Waste Management Review May 2020 by Prime Creative Media

MAY 2020

A circular CDS TOMRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ryan Buzzel on the role of CDS in shaping behavioural change. FEATURES

Recycling Victoria: a new economy? Technology to mitigate risk Industry pulse check Medical waste and COVID-19

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY:

PMS 380 PMS 376 PMS 355

COVER STORY CLEAN LOOP RECYCLING

CDS’ ARE THE FIRST STEP IN CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY, TOMRA’S RYAN BUZZELL EXPLAINS.

COVID-19 INDUSTRY PULSE CHECK ACOR and Prime Creative Media present the results of their industry survey to provide an up-to-date measure of confidence in the sector at a time of unprecedent global economic shift.

“CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEMES OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY CAN WORK AND ENCOURAGES THEM TO LOOK AT OTHER AREAS OF THEIR CONSUMPTION, THEREBY BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS AND CHANGING PEOPLE’S MINDSETS AND BEHAVIOURS.” - Ryan Buzzell, TOMRA Collection Solutions Australia President

In this issue

Features

10 A NEW ECONOMY?

With Recycling Victoria representing the largest package of recycling reforms in the state’s history, Waste Management Review speaks to key industry stakeholders about their projections for the sector.

SUPPORTING BUSINESS CONTINUITY

With the impact of COVID-19 being felt by waste businesses across the country, Mandalay Technologies provides advice on mitigating risks through improved service delivery.

EET THE CHANGE 18 MMAKERS

Through Queensland’s container refund scheme Containers for Change, one local recycling business has grown their employment rate by six times.

M ELTING THE 30 POLYSTYRENE PROBLEM

Chris Tangey of Ecycle Solutions details a hot melt solution to the accelerating problem of expanded polystyrene.

20 CDS SUCCESS STORY 50 FRONTLINE SUPPORT Return and Earn has delivered exceptional results across litter reduction and participation since launching in 2017.

UILDING A 22 BSUCCESSFUL CDS

As Victoria joins the rest of the states and territories with a CDS commitment, Coca-Cola Amatil and Lion outline the key ingredients of a well-run scheme.

Waste Management Review speaks with Queensland Health operators and suppliers about managing medical waste in the wake of COVID-19.

Regulars

56 P RODUCT SHOWCASE 61 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

Unprecedented times If you had asked me a month ago as to whether most of us would be working from home, with businesses and supply chains disrupted in Australia I would have questioned the veracity of your narrative. While some businesses were starting to experience disruptions to supply chains in affected countries, at the time of writing in late March, it had been only just three weeks since the Australian Grand Prix was cancelled. Since then, the situation continues to evolve day-by-day and the effects are starting to be felt in the waste sector, with many businesses now working remotely. Waste management is an essential service and the United Nations and various industry associations are calling for it to be recognised as such, notably medical, household and other hazardous waste. The economic, health and environmental impacts of waste sector disruptions should not be underestimated, whether it be to a landfill, transfer station or recycling facility. With so much work having gone into developing specifications, planned bans on international waste exports and an advanced resource recovery network, it would be a travesty to have any of that undermined. It’s not only critical that the industry protects the health and safety of its workers, but that a contingency plan is in place should any disruptions occur. Likewise, there are implications, including an increase in household waste, that are only just beginning to be fully understood. As an essential resource for the latest news and information in the waste industry, Waste Management Review will continue to keep you updated of industry challenges and opportunities. We recognise that with many people working from home, now more than ever it’s important to stay connected between staff, supplier and clients. Feel free to reach out to me directly on 0403 626 353 or toli.papadopoulos@primecreative.com.au with any stories or ideas on how we can help. We will get through this. Stay safe.

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ART DIRECTOR

Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au

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CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Peter Morris

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TOMORROWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SOLUTIONS. TODAY

COVER STORY

Ryan Buzzell, TOMRA Collection Solutions Australia President is buoyed by the fact that more than 3.4 billion containers have been returned and recycled since the NSW CDS began.

Clean loop recycling CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEMES ARE THE FIRST STEP IN CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF REUSING PRECIOUS RESOURCES, TOMRA’S RYAN BUZZELL EXPLAINS.

ollaborative success stories are abound throughout the waste industry, with initiatives such as the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation and Food Innovation Australia Limited highlighting the central role industry plays in developing Australia’s legislative resource recovery framework. In recent years, the industry/government alliance model has been applied to the nationwide establishment of container deposit schemes (CDS), to great success. Ryan Buzzell, TOMRA Collection Solutions Australia President, highlights

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CDS’ as a standout example of government and industry working together to protect natural resources for societal reuse. “We’re about to learn a lot about the impacts of plastics in our oceans, including their impact on our society and human health. I believe that sustainability, and particularly the circular economy concept, will become an urgent priority in the next few years,” Ryan says. “To address that, we need to ensure those concepts remain at the forefront of business innovation and government

policy decisions. I think those two entities working together can really make significant positive change.” With the majority of his working life spent at TOMRA, Ryan’s commitment to fostering the circular economy is a lifelong passion. “I remember learning about greenhouse gases and their impact on the climate in primary school and thinking I wanted to be part of the solution,” he says. Beginning his relationship with TOMRA in 2005, Ryan started working at the company in an entry

level position with the collection solutions division. “When I came across TOMRA in 2005, it was clear to me that this was an organisation that aligned with my personal values. And 15 years later, that’s still something that holds true. “Since then I’ve held progressive positions within the organisation. More recently in 2015, I was General Manager of our business in New York City. And then in 2017, I came to Australia to head up our business here, with the onset of the CDS in NSW.” BILLIONS OF BOTTLES In his Cleaning Up Our Act: Redirecting the Future of Plastic in NSW Minister’s Message, Environment Minister Matt Kean highlights plastic as synonymous with the global consumer economy – underpinning “our use and dispose mentality”. Ryan shares similar sentiments, calling Australia’s cultural attachment to single-use items a major problem that requires innovative solutions and behavioural change. “The past 40 years have seen our unsustainable linear economic model – take, make, dispose – accelerate at a significant rate, with approximately one million plastic bottles now bought every minute globally. We need to work at addressing that issue and promoting awareness about the value of the circular economy model.” Mirroring sentiments expressed by TOMRA CEO Stefan Ranstrand at the 2019 World Circular Economy Forum in Helsinki, Finland, Ryan says with an estimated 95 per cent of plastic packaging material value lost to the economy, the international community needs to work to unlock that economic potential. He highlights that in doing so, the global economy could unleash up to $85 billion annually. Furthermore, Ryan says the environmental effects of plastic waste are set to increase without

action, with estimates suggesting plastic production will rise by 40 per cent over the next 10 years. Despite the scale of the problem, Ryan remains optimistic, noting the success of NSW’s CDS Return and Earn. “The CDS, which has demonstrated positive effects on recovery rates, will be instrumental in improving our future environmental outcomes and addressing the waste crisis,” he says. “CDS’ offer an opportunity to show people how the circular economy can work and encourages them to look at other areas of their consumption, thereby breaking down barriers and changing people’s mindsets and behaviours.” In July 2017, TOMRA, in a joint venture with Cleanaway, was appointed Return and Earn network operator by the NSW Government. As part of the network operator JV, TOMRA provides technology and software, including reverse vending machines. Cleanaway provides logistics, material sorting and recyclable commodities brokerage. Administered by scheme coordinator Exchange for Change and regulated by the NSW EPA, Return and Earn represents a well-oiled example of industry/government collaboration. Since it was introduced, the scheme has seen more than 3.4 billion containers returned and recycled, with NSW Parliamentary Environment Secretary James Griffin remarking on Return and Earn’s then 67 per cent redemption rate for eligible drink containers at the time of the scheme’s second anniversary in December last year. Ryan estimates that more than one billion containers would have found their way to landfill or litter over the last two years. While the success of Return and Earn is likely well known to most in the waste and resource recovery sector, Ryan says its impact can be measured beyond

bottles collected and litter reduction rates. He adds that the scheme has fundamentally changed the way NSW residents think about waste and litter, thereby illustrating a public willingness to engage in the circular economy. “More and more, Australians are understanding that waste is a resource and actually something that holds value. But society still needs a push or a reminder to turn that into a habit,” Ryan says. CDS’ work by adding a small extra deposit on top of the price of a beverage – such as those in plastic and glass bottles and aluminium cans – which is refunded to the consumer when they return the empty drink container for recycling. “This is typically established through legislation passed by state or national governments. When the consumer purchases the beverage, they pay the additional deposit on the container. Once they have finished with their beverage, the consumer returns the container to receive their deposit back,” Ryan says. “That’s where CDS models work so well: by attaching an incentive to those products to remind people that these are valuable resources. CDS functions as a very tangible example of the circular economy in action.” CLEAN LOOP RECYCLING While the plastic waste crisis is affecting the entire globalised world, Ryan says the combination of collaborative action and innovative technology offers a real solution. He adds that significant economic, social and environmental opportunities can be found in TOMRA’s clean loop recycling ethos. Despite most being aware of the closed loop recycling process, TOMRA is championing an updated model, with clean loop recycling at the forefront of the company’s business framework.

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COVER STORY

“What we mean by clean loop recycling is using technology at the point of return for bottles and cans to essentially recognise the container and sort it on the front end,” Ryan says. “This keeps contamination in the material streams to an absolute minimum, which ensures those clean streams of material can be turned back into new bottles rather than being downcycled.” According to Ryan, over 50 per cent of the containers collected through Return and Earn are recycled into new bottles and cans, highlighting the scheme’s prioritisation of high order recycling. “Rather than downcycling the material we collect, Return and Earn works to lessen the need for virgin material production by turning old bottles and cans into new bottles and cans – thereby extending the lifecycle of the original material,” he says. Containers collected in the greater Sydney region are returned to a Sydney recycling facility for processing and onsale to other businesses to be re-used. Ryan adds that containers collected in

regional areas are processed at regional recycling facilities, reducing the need to transport materials across the state. Plastic is undoubtably the workhorse material of the modern economy, Ryan adds. Addressing the plastic waste problem therefore requires more than just telling consumers to buy less. “To achieve the ambitious goals of a circular economy, it’s necessary to employ state-of-the-art approaches that push boundaries, with TOMRA’s reverse vending and waste sorting solutions helping to achieve this by recovering materials and providing valuable insight into the composition of these materials,” he says. “The result is a greater understanding of where efficiencies can be made to minimise costs and waste, and better utilise resources within a closed loop – further mitigating the impact of CO2 and other emissions and inefficiencies.” According to Return and Earn’s consumer research, conducted in December 2019, eight out of 10 Return and Earn participants are satisfied with the scheme. While over three-quarters of NSW residents believe it will reduce

Clean loop recycling means using technology at the point of return to recognise the container and sort it at the front end – a model at the forefront of TOMRA’s business framework.

