Waste Management Review April 2020

Page 1

APRIL 2020

New waste landscape EnviroCom’s Glenn Eales on the role of modern education programs.

FEATURES Export ban may not be outright “ban” Progress on MUDs Keep Australia Beautiful turns 50 Education and training courses

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY:

PMS 380 PMS 376 PMS 355


PROVEN PRODUCTIVITY

2710D Horizontal Grinder Portable Efficient 2710D&Horizontal Grinder

Engine & Efficient Portable Length Engine Weight Length Feed Opening Weight Feed Opening

433 kW or 570 kW cm 433 kW or1612 570 kW 30900 kg 1612 cm 15330900 x 81 cm kg 153 x 81 cm

5710D Horizontal Grinder High Production with Consistent Sizing 5710D Horizontal Grinder

6710D Horizontal Grinder Largest with Highest Output 6710DGrinder Horizontal Grinder

Length Engine Weight Length Feed Opening Weight Feed Opening

Length Engine Weight Length Feed Opening Weight Feed Opening

EngineProduction with Consistent Sizing 722 kW High

Peterson is represented by Komatsu Forest in Australia and Peterson is represented Komatsu Forestproduct in Australia and New Zealand, providingby industry-leading support New Zealand, providing industry-leading product support and expertise. and expertise.

www.komatsuforest.com.au www.komatsuforest.com.au

1800 cm 722 kW 42184 kg 1800 cm 152 42184 x 102 cm kg 152 x 102 cm

Engine Grinder with Highest Output 839 kW Largest 1860 cm 839 kW 48987 kg 1860 cm 168 48987 x 127 cm kg 168 x 127 cm

Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd. Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd. 11/4 Avenue of Americas 11/4 Avenue of Americas Newington NSW 2127 Australia NSW 2127 Australia T: +61 2 9647 3600,Newington E: info.au@komatsuforest.com T: +61 2 9647 3600, E: info.au@komatsuforest.com


COVER STORY SHAPING SEPARATION BEHAVIOURS

14

With the move towards greater source separation picking up steam, the role of clear and consistent waste education is now more important than ever.

56

“THE SUCCESS OF WASTE RELATED POLICES AND LEGISLATION, AT LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL LEVELS, IS OFTEN RELIANT ON WASTE GENERATION AND DISPOSAL BEHAVIOUR PRACTICES IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES – WHETHER IT BE INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, BUSINESSES OR COMPANIES. THE POWER AND REACH OF STRATEGIC EDUCATION, DESIGNED TO INFLUENCE AND INFORM WASTERELATED USER BEHAVIOURS, CANNOT BE UNDERESTIMATED.”

CAN BALLARAT SECURE ENERGY SECURITY? The year’s Australian Waste to Energy Forum saw delegates converge in Ballarat to discuss opportunities and technological shifts in the rapidly developing sector.

- Glenn Eales, EnviroCom General Manager

In this issue

Features

18 FEDERAL LEADERSHIP

Waste Management Review speaks with Trevor Evans, Assistant Waste Reduction Minister, about allowing exports under certain strict conditions.

22

KEEPING

AUSTRALIA BEAUTIFUL

Looking back at the 50th anniversary of Australia’s most iconic anti-litter movement.

36 GAMIFICATION TACKLES TRANSIENT

WORKFORCE

Across the globe, casualised work, including contractor jobs, are becoming a predominant theme.

OF THE 40 RISE MACHINES

Following its success internationally, artificial intelligence designed by ZenRobotics is poised to support the Australian waste sector.

58 A PLASTIC OCEAN

Oceans are choking with plastic, but what does a sustainable solution look like?

64 GRASSHOPPER GROWTH

Durable and high strength hooklifts are fast becoming an important piece of machinery in C&D.

46 CONTAINERS CHARITABLE

Waste Management Review explores the added social benefits of container deposit schemes with TOMRA’s Markus Fraval.

54 THE BORDER

WEIGHBRIDGES

AT

Andrea Baldwin, Albury City Council Waste Management Team Leader, details council’s innovative suite of waste and resource recovery initiatives.

70

LAND

OF THE RISING SUN

Hitachi’s sustainability committment is evolving in 2020.

Regulars

61 P RODUCT SHOWCASE 73 LAST WORD www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 3


PUBLISHER

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

EDITOR

Toli Papadopoulos toli.papadopoulos@primecreative.com.au

From the Editor

Following in Brazil’s footsteps After much discussion, hype and a spate of parliamentary inquiries and government reports, Victoria has become the final state to announce a container deposit scheme (CDS), but to be introduced in 2023. The announcement was followed by an unprecedented $100 million investment into the state’s recycling sector along with the long-awaited circular economy policy. The premier has flagged that the government will design and deliver a scheme in close consultation with councils and industry so it can begin in 2023. While the government had consistently said it was waiting to see the impact on other jurisdictions, the response comes after last year’s recycling inquiry. The question is: why do we have to wait until 2023, conveniently after the Victorian state election? The same approach was taken by NSW Premier Mike Baird in 2015, who announced a re-elected Baird Government would introduce reverse vending machines. Baird, who faced fierce opposition from the beverage sector, greyhound banning aside, did not capitulate on this particular issue. The beverage sector eventually came on board and now support the CDS concept. While 2023 is a long way away, fortunately Victoria will get a CDS regardless of who is in government, with the opposition signalling its support for the plan. Key to the success of the scheme will be the rollout of sufficient collection points and reverse vending machines, depending on what form the CDS takes. What is equally compelling is the government’s intentions to introduce a fourbin kerbside recycling scheme across the state next year, including glass. The argument from councils for and against the four bin system is often how it will interfere with a proposed CDS. Therefore, all eyes will be on the government to see how it handles revenue sharing arrangements and other considerations. When I was in Brazil last year on a mountainous holiday retreat in Campos do Jordão, the first thing I noticed as a waste tragic is they had a five-bin system – paper, glass, metal, plastic and organic. But did this work in practice? A quick look into the bin would imply the Brazilians seemed unfazed about source separation, but a salient fact is Brazil is a developing country. This point, coupled with the fact that Brazil’s municipal solid waste recycling rate is quite low suggests we can’t compare apples with oranges, but it does highlight that with all of these announcements, the devil is in the detail. In other words, four bins: complementary education.

4 / WMR / April 2020

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Holly Keys holly.keys@primecreative.com.au

DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

ART DIRECTOR

Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au

DESIGN

Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Chelsea Daniel-Young chelsea.daniel@primecreative.com.au p: +61 425 699 878

CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Glenn Hunt

HEAD OFFICE

Prime Creative Pty Ltd 11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia p: +61 3 9690 8766 f: +61 3 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.wastemanagementreview.com.au

SUBSCRIPTIONS

+61 3 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Waste Management Review 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

Waste Management Review is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in Waste Management Review 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 Waste Management Review are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.


TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

T O D A Y. What you think is the end, is just our beginning. At ResourceCo we believe almost all waste can be recovered and re-purposed to protect the earth’s limited resources. So, if you have a waste problem, we’ll take it away and bring it back as something better.

resourceco.com.au

TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS. TODAY


News

Cleanaway, Pact and Asahi plan plastic pelletising facility Asahi is hoping to use Australian sourced recycled plastic in its local products.

Cleanaway, Pact Group and Asahi Beverages have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop a plastic pelletising facility in Albury/Wodonga. According to a joint statement, the facility is anticipated to process up to 28,000 tonnes of plastic bottles and other recyclables into flake and foodgrade pellets. “The cross value chain collaboration uniquely combines the expertise of each participant,” the statement reads. “Cleanaway will provide available feedstock through its collection and sorting network. Pact will provide technical and packaging expertise, and Asahi Beverages and Pact will buy the majority of the recycled pellets from the facility to use in their packaging products.” Pact Managing Director and CEO

6 / WMR / April 2020

Sanjay Dayal said the facility would service markets across the East Coast, and create approximately 30 local jobs in regional Australia. “I am thrilled with this arrangement and the opportunity to work with Cleanaway and Asahi in making a meaningful step in improving the plastics value chain,” he said. “The arrangement is clearly aligned with our vision to lead the circular economy, and will support Pact in achieving our 2025 Sustainability Promise to offer 30 per cent recycled content across our packaging portfolio.” According to Cleanaway Managing Director and CEO Vik Bansal, the partnership will create valuable raw materials from the recyclables Cleanaway collects and sorts. “It is a natural extension of our value

chain and expands our footprint of prized assets,” he said. Asahi Beverage Group CEO Robert Iervasi added that the venture would allow Asahi to utilise Australian sourced recycled plastic resins to assist its transition to using only recycled plastics. “I am excited by the opportunity to participate in a market-winning strategic alliance that closes the loop of the circular economy, and contributes to a sustainable plastics supply chain by combining our strategic capabilities,” he said. The project is supported by an Environmental Trust grant awarded to Cleanaway, as part of the NSW Government’s Waste Less, Recycle More initiative. The facility is expected to be operational by December 2021.


Rethink

waste


News

Degraded SKM waste from South Australia to be relocated Commingled recyclables stored by SKM Recycling in South Australia have become too degraded to be recycled with currently available technology, according to an independent waste expert. South Australian Environment Minister David Speirs said the material will be moved to a landfill cell at Inkerman and recovered if appropriate technology and infrastructure becomes available. “SKM was made insolvent in July 2019, leaving more than 10,000 tonnes

of commingled and PET materials at Wingfield and Lonsdale,” Mr Speirs said. “All avenues to recycle the materials were explored, but unfortunately there were no other viable options in the immediate future.” Mr Speirs said leaving the material stored at the Wingfield and Lonsdale sites is unacceptable as it will continue to deteriorate. “Inkerman landfill has the capacity to receive and store the material in a separate part of the existing landfill

cell until such time the infrastructure is available in South Australia to process the materials,” he said. According to Mr Speirs, reocation requires an exemption under the Environment Protection (Waste to Resources) Policy 2010. “South Australia is a nation leader when it comes to recycling and resource recovery, and I hope to see future innovation in this sector that will allow these materials to reprocessed,” he said.

The relocation requires an excemption under the Environment Protection (Waste to Resources) Policy 2010.

8 / WMR / April 2020



News

Victoria to introduce CDS and fourbin kerbside system The Victorian Government will introduce a container deposit scheme (CDS) by 2023 as part of a new suite of initiatives to reduce waste to landfill by 80 per cent over 10 years. A four-bin kerbside system will also be rolled out as part of a $129 million overhaul of the state’s waste and recycling sector, with seperate bins for glass, food and garden organics, household waste and plastic, metal and paper.

A four-bin kerbside will be rolled out as part of a $129 million overhaul of the state’s waste and recycling sector.

Premier Daniel Andrews said that by collecting glass separately, Victoria can ensure effective recycling, with jars and bottles transformed multiple times into different products including new roads and footpaths. “Separate glass collection will also make recovery of other recyclables – like plastic, metal and paper –

10 / WMR / April 2020

simpler, with the food and organic bin significantly reducing the amount of waste going to landfill,” he said. According to Mr Andrews, the bin rollout will begin gradually next year – informed by the needs of local communities and existing council contracts. “There will also be special arrangements for remote regional households and people in apartments to ensure everyone gets access to the new four-bin system,” he said. “This represents a holistic approach to reducing, reusing and recycling our state’s waste. That’s good news for Victoria’s environment and good news for Victorian jobs.” Waste management will also be classified as an essential service under the new system to ensure a basic standard of service across the state. Additionally, a dedicated waste authority will be established to help the state better govern its recycling system and hold waste service providers to account. “An education and behaviour change campaign will support the rollout of the initiatives. It will target households, businesses, councils, community groups and charities – helping them transition to the new system,” Mr Andrews added. The Victorian Waste Management Association (VWMA) has welcomed the changes, highlighting Victoria as the only Australian jurisdiction without a CDS currently in place. VWMA CEO Peter Anderson said

the association sees tremendous benefits for Victoria through the introduction of the scheme, including less rubbish sent to landfill, less litter from single-use items covered by the scheme and the opportunity to further build public awareness about waste and recycling. “The Victorian Government is to be congratulated for listening to stakeholders from the waste and recycling sector on the development of this CDS, which will transform how Victorians dispose of certain materials,” Mr Anderson said. “It’s important that Victorians understand that this is not about imposing additional costs or inconvenience when it comes to disposal of recyclables. It’s about dramatically increasing the amount of waste that gets recycled and, conversely, reducing how much we send to landfill.” The VWMA has worked closely with the Victorian Government to establish the scheme, Mr Anderson said, and looks forward to further engagement and consultation. “As part of the transition to a CDS, change and adjustment will be required of every Victorian household and we may need to do things differently,” he said. “Changes to the size of our bins and frequency of collection will be likely, and we look forward to working with the Victorian Government to help educate Victorians on the many environmental and economic benefits a CDS will deliver.”



TIPPING

HANDLING

LIFTING

COMPACTING

PLEASE VISIT US AT THE COFFS HARBOUR WASTE CONFERENCE 2020 STAND 23 & 24

WE MOVE YOUR WORLD TIPPING SYSTEMS

C O N TA I N E R HANDLING

LIFTING AND LOADING

WA S T E MANAGEMENT

OUR TIPPING SOLUTIONS ARE DESIGNED TO DELIVER THE VERY HIGHEST LEVELS OF SAFETY, RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE IN ALL OPERATING CONDITIONS.

WITH PROVEN STRENGTH AND DURABILITY YOU GET AN UNRIVALLED RANGE OF STANDARD AND OPTIONAL FEATURES TO MEET ANY CUSTOMER REQUIREMENT - WHATEVER THAT MAY BE.

PRECISION LIFTING. MAXIMUM PAYLOAD. TRUE RELIABILITY. EACH ONE OF OUR CRANES, LIGHT, BIG OR SPECIAL LIFTING, GIVES YOU EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED FOR EFFICIENT,

DESIGNED TO KEEP OPERATIONAL COSTS TO A MINIMUM, OUR RANGE OF HIGH-COMPACTION WASTE HANDLING PRODUCTS OFFERS A SOLUTION TO

H Y VA PA C I F I C

HSR SOUTHERN CROSS

72 GLENWOOD DRIVE,

35 HOLBECHE RD,

THORNTON NSW 2322

ARNDELL PARK NSW 2148

(02) 4966 3777

1300 HYVA LIFT (1300 4982 5438)

WWW.HYVA.COM

WWW.HSRSX.COM.AU

MEET EVERY REQUIREMENT.

www.hyva.com www.hsrsx.com.au


News

WA opens waste reform consultation The Western Australian Government is inviting public comment on potential reforms to guide the future of waste management in the state. The government has released two consultation papers – Closing the loop: waste reforms for a circular economy and Review of the waste levy – to support the implementation of its Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030. According to Environment Minister Stephen Dawson, the proposed reforms highlight the state government’s commitment to increasing resource recovery and tackling illegal waste disposal. “The state government is committed

to a cleaner and more sustainable environment. Becoming a sustainable, low-waste, circular economy is key for protecting our environment for future generations,” Mr Dawson said. Closing the loop: waste reforms for a circular economy outlines legislative proposals to improve waste management in WA including: • reforming landfill and solid waste storage facility licensing under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 • reviewing waste levy application at waste facilities, including new measures to reduce long-term solid waste stockpiling • targeting illegal waste disposal through new compliance and

enforcement mechanisms; and • strengthening waste reporting and tracking to ensure proper disposal. Alternatively, Review of the waste levy canvasses broader strategic issues related to the waste levy’s design, including geographical area and a schedule of future levy rates. To allow time for the review to be completed, Mr Dawson said there would be no levy increase for 2020-21. “I encourage community and industry stakeholders to consider the proposals in the two consultation papers, as their feedback will contribute to the development of approaches to improve waste management,” he said.

The WA Government has released two consultation papers to support the implementation of its Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 13


COVER STORY

Glenn Eales of EnviroCom says without clear and consistent messaging, government efforts to raise resource recovery rates could fall short.

Shaping separation behaviours WITH THE MOVE TOWARDS GREATER SOURCE SEPARATION AND A CIRCULAR ECONOMY, THE ROLE OF CLEAR AND CONSISTENT EDUCATION IS NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER, GLENN EALES OF ENVIROCOM EXPLAINS.

W

aste treatment and handling has undergone a fundamental shift in recent years. Once buried and forgotten – both physically and psychologically – landfill alone is becoming an increasingly less attractive option. A greater focus on waste diversion, resource value and capacity shortages has highlighted the need for waste management reform. While the rapid change might seem overwhelming to some, Glenn Eales, EnviroCom Australia’s General

14 / WMR / April 2020

Manager, views the shifting sector as one full of untapped environmental potential. Taking full advantage of that potential, however, requires clear and consistent messaging directed at where it will have the greatest effect. This comprises an understanding of contamination and reprocessing. To that end, without clear and consistent messaging, Glenn says that government’s efforts to raise resource recovery rates could fall short. Delivering education, research and training services to the public and

private sectors since 1998, EnviroCom works to foster community engagement through quality data collection and assessment, and the development of strategic waste and behaviour change plans. Glenn, who has served as General Manager for just over a year, has been with the company since its inception. “While I’ve practically spent my whole career at EnviroCom, I did spend some time with Queensland National Parks early on, and worked as a geotechnical consultant. The role was


all about understanding the physical interactions of new and existing infrastructure assets with the Earth, and developing strategies in response,” Glenn says. “My already existing passion for the environment was paired with a passion for education in my time leading kids education activities in Queensland National Parks. That is something I took with me when I joined EnviroCom as a researcher and educator in 1998. I haven’t looked back since.” Serving under various titles in his 22 years at the company, Glenn has been directly involved in leading research, education and training programs on behalf of multiple waste industry sectors and levels of government. Drawing on that experience, he describes recent waste industry changes, such as China’s National Sword Policy, as both exciting and challenging for waste educators and the industry. “The success of waste related polices and legislation, at local, state and national levels, is often reliant on the waste generation and disposal behaviour practices in local communities – whether it be individuals, families, businesses or companies,” he says. Glenn says that with greater potential for source separation, the emergence of participation opportunities in the circular economy and individual responsibility on the rise, now, maybe more than ever, education should play a pivotal role in all sectors of the waste industry. “The power and reach of strategic education designed to influence waste related user behaviours cannot be underestimated,” Glenn says. To maximise benefits in the current waste environment, Glenn says it’s vital that councils ensure communities understand both the new and the existing systems and the personal responsibilities and opportunities

to achieve sustainability. This can be achieved, he adds, through data collection, waste assessments and targeted educational campaigns. “There is still a lot of confusion in Australian communities about recycling waste in all its forms, so the role of educators is to focus on user behaviours, develop strategies to assist in improving these behaviours and to provide feedback to the community,” Glenn says. “As we embrace new technology and become smarter about waste, we need to communicate these changes clearly, consistently and effectively.” COLLABORATIVE CAMPAIGNING As an example of eliminating confusion, Glenn highlights Moyne, Corangamite and Southern Grampians Shire Councils in Victoria’s South-West. According to Glenn, EnviroCom were engaged by the regional councils in 2018, with the task of developing a food waste diversion business case. He adds that the regions food waste focus ties into the wider waste management landscape, with mitigating the effects of food waste in landfill critical to addressing climate change. “Through historical composition analysis, the council identified that their FOGO bins, the primary mechanism for food waste diversion, were chiefly being used for green waste – with the majority of food waste still presenting in red-lidded general waste bins” Glenn says. Glenn says this was largely the result of misconceptions around what can and cannot be placed in individual bins. To address relative FOGO underperformance, EnviroCom took a behaviour change approach. Adopting principles of community based social marketing, Glenn says the project was delivered through multiple phases including research, intervention and review and recommendations.

