bi-annual event will focus on the opportunities that change brings for regional Queensland and highlight the innovation already on display. There will be discussions on waste strategy, market development and a wide range of other topics impacting the state.

October 23-24 Waste Expo Australia Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Waste Expo Australia attracts waste management and resource professionals from across Australia with

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its free-to-attend business-to-business setting. It is hosted alongside an exhibition of Australian and international companies. Waste Expo Australia will focus on seven targeted areas including collections, resource recovery, landfill and transfer stations, EfW, commercial and industrial waste, construction and demolition waste and wastewater.

October 30-31 Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour AWRE is dedicated to the Australasian waste and recycling marketplace – bringing together the waste industry to generate quality sales leads and discover the latest trends. The expo showcases innovation, network opportunities with key waste and recycling decision-makers from industry and government, and in-depth practical seminars and workshops.

INSIDEWASTE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

November 20 Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation Annual Awards Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre APCO’s annual Awards night will celebrate the achievements of various industry members. It will again incorporate a schedule of educational workshops during the day, which are available free of charge for APCO Members. This year’s workshop

December 2-6 Ocean Plastics Congress Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre This congress brings together scientists, policymakers, legislators, industry and community groups from around the world in the search for solutions to the multiplicity of problems resulting from waste plastics. The focus will be on engagement, collaboration and action to design and implement effective strategies to address the many environmental, health and social effects, and their financial implications.

Daily news updates at www.insidewaste.com.au

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