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the amount of litter in the state. Ryan adds that TOMRA’s research shows more than half of NSW residents are using the scheme, which in turn demonstrates how easy access to drop-off points and a well-planned network of collections and recovery infrastructure is critical to building Australia’s circular economy. Recent research also shows that for young people 18 and 24, the environment is now their number one concern above health and the economy. This, Ryan suggests, demonstrates the circular economy concept taking root. “I expect we will see more of these thoughtful consumers emerging in the future, with CDS enabling the consideration of not just what you’re buying and using, but also where those products are going to end up,” he says. “CDS’ are a great example of delivering on the triple bottom line of sustainability: less litter in the environment, refunds used to benefit charities and local community groups, and lastly, recycled containers becoming a part of the circular economy through extended product life.”

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UPFRONT Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says Recycling Victoria would help local businesses “give new life to old rubbish.”

Recycling Victoria: a new economy? THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT’S RECYCLING VICTORIA STRATEGY IS THE LARGEST PACKAGE OF RECYCLING REFORMS IN THE STATE’S HISTORY. WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW EXPLORES THE POLICY.

n recent years, Victoria’s waste and resource recovery system has faced a number of setbacks, from fires at material recycling facilities and illegal stockpiling, to uneven policy regulations and the collapse of major processor SKM Recycling in 2019. The SKM collapse was particularly noteworthy, entering mainstream consciousness after 33 Victorian councils were forced to landfill their recycling: calling the state’s infrastructure capacity into question. Fast forward just one year, and the state is in better shape, with the release of Victoria’s long-awaited circular economy policy Recycling Victoria: A New Economy presenting widespread opportunity for sector growth. When announcing the policy, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said

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Recycling Victoria would help local businesses “give new life to old rubbish” and drive positive environmental outcomes for the state. According to Rose Read, National Waste and Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC) CEO, the policy is a signal that government has listened to industry and the community. “From cleaning up what goes into the bins, improving local processing capacity and remanufacturing and growing local market demand for recovered materials, through to more resources to stop illegal waste activities and a recognition that waste and recycling is an essential service, the state government is committed to addressing the basic systemic issues facing Victoria,” she says. Mark Smith, Victorian Waste

Management Association (VWMA) Executive Officer, is similarly supportive, with the policy making headway into key areas VWMA has long advocated for. “In particular, it’s promising to see Victoria commit to catching up with other states and territories on the CDS front and making important investments into a level playing field by strengthening the EPA’s waste crime capabilities,” he says. Mark is cautious about implementation however, suggesting Recycling Victoria does not allocate enough money to the private sector. “We’ve seen VAGO report after VAGO report highlighting the deficiencies in government agencies to deliver waste and resource recovery programs. One way I think we can

improve that is by government seeing the private sector as a true partner for community engagement and education,” he says. LOOKING TO THE LEVY Under Recycling Victoria, the state’s landfill levy is set to almost double, jumping from $65.90 to $125.90 per tonne over three years. Recognising the challenges associated with the ‘tyranny of distance’, the strategy notes proportional increases will be reflected at regional landfills. While the move prompted some mainstream media critique, with claims it would “hit ratepayers hip pockets”, industry reaction has been favorable. Bingo Industries Managing Director Daniel Tartak, for example, suggests the increase will prompt technology investment and move Victoria towards international best practice diversion rates. According to Victorian Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, the increase will help support recycling reforms and provide strong investment incentives. Furthermore, Ms D’Ambrosio highlights the increase as a mechanism to stop cross-border dumping, with Victoria’s levy historically lower than neighboring states. According to David Cocks, MRA Consulting Victoria Manager, harmonising Victoria’s levy with other jurisdictions is an essential move to help the state meet its resource recovery targets. “The risk of significant impacts on our waste management system through the transportation of waste is absolutely critical. Plus, from the perspective of supporting investment in recycling, there is nothing like a good economic incentive, and the waste levy certainly supports that,” he says. “Additionally, when hypothecated, levies provide a significant opportunity for investment back into the sector

to support higher order activities.” While David says the strategy flags the role of hypothecation, the “sting in the tail” is that investment needs to come through. “At the moment, circa $300 million has been foreshadowed as additional investment in the sector. But in three years time, the levy increase will produce an additional $240 million per annum, on top of what is already collected,” he says. “Over the 10-year period of the strategy, these levy increases will realise $2 billion in additional revenue for the state. What is the proportional amount of this revenue to invest back into the sector? Is it 15 per cent or $300 million? I don’t think so.” Rose says the increase is well overdue, highlighting that the NWRIC has consistently advocated for levy harmonisation to prevent inappropriate movement and disposal of waste. “The proposed increase will reduce the gap in levy prices between states and encourage greater recovery of recyclable materials. It will also enable energy recovery from waste that can’t be recycled but does have a significant calorific value,” Rose says. Furthermore, while Rose says staging the implementation over three years is sensible, the NWRIC is recommending that the price increase be deferred for up to six months due to the impacts of COVID-19. However, like David, Rose stresses the importance of hypothecation. As highlighted in the NWRIC’s review of all state landfill levies last year, Victoria collected an estimated $215 million in levies in 2017-18, of which only $35 million or 16 per cent was invested back into local council, community and industry waste projects via the Sustainability Fund. An estimated $104 million (50 per cent) was used to fund the Victorian EPA, Sustainability Victoria and

regional waste groups. “In reviewing the Victorian state government budgets and financial reports, it is extremely difficult to get a clear view of where the levy funds are spent and what is achieved. As part of its landfill levy review, the NWRIC is calling on each state government to establish a separate trust fund and report annually on funds raised, spent and outcomes achieved,” Rose says. “For too long these funds have been used to support other government activities outside the waste and resource recovery sector, rather than supporting better waste management practices and greater reuse of recycled materials.” According to Mark, industry is supportive of the increase, under the caveat that the state government delivers the increase while monitoring compliance. “In recent years we’ve seen government invest more money cleaning up illegal activity than what flows back to private operators who are the main employer and investor in the waste and resource recovery sector,” he says. “It would be great to have more transparency on landfill collection and in particular distribution, including being transparent about what amount the government puts down compared to the private sector. I think the NSW Government does this well, and it’s something Sustainability Victoria and DELWP could replicate.” KERBSIDE REVAMP While the levy increase attracted much of the waste sector’s initial attention, scaling outward, it was the four bin kerbside roll-out that peaked major public interest. The new system will include bins for combined food and garden organics (FOGO), glass, combined paper, plastic and metals, and residual waste. Additionally, all services and bins will be

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UPFRONT

standardised, including lid colours, to simplify the system across councils. While the announcement might seem novel to the general public, it follows years of industry discussion over the viability of greater source separation. In the last two years for instance, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Yarra City Council and Hobsons Bay have introduced and/or trialed four kerbside bins, to positive results. A spokesperson for the Victorian Local Governance Association highlights the new system as a positive initial step to ensure better material separation. “Cross contamination of resources is a barrier to effective resource recovery, and the separation of glass is an effective way to reduce that cross contamination,” the spokesperson says. Furthermore, the spokesperson says greater source separation will result in reduced overheads and operating costs for recyclers. “Greater separation, and therefore less contamination, means recyclers don’t need to reject as much material, therefore getting a better return based on increased volume of material recovered. This will be beneficial for councils in terms of increased shared returns,” the spokesperson explains. ESSENTIAL REGULATION Recognising that major reforms are needed to lift the performance of Victoria’s recycling sector, the state government will establish a new dedicated waste and recycling Act to govern all aspects associated with waste and recycling services. And in effect, regulate waste as an essential service. Nick Harford, Equilibrium Managing Director, says regulating waste as an essential service represents sensible reform. He notes that in 2019, the Essential Services Commission was

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Victoria’s new kerbside system will see all collection services standardised, including lid colours.

asked by the state government to review the waste and resource recovery sector. “They provided a confidential report to government last year, and obviously we don’t know what was in it. But they indicated at the time that they saw a limited availability of recycling markets and additional capacity constraints,” he says. According to Nick, the Essential Services Commission also indicated that they wanted to explore contractual arrangements, barriers to market and community and business expectations. “I think these are the sorts of things they will now examine, and given the nature of those things, I expect there will need to be some consultation with stakeholders, if not the broader Victorian community,” he says. Nick notes that responsibilities are likely to change under the Act, highlighting that local government currently holds authority for MSW waste, with different systems and kerbside compositions across local government areas. “I think government is signaling that these new powers may enable a statewide approach. It may be outcomes focused. For instance, the

state government sets its expectations and it’s up to local government or other authorities to achieve that. Or, it could be a more mandated approach,” he says. The state government will also establish a new waste authority in 2021, with the aim of better governing Victoria’s waste and recycling systems. “It’s flagged in the policy that greater data collection and reporting is expected, which I assume is another driver for legislating as an essential service, because it gives the state power to demand reporting from the sector,” Nick says. “That will potentially lead to more costs, but we’ll have to see how it pans out. Recycling companies have been getting better and better in tracking and reporting their materials handling. So really, it’s just business as usual.” Nick highlights that if the Essential Services Commission informs the purchase of waste and recycling services in a more effective manner, it could lead to increased competition, and as such, more innovation, as companies look for opportunities and competitive advantages.

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SPECIAL FEATURE – COVID-19

Supporting business continuity WITH THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 BEING FELT BY WASTE BUSINESSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, MANDALAY TECHNOLOGIES PROVIDES ADVICE ON MITIGATING SOME OF THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RISKS THROUGH IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY.

ll organisations have been impacted in some way by COVID-19. While many waste and resource recovery businesses are facing shared challenges, many of these issues are nuanced and require unique solutions. COVID-19 is moving at a frenetic pace, creating a range of social and economic risks, from serious public health challenges to the disruption of just-in-time supply chains.

Simon Kalinowski of Mandalay Technologies highlights the importance of business agility in challenging times.

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But in the seed of every problem, comes opportunity. With the risk of transmission via human interaction posing significant health risks, myriad businesses are examining how they can interact and connect with their customers, staff and suppliers remotely. The digitisation of waste has long been on the radar of Mandalay Technologies and while this transition is not an overnight process, COVID-19 has forced its acceleration.

To that end, Mandalay has seen an immediate uptake in the need for operators to switch a significant proportion of their operations to digital overnight. “Most of our customers saw this as a five to two-year horizon, but this pandemic has brought on the need to do it now, as we’re seeing human interaction pose a significant risk to staff and their customers,” explains Simon Kalinowski, Mandalay Technologies’ Director. “If you look at the implications of digital supply chains, the amount of other benefits that that will bring to the waste and recycling industry is enormous.” Mandalay customers have identified a number of areas where they need help. Some of the key questions are: how do operators minimise face-to-face contact at weighbridges and transfer stations while keeping operations running? Additionally, how does one handle document and tickets electronically or remotely, or even become cashless and process payments remotely? Many of these questions were answered in Mandalay’s webinar in late March on Business Continuity During COVID-19, which addressed a range of issues faced by local governments and businesses alike. Mandalay’s webinar started with

a pulse check: at what point is your organisation at with business continuity planning towards COVID-19 for your waste operations? The results showed 49 per cent of respondents highlighted planning is in progress, with 26 per cent noting they have a plan in place being implemented, 23 per cent close to finalising their plan and only three per cent that had not started their existing plans.

veteran he’s finding self-isolation to be highly productive. “Because we’ve invested so heavily in digital and cloud technology and pushing our clients towards cloudbased applications and centralised management, then essentially their operations and relationship with us doesn’t change at all. In fact, our ability to support our clients is actually enhanced.”