Over a long weekend in 2018 for instance, Moyne Council opened the region’s famous Port Fairy Dashshund Dash with a community bin race, attended by over 3500 people. While ‘Formula FOGO’ took a lighter approach than much of EnviroCom’s work, Glenn says it was a success and got the community talking and engaged. “Council were drawing on the idea that sustainable behaviour change is most effective when it involves direct contact with people and is carried out at the community level,” he explains. “It’s not always about presenting people with hard data and statistics or scaring them with dire environmental predictions. Sometimes the best approach to behavioural change is fostering a fun environment and a sense of community belonging, which in turn translates to community responsibility.” As far as Glenn is concerned, EnviroCom’s capacity to deliver best practice and progressive waste education – that keeps pace with the changing waste landscape – is testament to the capabilities of its committed and experienced team. “At EnviroCom, management is privileged to work with a team of driven and passionate environmental professionals who collectively strive for continual growth, development and improvement in the waste education and training space,” he says. The team of 26 environmental professionals have a diverse set of backgrounds, Glenn explains, in areas such as environmental education, teaching, data management and analysis, waste assessments and waste monitoring, citizen science, marketing, design and communications. He adds that for EnviroCom’s environmental consultants, the capacity to influence change is what makes the job rewarding. “We are always discovering new ways

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 15


COVER STORY

Logan City Council’s waste audits has created a clearer picture of existing waste related attitudes and behaviours.

to improve on our projects, and work with our clients and the community. Our team has such an incredible variety of skills – everyone has something different to bring to the table,” Glenn says. EDUCATION FOR THE MASSES With offices in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Orange, the ACT and Melbourne, EnviroCom provide a range of bespoke waste education, research and training services to a diverse range of clients nationwide. Glenn notes that EnviroCom has been responsible for Logan City Council’s annual Waste Education Strategy since 1995. The program is designed to develop better understandings of the city’s changing demographics to inform how audiences are targeted. It is coordinated on behalf of the Queensland council by Senior EnviroCom Consultant Alix Baltais. “We have built an understanding

16 / WMR / April 2020

of the Logan community’s waste generation and disposal behaviours over time through surveys, waste assessments, workshops and bin inspections. This works to create a clearer picture of existing waste related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours,” Glenn says. “That knowledge and understanding is then used to develop and deliver targeted educational interventions that address community needs and expectations, while also achieving positive outcomes for council.” Examples of EnviroCom’s work with Logan include mapping multiunit dwelling resident’s disposal behaviours and engaging children in recycling through Logan City’s answer to the ‘Waste Smart Kindy’ program. Glenn explains that EnviroCom have conducted quarterly audits on Logan City Council’s kerbside recycling stream since November 2015, with results confirming a very

stubborn rate of contamination. “The latest results from November 2019, however, showed a noticeable fall in contamination levels for the first time – illustrating the success of our approach,” he says. Shifting to another issue of focus, Glenn says EnviroCom has delivered a successful targeted beach litter and marine debris education and community engagement campaign in partnership with Sunshine Coast Council since 2016. He says the multifaceted campaign was focused on supporting the community to generate important scientific data. “This approach really worked, as people in the community, already involved in cleaning up their local beaches, now had the opportunity to provide data directly into the national marine debris database.” The campaign also attracted a host of additional participants at clean up days and events. “For all participants, new and existing, it’s the knowledge that they are proactively involved in the collection of important data that is being used by a range of researchers to shape future policies and responses to marine debris that drives their involvement,” he says. Looking to the future, EnviroCom hopes to work with more councils and industry bodies to develop innovative and forward-thinking campaigns. As industry progresses, Glenn recognises that approaches to waste education will need to evolve alongside it. “At EnviroCom, our team has a collective focus on collaboration and innovation to achieve positive project outcomes,” Glenn says. “That said, we are also very aware that systems will continue to change, with new technology likely to provide waste solutions we haven’t yet thought of. The need for waste education will never disappear.”


m 10 m

an d

s as Gl

c Re

<5 m

ed ash W m

yc le d

Fine Sand

S

Ag g

reg ate

We believe that landfills are a thing of the past, and that all waste can be converted to valuable resources.

Cr us

Waste to Resource Operations

To ps

ss

3

Waste Management Consulting

m 40

m

nd

Waste Transport & Collection

e Bl

Transfer Site Operations

ium Prem

he dR ock

Our personalised waste solutions include:

a Cl

Construction Materials & Soil Amendments

Contact us to find out how we can repurpose your waste into resource. (03) 9408 0277 info@repurposeit.com.au 460 Cooper Street, Epping VIC 3076

Organics & Green Waste Processing

oi

l

www.repurposeit.com.au * *VicRoads accredited for the supply of Class 2, 3 and 4 crushed rock products & Class 2 and 3 concrete products


UP FRONT

Export ban exemptions DESPITE THE EXPORT BAN COMMENCING JULY 2020, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COULD ALLOW TRADE TO CONTINUE UNDER CERTAIN STRICT CONDITIONS. WE SPEAK TO TREVOR EVANS, ASSISTANT WASTE REDUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT MINISTER.

I

n a speech to the first ever National Plastics Summit in Canberra, Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged to match industry investment in recycling infrastructure dollar for dollar. With Australia’s recycling facilities “under severe strain”, the Prime Minister said government would allocate further funding in the May budget. “We are working with state and territory governments to identify and unlock the critical upgrades that will lead to a step-change in their recycling capacity. And [we] will invest with governments and with industry on a 1-to-1-to-1 basis,” he

said, according to a pre-released speech given to media. The announcement came just three months ahead of the first round of export bans – with glass waste set to be banned by July 2020 – and serves as a sign that government has listened to industry calls for market intervention. Since late 2019, the Federal Government has been undertaking extensive industry consultation, as required by COAG Regulation Impact Guidelines. As per the export ban Regulation Impact Statement (RIS), the aim of consultation is to determine the relative costs and benefits of regulatory

Trevor Evans, pictured with South Australian Environment Minister David Speirs, says all states and territories have been invited to approach the Federal Government with ideas for new facilities.

18 / WMR / April 2020

and non-regulatory options under consideration. Under proposed regulatory options, the ban’s implementation could take two forms: federal legislation or export restrictions. While federal legislation is conceptually straightforward, option two is more complex, with exports operating under permit systems and accreditation or supply chain assurance. Exemptions to the ban could be considered, the RIS suggests, where continued export promotes circular economy principals, or materials have established industrial uses and end


markets. Moreover, the RIS highlights materials originating from clean, well sorted steams, such as container deposit schemes or single source separation, as possible candidates for exemption. While it could seem like a loophole to some, according to the RIS, allowing materials that meet certain standards to be exported reflects the variability of challenges facing each waste stream, as well as differences in infrastructure across states and territories. According to Trevor Evans, Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Minister, material stream complexity, paired with an understanding of the challenges associated with broad policy decisions, has been a central focus of ban consultation. “While we use the language of export bans, in essence, what we’re really interested in doing is allowing

discussion is still taking place around specific material definitions. “The intention of government is to target these bans at mixed or contaminated streams, especially plastics. And that is actually quite a detailed conversation when it comes to individual polymer types, or different types of carboard, paper and pulp,” he says. According to Trevor, under the restriction system, the Federal Government would have the ability to permit, audit and inspect all operators engaging in export. Once the ban is officially in force, he says policing responsibility will likely fall on the Federal Environment Department. “Assuming the permitting process is indeed the model that’s followed, the exact drafting of the scheme would then be finalised inside parliament, and it’s likely that the Department of Environment could be in charge of that permitting process,” he says.

“While we use the language of export bans, in essence, what we’re really interested in doing is allowing trade to continue if it meets certain strict criteria.” Trevor Evans Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Minister

trade to continue if it meets certain strict criteria,” Trevor says. “These aren’t clunky blanket bans; they are very targeted. The Federal Government is interested in the quality of material that might go offshore, and if certain quality conditions and eligibility criteria are met, operators may be granted permission via permits from the Federal Government.” While the exemption eligibility criteria is largely finalised, Trevor says

MATERIAL PRIORITIES In January, the National Waste & Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC) called for a ban exemption for clean, high grade paper and cardboard. Citing an export market worth more than $230 million annually, Rose Read, NWRIC CEO, said recycling services could fail without export capacity. Ms Read also noted that Australia does not currently have the capacity to locally remanufacture all

the paper and cardboard it generates. Ms Read’s comments reflect a common industry concern that material definitions are too broad, and that while banning some products, such as whole baled tyres, is appropriate, banning others, could be counterproductive. When asked about these concerns, Trevor notes that significant refinements have been made to the definitions initially proposed at the November 2019 Meeting of Environment Ministers. “The changes have been around paper and pulp, and really targeting the bans at where we believe the true issues and challenges lie, and not to get in the way of other export streams that are well sorted and pose no environmental threat,” he says. At the next COAG meeting on 13 March, Trevor expects the government will announce final definition and timeframe decisions. He adds that details around how the government plans to co-invest in new facilities is also likely to be announced, a view already alluded to at the National Plastic Summit. “There are very big challenges across some of these product streams, and one of the biggest is that in some areas, such as mixed paper and plastics, there aren’t many facilities or onshore capacity at the moment,” Trevor says. “That’s the main reason the bans are staged in their implementation. The timeframes are tight mind you, but they’re deliberately tight because we want to bring the bans in as soon as we practically can.” Responding to Sustainable Resource Use’s January Recycling Market Situation Summary Review, Trevor suggests that in some cases, Australia’s onshore reprocessing capacity will need to increase by “many multiples”. The review, which suggests Australia may need a 400 per cent increase in

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 19


UP FRONT

plastic throughput to sustain domestic markets, highlights global markets for recyclable materials as volatile. “One of the main motivations for the Federal Government being willing to co-invest and create better policy frameworks, is that we want to see a huge onshoring of recycling capacity,” Trevor says. “We want to see that as soon as possible because of the great environmental and economic impacts and quite frankly, because it’s going to create jobs, especially in areas of Australia where we need them most, and that’s in regional cities and outer suburban areas.” SHADOW BAN Since the ban was announced, the appropriate level of government investment has been hotly debated. Multiple stakeholders, including Ms Read, have cautioned that in the absence of robust infrastructure investment, the regulatory measure is likely to fail. Trevor’s Labor counterpart, Shadow Assistant Environment Minister Josh Wilson, shares similar sentiments, telling Waste Management Review that the Federal Government is not doing enough to deal with the reality Australia faces. It should be noted that Josh spoke to Waste Management Review prior to Mr Morrison’s plastic summit announcement. “All the government has done so far is essentially put out a timetable, and it’s not clear at all how we’re going to meet that timetable,” he says. “If you take mixed plastics, which we are supposed to stop exporting by the middle of next year, it’s very hard to see how that can be achieved when the level of plastic recycling and reprocessing is lower in Australia now than it was in 2005.” In regard to infrastructure

20 / WMR / April 2020

Josh Wilson, Shadow Assistant Environment Minister, has been critical of the government’s investment approach.

investment, Josh describes the Federal Government’s current approach as “hands off, help yourself.” The Australian Recycling Investment Fund, he adds, is insufficient, with new policy measures and resources needed to ensure the ban’s success. “The Australian Recycling Investment Fund is not new or additional money, it’s $100 million dollars earmarked in the Clean Energy Finance envelope,” Josh says. “The money was already being applied for recycling projects, and its loan funds, not direct funds. So, the idea that it’s direct funding that will change and improve the situation for infrastructure investment just isn’t true.” When asked to respond to the Shadow Minister’s comments, Trevor notes that as part of the Federal Government’s plan to tackle plastic waste and halve food waste by 2030, the Recycling Investment Fund addresses broader issues than those of the ban. The fund is designed to finance eligible large-scale commercial and industrial projects, typically requiring $10 million or more of Clean Energy

Finance Corporation debt or equity capital. As opposed to general infrastructure investment, the Australian Recycling Investment Fund is focused on emerging technology. “The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has existed for many years. Part of the reason why we’ve given them responsibility for administering the Recycling Investment Fund is their proven track record of making very sound business investment decisions in new facilities and new technologies,” Trevor says. He adds that he expects the Australian Recycling Investment Fund to be entirely spent. Another concern for Josh is Australia’s tyranny of distance, and whether investment decisions will consider the needs of the entire country. “I have portfolio responsibility for Australia as a whole in the waste space, but I am a Western Australian,” he says. “If there’s additional reprocessing capacity located in the eastern states, what happens to a jurisdiction like Western Australia that would face the transport costs of taking our mixed plastics and other recyclables to those centres?” Trevor explains that all the states and territories have been invited to approach the Federal Government with ideas and solutions. “As you’d expect, each of the states are in a different position in terms of what their present offerings are. And each of them has natural views about the direction they’d like to take industry,” he says. “We’ve received a lot of those proposals already and are going through the process of seeing where we can co-invest. But we’re also mindful that we need to have a national solution and will go through a common sense checking process to make sure there isn’t any duplications, or indeed any gaps.”


QUALITY, RELIABILITY, PERFORMANCE.

An advanced solution for the waste and recycling industry. The Hitachi ZW-5 Wheel Loader range guarantees increased productivity for every job. Experience the difference today with a machine demonstration on your site. For more information contact your local branch or visit: www.hcma.com.au


UP FRONT

Keeping Australia beautiful since 1971 AUSTRALIA’S MOST ICONIC ANTI-LITTER MOVEMENT CAPTURED THE WORLD’S ATTENTION WHEN IT BEGAN 50 YEARS AGO AND SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS HAS SINCE BEEN MADE. WE LOOK BACK AT THE ORGANISATION’S HISTORY.

Dame Phyllis Frost was a great activist and champion of social reform.

W

hat would the founder of Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB), the late Dame Phyllis Frost, say about the state of litter if she were still alive today? Frost, who passed away in 2004, was known her commitment to causes, notably helping prisoners through the Victorian Women’s Prisons Council or combatting litter through the Keep Australia Beautiful movement. In her address to the official launch of KAB NSW in 1975, Frost recounted how she was galvanised into anti-litter action. It followed her experience on a country highway between Melbourne and Bendigo in 1963. En route to attend a meeting in Bendigo, Frost was feeling proud in a new car. In a small town called Elphinstone, a semi-trailer passed her

22 / WMR / April 2020

by. Out of the window came fish and chip papers, a fruit peel and an old greasy rag. As a beer can bounced across the roof of Frost’s new car, she immediately pulled to the side of the road to inspect the damage. Frost took a closer look at the scenery of the view behind her and to her horror found rolling plains strewn with paper, plastic bags, cans and bottles. Soon after, she told the members of the National Council of Women of the experience and they agreed that the desecration needed to cease. In response, a group of service and voluntary organisations and a number of government departments were invited to join an anti-litter campaign. There was no special name for the group in those days because anti-litter could too easily be confused with antiliquor, which may in turn be perceived as un-Australian. To that end, the group was called State Wide Civic Pride. Under the guidance of the then Minister of Local Government R J Hamer, the group adopted the name Keep Australia Beautiful Council. In 1968, the inauguration of the new look body was held. Throughout KAB’s history, various programs which still exist today emerged. One of these is Tidy Towns, a concept borrowed from Ireland which commenced in 1968.

KAB Council WA on its website says it’s hard to think of a movement or campaign that has stirred such pride and action in our regional and remote communities than Tidy Towns. At the time, the competition accepted metro and regional entries and local government agencies, rather than communities, which are now in competition with one another. GETTING ATTENTION FROM GOUGH The 70s put the KAB movement on the map, with powerful publicity campaigns and educational approaches drawing support from government, celebrities, sporting heroes and the media. By 1971, KAB’s National Association commenced, formed by KESAB and KABVIC by Colin Hills and Frost respectively. One year later, the then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam launched Live Without Litter Week. The Prime Minister appeared on television urging each and every Australian to get behind the anti-litter week. “If for one week each of us can concentrate on litter prevention, then we can extend this consciousness to an all-year round effort to keep our environment clean,” Whitlam said. In the Live Without Litter Week, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne Cr A Whalley, Executive Director of KABC


Gordon Cooper and then Premier R J Hamer all sported “Don’t rubbish Australia” t-shirts. In 1974, KAB’s Dopes Rubbish Australia and Pig television campaigns launched. The Pig campaign urged communities not to be a “pig” and “keep it litter-free”, shaming those guilty of chucking stuff out the window or into their local basin. In her 1975 reflection, Frost, a champion of social reform, estimated that litter was costing in the vicinity of

don’t concur with my belief, that to exclude them is just as ridiculous as debarring car manufacturers, salesman or drivers and those involved in the manufacture and sales of alcoholic drinks from taking any part in the fight against the road toll – as it is the misuse of their products that cause the road carnage. “Let’s be realistic about it – the packaging and container people must be more involved than any other section of society if we are to win our battle.”

School children participate in the Run a Clean City campaign.

$50 million a year to clean-up. At the time, KAB consisted of affiliations of major environmental, community and service organisations, including the environment protection authorities, gas and fuel bodies, water bodies, packaging companies and even the education departments. Plastic manufacturers were also heavily involved, including the National Packaging Association, Plastic Institute, can makers and soft drink manufacturers. In that regard, Frost criticised the nay-sayers who took aim at their involvement in the process. “Some fanatical but rather irrational conservationists view these last-named bodies as enemy forces in the battle for preservation of the environment,” Frost said. “I believe, although some fanatics

THE NATIONAL PICTURE Since the various state and territory bodies operate independently, the achievements of the KAB movement are best looked at within each local jurisdiction. Being Victoria-based, Frost remained at the coalface of Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria (KABV). KAB’s popularity even sparked attention from musical pop group ABBA. In the 80s, events in Victoria recognised change took place at the grassroots with engagement from school children, holiday makers and beachgoers. Frost retired from her position as chairman of KABV in the 90s and the organisation kicked on with a range of new program initiatives like City Pride and Stationeers. KESAB, a well-known organisation

for community-based sustainability programs, presided over container deposit legislation in 1978. It also introduced the Waste Watchers program to schools in the mid 90s, opened a Statewide Recycling Education Centre in 2006 and introduced Australia’s first reverse vending machine in 2010. NT, ACT, Queensland and Tasmania all embraced the Tidy Towns program over the years and in Queensland a variety of awards program rewarded positive behaviours. Additionally, the NSW branch held the first Litter Congress in 2014, which inspired various programs such as the EPA’s Hey Tosser! Campaign. Now 16 years on from Frost’s passing, urbanisation has drastically changed the landscape and many stakeholders once involved in the KAB movement operate independently. But despite the changes, stakeholders such as KAB Chair Dick Gross still affirm the organisation is still a grassroots community group and a “doer” rather than a “talker”. Dick, who joined KAB at the ripe age of 60, was invited to join by longstanding litter stalwart the late Don Chambers. He says that KAB has had strong times and less strong times, and now operates in a crowded space. Much of this, he attributes, is due to the industrialisation of waste management. “Litter is dramatically different now in several ways. It dropped off the political agenda and now it’s dropping back in because of marine pollution and its effect on marine and human life,” Dick says. On whether he ever sees a world without litter, Dick says that’s a dream, but questions whether it’s a pipe dream. “I can’t see Australia ever getting rid of litter. We need punitive regulatory regimes and more resources and I don’t know if that will happen.” In 2015, KABV changed its name

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 23


UP FRONT

KAB celebrated its 50-year celebration at Government House in Melbourne.

to Keep Victoria Beautiful (KVB). In the wake of KAB’s 50th anniversary, Waste Management Review Editor Toli Papadopoulos sat down with current KVB CEO Sabina Wills to discuss some of the changes that have occurred over the past few decades. “The purpose of the organisation is about people taking action to beautify their own environment. They’re not waiting for local government or state government, they’re taking action themselves,” Sabina says. “We really embody that through the programs that we run where we enable volunteers to take action.” Sabina says programs like Tidy Towns and Sustainable Cities have rewarded positive actions. KVB embraced this and many other programs throughout the 2000s, engaging communities with initiatives such as the Stationeers, Sustainable Cities, Tidy Towns and Adopt a Roadside programs. For example, Adopt a Roadside sees volunteers equipped with safety training and other necessary resources to remove roadside litter and/ or undertake revegetation works within Victoria’s arterial road network. “We need to recognise our volunteers more and say thank you more. I think that’s an important part of KVB because the volunteers delivering those programs are creating a beautiful

24 / WMR / April 2020

location,” Sabina says. Highlighting some of KVB’s most successful programs, she cites Tidy Towns, noting the national program has helped bind communities together. Dick says that Tidy Towns has inspired some healthy competition between communities. In 2009, KVB also became part of Sustainability Victoria until 2015, when KVB formed a not-for-profit which reports to the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission. In addition to maintaining its initiatives from the early 2000s, KVB has entered new frontiers, including the development of a biodiversity report highlighting the accelerating rate of species loss. Around 2016, Sabina joined KVB, after more than 20 years in the environmental services sector, including in government, associations and the private sector. Reflecting on the past 50 years, Sabina says that although litter has reduced significantly, she laments on the overall rate of progress. “I feel sad that we still have to pick up litter on the side of the road, that we haven’t in those 50 years transitioned away to it no longer being acceptable behaviour,” Sabina says. “Yes, there’s been a huge reduction in litter, but it’s still there and that really saddens me.”

According to the National Litter Index by KAB, litter was up 0.9 per cent more in 2018-19 than it was in 2017/18 with 57,889 items counted. The biggest rises were observed in other glass, takeaway food and beverage packaging, offset to a degree by decreases linked to container deposit legislation. In terms of how litter has changed over the decade, in 2008-09, there was almost 100,000 items counted. In 2018-19, that number sits just over 60,000. Taking into account population growth, there is far less litter than there was 10 years ago. That being said, Sabina jokes that she wasn’t too upset when a litter run on the way to her office led to the discovery of a $50 note. In terms of what lies on the immediate horizon, Sabina hopes to make some changes to KVB’s awards programs. “The awards have been running over 30 years and I’ve certainly got a plan of how they’re going to look in 30 years. My big dream with the awards is for a state-based award and national-based award,” she says. “I’d also love an international based awards to go to that next level. I think it is so important that everyone is proud of where they live and that sense of ‘my place is special’ is really important.” But despite her dismay at the litter state of play, Sabina says if she were to ask herself what would Frost say in another 50 years’ time, given the changes over the past five decades, the future is unpredictable. “It’s interesting what happened in the past 50 years. We’ve got an EPA and the EPA Act is getting re-written. So it is a bit hard to know how it will look in the future. I hope it’s going to look better, but then again I am an optimist,” she says.


LOKOTRACKS. NORDTRACKS. MOBILE SCREENS. SHREDDERS. STACKERS.

Tutt Bryant Equipment, one of the largest multi-brand national distributors of construction equipment in Australia, we continue to offer a range of comprehensive equipment to deal with not only construction and demolition, but commercial, industrial and municipal solid waste. For more information, contact our TBE Metso team on the superior equipment available for your business. Lokotracks: LT106, LT120(E), LT1110, LT1213(S), LT130E, LT200HP(S), LT220D, LT300HP, LT330D, LT7150 Nordtracks: I908S, J50, J90, J127, S2.11, S3.7, S3.9, S4.7, S4.9, S4.12 Mobile Screens: ST2.8, ST3.5, ST3.8, ST4.8 Shredders: M&J4000M(E), M&J6000M(E) Stackers: CT20, CT24, CT85(R), CT100(R), CW20, CW24, CW85, CW100

brisbane | sydney | melbourne adelaide | perth tuttbryant.com.au

1300 658 888


UP FRONT

The MUD dilemma WITH MULTI-UNIT DWELLINGS ON THE RISE, WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT OVERCOMING THE ASSOCIATED WASTE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES.

A

s populations grow and property prices increase, Australian cities are facing a period of unprecedented shift. While the suburban ideal of a detached residence on a block of land might be aspirational to many, under presentday economic and urban planning conditions, multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) are increasingly becoming the norm. In 2006, Bill Randolph of the University of New South Wales’ City Futures Research Centre said high-density housing, principally delivered by urban renewal and infill development, is expected to be the main source of future residential growth in major urban cities. Almost 15 years later and Professor Randolph’s projections seem to be coming to pass, with 2018 Housing Economics Group data showing that MUDs rose from five to 25 per cent of total housing commencements between 1998 and 2018. Whether this shift is positive or negative is a subjective matter, but data does suggest that high-density properties experience greater than average recycling contamination rates. Contamination comes down to a number of unique challenges, according to research from the University of Technology Sydney. These include physical barriers such as

26 / WMR / April 2020

distance to recycling bins, and social barriers such as a sense of anonymity or lack of responsibility for disposal and recovery. Responding to these challenges, the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) initiated a project to improve MUD recycling in 2018. Specifically focused on reducing contamination through waste infrastructure availability and resident facing engagement, SSROC conducted bin audits at 75 MUDs. While University of Technology Sydney evaluations found the project was well delivered, final analysis was unable to detect any impact on recycling behaviour. Similar issues are equally present south of the border, with the Victorian Auditor General’s 2019 report Recovering and Reprocessing Resources from Waste suggesting that despite growing recognition of the issue, there is limited guidance or direction on MUD waste management from a planning or legislative standpoint. Council kerbside waste collection is unavailable to most existing MUDs, the report notes, with private operators sometimes engaged to ensure new and existing MUDs offer recycling collection services. This is due to insufficient kerbside space for bins, the report suggests, and an incompatibility between the

collection infrastructure needed to manage large multi-storey buildings and council equipment. Furthermore, the report highlights that while councils can influence how much space new MUDs allocate for waste infrastructure through the planning process, they don’t currently require new or existing MUDs’ serviced by commercial operators to offer commingled recycling services. As such, the report suggests that as the level of MUDs increases, overall recovery rates will decrease. “Most MUDs have only one waste collection service – for landfill,” it reads. PLANNING PROVISIONS In Victoria, much like the rest of Australia, the prevalence of MUDs has grown significantly over the last 10 years, mainly in the CBD and inner metropolitan Melbourne. According to Sam Trowse, Sustainability Victoria Land Use Planning Project Lead, this growth has typically occurred without specific waste and recycling guidelines for highdensity residential development. “This has created issues for councils and the resource recovery industry in ensuring correct design and management options are implemented to maximise recycling,” Sam says. He adds that as a consequence,


A significant number of MUDs don’t even have a kerbside recycling bin.

recycling rates are lower in MUDs than in single residential dwellings. Additionally, while some planning tools and other policy guidelines exist across Victoria, Sam says these differ from council to council. “This can make it difficult for developers and waste management consultants to design waste and recycling systems effectively across different councils, and highlights the importance of seeking early council input into design,” he says. To address these issues, Sustainability Victoria (SV) developed its Guide to Better Practice for Waste Management and Recycling in Multi-unit Developments in 2019. The guide, Sam says, focuses on a number of challenges including limited space for infrastructure and collection services, collection contractor requirements and a disconnect between council waste management officers, land use planners and building officers. “The guide also focuses on emerging themes such as waste generation rates, which enables building designers to understand likely needed storage space and options to increase

organics recovery, dependent on the characteristics and size of the MUDs in development,” Sam says. Another focus is the existence of opportunities for precinct-scale MUDs, such as onsite treatments, like waste-toenergy, and automated waste collection systems such as vacuum waste. While the guide is extensive and separated into types such as lowrise apartments, mixed use and precinct scale developments, essential requirements include hygiene, system simplicity and indemnity and waste service flexibility. Examples of design considerations also include adequate storage space for the easy manoeuvring of bins and vehicle access and turning areas free from obstacles. While they are just guidelines, Sam notes the document was added to the Victorian Planning Provisions in 2020. “This is a positive move towards reinforcing the guide through land-use planning decision making. “It also means that developers will need to meet the requirements of the guide when submitting planning permits for MUDs to councils,” he says.

TRICKLE DOWN According to Mark Smith, Victorian Waste Management Association Chief Executive, MUDs pose an array of challenges to the association’s industry members. The dwellings are problematic, he explains, as there is little consideration of the waste needs of residents, especially in newer builds. “It’s not uncommon to see beautifully designed buildings that feature elements helping to address energy and water efficiency, but failing on simple considerations like providing space for standard size waste trucks to access the site,” he says. “MUDs are also great examples of how one or two poor behaving neighbours can have a huge impact on the efforts of the majority, leading to significant contamination issues.” Recognising that the demographics of MUDs are very different, Mark says in addition to infrastructure concerns, what is often lacking is consistent community education on what goes in which bin. If recent challenges have taught VWMA anything, Mark says, it’s that the community is heavily engaged and passionate about waste

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 27


UP FRONT

Victoria’s move to a four-bin system may complicate the MUD recycling dilemma.

management. He adds however that not all communities are afforded the same access to services, which is evident at MUDs. While the Victorian Government is certainly taking strides in its approach to waste management in MUDs, planning responsibility often falls on council shoulders. As highlighted by Sam, guides and best practice can vary significantly between councils, and as such, harmonised design and education programs can be a challenge. In an attempt to foster centralisation, the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG), which works on behalf of 31 Melbourne councils, developed its “Improving resource recovery in multi-unit developments toolkits” in 2018. According to Jillian Riseley, MWRRG CEO, the toolkit is designed to help councils adopt and implement waste management considerations into the planning approvals process. The toolkit features a waste management plan template, guide and checklist, enabling the user to calculate and record the number of bins required for building development, as well as collection frequency and storage management. “The standard plan template can

28 / WMR / April 2020

also be used as a base to customise and reflect council’s servicing capabilities, before providing it to developers to complete and submit with their planning permit application,” Jillian says. She adds that MUDs can be a challenge for councils due to poorly designed collection areas, varying levels of collection services and limited opportunity for residents to recycle. Onsite issues, such as inappropriate collection infrastructure or storage and bin and transportation access, can also limit the number and size of bins available to sort different streams of material, Jillian says. Furthermore, she adds that collection services and contracts vary depending on whether they’re provided by council or commercial contractors. “In turn, this can make it more challenging to educate residents and standardise the type of materials suitable for collection, as well as manage contamination and compaction rates,” Jillian says. Developed after extensive consultation and independent analysis, the toolkit helps councils align waste management plans with state objectives. “The toolkit helps councils save time and resources, with waste plan requirements able to be checked

during the planning permit assessment process,” she says. “The straightforward assessment list ensures a basic level of consideration for waste and resource recovery before the waste management plan is sent to a specialist waste management officer.” Since MWRRG developed the toolkit, Jillian says multiple councils have developed their own parallel MUD guidelines. “Councils are also trialling and implementing waste and recycling programs tailored to MUD residents including onsite composting, food and green waste recycling collection, hard waste services, onsite furniture reuse and new onsite signage,” she says. Despite a number of positive movements in the MUD space, Mark says the Victorian Government’s recent four-bin announcement might force the state to reexamine its approach to waste management and MUDs. “While the Victorian Government instituting a four-bin kerbside system is certainly a positive step, it will pose a number of challenges for MUDs, as space for existing infrastructure is already a challenge for bin placement and pick up,” Mark says. “The VWMA will be working closely with the Victorian Government on the rollout.”




FEATURED TOPIC – EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Setting the benchmark ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST REGIONAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS, HALVE WASTE, HAS TAKEN SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN RESOURCE RECOVERY.

F

acing the imminent closure of its regional landfill, which is of the largest in NSW, Albury initiated the Halve Waste campaign in 2010. Despite the NSW-Victorian border parallels, Halve Waste was considered a regional goal as all council’s share Albury City Council’s Waste Management Centre as its main disposal facility. As well as Albury City, the surrounding councils of Wodonga, Corowa Shire, Indigo Shire, Greater Hume and Towong Shire support the campaign. The campaign is all in the name – a target of halving the region’s waste to landfill by 2020. Halve Waste aims to prolong the life of the region’s landfill to provide critical time and funding for infrastructure replacement and remediation. It saw a comprehensive education and waste reduction program across the region. Funding for the education campaign was provided via a small surcharge at the Albury landfill, a funding model which can also be used by other councilowning landfills. Andrea Baldwin, Team Leader – Waste Management at Albury City Council, says with the campaign running for 10 years, the Halve Waste group has taken significant strides towards improved resource recovery. Improvements at the Albury landfill include a landfill gas system,

Halve Waste has included a range of inspiring community initiatives, including home and school composting, business waste reduction pledges and litter and illegal dumping programs.

three weighbridges to track vehicles through the site and a community recycling centre. In addition, the site also comprises vastly improved resource recovery facilities, including a commercial and industrial and construction and demolition materials recovery facility, solar farm and a significant increase in its gate fee. The campaign consists of regular advertising and promotion of waste reduction and avoidance messages. All available media is used with messaging promoted via social media, the Halve Waste and individual council websites, and traditional print media. The school, business and community programs also offer face-to face education sessions. This covers everything from how to recycle, what goes in each bin, how to use the FOGO system, landfill tours, support for waste-free events and waste audits for businesses. Halve Waste has directly educated over 15,000 school children, community groups and businesses. It has reached over 50,000 people across the wider district through social media and paid advertising. Albury and Wodonga FOGO collection service has to date generated over 101,000 tonnes of food and garden organics, all of which is being recycled into much needed compost for farms. In 2020, the region will offer a commercial food waste collection

service. “This massive communication program has been supported by a significant investment in infrastructure at the Albury landfill,” Andrea says. “This includes a community recycling facility, AWARE up-cycle shop, garden organics, whitegoods and timber dropoff points and the push-pit, all designed to capture recyclables before they get to the landfill.” The Halve Waste campaign continues to be a model for implementing recovery infrastructure improvements and education in regional Australia. Waste received at the landfill has decreased by 20 per cent and waste buried in landfill by 49 per cent. MRA Consulting provided support to the campaign across a range of areas. Halve Waste and Albury City Council have won numerous awards for their contribution to the community, including local government environmental excellence awards. Andrea says that while designed for the Albury region, Halve Waste is a whole-of-community and coordinated council investment. “The resources, materials, programs and infrastructure development can be tailored to suit any local conditions and opportunities. AlburyCity and the Halve Waste team are interested in tailoring a package for local councils and groups of councils across the country.”

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 31


FEATURED TOPIC – EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Litter: we need to talk AN INCONSISTENT APPROACH TO ILLEGAL DUMPING IS DRIVING A RETHINK FROM THE LITTER ENFORCEMENT OFFICER NETWORK, WHICH REPRESENTS LAND MANAGERS AND COUNCILS.