“In metro areas there’s quite a high vigilance around the potential impacts of this and there’s clearly an impact on tonnage so there’s a whole redistribution of waste occurring at the moment,” Simon Kalinowski Mandalay Technologies’ Director

While each situation is unique, Mandalay has been working with businesses to help them identify their business continuity plan, what services are impacted and how and what can be done to reduce risk factors. “For us it was very difficult to interpret how this would play out in Australia, but we’ve been having a lot of one-on-one conversations around our strategy and thoughts on the way we can support you, with the situation evolving infinitely day-byday,” Simon says. “What we’ve found as we talk to people is that we’ve been able to expand their thinking about what’s possible, practical and probable quite quickly in those conversations.” He says that this has informed the need for businesses and councils to undergo a bespoke review. Simon reflects that while working remotely takes a lot of getting used to, as a seasoned work-from-home

One of the points highlighted in the webinar is an anticipated change in the profile of waste generation from customers of all types over the coming months and its impact on transactions. With household consumption already increasing, additional waste once considered C&I and even C&D is expected to end up in the MSW stream. “In metro areas there’s quite a high vigilance around the potential impacts of this and there’s clearly an impact on tonnage, so there’s a whole redistribution of waste occurring at the moment,” Simon says. “I can’t stress enough that that impact is going to be more significant than you realise and we’re already seeing it now. We’re seeing significant reduction in participation in collection services, issues around non-payment for real circumstances or financial impact or otherwise.” However, he adds that we need to be careful in taking a knee-jerk approach

to policy, citing anecdotal discussions about replacing green waste bins with general waste. Some of the issues Mandalay has seen are the closure or scaling back of existing facilities and the question of whether new services are required to meet the changing waste profile. “We expect there will be new service requests and service profiles, so in your business continuity plan looking at how you can support requests that come in or decision-making with your teams is something I would encourage you to consider.” In Queensland, the state government enacted the disaster charter due to COVID-19, which currently does not provide exemption on the waste levy. “Just because there’s a disaster charter, doesn’t mean there’s disaster waste. An exemption may come, and that period is likely to be in two to four weeks’ time.” “What we need to focus on is correct data for transactions coming through so operators can provide auditability on materials, their origin and the profile of that so in the event that it is, you’ve got a good history of your transactions.” Simon says the reality is that some customers are now looking at closing facilities or considering sending their material to landfill. As part of this, hours of operation and staff and redundancy planning is important. To protect the safety of operators, limiting the number of customers onsite at any given time is crucial. Moreover, supporting staff who deal extensively with members of the public, including gatehouse operators is equally important. “Do I change the service experience to reduce the risk of transmission? There is a full gamut of issues very personal to each organisation in what they may think about,” Simon says. Hygiene and the use of PPE

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SPECIAL FEATURE – COVID-19

Mandalay is working on making waste tickets available online in the cloud.

equipment is another occupational health and safety risk that needs to be accounted for. While many of these changes may be overwhelming for some, Simon adds that it’s important to introduce levels of change progressively, based on the level of risk posed to the community. “For facilities that you elect to keep open to provide services, what are all your risks and dependencies on-site? Each organisation will have different views on the length of time this will remain an issue, but as a minimum it’s going to be a few months of impact, possibly longer.” Mandalay is supporting its customers to reduce human interaction in a few key areas: product selection, payment and ticketing. For example, operators can review their data setup to move from a manual system to a more streamlined process. Installing intercoms or CCTV can reduce or remove the need for direct face-to-face contact, while giving operators the ability to manage and monitor customers at their facility. In terms of payment, eliminating cash

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payments can remove the risk associated with staff handling cash. Removing the need for payment at the facility can be done across commercial and residential self-haul and in conjunction with account holders. Requiring commercial customers to maintain a pre-paid account can provide full automation and reduce the need for face-to-face contact. Installing a driver control station can also lead to automation for account holders and give them the ability to complete the transaction with no faceto-face contact. Residential self-haul can help reduce the risk of driver transmission by having residents take waste to a facility to dispose of it. Site operators provide access to on-demand entitlements in the form of vouchers or the option to prepay an account. During these challenging times, credit risk also remains an issue with commercial operators beginning to find it harder to make ends meet. By moving to a pre-paid model, the potential for credit risk is removed. “There’s a real push to move to

EFTPOS versus cash payments, I think this is a real reason to look at digital only and start to look at cashless facilities across the board.” Providing tickets to customers without the need for direct human contact can also be achieved via a printer or direct to customers. “The immediate solution is to provide an industrial printer in an all-weather enclosure installed post the bridge. We configure the ticket to print out on that ticket printer and it partially cuts the ticket. “Rather than handing that ticket to the driver, you complete the transaction process and the partial perforation keeps the ticket in place until they can tear that off.” Mandalay is also working on making tickets available online in the cloud. And with business shutdowns and disruptions expected to last anywhere from three to six months or longer, Simon says it’s important to take a long-term view to digitising one’s operations. “I’m working with one council that see their waste division as a key part of their economic and social responsibility and so projects are going to go ahead regardless because it’s a key contributor to council operations. “They have a very evolved view about moving to a cashless and digital world. Whereas a council that doesn’t view their waste operations strategically, typically haven’t got a vision about where they’re going to go, so they will either close momentarily or put their staff and consumers at risk.” “These types of challenging periods reward organisations that have got good teams and good plans and are set up to be able to act with agility.” To find out more about how Mandalay can support your business, email enquire@mandalaytech.com

FEATURED TOPIC – CDS

Meet the change makers THROUGH QUEENSLAND’S CONTAINER REFUND SCHEME, CONTAINERS FOR CHANGE, ONE LOCAL RECYCLING BUSINESS HAS GROWN THEIR EMPLOYMENT RATE BY SIX TIMES. KEN NOYE OF CONTAINER EXCHANGE EXPLAINS.

Cherboug Aboriginal Shire Council has seen excellent results at its container refund point.

ituated a three hour drive northwest of Brisbane, Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council was found to be the most disadvantaged local government area in Australia in the 2016 census. Fast forward just four years, and the region is in better shape, with workers at the shire’s material recovery facility (MRF) honoured with the state’s Deadliest Start-Up Change Agent award in January. The MRF, which is the only recycling centre within a 150-kilometre radius of the shire, operates the

18 / WMR / May 2020

region’s Containers for Change container refund point. The Change Agent award was presented in recognition of facility manager Andrew Beckett’s commitment to using the scheme to drive employment opportunities in the region. In addition to the Deadliest StartUp Change Agent award, Andrew and his team were honoured at Container Exchange’s inaugural Change Maker Awards in October 2019. Presented by Chairman Mark O’Brien, they received the Change Maker Chairperson’s Award for the outstanding positive

impact they have brought about in their local community. While it would be naive to suggest one program could completely shift the social and economic environment of a region, Andrew says Containers for Change has had a significant impact on his community. He adds that since the scheme commenced, litter in the region has dropped significantly. “It’s also made a difference in the attitude and self-esteem of our mob. The workers that we’ve employed, are happy people and their lives have changed,” he says.

“We all have a connection to country, so it’s very important that we look after, and protect land. It’s part of you really, it’s in your DNA. That’s hopefully the mentality of all Australians.” Andrew says by showing respect to the land, the Queensland community can make significant environmental and social inroads. “We talk about climate change and carbon emissions, and I think it’s about the next generation. If we don’t demonstrate to our children the right thing to do, how are they supposed to learn?” he says. The benefits associated with Containers for Change employment are more substantial than simply a wage, Andrew suggests, with externalities including better civic engagement, enhanced social interaction and overall gains in self-esteem and wellbeing. Operated by not-for-profit Container Exchange (COEX), Containers for Change was launched in 2018 in a bid to address the state’s relatively low recycling rates. Since the scheme’s launch, Queensland has seen a 35 per cent drop in container litter, with over one-and-a-half billion containers returned since the scheme commenced. The return rate, according to Queensland Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch, was a third higher then predicted: highlighting the container refund scheme as an effective litter prevention and product stewardship mechanism. Despite impressive return and recovery rates, Ken Noye, COEX Chief Executive Officer, says the scheme’s value is multi-faceted and also lies beyond the environmental sector. “There’s no question about the positive environmental impact that Queenslanders are having on the volume of beverage container litter across the state. But the scheme has many other benefits, including

providing opportunities for people to find employment and learn new skills,” he says. Rockhampton’s Kanga Bins for instance, is helping keep Central Queensland beautiful through their nine drop-off and refund points. “While they’ve processed more than 55 million containers, an impressive feat, what’s really significant is how Kanga Bins have used the scheme to create 36 new jobs - six times the number employed by the company prescheme,” Ken says. Kanga Bins is one of many Containers for Change success stories, Ken says, highlighting the scheme as a mechanism for positive social change. He adds that COEX developed its Change Makers series – a selection of short, engaging online videos – to shine a light on community benefits. “Our Change Makers work at the coalface of the Containers for Change recycling program. They’re refund point operators, container collectors, charity workers, local club members and even school kids,” Ken says. “And they’re living proof that everyday people can make a difference and are at the heart of a successful recycling program.” Janelle Zordan, another COEX Change Maker, runs a booming Containers for Change depot in Capalaba. Her business, Advanced Metal Recycling, serves upwards of 200 customers a day. With a background in hairdressing, Janelle says Containers for Change is a “far cry” from where she saw herself ending up. “We heard about Containers for Change and knew it was something we wanted to jump on board with. It started off with just myself, my two cousins and one other employee, and then we rapidly grew from there,” she says. In just over a year, Advanced Metal

Containers for Change is not only leading to excellent return rates, but has a strong social impact.

Recycling has grown into a full-service depot with 45 staff. “We get a lot of different people through the depot, lots of families and little kids are getting on board with recycling. Sporting and community groups are also using the scheme. Not only are they doing a good thing by recycling all their containers, but they’re able to use it for fundraising as well,” Janelle says. “I think we all need to make changes as a nation. We need to band together and be mindful of the footprint we make.” Hear first-hand from the Change Makers and watch their stories at: containersforchange.com.au/ changemakers

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FEATURED TOPIC – CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEMES

CDS success story RETURN AND EARN HAS DELIVERED EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS ACROSS LITTER REDUCTION AND PARTICIPATION SINCE LAUNCHING IN 2017. EXCHANGE FOR CHANGE EXPLAINS THE FIVE KEY FACTORS BEHIND THE SCHEME’S SUCCESS.