C

leaning up illegally dumped material in Melbourne costs around $18.8 million a year, according to a Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group survey. When combined with the total cost of litter and street sweeping maintenance for local governments in Victoria, that figure rises to almost $100 million. In addition to the hefty cost of cleaning up after rogue players, illegal dumping and litter is a burden on the community. The Litter Enforcement Officer Network (LEON) Annual Report 2019 shows 89 per cent of community members are concerned with illegal dumping and 80 per cent about litter. Samuel Lawson, Research and Project Coordinator at Keep Victoria Beautiful (KVB) says Victorians are fed up with dumped rubbish and litter. To that

Top three benefits of the Litter Enforcement Officer Network 1. See how other land managers are dealing with illegal dumping 2. Increase knowledge of working acts 3. Exchange knowledge and skills and network

32 / WMR / April 2020

Profit-driven organised dumping continues to increase across Victoria. LEON has helped enforcement officers network to target such activities and advocates for statewide support. Picture: Dumped e-waste near Wedderburn.Victoria.

end, he says residents are after tangible enforcement options. “There’s a misalignment with what Victorians want and the way that some organisations treat enforcement. The amenity and safety that enforcement officers bring is valued highly by Victorians, but can be missed by some organisations,” Samuel says. In 2014, two enforcement officers decided to raise the technical capacity of officers. With a goal of highlighting the value of dedicated local council officers, they formed LEON. LEON has a vision to see land managers take unified action on litter and illegal dumping prevention and enforcement. It brings together authorised officers, land managers and anyone concerned with enforcement. By contributing to the development of resources like the enforcement toolkits, LEON has gone from strength

to strength. Last year, the board of KVB agreed to oversee its accountability. KVB’s network as a statewide organisation allows it to leverage its links with a range of land managers, including the likes of Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water and the Department of Transport. According to Samuel, as the issues of litter and illegal dumping evolve, land managers have been compelled to change their approach to these issues regularly. This, he says, has led to an inconsistent approach and outcomes. In 2019, KVB conducted extensive member feedback from February to December 2019. LEON members got together at Waste Expo Australia, receiving scenario-based training and expert support from the EPA. In doing so, LEON grew to 240 members and now represents 80


organisations in Victoria. “We spent last year listening to our members and what they said to us unanimously is that they need resources and training,” Sam says. In addressing this, LEON is this year focused on reducing litter and illegal dumping by upskilling officers, promoting best practice and encouraging strong working relationships with land managers. Furthermore, it will also offer a number of training courses on enforcement and prosecution. Samuel says that one of the benefits of the training courses will be a standardised approach. “If all councils and land managers respond to illegal dumping in the same way, it reduces costs to the land manager and anyone living around incidents, and ideally reduces illegal dumping through awareness as well.” He says the impact will hopefully be magnified when combined with EPA enforcement toolkits, adding that LEON has been working with EPA since its inception. LEON members are currently participating in the new 2020 Waste and Litter Toolkit which will support the rollout of the Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018. It has held workshops with the EPA and members to inform the development of the toolkit. This year LEON is also producing training courses and resources that support the 2020 Waste and Litter Toolkit. This includes a prosecution training course which will benefit authorised officers exposed to the prosecution process, as well as prosecutors seeking to increase their abilities prosecuting waste. Samuel says that LEON is also working on an enforcement training course. He says this will benefit enforcement officers and anyone involved in enforcement who should have a clear understanding of the powers of an authorised officer. Throughout the year, LEON will continue to hold free member forums around Victoria. Members will come together to network, hear from experts and receive basic scenario-based training. While Samuel says ultimately it’s unlikely we’ll ever eliminate litter, with better practice and training, along with more resources, the issue won’t be as painful on the bottom line. “Every local government should join the network to access the benefits offered and participate in a statewide enforcement conversation. “We hope that you become a member of LEON and together help us Keep Victoria Beautiful,” he says. For more information, contact leon@kvb.org.au.

shredders for every product, business & budget. That’s Applied Thinking.

• One of Australia’s most popular brands of shredders and granulators • Safe, efficient, cost effective size reduction of your bulky, or sensitive waste streams • Perfect for reprocessing your waste material for closed loop manufacturing • Huge range available to suit practically all waste streams; plastic, wood, metals, tyres, e-waste & more • Machines in stock in Melbourne.

appliedmachinery.com.au

Phone: 03 9706 8066 Email: sales@appliedmachinery.com.au


FEATURED TOPIC – EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Training for the waste sector ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S FEW FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACCREDITED WASTE COURSES HAS UNDERGONE A REVAMP TO MEET PRESENT DAY INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND CHALLENGES.

W

aste services continue to grow rapidly, with new talent comprising engineers and environmental science graduates joining the expanding workforce. The waste sector employs around 50,000 people and contributes more than $50 billion to the Australian economy. While the bread and butter of waste – transportation – remains a central part of the industry, the sector as a whole needs to remain nimble if it is to meet the challenges of the future.

Based in Sydney, Academy Green Learning has for years offered Certificates III and IV in Waste Management. All Academy Green Learning trainers have extensive professional development not only in the vocational areas of waste, but also in the industry with an abundance of real-life experiences to draw from. They maintain this currency by working closely with present-day employers who are seen to be leaders in the industry. The Federal Government-

BINGO Industries staff have benefited from a Certificate III in Waste Management.

34 / WMR / April 2020

accredited courses have continued to help upskill the waste sector, but this year have been updated to reflect the contemporary landscape. Mani Kasmani, Training Assessor at Academy Green Learning, says the courses underwent an overhaul to reflect modern regulations and the international market, including China’s National Sword policy. He says that for example, the new courses reflect a need to cover workplace health and safety (WHS) harmonisation, which has traditionally caused problems in organisations operating in multiple states and territories. Mani says that some of the important elements of the WHS discussion outlined in the course is the need to meet Chain of Responsibility (CoR) requirements. Under the CoR, if you are named as a party in the chain of responsibility, and you exercise or are capable of exercising control or influence over any transport task, you have a responsibility to ensure you comply with the law. “One of the things we cover is the CoR and traffic control, which is about reminding drivers and those unloading goods that they need to comply,” Mani says. Mani adds that the importance of safe handling of goods in the


logistics sector, coupled with the need for appropriate equipment such as personal protective equipment, makes the courses particularly pertinent. He adds that additional regulation around asbestos and WHS is also prompting a need for greater professional development. Shadi Faraj, Group Training Manager at BINGO Industries, says that more than 100 staff at BINGO’s Eastern Creek, Alexandria and Auburn recycling centres have benefited from the Certificate III in Waste Management and Certificate III in Driving Operations. Shadi, who manages registered training organisation courses at BINGO, says the Academy Green courses have attracted a diverse range of employees, from drivers to labourers and machine operators. Drivers have undertaken the Driving Operations course in NSW and Victoria. “Team members are learning more about the theory behind the practical application they do everyday. It’s knowing that the outcome of their work can affect the final product and the recycling economy and taking steps towards best practice,” Shadi explains. Shadi says that for some BINGO employees this is their first foray into professional development. “Many people have come to me and thanked me for putting them through the course. The further along the course they go, the more positive effect and impact it has had.” He says CoR lessons have been of great relevance to BINGO employees, in addition to safe handling of waste. “It relates back to standards and the importance of doing your due diligence when it comes to inspection,” Shadi says. Shadi says that ultimately the courses are relevant to anyone in

the waste sector and he is proud of BINGO’s commitment to professional development. He says that BINGO Industries will continue to undertake Academy Green courses as part of the company’s education and training. “There’s a lot of customisation to suit our onsite requirements, which is great,” he says. Ardil Domingo, General Manager at Academy Green Learning, says there has been an increasing focus from the waste sector on nationally certified training. Over the past few years, Academy Green Learning has had a noticeable increase in enquiries and, in turn, enrolments into these qualifications. The courses are primarily offered in-person in NSW where Academy Green Learning is based but offered online in other states. Ardil says the course is provided under the Federal Government’s traineeship program which offers employer incentives for eligible staff. “There aren’t many nationally recognised qualifications apart from those offered by Academy Green Learning,” he says. The Certificate III in Waste Management (CPP30719) is suited to those engaged in waste management who undertake collection and processing across government and the private sector. Ardil says the Certificate III is relevant to someone new to the industry who could be involved in machine operations and waste. The course consists of four core units and eight elective units with core units focusing on waste identification and segregation, identifying and responding to hazards and emergencies and following WHS procedures. “One of the most important aspects of the course is the safety units. Recycling plants are operating big

machines and there can be a number of hazards in the form of smell and health,” Ardil says. Electives cover an array of topics such as complying with environment protection requirements, maintaining storage areas, operating compost processing plant, machinery and equipment and applying awareness of dangerous goods and hazardous materials requirements. Ardil says that the Certificate IV is suited to someone of high-level experience and in a managerial or supervisory position. “It covers anything from conducting audits and management plans to assisting with tenders.” The Certificate IV in Waste Management covers those in waste collection, processing, minimisation and recovery operations in supervisory, leadership or sales roles. The waste operations being targeted are similar to that of the Certificate III. Individuals operating in waste management specification roles apply solutions to a defined range of predictable and unpredictable problems and provide leadership and guidance to others. The core units are implementing and applying sustainable work practices, applying knowledge of WHS laws in the workplace and establishing developing and monitoring teams. Similar to the Certificate III, identifying and responding to hazards and emergencies is also covered. Elective units comprise implementing erosion and sediment control measures, implementing site safety plans, conducting waste audits and a range of other areas to suit the applicant. Mani says that importantly, the courses are fun, encourage active participation and are an open platform to share knowledge and experience.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 35


FEATURED TOPIC – EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Gamification tackles transient workforce ACROSS THE GLOBE, TRANSIENT WORK, INCLUDING CASUALISED EMPLOYMENT AND CONTRACTOR JOBS, ARE BECOMING A PREDOMINANT THEME. WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW EXPLORES HOW A WASTE EDUCATION APP COULD RESULT IN SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE.

A

ccording to the Deloitte Insights 2018 Global Human Capital Trends report, globally there were around 77 million freelancers in the US, India and Europe. In the US, more than 40 per cent of

Way to Grow caters to a wide array of user knowledge in waste and recycling.

36 / WMR / April 2020

workers were employed in “alternative work arrangements”, including contingent, part-time or gig work. Additionally in 2018, the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work reported that for the first time, over half

of the nation’s working population were in non-permanent roles. This global trend has implications across waste segregation and contamination. More than ever, education needs to be ongoing to ensure employees know when, where and how to properly dispose of waste. In Australia, EPA NSW highlighted in its 2012 Better Practice Guidelines for Waste Management and Recycling in Commercial and Industrial Facilities that education must be regular and continual to overcome the transient nature of cleaning contractors in the commercial rental market. It also considered other factors to be essential in overcoming this issue, including correct labelling of recycling bins, clear signage and the signposting of the location and direction of waste storage areas. While many of these methods are often key to improving consumer education, they don’t always work in practice. Veolia Australia and New Zealand formulated an updated understanding of this in early 2018, when it began looking at ways to help its commercial customers tackle their unique contamination challenges. Veolia responded by developing a unique app to tackle the challenges associated with waste education in workplaces with a transient workforce.


Kate Suters, Sustainability Strategist at Veolia Australia and New Zealand, says that the company first wanted to better understand the challenges its customers faced. “We spent a lot of time talking with our clients, listening to their needs, industry challenges and what they really wanted and needed,” Kate says. “To address these challenges, we developed a strategy that was engaging, impacted behaviour change and had frequent, short and snappy delivery.” Veolia’s diverse range of customers are located across a range of industry segments, including retail, hospitality and commercial property. Many of these customers identified a lack of participation, confusing content and training not resulting in behavioural change as key barriers to progress. A lack of resources to develop and deliver training were also seen as barriers to waste education. Kate says the company assessed available technologies and learning platforms that would deliver the best response to their customers’ requirements. She says that while there were a lot of waste educational tools out in the market, not all of them were engaging, fun or focused on creating behaviour change. In response to this, Veolia developed Way to Grow, a gamified waste education app catering for a wide level of user knowledge in waste and recycling. “There is an assumption that people know the basics of what is and isn’t recyclable, but we’ve found this to be untrue, so it was imperative that the app was developed to provide a personalised learning experience,” explains Chelsea Rorimpandey, Marketplace Sustainability Manager at Veolia Australia and New Zealand. For employers, Way to Grow provides personalised employee engagement, an innovative way to

embed sustainability into company culture and the opportunity to connect Home to a network of environmentally Jenna conscious teams. For employees, it’s 900 Level 3 1540 an entertaining way to learn about responsible wasteRecommended management, earn Activity rewards for taking positive actions and PLAY be part of something bigger. Recycling in the workplace One of the most unique elements Tree Lake Cafe of the app is its use ofMygamification 74 trees principles. It taps into user motivation andRANK 2 Leaderboard experiences and combines this with Bin Scanner microlearning processes to positively reinforce knowledge and actions. “It can dynamically monitor user behaviour, then recommend activities based on previous responses and deliver information to enhance learning,” Chelsea says. “Challenges, games, videos and activities were all designed to be fun, positive and provide bursts of information.” Kate says the end result is behavioural change in a business setting – lowering contamination and cost per tonne and increasing diversion from landfill. “Compared to more traditional methods, such as face-to-face education – which has its place – Way to Grow proves that gamified education can deliver behavioural change. The app goes beyond informing people of what they should be doing by incentivising them to actually do it,” she says. She says that it is equally crucial to highlight the importance of the user experience, which is not typically addressed in other forms of education. “Way to Grow delivers personalised, concise and consistent education right to the fingertips of the user. They can play and learn at a time, place and speed that’s convenient for them, making it more accessible than any other type of education,” Kate says. “Critically, this also takes much of the financial and resource constraints off businesses to deliver their own

900

10

100

100

20

100

Home Jenna

900

Level 3

1540

Recommended Activity 20

PLAY

100 Healthy

Recycling in the workplace

My Tree

Lake Cafe

MY LAND

74 trees

RANK 2 Leaderboard

Bin Scanner

education, be it on a scheduled or ongoing basis.” Way to Grow has added other components such as avatars and team challenges to encourage peer interaction and digital and material prizes. “We also added the functionality of reporting for our clients so they could use it as an induction program,” she says. The app has already delivered excellent results for Veolia customers, including a trial at the retail centres of integrated property group Charter Hall and another office environment. Kate says that Charter Hall is focused on achieving its sustainability targets and driving site engagement. “Working with a sustainability partner like Charter Hall who is equally focused on implementing the best education model for its tenancies made the process a lot more rewarding and ultimately helped deliver a better product to end users,” Kate says.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 37

Healthy


FEATURED TOPIC – EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Anudeep Beniwal, National Procurement & Contracts Manager at Charter Hall, explains that education in the retail sector is challenging. “Time, availability of resources, cost and continuity of messaging have been the main challenges, all of which are compounded by the casualised workforce of the industry,” Anudeep says.

accessible at any time, so tenants can continue to learn and play as much as they like,” he says. Critically, he says the app enabled Charter Hall to help its tenants understand the role they play in generating less and recycling more in a fun and engaging format. “Tenants were really responsive

Way to Grow is currently being rolled out to a number of Veolia’s key clients across Australia.

“It’s quite normal to have staff members that only work a few days a week, or conversely a shop with only one staff member who doesn’t necessarily have a lot of time to learn about waste.” He adds that connecting with tenants and educating them requires extensive resourcing and affects the bottom line – a process the app alleviates. “For our centres, it helped provide continuity of education. The app is

38 / WMR / April 2020

– they enjoyed the activities and challenges. We received great feedback particularly around the content and instructiveness. Importantly, we saw that the more people engaged, the better the results,” he says. “We saw significant results across recycling tonnage increasing, diversion increasing and costs decreasing. This ultimately helps our centres from an operational, cost and environmental standpoint.”

He says that during the initial pilot, diversion at the site increased by almost 10 per cent in the following months of using the app. The app provides detailed reporting, allowing Charter Hall to understand behaviour and engagement with the information. In a recent launch of Way to Grow in a commercial office building, 84.2 per cent of users said that playing the app made a difference to their waste and recycling behaviours. This difference was also observed in knowledge of correct waste practices, which rose from 25.5 to 96.5 per cent following the campaign. Some of the following feedback was reported by end users: “After playing Way to Grow I noticed you are unable to recycle some items which my colleagues were putting in the commingle bin. Now I help educate my colleagues and have made them aware the items are nonrecyclable,” one said. “I make more of an effort to throw things like soft plastics, organics and other separable wastes into the relevant bins,” said another. “I had no idea that it took so long for things to break down, I am paying a lot more attention to my purchases now,” a third person remarked. Way to Grow is available to a broad range of sectors and is currently being rolled out to a number of Veolia’s key clients across Australia. Kate says that the costs associated with implementing the app are marginal compared to the results achieved and the cost of delivering any other type of education. “For organisations focused on achieving their sustainability targets, reducing their costs and engaging and empowering their staff, this type of educational delivery can become an effective part of a broader sustainability strategy,” she says. To learn more, visit waytogrow.app.



WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – ROBOTS

Rise of the machines FOLLOWING ITS SUCCESS INTERNATIONALLY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DESIGNED BY ZENROBOTICS IS POISED TO SUPPORT THE AUSTRALIAN WASTE SECTOR WITH EFFICIENCIES AND HIGHER FRACTION PURITY. ZenRobotics’s Juha Meiskonen has seen the obsolescence of roles like picking empower workers to take on more challenging taks such as site management.