In response to COVID-19, Return and Earn has introduced ‘touch-free-recycling’ at its reverse vending machines.

ince Return and Earn launched in December 2017, a staggering 3.4 billion containers have been returned for recycling. Millions of containers are now returned every single day and more than $1 million has been raised for charity and community groups through reverse vending machines (RVMs). Put in perspective, prior to the scheme’s commencement, more than 160 million drink containers were littered across the state each year. Since the scheme’s launch, litter from drink containers has reduced by an annual average of 40 per cent in NSW, supporting the NSW Government’s commitment to reduce overall litter by 40 per cent by 2020. The Return and Earn scheme is delivered through collaboration with

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three partners. The NSW Government who designed the scheme; Exchange for Change (EFC), the scheme coordinator, and TOMRA-Cleanaway who operate the network of return points. Importantly, it is an excellent example of producer-responsibility, with the beverage industry funding the scheme and the community receiving a 10 cent refund when they return containers. Since the launch of the scheme in December 2017, 3.4 billion containers have been reused or recycled. CEO of Exchange for Change, Danielle Smalley says it’s the collaboration between the NSW Government, EFC, TOMRA-Cleanaway, and the beverage industry that drives great results. “Return and Earn has fundamentally shifted people’s thinking around litter

and waste. The community is no longer seeing containers as something you throw away, they’re actually seeing it as a valuable commodity,” she says. She says that it’s the community that has really benefited from the success of Return and Earn. Danielle highlights that there has been a significant reduction in litter. The scheme has also created significant opportunity for smaller and local businesses to play a role collecting containers as over the counter return points or automated depots. This also generates the potential for local job creation. Last, but not least, the scheme shares the wins with everyone, including consumers, councils and charities. More than $1 million has been raised for official donation partners listed on reverse vending machine return points since the scheme launched, and countless more funds raised for charities, schools and community groups through their own return and earn activity. Public participation in Return and Earn is also very strong, with 59 per cent of NSW adults having participated in the scheme. The majority – 78 per cent of these participants, which is nearly half the population of NSW, return containers every month or more. Danielle says it’s repeated behaviour that is really important.

“Return and Earn has fundamentally shifted people’s thinking around litter and waste. The community is no longer seeing containers as something you throw away, they’re actually seeing it as a valuable commodity.” Danielle Smalley CEO of Exchange for Change

“There was initially awareness building and then when people started to engage, it was about getting them to make it habitual and Return and Earn has been successful on both fronts,” she says. “A great deal of the repeated behaviour can be attributed to the excellent customer experience. It’s accessible, easy to return and there’s an instant refund, so people come back again and again.” This positive experience has been driven by the customer-centric design of Return and Earn, which mandated that return points needed to be located at convenient locations in existing paths of travel for consumers. These community access principles were central to the tendering process for the scheme. On the ground, the customer centricity is being delivered through TOMRA Cleanaway’s network of more than 635 convenient return points widely available across NSW. These include over the counter, RVMs, automated depots and donation stations. Variations between the type of return point, whether it be cash refund, donation or voucher, and the quantities they accept also make it easier for the public to choose a return system that suits them best. The scheme is also data-rich thanks to a strong technology foundation

through TOMRA Connect, enabling scheme partners to respond to issues quickly and rapidly adapt to the needs of the customers. For example, a live data feed is connected to the Return and Earn website and the myTOMRAapp, helping NSW consumers find the nearest return point and to quickly check availability before returning. The network of return points also enables real-time monitoring of the scheme, helping identify the busiest points and enabling evidence-based decision making on possible future locations and how best to optimise network use. At the time of writing, in response to COVID-19, consumers could access Return and Earn for returns if it was in line with the most recent advice from the NSW Government Public Health Order. The network operator has been able to adapt to the unfolding situation, introducing ‘touch-free recycling’ at RVMs with no need for consumers to touch machines, alongside a range of extra measures to ensure participants follow government advice on good hygiene and maintaining social distancing. Looking at the future, there is real potential for the model of partnerships and producer-led responsibility to help deliver the NSW Government’s vision for a circular economy.

FEATURED TOPIC - CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEMES

Coca-Cola Amatil and Lion have been scheme coordinators in some of the oldest producer responsibility schemes in the world today.

Building a successful CDS AS VICTORIA JOINS THE REST OF THE STATES AND TERRITORIES WITH A CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME COMMITMENT, COCA-COLA AMATIL AND LION OUTLINE THE KEY INGREDIENTS OF A WELL-RUN SCHEME.

s the last state to make a commitment to introduce a container deposit scheme (CDS), Victoria will pave the way for what will become a truly national scheme. Victoria, which will introduce a CDS by 2023, follows Tasmania, which last year committed to a scheme by 2022. Together, Coca Cola Amatil (Amatil) and Lion Co have operated CDS’ around Australia for more than 40 years. As the schemes have been set up differently across the states and territories, the two companies play

22 / WMR / May 2020

varying roles in other jurisdictions. In NSW and ACT for example, Amatil and Lion play a role in the scheme’s coordination as part of the five beverage manufacturers managing the scheme through Exchange for Change in each jurisdiction. In Queensland and Western Australia, the schemes have been developed as not-for-profit organisations, established by Amatil and Lion as members. These four newer schemes build on the success of CDS’ in both South Australia and the Northern Territory, where both organisations have been scheme coordinators in what are some of the

oldest producer responsibility schemes in the world today. Jeff Maguire, Group Head of CDS Development & Implementation at Coca-Cola Amatil, says the two companies strongly support the planned Victorian and Tasmanian schemes. “An effective CDS is at its core a producer responsibility scheme. The scheme will create a circular economy that will reduce litter, avoid unnecessary landfill, increase the volume of collected and recycled material, and importantly, minimise the price impacts for consumers,” Jeff says. “Tasmania and Victoria are in a

great position to look at how states are going with their schemes, including the schemes in NSW, ACT, QLD, and WA.” He says it is important to draw a distinction between an independent scheme coordinator and operators of the collection point networks. Some of the core tenets of this model of operation, he says, include having a producer led Scheme Coordinator with an independent chairperson and independent board members, which ensures accountability and transparency ie: a true producer responsibility system. In the NSW, ACT, QLD and WA Schemes, the Chairs are appointed by the relevant Minister, giving the community confidence about governance. Another key point of accountability in a well-run scheme, Jeff says, is audit controls. This ensures the containers, which are valuable commodities, are traceable and there is no double handling from the consumer through collection to recycling. The challenge for government, Jeff says, is that the scheme is independent and ensures extended producer responsibility through accessibility and convenience. This means collection points must be established in areas

where they are needed most, he says, regardless of the economics. “For example, in Queensland we set up a collection service on the entire west coast of Cape York. It’s a lot of small communities but we think everyone should have the opportunity to claim their 10 cent refund,” he says. Jeff says that as the producers of beverage containers, it is unacceptable that they end up in the litter stream. Amatil and Lion see it as their responsibility to do what they can to reduce litter and ensure it doesn’t end up in waterways, and reduce landfill while increasing recycling rates. For example, the scheme has been extremely successful in NSW, collecting over three billion containers and achieving the litter reduction goals. Before the Scheme, 160 million drink containers were littered in NSW each year. This comprised 44 per cent of litter by volume. The scheme has resulted in an up to 57 per cent reduction in drink container litter and an annual average of 40 per cent reduction in drink container litter since the Scheme began in 2017. Jeff says the core challenge is for the scheme coordinator to work closely with governments to ensure the

Coca-Cola Amatil and Lion see it as their responsibility to do what they can to reduce litter.

collection point network is accessible and convenient for consumers. “It is imperative that the scheme engage with all levels and all players in the waste and recycling industry to offer the most diverse and inclusive collection point network possible,” Jeff says. He says a CDS offers significant and diverse opportunities not just for commercial waste operators, but also social enterprises, community groups and small businesses. This is achieved through litter or donation drives, or by promoting the ability for the public to donate their refunds directly to chosen organisations. In NSW through the collection point network it is possible to donate to a variety of charities and social enterprise groups when returning containers. Over $1 million has been raised by donation appeals through bottle returns, supporting more than 430 groups. In Queensland, more than 5000 community and social enterprise-based groups have established a scheme account for their organisation – allowing easy donations to them from community members no matter where they return their containers. Around $2.1 million has been paid to those groups and charities via donations since the scheme commenced. However, despite minor differences in the models structures and operations, Jeff says that at the core, a CDS provides the potential for community benefits nationwide. To that end, he estimates that when you add up all the schemes, with many of them worth anywhere from $400 to $600 million to the local economy, you end up with potentially a $2 billion industry. “As Tasmania and Victoria consider design options for a CDS, we look forward to working closely and collaboratively with them, as we have in the other states and territories to set the schemes up for success,” Jeff says.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – INDUSTRY CONFIDENCE

Survey shows level of recycling confidence THE AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF RECYCLING COMMISSIONED PRIME CREATIVE MEDIA BEFORE AND AFTER COVID-19 TO GET AN UPDATED MEASURE OF INDUSTRY CONFIDENCE.

lthough it is early days for COVID-19, some organisations have identified the potential for new business over the next six months, but it comes against a broader backdrop of concern about public policy settings for recycling, a new report by Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) has shown. ACOR which represents dozens of people contributing to the $15 billion resource recover industry, commissioned Prime Creative Media through its title Waste Management Review to undertake a measure of industry confidence of Australia’s recycling sector. From January to March 2020, Prime Creative Media surveyed more than 500 respondents working in municipal waste (MSW), commercial and industrial (C&I) and construction and demolition (C&D) waste. The trends have shown that while almost half of all organisations across MSW, C&I and C&D are positive about their organisation’s performance, more than a third of respondents across all streams are very negative about the public policy and government setting. Respondents ranked issues most important to them and the top three issues across employees working in

24 / WMR / May 2020

MSW, C&D and C&I. Keys issues highlighted by respondents were a need for greater reinvestment of state waste disposal activities into resource recovery, grants/loans for resource recovery and pro-active purchasing of

waste levy relief by pausing waste levy increases over the next six months to 12 months. Businesses are also somewhat confident about identifying new business opportunities over the next

“If we want to optimise recycling’s environmental and economic benefits....we need to better line up industry interests and their social outcomes and public policy. Implementation of the National Waste Policy with all stakeholders around one table is an opportunity in that way.” Pete Shmigel ACOR CEO

recycled content by the public sector. In ACOR’s second follow-up – COVID-19 Industry Pulse Check – 41 per cent of just under 100 participants indicated they were somewhat impacted by COVID-19, 35 per cent very impacted and 16 per cent unsure of the impact. Respondents called for

three to six months, with 35 per cent indicating some level of positivity. ACOR CEO Pete Shmigel said that with the Council of Australian Government’s ban on the export of unprocessed materials, re-investment into the sector is critical now more than ever.