T

he fear of robots taking over society in some dystopian future is a cliché-ridden notion that harks back to the 80s Terminator franchise. Almost 40 years on from the iconic production, robots by and large still serve as an adjunct, rather than a threat to human existence. While some modern futurists like Yuval Noah Harari go as far as to suggest human consciousness as we know could change over the century thanks to robots, this reality is far from the contemporary. For example, futurist Bernard Marr argues critical thinking, creativity,

40 / WMR / April 2020

strategy, technology management, installation and upkeep are skills robots can’t do well. While some can be resistant to change, robots are poised to support the recycling workforce by taking menial tasks off their hands and creating new jobs. That’s according to Juha Meiskonen, Head of Sales at ZenRobotics. Based in Helsinki, Juha has seen that in many cases, obsolescence of roles like picking empower those workers to take on more challenging tasks such as site management. “Repetitive tasks are often more suited to a machine where the

downsides of being a human could be getting tired, not being focused or being in a dangerous situation,” Juha explains. Based in Queensland’s southeast, Robots in Waste has been working with ZenRobotics since its 2014 inception. ZenRobotics was founded in 2007 and entered the waste sector around 2010. The company has been most active in Europe since then, but expanded to Asia and North America around 2014-15. Robots in Waste, which distributes ZenRobotics and other technologies locally, is now looking at accelerating its presence in the Australian market. In traditional industrial automation, robots operate in defined, structured environments. In waste treatment, the process is less predictable, with complex waste stream compositions and harsh working environments such as temperature changes, dust and dirt. Artificial intelligence (AI), however, has changed the game. According to ZenRobotics, unlike car manufacturing, waste processing is a chaotic, unstructured environment that is extremely difficult to automate. The company was pleased to take on the challenge, working to develop a robot that could match, if not exceed, human perception. In 2010, ZenRobotics pioneered its own AI product based on the latest


research in the field. In developing the solution, ZenRobotic’s ZENBRAIN hardware was designed to be flexible and adaptive to recognise, grab and sort objects from the waste stream. ZENBRAIN can not only perform complex tasks, but also handle collisions. Juha says that what is unique about ZenRobotics is the company developed its own machine learning algorithms. “Robotics in manufacturing requires a homogenous knife, clean environment and we wanted to apply the same efficiency of robotics to an industry which is more chaotic and heterogeneous.” This, he says, is where the ZenRobotics system was developed to readily identify and recover objects, much like a human can with hand-eye coordination. Juha says that initial development and testing involved training the robot to recognise new fractions. Now, operators can do this at their own accord, training the robot to recognise fractions in a similar fashion to a human. Over the years, ZenRobotics expanded to Europe, Asia and North America. While Robots in Waste deployed a ZenRobotics system in Australia in 2017, it is hoping to increase this significantly and has already received extensive interest from a range of companies. In addition to providing materials recovery facilities with increased efficiency and productivity, the machine can be run 24/7 with constant speed. Additionally, the sophisticated technology aims to improve the purity of end fractions with sensors and AI software allowing for versatile sorting capabilities. Juha says this may come in handy when end users need to increase their purity to achieve a better price per tonne. End users can

train the robot to sort specific objects, not just materials. AI and digitisation also produces more data on the waste, which may help companies improve and monitor their operations. Robots in Waste’s Jim Duncan says that the digitisation of waste will help drive robotics forward, as the recycling sector moves from a feeling-based operation to a data-driven philosophy. Two products that have proved popular for ZenRobotics internationally are the fast picker, suitable for municipal solid waste, and the heavy picker, ideal for commercial and industrial and construction and demolition waste.

hours, adjust waste sorting tasks and provide hybrid sorting. The Fast Picker’s robust and compact design is suitable for demanding environments with an efficient solution for quality control. A single robot arm can simultaneously sort four different fractions to achieve up to 98 per cent purity. The sensor includes NIR, 3D, hires, an imaging metal detector and VIS sensors. With a single sorting bay, the Fast Picker can be retrofitted to existing materials recovery facilities for different conveyor widths and multi-lane conveyors. Software upgrades will also help future-proof the technology

The ZenRobotics system was developed to readily identify and recover objects much like a human would.

The heavy picker uses the company’s own robot design with AI software that can be easily upgraded and in-house support guarantees a safe investment. Optional features comprise sorting belt speed control adaptable to the waste stream in addition to a feed rate control for upstream feeding and dosing. On top of replacing manual processes, the heavy picker can replace excavator

to work with various sensors into the future. With this in mind, Jim remains excited about the prospect of revolutionising the recycling sector with faster and smarter machinery. “ZenRobotics will launch the new FP system at IFAT in a few months’ time, and like the last IFAT, we expect a huge influx of Australian and New Zealand waste professionals to come and meet us there,” Jim says.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 41


WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – CRUSHERS AND SCREENERS

Tutt Bryant has continued to offer a range of comprehensive equipment to deal with a variety of waste streams.

Knives out TUTT BRYANT’S PAUL DORAN HIGHLIGHTS THE COMPANY’S EXTENSIVE RANGE OF CRUSHERS, SCREENS AND SHREDDERS SUITABLE FOR A VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS.

C

onstruction and demolition (C&D) waste represents around half of the world’s solid waste, according to a 2019 report. The same figure was reported in a 2011 Construction and demolition waste guide prepared for the Federal Government. Given the scale of Victoria’s Big Build, the towering NSW infrastructure pipeline and even the once underdeveloped Hobart, the waste leviathan shows no signs of slowing down. Such volumes are conducive to commensurate equipment investment, with the ability handle soil, gravel, sand, concrete and other ever-evolving waste streams. Tutt Bryant Equipment, one of the largest multi-brand national distributors of construction equipment in Australia, has continued to offer a range of comprehensive equipment to deal with not only C&D, but also commercial and industrial and municipal solid waste. Through its branches in the major centres, the company offers a wide selection of equipment to a variety of

42 / WMR / April 2020

industries. These span government, construction, general equipment hire, infrastructure, mining, recycling and demolition. As the exclusive national distributor of Metso Mobile Crushing and Screening Equipment since 2012, the company recently extended its range to include the world-renowned M&J Shredders on behalf of Metso Waste. Paul Doran, Business Development Manager at Tutt Bryant, says that Metso is the world’s preeminent manufacturer of mobile crushing equipment, with the Lokotrack name synonymous with quality and performance. “From the very first mobile crusher developed over 30 years ago to the latest models, Lokotrack has been the brand of choice for the world’s best contractors and producers,” he says. Metso recently acquired McCloskey International, which necessitated the development of the Nordtrack range. Paul says it complements Lokotrack’s offering by filling in some product gaps and lowering entrance barriers. “This latest evolution has further

extended Tutt Bryant’s already impressive product range of equipment for the waste industry. Coupled with our national footprint of service and parts support, it’s a winning combination for our customers,” Paul says. Tutt Bryant is now able to provide jaw crushers ranging from the 24-tonne J90 to the 150-tonne LT150 behemoth, aiming to offer a suitable machine for any application. “The staple impact crushers that many in the waste industry use can now be offered in the form of a Nordtrack I908S weighing as little as 28 tonnes and up to the LT1315 which weighs in at 70 tonnes, with respective productivity increases,” Paul says. “The introduction of the cone and screen combination plants have provided some traction with waste and mining contractors alike. The LT220D and LT330D offer a transport and fuel-efficient alternative to conventional methods.” In addition to the extensive range of crushers, the screen range has also grown dramatically with most of the


new additions at the smaller end. The soil, sand and gravel processors have access to the two-deck and three-deck screens options that range from 14” x 5” right up to the 22” x 6”, generally for aggregate production. “The scalpers can be provided for similar applications or when feed material is mixed and sticky, but our ST2.8 has one of the most aggressive strokes in the market so the material doesn’t put up much resistance. “The S2.11 has a massive screen deck area of 22” x 6” for serious screening while handling large feed material through its apron feeder.” The Metso shredder is ideal for C&D waste which can contain mixed materials ranging from wood, plastic, concrete and metals. The open-cutting table design of Metso Shredders is effective in this waste stream as it

minimises wear while ensuring high throughput. Some of the main features of the Metso technology includes shredding in both directions and Metso metrics for online monitoring of performance and health status. “Our shredders have a double hydrostatic system, which means the shafts work independent of each other. The open cutting table technology and welded-on knives means that these shredders are not sensitive to stronger and tougher material. They also provide the highest possible availability factor, lowering production costs,” Paul says. The 35 tonne M&J 4000M comes with six to 12 knives and its big brother, the 63-tonne M&J 6000M, comes with nine to 16 knives to suit all applications. Both of these are

available in electric models. To complement the wide range of crushers, screens and shredders, Tutt Bryant has introduced a number of stackers. Optioned as tracked, wheeled and radial, in heavy duty and standard specification, the stackers provide operation flexibility in material transfer and increased stockpile heights to reduce loader movements. They range from 20, 24 and 30 metres in length and metre-wide belts. “If your operation needs some material crushed, screened, shredded, sorted, stacked or conveyed, chances are the team at Tutt Bryant Equipment can help,” Paul says. For more information on the range contact Tutt Bryant Equipment at metso@tuttbryant.com.au or 1300 658 888.

AUSTRALIA’S NO.1 WHEELED EXCAVATOR

JCB HYDRADIG WASTEMASTER

Contact your local dealer today 1300 522 232 www.jcbcea.com.au The Hydradig Wastemaster is a ground-breaking sorting, lifting, loading and tool-carrying machine for all waste and recycling operations. Its low centre of gravity allows for stable lifting while working at full reach, and its two and four wheel steer and crab steering delivers maximum usability on the smallest of job sites. With ground level access to all maintenance points and a lift-up engine canopy providing excellent access to the engine and filters, servicing and maintenance can be carried out with ease. Providing maximum productivity and safety in waste and recycling operations, and unmatched visibility for the operator around the machine the Hydradig Wastemaster is the ultimate machine for all material handling requirements.


WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – FINANCE

Loaning for expanded industries DEBORAH FRIEDLANDER OF CATERPILLAR DETAILS THE LOANS AND LEASING PROCESS OF CATERPILLAR FINANCIAL SERVICES AHEAD OF THE WASTE SECTORS FORECAST EXPANSION.

W

ith Australia’s forthcoming waste export ban set to commence periodically over the next two years, onshore waste and resource recovery infrastructure will require significant capacity expansion. As highlighted in the Federal Government’s export ban consultation paper, for instance, 4.4 million tonnes of waste was exported between 2018-19, 1.4 million tonnes of which will fall under export ban legislation. While 1.4 million tonnes may seem like an overwhelming amount of material to suddenly have onshore, its total declared value, according to the Federal Environment Department, was $291 million, suggesting significant, presently untouched economic potential. As such, large-scale investment will be essential to enhance collection, recovery and recycling capacity and to develop domestic reuse options, technologies, procurement pathways and markets. Deborah Friedlander, Managing Director of Caterpillar Financial Australia, says forecast infrastructure growth also demands concurrent investment in new and expanded waste handling equipment. With over 16 years’ experience working with construction machinery

44 / WMR / April 2020

and equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, Deborah has watched as industries expanded and contracted alongside global and national shifts in policy and economic environments. Understanding the cyclical and often unpredictable nature of shifting industries, Deborah says, is a core component of her work and the wider operations of Cat Financial. Drawing on this experience, and her belief that sustainability represents “the way of the future”, Deborah suggests the waste industry is set for a period of ongoing expansion. As new facilities develop, be they transfer stations, plastic processing plants or even sustainable landfills, Deborah says operators will require reliable access to equipment and financing. She adds that through Cat Financial, anyone from smalltime council operators to thousand tonnage resource recovery facilities can access financing. Cat Financial provides loans and leasing for all Cat equipment, from mini excavators to huge ultra-class mining trucks, she explains, for loan terms usually between three to five years. Deborah adds that Cat Financial provides competitive fixed term interest rates, as low as two and a half per cent for smaller Cat machines.

“Whether clients need a low introductory rate to get their business started or physical damage insurance to help prepare for the unexpected, we can help,” she says. Deborah Friedlander, Managing Director of Cat Financial, stands in front of an original Cat motor grader.


“Clients can count on our team of industry experts to help them get the equipment they need and the financial support required to keep operations up and running.” Given the waste industry is so varied, Deborah says it’s important operators acquire the right machine to support their processes. She highlights that Caterpillar and its dealerships have specialised waste industry experts able to create custom solutions, built to fit unique needs and challenges. “When a client’s business is demolition, scrap recycling and waste, they put a variety of tools to tough use, every day. And we’re ready to help them get the finance

and extended protection support they need,” she says. “We’re not just selling machinery – we’re operating as solutions providers.” Cat Financial, Deborah says, aims to provide a fast and effortless customer experience, with credit approvals usually processed within a few hours of receiving the application documentation. She adds that finance documents are short and can be signed online. “We also don’t require onerous covenants from customers or charge unexpected fees. The funding is ready to go when the machine is, which helps our customers get into their new machines fast and get to work delivering

their projects,” Deborah says. Deborah adds that following the banking royal commission, many customers have felt nervous about approaching lenders for financing. “No-one should feel nervous about approaching financing with us. We make it easy and have a set criterion that is incredibly straightforward,” she says. According to Deborah, the Cat Financial customer service team is authorised to provide six months of payment relief with very little administration. “Unlike a bank, we want Cat customers for life, so we work very hard to build loyalty and preserve it. If one of our customers needs leeway or financial assistance, we are ready and able to support them through that process,” she says. “For instance, it’s very hard to look past the bushfires right now. We’ve contacted all our customers in affected areas and will be working closely with them over coming months.” There will be a period of rebuilding ahead, Deborah says, with Cat Financial committed to assisting that process. She adds that Australia’s bushfire crisis has renewed the nation’s focus on sustainability, which is a core value of Cat Financial and the Caterpillar brand at large. She says that in 2020, Cat Financial is really focused on financing for rebuild and repairs through competitive rates. “Our customers often just pay for rebuild and repairs with cash flow from their business, but we want to make it easier to match the expense of rebuilding to the cash flow coming from the machines. “Cat Financial is invested in the waste and resource recovery industry and want to support its economic health. It’s great to see interest growing in the sector.”

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 45


WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – CDS

Charitable containers WITH OVER $1,000,000 RAISED FOR CHARITY PARTNERS THROUGH RETURN AND EARN, TOMRA’S MARKUS FRAVAL EXPLORES THE ADDED SOCIAL BENEFITS OF CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEMES. Return and Earn raised $500,000 for bushfire affected families in just four months.

A

fter bushfires ravaged Australia’s eastern and southern states in 2019 and 2020, families and businesses were faced with the task of rebuilding. Burning an unprecedented amount of the land, the economic consequences of the fires was significant, with lost tourism earnings adding a further layer of heartbreak and complication to those affected. After dominating much of the environmental conversation in 2019, waste and resource recovery took a back seat, with discussions of regeneration, wildlife rehabilitation and strategic conservation more vital than ever.

46 / WMR / April 2020

However, the sector was keen to lend its support to rebuild efforts, with the NSW container deposit scheme (CDS) Return and Earn raising $500,000 for affected families in just four months. Proved to dramatically increase container recycling, CDSs across the country boast significant collection rates. In just over two years of operations, for instance, Return and Earn saw three billion containers returned. According to Markus Fraval, TOMRA Australia Director, CDSs are about more than producing positive environmental outcomes. They have the ability, he says, to function as

simple and streamlined donation points. There are currently 320 Return and Earn kiosks across NSW, with more than 1200 reverse vending machines (RVMs) run by network operator TOMRA Cleanaway. “RVMs features up to four donation partners, including a blend of state-based charities and local charity partners,” he explains. “Each time NSW recyclers return their containers they have the option of choosing ‘donate’ on the interactive touchscreen, foregoing part or all of their refund to one of the available charities.” Return and Earn on average receives five million containers each day, which, when refunds are donated, is the equivalent of putting $500,000 back into the pockets of people across NSW daily, Markus says. “Donating a few 10-cent containers might seem like a small thing, but with the popularity of Return and Earn it can add up very quickly,” he says. “This money can help those in need in our communities, even if just a small percentage of the containers are donated rather than redeemed.” Bottles for the Bush, TOMRA’s bushfire appeal, was launched in November 2019 in partnership with Rural Aid. The initial goal, Markus says, was to raise $250,000 to help those affected


Hundreds of community groups are raising funds in their own way.

by drought and bushfires by the end of February 2020. “As Australia’s bushfires became front page news, not just in Australia but around the world, Aussie recyclers rallied to the cause, with the amount of people donating some or all of their drink containers quadrupling in just two to three weeks,” Markus says. “The original target of $250,000 was smashed in just eight weeks, at which point TOMRA doubled the target to $500,000: a figure that was achieved three days before the end of the appeal.” Within the first few weeks of the campaign, Markus says Rural Aid had already delivered more than $100,000 to NSW farmers and rural families in need of hay, food and water. “Funds raised through Return and Earn were making a real difference in those communities hit hardest by drought and bushfires,” he adds. Return and Earn’s appeal isn’t its first, with TOMRA launching the first major CDS crisis appeal in August 2018 as drought began to hit NSW. The appeal, Markus says, encouraged people to donate to Rural Aid

through the “Buy a Bale” campaign. “The appeal raised over $75,000 in 13 weeks, and further reinforced the potential of Return and Earn as a force for good and a way to help those most in need,” he says. According to Markus, high-profile charities are not the only ones benefiting from CDSs, with Return and Earn containers providing vital funding for many smaller, volunteerbased organisations and community groups. “Charity donation partners and community groups not yet on the RVM screens can benefit from the scheme by simply setting up a free account,” Markus says. “Those groups can then share their unique scheme barcode with their supporters to scan at their local RVM when donating containers.” Since Return and Earn began in December 2017, Markus says close to 500 not-for-profit organisations have participated and benefited, including charities, social enterprises, schools, sporting clubs, community groups and disaster appeals. “Some of the largest organisations to benefit, raising tens of thousands

of dollars, include the Salvation Army, Cancer Council, OzHarvest and the RSPCA,” he says. Top-performing local organisations, Markus adds, include PCYC Singleton, Lions Club Gerringong and Ronald McDonald House Greater Western Sydney. “In addition to those who have raised funds via the RVM machines, hundreds of other not-for-profit organisations and community groups are raising funds their own way, by encouraging supporters to raise money for them through the Return and Earn network. “Now, with more than one billion Aussie animals losing their lives and millions of them with their habitats destroyed, TOMRA and Return and Earn are urging recyclers to donate to ‘Cans for Koalas’, which is raising funds for WWF’s Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund.”