A SNAPSHOT OF MSW:

What material types does your organisation handle?

Are you a council or private enterprise?

Glass – 64% Plastics – 75% Paper – 70% Food Organics – 47% Metals – 67% Green Waste – 69% E-Waste – 56% Other – 35%

Looking ahead at the next 12 months, what is your confidence level about conditions for the resource 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 recovery industry/area in Australia?

COUNCIL – 40% PRIVATE ENTERPRISE – 60% Council: What type?

Very Positive – 4% Somewhat Positive – 21% Neutral – 16% Somewhat Negative – 35% 0 Very Negative – 24%

Don’t Know – 0

REGIONAL – 42% METRO – 58% Private Enterprise Size:

SMALL (UNDER $5M IN TURNOVER): 43% M EDIUM (BETWEEN $5M AND $10M IN TURNOVER) – 13% LARGE (OVER $10M IN TURNOVER) – 44% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 HIGHLIGHTS: • Almost a third of MSW respondents are somewhat positive about their organisation’s performance over 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 the next 12 months, while 21 per cent are somewhat negative and 20 per cent are very positive • When it comes to confidence levels about conditions for 0 recovery 10 20industry 30 over 4012 months, 50 60just over 70 80 the resource a third are somewhat negative (35 per cent), 24 per cent very negative and 21 per cent somewhat positive • One third of respondents are neutral (35 per cent) about putting on more staff/contractors over the next 12 months, 23 per cent are somewhat positive and 12 per cent are very positive • 39 per cent of respondents are somewhat positive they will make/or be involved in capital investments in resource recovery over the next 12 months, while 20 per cent were very positive, 18 per cent neutral and 11 per cent somewhat negative • 41 per cent of respondents would describe public policy and government support as it affects their organisation and the resource recovery sector in Australia as very negative, while 35 per cent are somewhat negative and 14 per cent neutral 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – INDUSTRY CONFIDENCE

A SNAPSHOT OF C&I:

Do you work in C&I?

A SNAPSHOT OF C&D:

Do you work in C&D?

What material types does your organisation handle? Glass – 52% Plastics – 74% Paper – 60% Food Organics – 48% Metals – 68% Green Waste – 60% E-Waste – 50% 0

YES – 33% NO – 67%

80Other – 35% 0

Looking ahead at the next 12 months, what is your confidence level about conditions for the 70 80 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 resource recovery industry/area in Australia?

What segment of the industry do you work in?

YES – 20% 0 20 NO – 80%

100

What segment of the industry do you work in?

Very Positive – 5% Somewhat Positive – 24% Neutral – 14%

Processor – 56%

Negative – 37% 25Somewhat 30 35 0

Very Negative – 18% Don’t Know – 2%

Collector – 61% 0

Producer/ Manufacturer – 23%

10 0

50 50

60 60

70 70

HIGHLIGHTS: 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 • 37 per cent of respondents are somewhat negative about conditions for the resource recovery sector over the next 12 months, 18 per cent very negative 10 somewhat 20 30positive 40 and 5015 per 60 cent70 and 240 per cent

80 80

0 the 10 20your30organisation? 40 50 60 What is size of

neutral • Looking at the next 12 months, more than a third of respondents (34 per 0 10 20 cent) 30are somewhat 40 50 positive 60 70 about their organisation’s performance in supporting the development of value-added products, with 18 per cent very positive, 23 per cent neutral and 19 per

PROCESSOR – 73% COLLECTOR – 59%

What is the size of your organisation?

cent somewhat negative • M ore than a third of respondents (35 per cent) rate their prospects of putting on more staff/contractors over the next 12 months as neutral • M ore than a third of respondents (32 per cent) rate their prospects of being involved in capital

SMALL – 24% MEDIUM – 32%

investments in resource recovery over the next 12 months as somewhat positive, while 26 per cent are very positive and 21 per cent neutral • 40 per cent of C&I operators are very negative about public policy and government support for their organisations, while 24 per cent are somewhat 0 20 40 60 80 100 negative and 21 per cent neutral

LARGE – 44%

10 10

20 20

40 40

20 20

30 40 40

6080 70 10080

100

SMALL – 18% MEDIUM – 46% LARGE – 36%

26 / WMR / May 2020 30

100

COVID-19 INDUSTRY PULSE CHECK:

100

Looking ahead at the next 12 months, what is your confidence level about conditions for the resource 60 70 80 0 40 60 80 100 recovery industry/area in20Australia?

Very Positive - 11% Somewhat Positive – 23% Neutral – 20%

– 23% 0 20 Somewhat 25 30 Negative 35 40

Have you been able to access information on government assistance initiatives and packages that have been recently announced to support our sector?

How affected has your company/organisation been by the COVID-19 virus and the government responses?

Don’t Know – 5%

MSW – 55% C&D – 22% 25 C&I – 23%

Very Negative – 18%

Do you work in C&I, C&D, MSW?

Summary: In the final week of March through to April 6, Prime Creative Media surveyed just under 100 participants to gather their sentiments in the wake of COVID-19. We asked participants to tell us what government assistance packages they wanted more information or clarity on. Additionally, we asked participants whether they could access these packages, what support they needed and to rank potential policies they’d like to see enacted. Finally, we wanted to ascertain the impact of COVID-19 on their business to date, their response and whether they saw any opportunities over the next year amid current challenges. Out of those surveyed, just over 55 0 5 10 15 20 per cent work in MSW, with 22 per cent in C&D and 23 per cent in C&I. These results aim to help provide a measure of confidence amid a difficult time and help governments identify what support the sector will require.

What material type does your organisation handle? Excavated Rock – 48% Soil – 77% Waste Asphalt – 52% Bricks – 68% Concrete – 82% Plasterboard – 61% Timber – 73% Vegetation – 64% Asbestos and 50 Contaminated 60 70 80Soil – 50% 0

Unsure Of Impact – 16%

HIGHLIGHTS: • Looking at the next 12 months, respondents are a mix of neutral (30 per cent), very positive (23 per cent) and somewhat positive (23 per cent) about their organisation’s performance in resource recovery

Not Impacted At All – 4% Barely Impacted – 4% Somewhat Impacted – 41%

• A number of organisations are somewhat positive about

Very Impacted – 35%

(27 per cent) putting on more contractors in the next 12 months, though a number of them are neutral (27 per cent) and somewhat negative (18 per cent)

YES – 43% NO – 27% 25 HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED – 30%

Very Positive – 15% Somewhat Positive – 20%

• Respondents describe public policy and government

• A round 36 per cent of respondents are somewhat 0 positive of making capital investments over the10 next 12 20 months, with 20 per cent neutral and 16 per cent very positive

Looking ahead at the next three to six months, 0 5 10 15 20 how confident are you in identifying any new business opportunities?

•0 Sentiments for the recovery 50 10about conditions 20 30 resource40 industry/area over the next 12 months are a mix of somewhat positive (23 per cent) and somewhat negative (23 per cent), very negative (18 per cent) and very positive (11 per cent) support for the resource recovery industry as very negative (34 per cent), somewhat negative (27 per cent), neutral (18 per cent) and somewhat positive (11 per cent)

Neutral – 23% Somewhat Negative – 25% Very Negative – 10%

Don’t Know – 7% 40 50 0

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EPS RECYCLING – WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION

What to do with polystyrene IN THE ABSENCE OF KERBSIDE COLLECTION, WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW EXPLORES RECOVERY SOLUTIONS FOR EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE.

et to launch in late 2020, the ANZPAC Plastic Pact, led by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) will work to provide the significant intervention required to meet Australia’s national plastic packaging targets. Namely, that 70 per cent of all plastic packaging be recycled or composted by 2025. Aligned with other initiatives of the global Plastic Pact network, ANZPAC will work towards a set of ambitious, time-bound targets, including the elimination of problematic singleuse packaging through redesign and innovation and increasing the reuse, collection and recycling of plastic packaging.

EXPANDED POLYSTRENE AUSTRALIA As the national industry body for expanded polystyrene (EPS) manufactures and distributors, Expanded Polystyrene Australia (EPSA) is working to address relatively low rates of EPS recycling through industry engagement and recovery initiatives. Identified as a case study in the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s National Waste Policy, EPSA’s Pod Scrap Bag Program is one such initiative. Developed to address rising rates of EPS pods, EPSA members supply scrap bags with all EPS pod deliveries at construction sites.

While fully recyclable, EPS presents a number of unique challenges, namely that it cannot be recycled through kerbside collections.

The intent is to assist site managers and workers separate EPS offcuts from the general waste steam. The filled scrap bags are then collected and taken back to the EPS manufacturer, where it can be granulated and recycled into new waffle pods and other building and construction products. According to Kin-Chun Ip, EPSA Industry Development Manager, Australia’s waffle pod market produces 7000 tonnes of material each year, with EPS pod offcuts generated on building sites representing 600 tonnes of that mass. “It is estimated that where the Pod Scrap Bag Program has been implemented, the collection and recycling rate of EPS pod offcuts is extremely effective – around 90 per cent,” he says.

EPS EQUIPMENT In addition to industry initiative such as EPSA’s Pod Scrap Bag Program, a number of equipment manufacturers and distributors are working to provide on-site EPS recycling solutions for Australian businesses. Applied Machinery’s Greenmax Mars C200 hot melt machines, for instance, transform EPS waste into plastic ingots for resale. Wastech Engineering are similarly working to help businesses recycle their EPS waste, offering a range of compacting solutions, in addition to a specialised heavy-duty baler. Ecycle Solutions is another company working to address low rates of EPS recycling, with a reverse logistics collection and recovery service that operates throughout Australia.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION - EPS RECYCLING

Melting the polystyrene problem CHRIS TANGEY OF ECYCLE SOLUTIONS DETAILS A HOT MELT SOLUTION TO THE ACCELERATING PROBLEM OF EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE.

hile demand for expanded polystyrene (EPS) is growing rapidly, recycling rates are still relatively low. On average, Australia consumes 47,000 tonnes of EPS a year, with a recovery rate of 29 per cent, according to the 2018 National Waste Report. According to Chris Tangey, Ecycle Solutions General Manager, businesses and councils across Australia need to begin taking responsibility and drive the push towards increased EPS recovery rates. “The volume of EPS waste entering landfill is a grave concern for Australians, as it increases each year alongside the consumption of packaged goods,” he says. “Now is the time for businesses and councils to invest in EPS recycling and use their social conscious to push Australia towards a circular economy.” While EPS cannot be collected via standard kerbside systems, Chris adds that businesses and councils can efficiently recycle their EPS waste through Ecycle Solutions’ collection and recovery service. As an inert material, EPS doesn’t rot or attract pests. Added to that is its strength and lightweight nature, making EPS a versatile and popular building product. Applications include insulated panel systems for walls, roofs and floors, as well as facades for domestic and

30 / WMR / May 2020

Once EPS material arrives at one of Ecycle Solutions’ depots it runs it through heat extruders that perform a hot melting process.

commercial buildings. Additionally, as it’s lightweight, Chris says EPS is an economical packaging material. “It offers excellent protection and insulation, making it ideal for the storage and transport of fragile and expensive items, especially electronic goods,” Chris says. As construction and packaging consumption rates continue to rise country over, it’s safe to suggest the volume of EPS waste generation will rise right alongside them. This, Chris suggests, is in spite of the government and public push to ban single-use plastics. “EPS is a growing concern for many

businesses, as the volume of EPS waste increases each year. Additionally, reducing EPS to landfill is now a priority concern for local councils and governments – as the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation aims to reduce packaging waste from landfill by 2025,” Chris says. As the General Manager of Ecycle Solutions, an innovative nationwide EPS and e-waste recycling provider, Chris says he is well placed to highlight the problems that arise when EPS enters landfill. “Once in landfill, EPS takes more than 700 years to break down, which places significant strain on our already limited landfill space,” he says.