TOMRA’s Bottles for the Bush bushfire appeal delivered more than $100,000 within the first few weeks of the campaign.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 47


WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Mobile AI pedestrian detection MIKE DAVIS OF PRM ENGINEERING DISCUSSES THE WASTE SECTOR APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ENABLED HAZARDOUS MONITORING SYSTEMS.

PRM’s human-only detection system operates with artificial intelligence.

E

ngineers have been developing and trialling self-driving car prototypes for decades, and while we’re not yet “permanent backseat drivers”, the technology is developing rapidly. As the product of artificial intelligence (AI), a central element of autonomous vehicle research is the ability to detect and avoid pedestrians and other obstacles on the road. As the machine learning movement progresses, AI in industrial applications is also moving beyond

48 / WMR / April 2020

the automotive industry. To that end, PRM Engineering Services, a Brisbane-based control and engineering solutions firm, has introduced the latest in AI human recognition to the waste industry via hazardous monitoring. Developed over three years, Sentinel VISION AI monitors danger zones in real time to reliably alert machine operators and pedestrians of safety breaches. According to Mike Davis, PRM Group Managing Director, Sentinel

Vision AI was developed in response to growing legislative and cultural safety impetus. As a result of this change, he says companies are becoming more aware of risks and are seeking better solutions. Mike adds, however, that safety system development has typically focused solely on operators or site employees. What sets Sentinel Vision AI apart, he says, is its dual operator and public monitoring approach, which works to support not just workplace health and safety, but also


behavioural change. “When operating in an essential service such as waste management and resource recovery, it’s not enough to simply install operator-focused hazard systems,” Mike says. “Kerbside collection truck drivers, for instance, are faced with a number of uncontrollable variables, such as pedestrians or cyclists. Furthermore, operators at public transfer stations are faced with the risk of members of the public getting hurt by moving machinery, arms offloading dustbins or compactors.” To address these challenges, PRM developed Sentinel Vision AI, which uses cameras and machine learning to recognise when a human enters a hazardous zone. “A lot of other safety detection systems register all objects, be they wheelie bins, power poles or other vehicles. They don’t actually distinguish if the ‘object’ is a person. In contrast, Sentinel Vision uses AI to create an alert when people are detected,” Mike explains. “While operators certainly don’t want to hit inanimate objects, the focus needs to be on human safety. And when beeps and buzzers are going off regularly, operators often become desensitised.” Mike highlights that in a waste context, operators often work in close proximity to other vehicles, buildings, objects and, most importantly, people. As such, alarms go off regularly, causing operators to sometimes ignore or even switch off safety systems. PRM’s human-only detection system incorporates multiple cameras, which are mounted to mobile machines such as wheel loaders, excavators and refuse trucks. The cameras are pointed at the zone operators want to detect, Mike says, with as many or as few cameras

installed as needed. “The images are then processed by an AI neural network that is trained using machine learning and information input algorithms. The network pulls the image out, and if there is anything that looks like a person, or part of a person, an alarm will sound,” Mike says. Detection zones are customisable and determined using a drag-anddrop interface, with an additional option of pre-warning zones. Sentinel Vision uses a combination of visual and audible alarms, which alert the operator and pedestrian that they’re in the wrong place.

Vision’s ability to detect under harsh conditions as a unique industry standout. According to the PRM team, Sentinel Vision has been trialled by a number of top tier waste management companies. Mike adds that results have been positive, with multiple companies reporting that when people are alerted by the voice alarm, behavioural change is noticeable. “By alerting pedestrians as well as operators, we’ve developed a system that supports behavioural change and greater awareness. Ideally, over time, Sentinel Vision will be activated a lot less, because people will have learnt

“By alerting pedestrians as well as operators, we’ve developed a system that supports behavioural change and greater awareness.” Mike Davis PRM Group Managing Director

In addition to visual and audible alarms, the system has a unique voice alarm system that speaks directly to pedestrians. “Beeps and buzzers are easy to dismiss, but a human voice speaking from the side of a mobile vehicle is very difficult to ignore,” Mike says. Sentinel Vision can be retrofit to any existing machine, with optional motion-stop integration providing hard engineered control at closer distances. He adds that with a detection distance up to 12 metres in optimal conditions, the system is more vigilant and reliable than human spotters or traditional electronic tag monitoring systems. As a value add for the sometimes dusty and unlit environments of waste operations, Mike says the system is enabled to work in low light conditions. He adds that user feedback highlights Sentinel

not to walk in front or behind active machines and vehicles.” Despite Sentinel Vision representing an exciting new development for PRM, it’s one in a long line of engineering and technology innovations for the company. Mike says PRM is an integrator and developer of a number of products specialising in safety systems, such as height limiters, pedestrian detection and bespoke engineering products. “We have an extensive history in the earthmoving industry, as well as interfacing systems for OEMs,” he says. “Our talented team of engineers, together with a support staff of electrical, hydraulic and installation specialists, are able to offer endto-end innovative and customised solutions to our wide range of customers.”

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 49


Government funding available TRAINING IN THE WASTE INDUSTRY – CAREER ROLES Certificate III in Waste Management • Landfill Operator • Plant Operator • Resource recovery officer • Recycling officer • Weighbridge Operator • Recycling Quality Controller • Compost Operator Certificate IV in Waste Management • Team Leaders / Supervisors • Landfill Manager • Education Officer • Sustainability Manager • Facility Supervisor Certificate III in Driving Operations • Skip Truck Driver • Hook Truck Driver • Front Loader / Rear Loader Waste Collection Driver • Delivery Truck Driver

Certificate III in Customer Engagement • Call Centre Officer • Customer Service Operator • Weighbridge Operator Government Funding Available Employer Incentives • Up to $4,000.00 incentives apply for FT employee • Up to $1,500.00 incentives apply for PT employee • Payroll Tax applies for ALL new entrant trainee (NSW, QLD, WA, ACT and NT ONLY) NSW FEE FREE Traineeships This training is subsidised by the NSW Government. Eligibility criteria will apply. For all eligible Trainees the NSW Government has waived the student fee of $1,000.00 on behalf of all trainees who commence training after January 1st, 2020.

UPSKILL YOUR STAFF TODAY

Certificate III and IV in Waste Management available NOW

SUSTAINABLE LEARNING AUSTRALASIA PTY LTD T/A ACADEMY GREEN LEARNING RTO ID: 6187 ABN: 86 095 024 918 Address: 50 Lancaster Street Ingleburn NSW 2565 Phone: 02 8325 0177 Email: info@academygreen.edu.au Website: www.academygreen.edu.au


WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – PLASTICS

Melting for the Yarra WITH A RECENT REPORT REVEALING POLYSTYRENE TO BE THE MOST COMMON WASTE MATERIAL IN VICTORIA’S YARRA RIVER, DANIEL FISHER OF APPLIED MACHINERY OUTLINES AN EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT SOLUTION.

P

olystyrene, which can take centuries to degrade, is the most prevalent litter item in Melbourne’s Yarra River, according to a new state government report. The plastic was found at 80 per cent of sites in the Yarra River catchment monitored in a Cleanwater Group and Yarra Riverkeepers study. “Since 2018, polystyrene has consistently been found to be the highest littered item found on the river. Being both a light-weight and brittle material means that the ecological impacts of polystyrene, which can unfold gradually over time, can be widespread and devastating for the river and Port Phillip Bay,” the report reads. According to Expanded Polystyrene Australia, an estimated 71,000 tonnes of polystyrene is used annually, growing at a rate of five per cent each year. Add to ubiquity the material’s notoriously difficult to recycle composition, and Australia’s natural environment has a problem. While the situation may seem dire to some, according to Daniel Fisher of Applied Machinery, recycling solutions do exist. First showcased in Australia at the 2019 Waste Expo Australia, Daniel says Applied’s new range of Greenmax EPS recycling machines represent a technological step forward for polystyrene recycling. When it comes to polystyrene,

Greenmax is an internationally renowned specialist. Committed to providing complete polystyrene recycling solutions, Greenmax’s densifiers have been sold in more than 70 countries across the world. Greenmax Mars C200 hot melt machines operate via a hot melting system, with material initially crushed before heat is introduced. Following this, the liquified material is squeezed out of the machine, and once cooled, shaped into plastic ingots for resale. “After the shredding, heating and extruding process is complete, the end product has a volume reduction ratio of up to 90:1. This has obvious storage and transport benefits, with a once difficult-to-manoeuvre product transformed into high-value, high value, densified blocks,” Daniel says. Greenmax Mars’ melters are suitable for all kinds of polystyrene material, Daniel says, with a competitive price point for a quality and reliable machine. He adds that the machines can process most forms of foam plastic waste, including EPE, EPS and EPP. Daniel explains that given polystyrene’s lightweight and lowdensity nature, it can be extremely difficult to transport it economically for recycling. “With Greenmax’s relatively modest footprint, however, the machine is suitable for installation at smallerscale, local operations,” he says.

Greenmax Mars’ C200 hot melt machines reduce product volume at a ratio of 90:1.

The Greenmax series features screw melting technology that enables continuous outputs, with high-density ingot weights of up to 25 tonnes per 40-foot-high cube container load. The machine enables three temperature control stages to keep output colour as white as possible, with easy operation and no additional adjustment required when in use. Applied Machinery is proud to be a Australian sales and service partner for Greenmax Recycling, Daniel adds, with the added value of Greenmax’s parent company Intco Recycling’s buy-back offer. “Intco Recycling can buy the densified polystyrene for their local manufacturing, which Applied can facilitate for local customers, creating a further efficiency and economic benefit,” he says.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 51


COUNCIL IN FOCUS

Weighbridges at the border ANDREA BALDWIN, ALBURY CITY COUNCIL WASTE MANAGEMENT TEAM LEADER, DETAILS THE COUNCIL’S INNOVATIVE SUITE OF WASTE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY INITIATIVES. Q: What have been some of the council’s key waste and resource recovery achievements over the past few years? A: The Albury Waste Management Centre is able to showcase strategic resource recovery achievements through the introduction of infrastructure and education. Albury City Council has been working consistently to enhance the landfill facility for its users, all while increasing its lifespan. This has been achieved through significant investment in infrastructure and education, and has seen significant reductions in landfill tonnages, increased recycling and development of local circular economy opportunities in Albury. Improvements include: introducing a three-bin system to the region, installing 4000 solar panels on rehabilitated landfill areas, a new dual weighbridge system and push pit for general household waste disposal, construction of a leachate-to-sewer system and three new weighbridges to enable data and payment efficiencies. We have also introduced a methane collection system on site and implemented a $2.50 self-imposed landfill levy. The levy generates approximately $380,000 annually to go towards lifting the educational and knowledge profile of the local and regional community

54 / WMR / April 2020

around waste management and recycling. In 2008 we were accepting 198,649 tonnes of waste and diverting 48,498 for recycling. In 2019, we reduced total waste accepted to 165,486 tonnes and diverted 77,041. For 2020, we can see that our results will improve. Q: What are some of the challenges surrounding collection and recycling in the region? A: Our community has had to endure a lot of change as part of infrastructure improvements at the Waste Management Facility. With the introduction of a three-bin system in 2015, this was a significant social change for our residents. In recent years, council has been working with the community to develop its Community Strategic Plan. The document is called Albury 2030, and addresses social, economic and environmental improvements for council. We can see economic growth and dynamic development occurring in recycling. One of the main challenges for a collection service is to maintain low levels of contamination and maximise the quality of materials. Through our unique education program Halve Waste, we are able to deliver positive engagement and education to our community, all while

seeking to improve on our current contamination rates. These are already quite low, at less than half a per cent in our food and garden service, and less than eight per cent in our recycling service. Q: How has the city’s upgrade to a three-weighbridge system assisted the council’s waste and resource recovery progress? A: The concept of the weighbridge and push pit was developed through learnings of others. Council visited various sites around Victoria and NSW and developed the concept based on a platform that would allow the capture of material, while maintaining a high level of safety for our customers. The push pit is a lowered platform just below ground level and sloped to a collection point at one end, enabling customers to reverse up to the disposal point. To incentivise and encourage further recycling prior to the push pit, a pricing regime was introduced to encourage recycling. The weighbridge located just before the push pit will take a second weight. People who recycle part or their entire load prior to this point will pay no fee or very little. A three-weighbridge system allows us to obtain data to inform future management of waste materials and


Andrea Baldwin says the council has been working with the community to develop a strategic plan with growth opportunities in recycling.

provides information for education purposes. We have seen significant reductions in landfilled material through the weighbridge system and recovered an additional 5000 tonnes of material in the first year. Q: How has the community responded to the council’s Halve Waste education campaign? A: Halve Waste offers a forum to educate and increase knowledge in the business and community sectors of our region. Our community is on board and receptive and now has high expectations for environmental outcomes across our operations. Our community sees us as a leader, caring for our environment, and we have a responsibility to ensure our Waste Management Facility is around for many generations yet to come and beyond. Community satisfaction of our facility is rated very high, as evidenced through bi-annual surveys. Q: How do you see waste management evolving in Albury and what does the future hold? A: These are exciting times. Locally we can see a change in behaviour and see the impact our direction has on schools and the general and business communities, which is drawing new business to our area. Albury is well located from a road and rail network perspective. We already have recycling businesses in our region, and we can see that this will evolve and grow. Council has a commitment to waste management and are invested to ensure our community is a sustainable one that offers opportunity and growth. The waste management facility is also supported by the right staff. They are motivated, engaged and invested and they strive to continually improve the facility.

Sorting and Separating Equipment Wastech provides solutions to all Material Recovery Facility requirements from full system designs, to manufacture, installation and servicing. Our knowledge and experience allows us to deliver solutions for all product types, throughputs and produce quality outputs. Wastech will work with you to design an efficient and effective solution that meets your requirements on all levels. From manual picking lines to fully automated systems, Wastech will get your product sorted.

OCC Screen

Trommel

Optical Sorter

CP Auger Screen

Material Streams catered for:

Equipment Offered:

Comingled Recycling Commercial and Industrial Construction and Demolition

Optical Sorters OCC and Fibre Screens Glass breaker Screens Vibrating Screens

Organic Food De-packaging Product Destruction

Complete Systems

Trommels Turbo Separator Robotics

Through collaboration we find solutions

1800 465 465 www.wastech.com.au


EVENTS – AUSTRALIAN WASTE TO ENERGY FORUM

Can Ballarat secure energy security? THE YEAR’S AUSTRALIAN WASTE TO ENERGY FORUM SAW DELEGATES CONVERGE ON BALLARAT TO DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES AND TECHNOLOGICAL SHIFTS IN THE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING SECTOR.

56 / WMR / April 2020

we sit at the crossroads of Victoria. When the state has power issues, Ballarat is often one of the first areas to experience outages.” As a result, Mr Taylor added, it was important for Ballarat to take energy security into its own hands, giving certainty to residents and industry operating in the region. Trevor Evans, Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Minister, addressed the crowd next, albeit in digital form. Addressing delegates via video, Mr Evans highlighted the Federal Government’s role in Australia’s first WtE facility in Western Australia. After a rundown of federal funding initiatives, Mr Evans told attendees that the Federal Government looked forward to supporting further WtE technology trials.

As a single stream event, the Australian Waste to Energy Forum saw a range of industry and government stakeholders in one room at Ballarat’s Mercure hotel. With an array of presentations ranging from industryfocused technology updates to an exploration of community engagement techniques, attendees included equipment distributors STEINERT and Focus Enviro, and previous Waste Management Review coverstar Craig Davis of KTS Recycling. Day one of the two-and-a-halfday forum had a strong government and legislative focus, with presentations from CSIRO – detailing thermochemical pathways to WtE – and EPA Victoria, which outlined the effects the new Environment Protection Act will have on WtE proposals. Representing the state

As a single stream event, the forum saw a range of industry and government stakeholders networking in one room.

Credit: all taken by Paul Benjaminn

F

or the past five years, the City of Ballarat has been pushing for a waste-to-energy (WtE) plant. After a proposed deal fell apart in 2019, however, council had to put its plans on hold. The facility, which would have been constructed in Ballarat West’s Employment Zone, was part of a broader plan to receive and sort waste at an extensive All Waste Interchange, with feedstock shipped in from across western Victoria. In his mayoral address at the Australian Industrial Ecology Network’s 2020 Waste to Energy Forum, Ben Taylor, City of Ballarat Mayor, assured attendees that WtE was still firmly on council’s agenda. However, before it makes any further moves, the city is waiting for the Victorian Government’s long-awaited Circular Economy Policy, Mr Taylor added. Funnily enough, the policy would land a week later. “We want to ensure our WtE plans align with those of the wider state. We’re waiting with bated breath for that release,” he said While waste often takes centre stage in WtE discussions, given rising generation rates and recycling sector instability, Mr Taylor highlighted another facet: energy security concerns. “How do we have secure energy as a city?” he asked. “As some of you are probably aware,


Barry Sullivan says access to information is a critical WtE challenge.

government, Sustainability Victoria’s Matt Genever and DELWP’s Angela Hoefnagels were delivered a few good-natured barbs about the state government’s delayed Circular Economy policy. And while both expressed regret that they were unable to present on the new policy, delegates were assured that news was coming “soon.” Day one’s keynote presentation, delivered by Veolia Australia and New Zealand’s Toby Terlet, detailed a long list of challenges faced by a Veolia WtE facility in Tyseley, UK. Challenges, Mr Terlet said, included major upgrade works coinciding with industrial action, heavy snow and a declining national public sector budget. Explaining how Veolia worked proactively through these issues, Mr Terlet emphasised the importance of internal communications, social licence and company-wide value consensus. David Jettner, Australian Paper General Manager, continued the theme of social licence, providing an overview of the company’s bespoke community engagement plan. To help address future energy needs, Australian Paper has embarked on a $7.5 million feasibility study. Released April 2019, the study explores the use of WtE at its

Maryvale paper mill. “Our operations are located between two regional towns – our employees and their families live locally. From the outset of this project, Australian Paper understood the importance of community support,” Mr Jettner emphasised.