“EPS, which can be recycled and used to remanufacture new products, is taking up space that should be reserved for waste that can’t be recycled or has no other use. It’s a totally avoidable future cost.” To help businesses sustainably manage their EPS waste, Ecycle Solutions run a reverse logistics pickup program. For just $25 dollars a bag, businesses can have their loose EPS picked up and sent to an Ecycle Solutions depot for recovery. “It’s often said that EPS recycling is too challenging, but really the only difficulty is in the logistics. If you have to send trucks out for the sole purpose of collecting EPS, it becomes uneconomical. “This is where we have the advantage,” Chris says. As a wholly owned subsidiary of QLS Group, a transport and logistics operator, Ecycle Solutions has access to trucks driving around the country at all times. Chris says this means Ecycle Solutions can avoid the added economic and environmental costs sometimes associated with collections. When organisations engage Ecycle Solutions for EPS recycling they are provided with a two cubic metre bulk bag and frame. “The bag stands up nice and rigid, so it’s easy for clients to just throw their loose EPS in as needed. When the bag is full, they let us know and a truck comes to pick it up. It’s a simple process,” Chris says. “Once the material arrives at one of our depots in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, we run it though heat extruders that perform a hot melt process.” The process reduces the material down to two per cent of its original volume. From there, the material is packed

into containers and sent overseas, where it is manufactured into products ranging from picture frames to skirting boards and outdoor furniture. “Products made from recycled EPS waste maintain their durability and have made EPS a great product for the circular economy,” Chris says. “With no viable replacement for EPS packaging in sight, businesses must begin doing their part to reduce the environmental strain caused by EPS waste.” While Chris highlights the simplicity of Ecycle Solutions’ process, he notes that Australia’s EPS recycling rate isn’t where it should be. “The difficulty is that a lot of these things aren’t a priority for businesses, but EPS is not going away. It’s more

than likely going to increase because it has great properties as a product,” Chris says. Although lightweight, Chris says bulky EPS takes up significant space in bins and skips, meaning true disposal costs are often hidden in a company’s general waste. “Our collection program offers a simple yet sustainable solution for EPS waste removal and recycling. For businesses with large volumes of EPS waste, we can deliver long-term cost savings, while significantly reducing environmental footprints.” “We recycle enough loose EPS to fill the MCG each year, which illustrates the scope of our operations. But we’d love to do more, and we certainly have the capacity.”

Ecycle Solutions collection program offers a simple yet sustainable solution for EPS waste removal and recycling.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 31

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TYRE RECYCLING

The missing link in tyre recovery TSA HAS RELEASED THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE AUSTRALIAN END-OF-LIFE TYRE MARKET THAT PROVIDES A RIGOROUS DATA SET, INSIGHT INTO THE IMPACT OF THE BAN AND OPTIONS TO SUPPORT A TRANSITIONING MARKET.

ollowing the recent Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in March, the export ban, which will commence on 1 December 2021, applies to all whole waste tyres, including baled tyres. According to the COAG Waste Export Bans response strategy, bus, truck and aviation tyres which are legitimately exported for re-treading can continue to be exported and are not subject to the ban. The COAG strategy points out that

this is on the basis that re-treading represents a re-use. This is a higher order ‘waste hierarchy’ outcome through the resource efficiency outcomes associated with extending a tyre’s primary use, rather than reaching end-of-life and being processed into a secondary material such as a crumb or shred. Additionally, crumb rubber, buffings, granules and tyre shred less than 80 millimetres will still be exportable as such materials are considered a ‘value-

TSA has supported research and innovation into the commercialisation of new technologies such as crumb rubber since its early stages.

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added product’ and not a waste and are therefore not subject to the ban. As a result, the volume of waste tyres that are currently exported which are expected to be subject to the ban once it is enacted will equate to 61,282 tonnes of whole used tyres, including baled tyres, with around a third being generated in NSW and Victoria. While the waste industry has long called for national standards and specifications for tyre-derived product in infrastructure, the COAG report’s call to action suggests the feds may finally heed this call. Moreover, it points to “tyre research and innovation” through further support for commercialisation of new technologies, including crumb rubber in permeable pavements. This is a product that Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) has supported from early stage research to its current stage of commercialisation. Likewise, improved tracking of tyre fates and looking at recovering off-the-road (OTR) tyres is another important next step. These plans for targeted action are consistent with the work of TSA, which has been supporting progress in these areas since it initiated market development activities five years ago. Now, TSA has released the most authoritative and up to date data set on end-of-life tyre arisings in

Australia to date. The report, Used tyres supply chain and fate analysis, is the most comprehensive and biggest piece of research conducted into the end-of-life tyre market since the 2017 National Market Development Strategy for Used Tyres. It combines material flow analysis data with TSA participant reports to provide a complete picture on the fate of all tyres: passenger, truck and offthe-road. One of the key gaps identified in the last study was that around 60 to 65 per cent of all waste tyres generated were disposed to landfill or other fates like dumping or illegal stockpiling, with little verifiable data to specifically quantify each fate. This report addresses that, and according to TSA CEO Lina Goodman, supports TSA’s role as an information hub, thought leader and provider of rigorous, independent data for the resource recovery sector. SMASHING THE TARGET Lina says it’s positive to see recovery rates in passenger and truck tyres at 89 per cent, which exceeds the 2018 National Waste Policy target set at 80 per cent. Unfortunately, a recovery rate closer to 10 per cent for OTR tyres (large mining and agricultural tyres) brings down the overall recovery rate for the sector. “Of the 460,000 tonnes used tyre arisings that reach end-of-life each year, we are seeing that 69 per cent is being recovered in passenger, truck and OTR, whether its reuse, process of tyre-derived product or used whole in thermal processing,” Lina explains. For example, she says that when looking at the often quoted 56 million equivalent passenger units (EPUs) tyre generation figure, which is now 57 million, 40 million of these EPUs were recovered.

Lina adds that market development is a strength in Australia, and an area TSA has worked tirelessly to develop. However, finding further end markets for waste tyre consumption is critical, particularly with the impending ban. To that end, she says on-shore energy recovery is an area of untapped potential, with cement kilns in Australia a possible outlet. “When I travelled overseas late last year to visit a number of sister schemes in Europe, one thing I noticed was that many schemes do an excellent job at collecting and processing waste tyres domestically, and part of that is to do with consistent onshore consumption via tyre derived fuels (TDF) in cement kilns,” Lina says. As a proportion, Australia sends a similar amount of tyres to TDF end markets. However, Australian tyres are consumed offshore in Asia – not in the domestic markets as is the case in Europe and the US. “With the ban in place, we need to focus on energy recovery as an outlet in Australia to insulate against fluctuations in foreign trade and commodity prices – such as those we are experiencing in the global trade now.” Lina asserts that the waste ban, coupled with the disruption of global markets, will no doubt affect the cost of collection and this is an area that TSA is watching closely. It comes as demand in India for foreign tyres constrains, with its National Green Tribunal directing the Central Pollution Control to regulate the import of waste tyres. Not to mention the impact of COVID19. “With current upheavals in the global markets, we will see an increased risk of stockpiling as local processing capacity is limited in terms of national distribution, foreign outlets are constrained and sites reach storage limits,” Lina says. She says that based on this, TSA will

identify and engage with stakeholders to provide both a short and long-term plan to mitigate stockpiling before issues arise. Importantly, TSA will be keeping an eye on coordinated efforts by rogue operators. “Our relationship with the consumer app Snap, Send, Solve is integral now more than ever. We’ll be asking consumers to keep an eye out and report cases of dumping. It means TSA gets live data on dumping throughout Australia and can jump on these issues right away,” she says. KEY RECOMMENDATIONS To that end, the key recommendations of the report are to increase the proportion of levied tyre sales. With the TSA levy being paid on around 34 per cent (140,000 tonnes) of all imported passenger and truck tyres (26 per cent when including OTR) - there is significant opportunity to improve coverage of the Tyre Stewardship Scheme considering participants handled around 50 per cent of used tyre arisings (85 per cent of passenger tyres) in 2018-19. Secondly, investigating export end markets and foreign policy plans to ensure offshore markets for shredded tyres are stable is another report recommendation. Particularly as there will likely be a move from baling to shredding as the ban looms closer, creating an ever greater need to find foreign end market outlets for such materials. Thirdly, in line with the research completed on OTR tyres, more work is required to stimulate OTR markets to bring the 10 per cent recovery rate in this sector more in line with that of passenger and truck tyres which is close to 90 per cent. Finally, continuing to analyse the costs of tyre recovery will be crucial to enable TSA and other stakeholders to

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 33

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TYRE RECYCLING

TSA’s new report combines material flow analysis with TSA participant reports to provide a complete picture on the fate of all tyres.

monitor market conditions and better understand existing and potential market risks. “We need government intervention to help the Tyre Stewardship Scheme. It can only go so far with the current voluntary model. Government needs to intervene so that all tyre importers play their part in contributing to better end of life tyre outcomes – not just the eight companies that currently voluntarily contribute the levy,” Lina says. “Our market development is excellent, and it needs to remain the focus. We need to see more tyre-derived product being utilised in a wider range of applications. There is growth happening now and we believe it will escalate with the announcement of the ban – and ideally a greater financial contribution from the current ‘free riders’ should government intervene and make scheme participation compulsory for tyre importers.” NEXT STEPS With this in mind, building a consistent strategy around local consumption of tyre-derived product is going to play an increasing role for the next evolution of tyre resource recovery. When it comes