Sustainability Victoria’s Matt Genever sees WtE as a growing part of the state’s resource recovery system.

According to Mr Jettner, comprehensive engagement ensures communities are heard, which, in turn, fosters acceptance. Engagement took the form of community focus groups, stakeholder mapping and an international study tour with key stakeholders. Results, Mr Jettner said, are evidenced by

the facility’s 84 per cent community support rate. Day two saw a whole new round of concepts and projects explored, with Henry Anning of Resource Co presenting on recovered fuel potential in a regional context. Mr Anning highlighted a selection of major policy work, before detailing the importance of sourcing the right waste to produce fuel to specification. From there, the program shifted to local government, with project updates from the City of Ballarat, Wyndham City Council and the City of Greater Geelong. Johnny Stuen, City of Oslo Waste-toEnergy Agency Technical Director, then delivered the forum’s second keynote presentation: providing an overview of Oslo’s waste management system, volumes technology and development work. Mr Stuen detailed how and why Oslo’s source separating system works, and provided an overview of organic waste biological treatment technology, concept and market work. By the event’s end, delegates had heard from a range of informative thought leaders, with a program carefully designed to foster greater WtE understanding. According to Barry Sullivan, Australian Waste to Energy Forum Committee Chair, with Australia’s WtE market finally gaining traction, it’s now more important than ever to facilitate knowledge transfer. “One of the biggest WtE challenges is a lack of access to information necessary to make informed and considered investment decisions. There’s a lot of misinformation out there that hinders project development, so it’s our job to counteract that with community engagement and education,” he says. “I think we achieved that at our 2020 forum, and I’m grateful for all those who attended and shared their ideas and expertise.”

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 57


EVENTS – WASTE 2020

The plastic reckoning WITH PLASTIC SET TO OUTWEIGH FISH IN THE WORLD’S OCEANS BY 2050, GEOFF BRIGHTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ASSOCIATES OUTLINES POLICY LESSONS FROM THE UK, AHEAD OF HIS WASTE 2020 KEYNOTE.

W

hile the most notorious feature of New South Wales’ Coffs Harbour might be the Big Banana, the north coast city is also home to the Solitary Islands Marine Park. As a site of abundant wildlife, seasonal wales and coral reefs, the marine park is renowned for its natural beauty.

highlighted that by 2050, it’s predicted there will be more plastic in the world’s oceans, by weight, than fish. A Coffs Harbour location is fitting for Geoff Brighty, Founder and Managing Director of Environmental Sustainability Associates, whose forthcoming Waste 2020 keynote will explore plastic recycling progress in

The Coffs Harbour Waste Conference is returning to Opal Cove Resort in May.

That said, with the plastic waste problem escalating globally, untouched marine parks like the Solitary Islands are facing a challenge. According to Federal Environment Minister Susan Ley, 10 million tonnes of plastic makes its way into the world’s oceans every year. In a December 2019 statement announcing the Federal Government’s first National Plastics Summit, she

58 / WMR / April 2020

the UK and lessons for Australia. The Coffs Harbour Waste Conference, Australia’s largest waste management event, attracts over 650 delegates annually. Returning to the Opal Cove Resort on 5-7 May, the event will showcase latest industry developments, with an array of presentations, exhibitions and networking opportunities. Citing 2018 McKinsey Institute

research, Geoff says an estimated 260 million tonnes of plastic waste is produced annually. “And with predicted plastics demand, the global annual production of waste plastic is estimated to almost double by 2030. Approximately 4900 million tonnes of the estimated 6300 million tonnes of plastics produced has been disposed either in landfills or elsewhere in the environment,” Geoff says. “That represents a considerable waste of resource and is leading to environmental impacts at a global scale.” Drawing on his scientific and policy guidance work with international NGO Plastic Oceans, Geoff ’s keynote will outline how circular economy thinking can reduce the consumption of natural resources. “Australia has fabulous beaches, but you will no doubt see plastic floating around, and if it’s not plastic you can see, it’s microplastics that you can’t, and that’s something we need to address,” he says. The UK has seen significant activity over the last three years, changing the way the country thinks about plastic and reclaiming its value, Geoff says. He adds that this includes everything from government interventions and


policy to individual behavioural change. The UK’s new Environment Bill is currently being read at the House of Commons, for instance, which will provide the power to regulate plastic exports and encourage onshore processing. “What I want to highlight with my Waste 2020 keynote is: what are the policy interventions and technological advancements? And how are we going to increase our recycling rate from 40 to 70 per cent by 2025?” Geoff says. The presentation will also look at a range of other measures, including support through innovation programs, progressive policy development, market interventions and the businessled UK Plastic Pact. Geoff, who worked as an area director for the UK equivalent of the EPA for 26 years before starting his

own environmental consulting firm in 2014, says he’s excited to head back to Australia, having last set foot on the island nation in 2004. “I’m keen to learn about the waste and resource recovery situation in Australia, develop a deeper understanding of its challenges and figure out if there are any transferable lessons from the work we’ve done in the UK,” he says. An added benefit of his trip to Coffs, Geoff says, is the opportunity to meet colleagues from Australian waste technology firm Licella Holdings. In addition to his independent consultancy work, Geoff is a nonexecutive director at Mura Technology, which has taken on the global licence for Licella’s innovative chemical recycling process. The technology, Cat-HTR, is a patented hydrothermal upgrading

process that uses water under high temperature and pressure to chemically recycle waste plastic into oil. With a recycling plant in TimorLeste underway, the technology has the potential to convert the country’s entire plastic waste stream into valuable petrochemicals. Geoff adds that as the process is 85 per cent efficient, it’s as effective as mechanical processing. “Mura’s ambition is to bring their chemical recycling process into common practice and scale, and to work alongside mechanical recycling,” he says. “I’m excited to come out and meet the Licella people to learn more about the technology. While we’re in the process of building one in the UK, it’s currently the only plant of its kind in the world.”

BONUS $4000

TOWARDS AN EXTENDED

WARRANTY

Receive $4000 towards your choice of extended warranty when you purchase any selected 14 - 25 Tonne Volvo Excavator. Call 1300 139 804 or visit promo.cjd.com.au/volvo-extended-warranty for more information. BIG ENOUGH TO TRUST SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE www.cjd.com.au | 1300 139 804 | enquiries@cjd.com.au Facebook.com/cjdequipment

Linkedin.com/company/cjd-equipment

Instagram.com/cjd_equipment

Terms & Conditions apply. Offer available from 1st of February 2020 until 31st May 2020. Valid with sale of new Volvo EC140D, ECR145C, ECR145EL/ELD, EC220D, EC220EL/ELD, ECR235EL/ELD, EC250D and EC250EL/ELD models only. Machine must be purchased between the 1st of February 2020 – 31st May 2020 and be delivered by the 30th June 2020 in order to qualify. A total of $1000 per qualifying machine will be donated to Beyond Blue, excludes compact equipment. CJD Equipment reserves the right to remove this offer at any time without notice. Images are for illustration purposes only. For more information about Volvo Extended Warranty offer please see: promo.cjd. com.au/volvo-extended-warranty. For more information about donations to Beyond Blue please visit: www.cjd.com.au/beyond-blue.


It’s time to Re-Think

We need Effective Enforcement


TROMMELS AND SCREENING EQUIPMENT – PRODUCT SHOWCASE

WASTECH’S CP AUGER SCREEN Wastech Engineering has released its newest screening technology from its partner, the CP Group – the CP Auger Screen. The anti-wrapping, non-blinding screen was developed specifically for materials recovery facilities. The trademark CP Auger Screen sizes material by using a series of cantilevered augers that do not wrap or jam due to their corkscrewing motion. Any material that could wrap, such as strapping, hoses or plastic film, are released off the end of the auger. Its low-wear augers are made from abrasion-resistant steel, making them durable while requiring little to no maintenance. The CP Auger Screen can be used in various recycling applications, including commingled, municipal solid waste, construction and demolition and commercial and industrial wastes. The largest model can handle 30 tonnes per hour of inbound single stream material, 55 tonnes per hour of commercial and 70 tonnes per hour for construction and demolition material. The machine is unique compared to traditional disc screens as the auger rotors act like a corkscrew,

The largest Auger Screen can handle 30 tonnes per hour of inbound single stream material.

conveying any stringy materials over the side. The cantilevered augers convey large flat materials over, while fines and flexible fibre go through the augers or out the side of the screen. Contact - Wastech Engineering P 1800 465 465 W www. wastech.com.au

KIVERCO’ S COMPACT PLANT RANGE Kiverco’s Compact plant range, distributed exclusively in Australia and New Zealand by Lincom Group, is a mobile recycling plant with all the benefits of high-performance stationary operations. Designed and built by the same team that has successfully manufactured and installed over 250 static plants since Kiverco began over 25 years ago, the initial range includes feeder trommels, picking stations and density separators. The Compact Feeder Trommel (FT620) combines fast, simple and safe onsite set-up capability with the proven design and build quality of Kiverco’s successful static plants, providing long lifespans, high performance and rugged reliability. The two-(PS122) and three-bay (PS123) Compact picking stations with set-up simplicity, operator comfort, safety and environmental protection, combine air separation, magnetic separation and manual sorting – all in one compact unit. The DS150 density separator works to efficiently separate material into heavy and light fractions via the latest in air separation technology.

All models in the Kiverco Compact range can be used alongside other mobile equipment.

All components come with various options and configurations, offering the customer maximum flexibility to obtain a bespoke solution for their waste handling needs. All models in the Kiverco Compact range can be used alongside other mobile equipment or combined to form a complete recycling system. Contact - Lincom Group P 0438 880 810 E sales@lincom.com.au W www.lincom.com.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 61


PRODUCT SHOWCASE - TROMMELS AND SCREENING EQUIPMENT

Higher frequency resources ADAM GORDON, ASTEC AUSTRALIA NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, TALKS HIGH-FREQUENCY SCREENING EFFICIENCIES AND A GROWING WASTE SECTOR PRESENCE.

W

ith the Victorian Government’s recent $100 million investment in recycling and Infrastructure Australia’s call for a harmonised national waste plan, sector growth is imminent. Add increasing market interest in the use of waste for infrastructure applications and, according to many stakeholders, the future looks bright for domestic reprocessing markets.

“In recent years, our interest in, and equipment offerings for, the waste and recycling industry has increased significantly. And we now have multiple screening options on offer to help operators separate deleterious material from valuable resources,” Adam says. “Plus, with demand for fine material growing for applications such as glass in roads and crushed rock, and the growing acceptance of reclaimed

Developments in the resource recovery sphere have entrenched Astec’s interest in waste as a resource.

While equipment supplier Astec Australia has traditionally focused on the quarrying and mining sectors, Adam Gordon, National Account Manager Aggregate and Mining, says developments in the resource recovery sphere have entrenched the company’s growing interest in “waste as resource.”

62 / WMR / April 2020

asphalt pavement, operators need access to the best possible tools for separating fines. That’s a progressive development we want to support.” One such offering, Adam says, is Astec’s new GT2612V track highfrequency screen. He adds that as the screen is high, rather than multi-

frequency, the GT2612V is capable of screening finer and more difficult to manage material. “Our high-frequency screens offer ideal gradation control for reclaiming fines in dry applications, with all high-frequency screen decks driven by variable-speed hydraulic vibrators for optimal screen efficiency and production,” Adam says. “Producers save time and money with easy hydraulic screen angle adjustments and our unique rotary tensioning system, which ensures some of the quickest screen media changes in the market.” The screen works via stratification, with larger size particles rising to the top of the vibrating material bed, while smaller particles sift through voids to the bottom. “It also works on the probability of separation, as particles that reach apertures are rejected if they’re larger than the opening or passed through if smaller,” Adam says. “As fines screening is most efficient when machines are configured with a short stroke, high revolutions per minute and steep angle, the GTV2612V can operate at angles up to 43 degrees to operate through the natural angle of material repose.” Astec’s track-mounted screens, Adam says, are engineered to provide higher production capacities and


also provides quick screen media changes, up to 50 per cent faster than competitive models,” Adam says. “Easy replacement of each screen section also translates to less downtime for screen changes and increased operational time.” In addition to selling high-quality equipment, Adam says Astec is committed to providing ongoing support and assistance to all its clients. “We have a dedicated team of customer service staff who are always ready to provide clients with information about what machinery is best suited to their application,” he says. Adam says Astec also has a number of business processes, including sound commercial and project management, based on industry standard principles and best practices. He says that this means that all

Accurate bin weights mean accurate invoices Increase profits by matching bin revenue to dumping costs and eliminate overload fines.

customer projects are carried out through known project phasing. This comprises appropriate project software to ensure equipment is delivered, installed and commissioned on time and on budget. Adam adds that Astec stamps all of its equipment with an “Astec Response Promise”. This means equipment purchases are supported by quality maintenance, repairs and spare parts nationwide. “We believe in our responsibility to ensure our equipment operates effectively and efficiently throughout its life, which fits in nicely with our growing waste industry presence,” he says. Contact - Astec

P 1300 278 322 W www.astecaustralia.com.au E enquiries@astecaustralia.com.au

Ready 3860 17670

kg (Payload) kg (Truck Total)

02:12 PM

For more information: visit loadritescales.com/waste or call +61 2 9531 6732

Accurate invoicing with Trimble LOADRITE scales

© 2017, Trimble Inc. All rights reserved. (10/17)

more efficient sizing when compared to conventional screens. “Our track-mounted screens combine heavy-duty screens with industry-leading conveyor heights. With easy-to-reach engine controls and grease points for routine service, they facilitate operator ease and process efficiency,” he says. Adam adds that due to the highfrequency screen inducing vibrations directly into the screen media, operators have reduced maintenance issues and increased production and uptime. Astec’s new screening addition has a hopper size of 7.2 metres cubed, which Adam says facilitates consistent and high-level processing. He adds that the GT2612V separates at up to 4200 revolutions per minute. “Our unique rotary tensioning system


PRODUCT SHOWCASE – HOOKLIFTS AND SKIP LOADERS

Ryan Noble, of Grasshopper Environmental, is working on large infrastructure projects.

Grasshopper growth RYAN NOBLE, GRASSHOPPER ENVIRONMENTAL ASSET & DRIVER MANAGER, OUTLINES THE IMPORTANCE OF DURABLE AND HIGH STRENGTH HOOKLIFT CAPACITY IN THE GROWING C&D WASTE SPHERE.

T

he North Strathfield Rail Underpass Project, a joint Federal and NSW Government initiative, was designed to deliver faster, more reliable services on a main rail line that runs from North Strathfield to Newcastle. With a construction value of more than $130 million, the 2015 project understandably generated significant amounts of waste. To address these levels of waste, the North Strathfield Rail Underpass Alliance worked to strict environmental standards to maintain a more than 80 per cent recovery rate.Being a government project, the alliance was required to provide quality reports to confirm targets were met. To facilitate this, the alliance engaged NSW waste management company Grasshopper Environmental to manage waste disposal, transport and recovery. According to Ryan Noble, Grasshopper Asset & Driver Manager, waste collection points

64 / WMR / April 2020

were spread across eight separate sites over three kilometres due to the scale of the project. “Because the project was situated in a residential area, Grasshopper had to work closely with the alliance traffic management team so deliveries and removals could occur within a precise window,” he says. “It was a huge project for us, highlighting our capabilities and growth as a force within the NSW environmental space.” Operating in Sydney for more than 30 years, Grasshopper’s work in the construction and demolition waste sphere is expanding. As a result, the company upgraded its truck fleet in 2019. “We modernised our trucks to incorporate new technology, aiding in safety and user-friendly operations. We currently run, plus subcontract, a fleet of upgraded vehicles consisting of skiploaders, hook, front and rear loaders,” he adds.

As part of the new fleet, Grasshopper runs multiple West-Trans Equipment hooklifts, carrying various hookbins from 15 to 38 metres. This includes a recently acquired HL-20A hooklift, which Ryan says Grasshopper purchased earlier this year. From a financial perspective, Ryan says purchasing decisions are based on whole-of-lifecyle investment and maximising earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation. “One of the key factors in the decision to move our units to WestTrans is the quality of the hook itself. West-Trans offers well-built and solid units at a reasonable price, comparative to the quality you receive,” Ryan says. “Another key factor is the ability to have spare parts available as soon as possible when necessary. Being Australian built, West-Trans is able to sort the problem out quickly and effectively should anything go wrong.” West-Trans-designed and manufactured hooklifts are constructed


with high tensile structural steel with quality components, using the latest manufacturing technologies and production techniques. All West-Trans hooklifts comply with relevant Australian standards and codes, which Ryan says is a real value-add when working on high-profile government projects. West-Trans hooklifts are also protected with an anti-corrosive primer base and two coats of gloss finish colour. Like all West-Trans hooklifts, Grasshopper’s HL-20A was custom built by craftspeople at West-Trans’ Mulgrave factory. As a family-owned business, WestTrans has been producing civil and transport equipment locally for more than 25 years. Over this time, Ryan says the company has developed a deep understanding of the unique

challenges presented by Australian conditions for the waste and resource recovery industry. “West-Trans design and manufacture hooklifts from the ground up to deal with real industry challenges, which gives its customers unmatched confidence in its products’ durability,” Ryan says. The HL 20A is an industry benchmark for high capacity, Ryan explains, with a 20-tonne lifting capacity and fixed and articulated models available. Using innovate geometry and configurations, West-Trans hooklifts keep the lifting hook close to the rear drive when lifting to improve lift performance and truck stability. According to Ryan, the HL 20A West-Trans hooklift, which Grasshopper coupled with a Scania P450, has been shown to be a safe and efficient piece of machinery.