34 / WMR / May 2020

to the domestic fate, the data shows a number of markets are very much in their infancy. This comprises civil engineering which makes up only one per cent of the market, or pyrolysis at less than one per cent. Around 32,900 tonnes of used tyres were recycled into crumb, granules and buffings in Australia (17 per cent) with the majority of material derived from truck tyres. No TDF is used in Australia in cement kilns, industrial boilers or furnaces, with all TDF currently going offshore. “In Australia, we still don’t consume enough of our own waste and we really need to focus on how we’re going to build those alternate markets to use that.” “We’ve done some great work in market development, but we need to now work on how we’re going to commercialise it, whether it’s research and prototyping, and if so we need to dial it up in a big way. The market and environment are right, we just need to help drive outcomes.” Passenger tyres, she says, are another priority area. “I think the passenger tyre issue is really important because at the moment we are seeing that the

major fate for passenger tyres is fuel consumption overseas.” “Truck tyres are valuable because they’re easier to crumb than passenger tyres. We need to dispel the myth that passenger tyres can’t be used in crumb rubber applications – because they can, they just need to be processed a bit differently.” Notably, the data reflects huge decline in stockpiling. Stockpiles now make up less than one per cent, or around 5600 tonnes of used tyres, which in the report are defined as more than 40 tonnes of untreated or unprocessed product with onsite storage for more than 12 months. The report attributes this decrease in stockpiling to stronger EPA regulation and enforcement and increases in the volume of baled passenger tyres exported over the last few years. However, Lina notes that with the implementation of the ban and constraints in the demand for Australian tyres from foreign markets such as India, more material may accumulate in Australia, creating stockpiling risks for responsible authorities and the community more broadly. Also, as was noted by a recent announcement by the UK Tyre Recovery Association, with baling being removed from the market, gate fees may rise, incentivising less scrupulous operators to collect without legitimate outlets, thereby encouraging dumping. Coordinated activity between TSA, processors, industry associations and government are needed to mitigate these risks. Lina adds that new participants in the market, including online retailers, will create a controlled ecosystem that helps squeeze rogue operators out of the market. “Auto brands are seeing a positive partnership in working with TSA and we hope to see more of that over the next 12 months,” Lina says.

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – METAL RECYCLING

Metal recycler lauds Timken performance SIMS METAL MANAGEMENT DETAILS THE BENEFITS OF TIMKEN SPHERICAL ROLLER BEARINGS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH CBC AUSTRALIA.

“O

nce we put them in, we don’t have to worry,” says Omar Kheir about the Timken spherical roller bearing solid-block housed units. As state Engineering Manager for Sims Metal Management in NSW, that’s high praise. Sims Metal Management is the world’s leading – and publicly listed – metal recycler, with wide-ranging operations in Australia. The company was founded in Sydney back in 1917, and has grown to include over 250 recycling facilities in more than 20 countries worldwide. Sims Metal Management specialise in the buying, processing and reselling of ferrous and non-ferrous recycled metals. “Given the conditions of our processing facilities – which classify as being heavy industry environments – these bearing units cop a lot of punishment,” explains Kheir. “But we have absolute confidence in their performance. They do the job well,

despite the tough environment.” For Kheir and the reliability teams who work within the Sims Metal Management shredding operations in NSW, having the Timken product in employment relieves a lot of maintenance concerns. “Their reliability is a big advantage. We know they won’t fail. It takes a lot of the pressure off the maintenance staff,” says Kheir. “My understanding is that the Timken spherical roller bearing solid-block housed units are a standard in heavy industry as they work so well in this application.” Tony Tormey, who is CBC Australia’s Product Manager for Industrial Bearings, confirms Kheir’s assumption in that the Timken spherical roller bearing solid-block housed units are a standard for heavy industry applications, such as those experienced in the metal recycling sector. “The Timken spherical roller bearing

Timken spherical roller bearing solid-block housed units are designed for heavy industry applications.

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solid-block housed units – formerly known as ‘blue brute’ – is an absolute industry standard for heavy industry applications. They’re the strongest unit on the market,” Tormey enthuses. “When you’ve got heavy product moving through conveyors, the bearing units need to be able to cope with the loads as well as withstand contamination.” The Timken spherical roller bearing solid-block housed units are the only spherical roller bearing housed units to provide cast steel solid-block housings as standard. This feature gives the bearing unit its exceptional strength under extreme operating conditions, whilst the range of locking and sealing options protect the bearings from contaminants; allowing for extended life. Issues with shaft alignment are also common in heavy industry and these affect the life expectancy of housed units. However, the Timken spherical roller bearing solid-block housed units have been designed to accept a total of 1.5 degrees of misalignment, which can significantly improve longevity. Tormey says the design features ensure a more durable and longer bearing unit life compared to alternative split type units that are the typical in heavy industry conveying applications. But as Kheir mentioned, the easy installation of the Timken solid-block units is a key feature that remains unmatched. “The ease of fitting and the

installation time of about 20 minutes with a Timken spherical roller bearing solid-block housed unit, compared to at least 90 minutes for a split type unit, is a big advantage,” Tormey stresses. “The fact that the Timken product is also a sealed unit that’s ready to install means it is not exposed to contaminants, unlike split type blocks which are exposed to the elements during the installation process. That can create a problem from the outset in an environment such as a metal recycling operation where contamination is always a key concern.” Moreover, the Timken spherical roller bearing solid-block housed units include precision locking styles and there are advanced seal options available to offer even further protection from contaminants. When it comes down to it though, for Kheir and

the team working on maintenance in the Sims Metal Management recycling operations, it’s about keeping the machinery in working order. “These units get the job done. In a huge operation such as ours, that’s what matters,” he says. In terms of support, Tormey reiterates the role that CBC plays in helping customers such as Sims Metal Management to improve the efficiency and productivity of their operations. “CBC have a large footprint and our staff profile is second to none in terms of collective expertise. We also provide engineering services that range from installation and problem solving to advanced predictive maintenance services,” he says. “For clients such as those in the recycling sector, helping them choose the right type of solution and ensuring that solution is

installed and working at its optimum, is really important. That’s what we’re about. We’re not just a distributor of products, we’re a solutions provider. Our goal is to provide our customers with viable solutions that improve the reliability of their machinery and save them money.” The relationship that CBC and Timken share is also unique and beneficial to the end customer, confirms Tormey. “We work jointly with Timken to deliver solutions to customers. In conjunction with Timken, we provide onsite training on the solid-block units to ensure correct installation. Our CBC engineering team also have an intimate knowledge of how these units work and which applications they are best suited to. This specialised knowledge is hugely beneficial for the customer.”

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – LANDFILL COMPACTORS

More teeth, more traction and compaction WITH SUSTAINABLE LANDFILLS REPRESENTING A CRITICAL COMPETENT OF THE WASTE MANAGEMENT ECOSYSTEM, GCM ENVIRO DETAILS THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGH-DENSITY COMPACTION.

asic supply and demand economics, paired with resource recovery infrastructure shortages and still developing technologies, means sustainable landfill management remains a critical feature of any well-functioning waste management system. To that end, GCM Enviro, a leading distributor of waste management equipment, is investing heavily in sustainable and efficient landfill compactors. As the exclusive Australian supplier of Tana landfill compactors, Susie Solbrandt, GCM Marketing, says GCM are well placed to provide high compaction machinery that saves landfill airspace and reduces leachate generation. This is highlighted by the company’s introduction of Tana’s specialised high-density drums to the Australian market in 2019. “Tana’s high-density drums can be fitted to all Tana E Series Landfill Compactors, facilitating higher compaction rates via crushing force. The drums improve traction and efficiency, thereby increasing an operator’s ability to compact waste in shorter intervals,” Susie says. With 14 teeth per 11 rows, compared to the standard Tana BigFoot drum’s 10 teeth per row, the high-density drums provide greater material engagement for each drum rotation. This Susie says, shreds waste

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Tana’s high-density drums can be fitted to all Tana E Series Landfill Compactors.

into more uniform sized particles, with 154 crushing feet per drum, compared to a standard drum’s 110 feet. Susie adds that the new high-density drums produce a compaction capacity of 1150 metres cubed per hour, compared to the standard drum’s 950. According to Susie, GCM sold a new Tana E520 Landfill Compactor to a major New Zealand waste operator in late 2019. Since running the updated high-density drum, have noticed significant compaction improvements. Operating one of New Zealand’s largest landfills in North Waikato, Hampton Downs, the company have extensive experience in the design, construction and operation of modern landfills and cleanfills. Susie

says reports from the company show the new high-density drums are low maintenance, with superior climbing efficiency and fuel burn. She adds that with fewer passes, simplified maintenance and good drivability, Tana E Series Compactors work to save expensive landfill airspace. “GCM’s philosophy is to maintain constant dialogue between manufacturers and clients to ensure equipment design is governed by market requirements, particularly in the harsh climatic conditions we experience,” Susie says. “Ultimately, our objective is to enable customers to increase revenue with cutting edge technology, allowing them to generate value from waste.”

$150+ MILLION

3.4 MILLION CONTAINERS

35% DECREASE

700 NEW JOBS

RETURNED ACROSS THE NETWORK

RETURNED TO QUEENSLANDERS

RETURNED PER DAY, ON AVERAGE

IN CONTAINER LITTER

CREATED

AINE NT

1.5+ BILLION CONTAINERS

CHAN

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – RECYCLING

A growing equipment portfolio LINCOM GROUP’S MARK MALONE DETAILS THE COMPANIES EVEREXPANDING RANGE OF RESOURCE RECOVERY OFFERINGS AMID AN ACCELERATION OF RECYCLING SECTOR INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

SW’s waste and resource recovery sector is set to see $11.6 billion in private investment over the next 10 years. Through its zero organics waste to landfill by 2030 goal, the state government’s Net Zero Plan State One: 2020-2030 strategy outlines a range of actions. NSW’s bold organics move is welcome news to Lincom Group. National Sales Manager - Forestry & Recycling Mark Malone says that Lincom’s sales team expect the initiatives will drive wider investment in efficient and high strength organics materials processing equipment. “With over 25 years’ experience as a leading provider of material processing equipment and services, Lincom take pride in building and maintaining strong relationships with valued customers,” Mark says. He adds that another source of pride is partnering with world-leading recycling equipment manufacturers such as Powerscreen, Neuenhauser, Kiverco, Morbark and Pronar. As one range of many in Lincom’s extensive waste and resource recovery portfolio, Mark says Pronar Mobile Trommel Screens are a particularly effective organics solution. He adds that given the screens’ high throughput capabilities, they are well suited to operators hoping to capitalise on the

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Kiverco compact recycling plants are just one part of Lincom’s broader offering.

recent organics push. “Thanks to their durable construction and simple operating principals, these mobile screens are perfect for working with various organic materials including soil, compost and biomass. Their versatility also enables the screening of municipal waste, coal and aggregate.” Delivering the first Pronar mobile trommel to the Australian market in 2017, Lincom operates as the Polish-based manufacturer’s exclusive Australian distributor. Mark says that Lincom can offer four separate units depending on application and throughput requirements, with replaceable drums available as punch plates of various thickness, with either square or round holes, or a mesh variety with replaceable mesh sections. Machine dimensions and the ability to aggregate, for example with a lorry, allows operators to move on public roads without applying for a special

permit. Lincom can supply screening drums customised to client needs, with circular or square perforation at any mesh size. “Wide-opening covers provide quick and efficient access to the engine mounted on a rotating frame, providing excellent access to the powertrain, hopper and hydraulic components. This facilitates simple and efficient maintenance procedures, thereby minimising machine downtime.” Lincom’s waste and recycling offerings also include Kiverco compact recycling plants, Morbark horizontal grinders and Neuenhauser Targo 3000 shredders and star screens. Catrina Quinn, Lincom Group Marketing Manager says that while Lincom is particularly excited about developments in the organics sector, the company can facilitate equipment solutions for any and all waste streams.