“West-Trans offer a fantastic tarp tower as well, which has proved to be user-friendly and a great addition to our hookloader,” Ryan says. He adds that Grasshopper’s relationship with West-Trans has continued to grow significantly, with West-Trans equipment now installed throughout multiple segments of the business. “West-Trans offers a one-on-one experience for design changes and extras, ensuring we always have flexibility when it comes to our machines,” Ryan says. “We recently added a new skip bin fleet to our operations, and given our past experience, we opted for WestTrans lifting units. They’re yet to let us down.” Contact - West-Trans

P: 1300 877 411 W: www.west-trans.com.au E: sales.nsw@west-trans.com.au

ONBOARD AXLE LOAD INDICATOR DISPLAYS AXLE AND GROSS WEIGHTS SIMPLE COLOURCODED DISPLAY

AXTEC WORKING WITH TRANSPORT & WASTE SOLUTIONS AUSTRALIA Multiple pickup’s, with their constantly changing weight distribution can easily catch drivers out leaving them at risk of an axle overload.

Constantly displaying axle and gross weights, enabling drivers to distribute their loads safely and legally at all times.

Axtec OnBoard axle load indicators solve this problem.

From light vans to 32-tonners, the simple colour-coded display has no

manual controls which means no driver training and nothing for them to adjust. Optional outputs are available to vehicle tracking systems, and camera inputs can be accommodated.

mb: 61 439 667 382 ph: 02 9623 1800 e: chris.coleman@twsaust.com.au www.twsaust.com.au


PRODUCT SHOWCASE – WHEEL LOADERS AND EXCAVATORS

Driving commercial recovery DEON COPE OF JCB CEA OUTLINES HOW A NEW RANGE OF WASTE SECTOR SPECIFIC EXCAVATORS IS HELPING RESOURCE RECOVERY OPERATORS GROW COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL RECYCLING RATES.

W

ith NSW landfill levies now sitting at $141.20 per tonne in metropolitan areas, it may come as a surprise that less than 10 per cent of the state’s commercial and industrial waste (C&I) is recycled. While minimal resource recovery is always a concern, costs exceed environmental dangers when applied to businesses, leading to increased disposal costs and even lost revenue streams. Historically, industry stakeholders have attributed low C&I recycling rates to disparate material range and size, and, as such, the difficulty of commercial sorting. JCB CEA is attempting to address low recovery rates and difficulty perceptions through investment in reliable machinery and emerging technologies. According to Deon Cope, JCB CEA National Excavator and Wheeled Loader Product Manager, the company takes pride in delivering equipment to facilitates high resource recovery rates, production, supply and delivery of quality recycled materials. JCB CEA nationally distributes a broad range of world-class JCB products. This. Deon says, highlights JCB CEA’s extensive waste sector reach, and, subsequently, the companies understanding of its vehicle and machinery needs.

66 / WMR / April 2020

The Wastemaster’s all-round visibility allows ground staff to see operators at all times.

“Drawing on our experience working with a range of Australian waste and resource recovery companies, we can confidently say that our latest range, JCB’s Hydradig Wastemaster wheeled excavators, represents a new and exciting material handling solution,” Deon says. He says that given the excavators’ durability and high-strength manufacturing, they’re well suited to virtually any waste stream, including C&I. The Wastemaster range, Deon says, delivers on five important customer criteria to ensure maximised

productivity and safety: viability, stability, mobility, maneuverability and serviceably. “The range has a low centre of gravity, allowing stable lifting while working at full reach mobility. Additionally, two- and four-wheel steer and crab steering deliver high usability on even the smallest job sites,” Deon says. With safety a central concern for waste operators, Deon says the Wastemaster features a cab guard falling object protection system. “From ground level, the excavator’s all-round visibility also allows ground


staff to see the operator at all times,” he adds. The JCB Hydradig Wastemaster wheeled excavator has a sturdy all-wheel drive and four-wheel steer chassis, Deon says, based on JCB’s proven Loadall telescopic handler concept. “This delivers three-mode steering for maximum manoeuvrability and stability when travelling at speed,” he says.

then to both axles. “This driveline layout offers a stepless zero-to-20 kilometre per-hour speed range for solid or semi-solid tyres and a 40-kilometre-per-hour option for conventional pneumatic tyres,” Deon explains. “Near 50/50 weight distribution between the axles and a longer wheelbase than competitive 10-tonne machines also deliver improved

“As the engine is side-mounted, the centre of gravity is far lower than conventional 10-tonne wheeled excavators, adding to the machine’s stability.” Deon Cope JCB CEA National Excavator and Wheeled Loader Product Manager

“Furthermore, as the engine is side-mounted, the centre of gravity is far lower than conventional 10-tonne wheeled excavators, adding to the machine’s stability.” Hydrostatic drive is provided through a combination of variable piston pump and variable piston drive motors to a central transfer box and

stability, instilling confidence for the operator.” The range offers a minimum turning radius of just under four metres at 3946 millimetres on single tyres operating within four-wheel steer. According to Deon, the machine can be ordered with single tyres, extra-wide flotation tyres or dual

tyres on each axle. JCB CEA operates as the main supplier for a number of waste and resource recovery companies, Deon says, offering a range of high-quality products and customer-focused support. He adds that as the company has a deep understanding of the waste industry and its associated equipment and machinery needs, JCB CEA can provide extensive pre-purchase consultation. Deon adds that JCB CEA works to streamline the acquisition and serving process, with more than 90 dealer outlets allowing the company to provide sales, parts and service through a network of Australia-wide branches and dealers. “JCB CEA understands the unique requirements of the waste and resource recovery industry and is always available for after-sales support and servicing,” he says. “We’re a customer-focused business, and it’s great to work with clients embracing resource recovery in an evolving waste sector.” Contact - CEA

P 1300 522 232 W www.jcbcea.com.au

A win for the little guys!

MRA best in 8 of 11 categories... Thanks to voters in Inside Waste’s Annual Consultants Review who judged us best in 8 of 11 categories across all consultancies large and small, as well as Best Small Consultancy: Education, training, community consultation

Technology, infrastructure reviews and evaluations

Logistics – collection and transfer studies

Strategy, policy and planning

Economic evaluation and modelling

Best environmental specialists

Procurement – tender development and evaluation

Environmental and greenhouse management

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

mraconsulting.com.au


PRODUCT SHOWCASE – WHEEL LOADERS AND EXCAVATORS

A novel hydraulic hybrid WITH CARBON EMISSIONS SQUARELY ON THE NATION’S AGENDA, LINDSAY DANIELS OF CJD EQUIPMENT BREAKS DOWN THE HYDRAULIC FUEL REDUCTION CAPABILITIES OF VOLVO’S NEW E-SERIES EXCAVATOR RANGE.

I

n August 2016, CJD Equipment embarked on a large-scale sustainability project: installing solar panels at its five most energyhungry branches. The initiative was a long-term investment designed to reduce emissions. By the end of 2017, installation on all five branches was complete. CJD also operates recycling programs at all business units, including spill control kits across multiple locations throughout stores

and workshops. According to Lindsay Daniels, CJD Equipment National Product Engineering & Training Manager, the project falls under CJD’s wider commitment to undertake environmental risk assessment on all business activities. In addition to “greening” their operations, Lindsay, who has worked with CJD for over 40 years, says the company strives to invest in the most sustainable and energy-efficient equipment on the market. He highlights the Volvo EC300E Hybrid Excavator, which CJD introduced into Australia in early 2020, as an example of this commitment. CJD Equipment strives to invest in sustainable and energyefficient equipment.

68 / WMR / April 2020

“Unlike other systems that capture the swing energy of an excavator’s upper works to electrically assist the engine, Volvo’s novel hydraulic hybrid collects ‘free’ energy generated by the down motion of the excavator’s boom and uses it to supercharge the engine system,” Lindsay says. “This simple hybrid hydraulic shift allows operators to improve fuel efficiency by up to 20 per cent, with the boom down motion used to charge energy storing accumulators that power the engine systems.” For waste operators, who often work in harsh, stop-start environments, Lindsay says the EC300E’s approach to fuel efficiency and sustainable energy consumption is particularly noteworthy. This is due to the fact stop-start operations often lend themselves to greater fuel consumption. “Volvo’s unique ECO mode optimises the hydraulic system to reduce flow and pressure losses, resulting in improved fuel efficiency without any loss of performance in most operating conditions,” Lindsay says. The excavator also features an eco-gauge, he says, which is an added gauge bar that indicates momentary fuel consumption, tracking it under


different applications. The benefit here, Lindsay explains, is knowledge of how certain tasks correlate with fuel consumption, giving operators the ability to adjust processes in service of energy efficiency. “The excavator also has an automatic engine shutdown feature, which turns the engine off when the unit has been motionless for an allotted amount of time. This facilitates significant environmental and economic benefits for our clients,” Lindsay says. In addition to “eco” benefits, Lindsay says the unit integrates all the standard high-quality trappings of a Volvo excavator. He adds, however, that unlike standard excavators, the EC300E stands out through its human interface design. “The E-Series range is powerful and efficient, like all Volvo excavators, but its human-machine interface design, which streamlines all in-cab features ergonomically to produce increased operator productivity, really sets it apart,” Lindsay explains. “The body-centric design is integrated into everything from joysticks and LCD screens to keypads and hot keys.” Through the cab, Lindsay says

operators can control pressure and flow within the auxiliary function, with 20 separate pre-set functions. Furthermore, the design gives operators a clear view of the machine through rear and side-view cameras. Lindsay adds that as an optional extra, clients can request a Volvo smart view system, which gives operators a 360-degree view of the machine. Positive control hydraulics and pump input torque, Lindsay says, also work to produce productivity through a high-pump flow. He adds that when combined with an electrohydraulic control system, high-pump flow creates faster response and cycle times. “The unit also features the combination of a durable D8 Volvo stage five engine and intelligent hydraulic system, which boosts power while reducing both fuel consumption and emissions, resulting in quicker cycle times and greater productivity,” Lindsay says. “The beauty of Volvo engines is they produce a high amount of torque at very low revolutions per minute, so you don’t have to rev the engine, therefore saving fuel and keeping noise pollution down.” While sustainability is one of CJD’s

core commitments, Lindsay says that at the end of the day, all operations need to be customer focused. With after-sales support running 24 hours, seven days a week, he adds that CJD is able to support its customers through a vast network of branches, dealers and resident field service technicians across Australia, including major regional towns. He says the team is always ready and willing to discuss potential energy and fuel reduction solutions with clients. “Our support team is always on call to help with equipment upgrades or breakdowns,” Lindsay says. “Plus, we’re committed to working with customers to ensure all attachments are fitted within the supplier’s recommendation. “We also aim to prevent environmental damage, minimise pollution, energy and resource usage and ensure the principles of sustainable development are operated throughout all of CJD Equipment’s operations, as well as our technology and vehicle offerings.” Contact - CJD Equipment P 08 9478 0000 E marketing@cjd.com.au W www.cjd.com.au

Waste 2020 – The industry’s leading Waste Management Conference Registration and accommodation bookings are now open for the 2020 Coffs Harbour Waste Conference! The program provides inspiring keynote addresses from national and international leaders, 4 panel discussions, 3 pre-conference workshops and 3 concurrent streams allowing delegates to tailor the program to their own learning needs. There is also the opportunity to network with industry experts during 3 dedicated social events.

This premier industry event will attract: • 650+ delegates • 80+ exhibitors • 140+ presenters The 3 day event is coupled with an extensive indoor exhibition and interactive outdoor product displays. This event is one not to be missed by anyone who works in the waste industry!

Opal Cove Resort Coffs Harbour 5 – 7 May 2020

REGISTER TODAY! www.coffswasteconference.com.au email: wasteconference@impactenviro.com.au | phone: 02 6583 8118

Supported by:

Major Sponsors:

Hosted by:

Organised by:


PRODUCT SHOWCASE – WHEEL LOADERS AND EXCAVATORS

Land of the rising sun

WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH HITACHI’S MATT MCCARTHY, ABOUT PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY.

F

or the last 1400 years, at the very least, Japan has been known globally as the land of the rising sun. While there are various theories as to how the reference came to be, a common belief is that the name came from China, the idea being that from an ancient Chinese perspective, the sun, which rises in the east, always rose first in Japan. While waste and resource recovery machinery might not be one’s first thought with mention of Japan, Hitachi, which manufactures the aforementioned equipment, is one of the country’s and world’s largest

70 / WMR / April 2020

corporations. Literally translated to mean “rising sun”, Hitachi was founded by Namihei Odaira in 1910 under the auspice of contributing to society by developing original technology and products. Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM), the industrial equipment arm of the company, was founded 39 years later. According to Matt McCarthy, HCM Australia National Major Account Manager, HCM now operates extensively throughout Asia Pacific, China, Japan, India, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East. The company’s central focus, he says,

is the design and manufacture of hydraulic excavators and wheel loaders. “Our position within the global Hitachi network gives us unique access to vast resources and advanced technologies that are unrivalled within the industry. We also deliver impressive sales, service and parts support to Australian customers across a range of industries, including waste and resource recovery, through a wholly owned national branch network,” Matt says. Furthermore, Matt says HCM’s close relationship with the waste industry allows the company to


manufacture machines based on extensive specialised knowledge. As part of HCM’s commitment to contribute positively to society, Matt says the company is consistently working towards manufacturing environmentally neutral or beneficial products and facilities. “With growing demand for businesses to take responsibility for their impact on the environment, HCM has created a long-term environmental perspective: working towards a low-carbon and resourceefficient society where our business lives in harmony with nature and the global community,” Matt says. All HCM machines, he adds, are designed to reduce their impact on the environment, with fewer emissions and lower fuel consumption. “HCM also collects and analyses operational data to reduce total lifecycle costs,” Matt explains. HCM’s ZW-5-wheel loader range is an example of this commitment, Matt says, with the unit satisfying a range of international emissions regulations including US EPA Tier 4 Interim and EU Stage IIIB. “HCM designed the range to deliver high level performance, reliability and productivity. However, as with many of our products, we also focused largely on fuel efficiency, producing positive environmental impacts as well as lower running costs,” he says. “This benefits the climate, the earth and our client’s bottom line.” The HCM ZW-5 range achieves this via two separate work modes. Standard, Matt says, facilitates smooth and efficient acceleration during loading, regular operations and level terrain travel. “Standard mode is well suited to applications such as paper or organics movement, where efficiency is crucial,

but the machine isn’t required to fully exert its engine due to weight and material composition,” Matt says. “The second option, P mode, is better suited to heavy duty applications such as construction and demolition or commercial and industrial waste handling.” P mode enables greater traction force, Matt says, with the engine’s maximum rotations per minute increased by approximately 10 per cent. He adds that under P mode, the wheel loader has a faster front speed and greater rimpull.

system also facilitates further fuel efficiency and environmental benefit.” The HCM torque proportional differential system automatically adjusts the machine’s driving force to both wheels. “Unlike conventional differential systems, when road resistance under both wheels is inconsistent, the differential reduces slippage and enables the loader to move freely, even when operating on slippery and uneven terrain,” Matt says. HCM’s ZW-5-wheel loaders are also equipped with a new hydraulic

“HCM also collects and analyses operational data to reduce total lifecycle costs.” Matt McCarthy Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia National Major Account Manager

“P mode allows operators to really make the most of their HCM machines, while standard mode provides fuel efficiency when optimum running speeds aren’t required,” Matt says. “Given they regularly deal with harsh materials that require safe and environmentally sound handling, operators at transfer stations, landfills and resource recovery facilities expect a lot from their equipment. And I think HCM’s really delivered with this particular range.” Another point of difference, Matt says, is the ZW-5-wheel loader’s torque proportional differential system. “HCM includes standard torque proportioning differentials against the whole range. As a result, all usable power is available to the ground,” he says. “Customers comment that the pushing power of the machines is exceptional, and because it’s concentrated, the torque proportional

circuit, Matt says, which accelerates combined operations of the bucket and lift arm for loading. “The lift arm movement contributes to the new ZW-5’s high productivity levels, as the flow control lowers the lift arm smoothly, reducing vibrations and operator fatigue,” he explains. For its waste clients, HCM also provides a specialised waste handling package that is compatible with the ZW-5 range. “We fit ZW-5s with durable guarding, reducing the potential for waste to get trapped in the machine and cause damage,” Matt says. “We also have dust protection screens and guards for the front windshield, buckets and axle seals, all of which conform to outdoor waste safety specifications.” Contact - Hitachi

E marketing@hcma.com.au W www. hitachicm.com.au/

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 71


T I C K E TS N OW O N SAL E

DON’T WASTE THE CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS 1 ST - 3RD A P RI L 2 020

M E LB OU R N E CON V E N T I O N & E X HI B I T I O N C E N T R E

P R OUD PARTNE R

SU PPO RT I NG SPO NS O R S

Department of Transport

ACCR ED ITATION PART NER

ASS O C I AT I O N PART NERS

CO N FEREN CE S PO N S O RS


NEMUS 2700 TROMMEL SCREEN

FLEXIBLE WORKHORSE

The Komptech Nemus 2700 is a heavy-duty, diesel hydraulic, mobile drum screen, available in your choice of track or wheeled chassis, that efficiently screens most any material from heavy dirt to compost.

COMPOST

MULCH/BIOMASS

SOIL/AGGREGATE

WASTE

Green compost, organic

Shredded waste wood,

Excavated material,

Shredded bulky, household

compost, sludge compost

woody biomass, wood

sand, gravel, lightweight

and residual waste, refuse

chips, mulch, bark

building rubble

derived fuels

CALL US TODAY TO SPEAK WITH OUR SCREENING EXPERTS

1300 ELB EQU

elbquip.com


PALFINGER T22A DINO HOOKLOADER WITH AN ARTICULATED ARM

WORLD CLASS MATERIALS HANDLING SOLUTION LIFETIME EXCELLENCE

Gough Palfinger Australia delivers and supports the world-leading Palfinger range of innovative lifting, loading and materials handling solutions for land and marine applications. We provide highly transportable and agile logistic solutions for the waste industry.

Tarp Systems

In Cab Control

Optional Front Bin Locking

Articulating Arm

The Essentials

Optional Adjustable Hook

Contact the team to find out more:

1800 HOOKLOADER 1800 466 556 | PALFINGER.COM.AU Gough Palfinger Australia - Head Office: 66 Industrial Avenue, Wacol, Queensland 4076


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.