Last month, the Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) called on recycling stakeholders to rate their levels of confidence in the future direction of the sector.

THE RESULTS ARE IN ON CONFIDENCE

From January to March 2020, we surveyed more than 500 respondents working in municipal waste (MSW), commercial and industrial (C&I) and construction and demolition (C&D) waste. To ensure we could provide an up-to-date measure of confidence, ACOR undertook a second survey in the final week of March on the impact of COVID-19. While there are challenges ahead for markets across the globe, industry has told us what is most immediate and important to them. ACOR would like to thank all participants for their input as this will help governments identify how they can best support the resource recovery sector into the future. You can read all the results on pages 24-27 of this edition of Waste Management Review and in the recently released whitepaper on ACORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website.

Phone: 1300 795 822 Email: admin@acor.com.au

www.acor.org.au

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – ORGANICS

Supercharging organics BY RAMPING UP ORGANICS RECYCLING, THE INDUSTRY STANDS TO CREATE AN ADDITIONAL $1.7 BILLION IN REVENUE AND SAVE 3.2 MILLION TONNES OF GREENHOUSE GASES, ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT COMMISSIONED BY AORA.

third of the planet’s land is severely degraded and fertile soil is being lost at a figure of around 24 billion tonner per year, according to a United Nationssupported study in 2017. Since the release of that report, Australia has faced one of the most catastrophic bushfires preceded by the hottest and driest conditions in its history. But despite the global and local challenges, putting more organics to soils offers unprecedented potential to improve soil health and protect the climate. “The greatest national security risk we face is our capacity to produce food. If you look at our core strength through the current COVID-19 crisis, as a nation, our agriculture industry can produce as much as three times the food as the population,” says Peter Olah, National Executive Officer at AORA. “Add the fact that we have degradation of soils susceptible to drought, what we need to be switching to is a program that doesn’t deal with soil quality in a reactive manner, but rather part of the longterm national objective. If we do that, we can use organics during droughts and bushfires to actually supercharge the soils.” Nick Behrens, Director of the Australian Economic Advocacy

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AORA’s report shows that the organics industry provides $1.9 billion in benefits.

Solutions (AEAS), was recently commissioned by the AORA to undertake an investigation into the economic impact of the organics recycling industry. The investigation not only provides a clear picture of how the industry is faring nationally economically and environmentally, but also in each state and territory. It will help inform AORA’s upcoming national policy document which will lay out policy priorities for the next 20 years. The report highlights that each year, the organics recycling industry processed around 7.5 million tonnes

of waste to produce valuable product for further use across the Australian economy. It highlights AORA in 2018-19 recycled 7.5 million tonnes of organic material while providing a collective industry turnover of $2 billion. The result was a 1.4 per cent increase on the previous financial year. Across the decade, organics recycling has grown on average 3.4 per cent each year. This is against an average population growth rate over the same period of 1.4 per cent. Importantly, the report shows that industry not only employs almost 5000 Australians, but provides $1.9 billion in benefit across the supply chain. Peter says the report provides an important baseline to inform future policy discussions with stakeholders and governments. “In the next six to 12 months we’re going to be talking about significant changes, including policies that look 20 years into the future and some hard targets for the industry and government,” Peter says. The total estimated greenhouse gas savings from organics recycling in Australia was around 3.8 million tonnes of CO2 in 2018-19. The noticeably higher growth rate for organic recycling is driven by population and economic growth. This is also a reflection of

technological change, access to recycling markets, local government collection charges and federal and state government waste and carbon reduction policies. NSW accounts for the largest tonnes of organic material being recycled in Australia with 2.8 million tonnes. Victoria is next at 1.5 million tonnes, followed by South Australia – a leader on a per head of population basis – at 1.3 million tonnes. In terms of organic recycling rates, SA leads the nation at 79 per cent, followed by ACT at 68 per cent, NSW at 57 per cent and Victoria at 50 per cent. “There’s no question it’s easier to operate in some states than others and the figures show that pretty starkly,” Peter says. “The reasons for that are pretty clear. In SA you’ve had a state government

which has consistently crossed party lines for around 30 years and created an environment where there’s certainty. The result of that is a highly developed sector achieving extraordinary results.” One of the key talking points from the report is the modelling of increasing current organic rates nationally to 70, 80, 90 and 95 per cent. At 70 per cent, organics recycling businesses would generate an extra $771 million in sales. This would save an additional 1.5 million in greenhouse gas emissions. Ramping it up to 95 per cent would create $1.7 billion in additional revenue and provide $1.6 billion in supply chain opportunity. An extra 3.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions would be saved, which is the equivalent of taking 741,524 cars off the road.

“These scenarios are vital because they prove the benefits are substantial. It also provides a framework for what we need to do as an industry and what government needs to do in collaboration with us to allow those targets to be met,” Peter says. “The hindrance to achieving more at the moment is the capacity of the industry to scale up, and the problems there are largely around the capacity for certainty in both supply and demand, but also in terms of approvals.” However, in spite of this, Peter highlights the good news is that the demand for quality output is there and the industry is capable and ready to upscale to process it. “Guaranteeing the quality, reliability and security of input will ensure we can reach the 90 to 95 per cent target laid out in the report,” Peter says.

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TRANSPORT

Big build disposal TO KEEP UP WITH VICTORIA’S BIG BUILD, RANGEDALE DRAINAGE SERVICES HAS INTRODUCED A RANGE OF TELESCOPIC PALFINGER HOOKLOADERS TO ITS NON-DESTRUCTIVE DRILLING FLEET.

et to overtake Sydney as the country’s most populous and economically significant city by 2026, Melbourne is in a state of growth. As reflected in Victoria’s Big Build, the city will see more than 100 critical road and rail projects delivered over the next five years. Furthermore, with the recently announced Recycled First program, which builds new recycled content requirements into future road projects under the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority, Victoria’s Big Build is going green. The M80 Ring Road, Monash Freeway and South Gippsland Highway upgrades, for instance, will all use more than 20,000 tonnes of recycled materials, with a further 190 million glass bottles to be used in surfaces on the $1.8 billion Western Roads Upgrade. With recycled content requirements and government procurement at the forefront of industry minds, Neil Kermeen, Rangedale Drainage Services Managing Director, is highlighting the parallel importance of environmentally sound construction and demolition waste disposal. “As the state’s infrastructure projects begin including more recycled content, we also need to ensure that the other end of the

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Palfinger’s Telescopic hookloaders are manufactured with high-tensile steel, which reduces weight and allows more material to be transported per trip.

“Given the material we’re dealing with, the hooks need to be extremely robust. Plus, we run a 24hour operation, meaning every hook will be used extensively each day.” Neil Kermeen Rangedale Drainage Services Managing Director

spectrum, disposal is given the same environmental consideration,” he says. According to Neil, Rangedale has performed non-destructive digging (NDD) services at several

high profile infrastructure projects, including the West Gate Tunnel and Level Crossing Removals. NDD, he says, is a process that facilitates the safe excavation of

underground utilities such as pipes and cables. Despite its many benefits, such as limiting amenity disruptions, NDD presents some challenges, namely the production of large masses of liquid and slurry waste. To appropriately manage the NDD slurry, Rangedale has recently invested in three Palfinger Telescopic hookloaders, which will be used to transport slurry for sustainable disposal. “Our NDD trucks have internal barrels between six and 20 cubic metres, which means they are often overloaded when they leave construction sites. To address that challenge we’ve bought a group of sealed bins that need to be picked up by separate trucks, which is where the Palfinger hookloaders come in,” he says. Rangedale approached Palfinger as a number of their in-house staff had had experience with Palfinger hooks and skips in the past. “Given the material we’re dealing with, the hooks need to be extremely robust. Plus, we run a 24-hour operation, meaning every hook will be used extensively each day,” he says. “Our team that had worked with Palfinger equipment before recommended them enthusiastically. I was told they are the best at what they do.” Palfinger’s range of Telescopic hookloaders are manufactured using high-tensile steel, which reduces hookloader weight and in turn, allows Rangedale to transport more waste in one trip. Furthermore, the units are bi-point, meaning horizontal forces are reduced and tipping capacity is increased. While it’s still early days, Neil says the Palfinger Hookloaders are operating above and beyond his expectations. He adds that the three Telescopic hookloaders are just the

“High flexibility and competence in production and a national sales and services network give us a crucial competitive edge and ensures our customers lifetime excellence.” Stuart Cameron Palfinger Key Accounts Manager for Victoria, SA, and Tasmania,

beginning of Rangedale’s relationship with Palfinger. “This is a growing arm of our business, and if things continue as they are, we expect to see a lot of expansion. We’ve got 35 bins so far, and there’s more being delivered, which means we’re going to need more hooks and trucks,” he says. “We’re also currently getting trailers built that we’ll tow behind the hookloaders. And we’re planning on purchasing more tow trailers to hook up to the Palfinger units as well, so the versatility of their product works very well for us.” Palfinger’s units facilitate multilength container use, with integrated in-cab controls that position the articulated arm during low loading situations and allow a maximum tipping angle of 48 degrees. The unit also comes with an automatic pneumatic safety lock that secures containers from falling during loading and unloading. This, Neil says, is a particularly significant feature when transporting the liquid waste, which if incorrectly secured, could pose several health and safety issues. Reliable and easy to handle, Palfinger’s hookloaders facilitate safe working conditions, with a Soft Stop option to reduce noise and shocks to the hookloader and truck chassis. Neil says Palfinger’s support was strong and consistent throughout the purchasing process.

“We were novices in this space, and Palfinger Australia really helped us along and gave us the right suggestions. Since then we’ve been moving in the right direction, it’s all been very smooth,” he says. According to Stuart Cameron, Palfinger Key Accounts Manager for Victoria, SA, and Tasmania, the company’s nationwide service partners ensure minimal downtime and ongoing service. He adds that for an expanding company such as Rangedale, which offers a 24/7 service, this is a bonus. “High flexibility and competence in production and a national sales and services network give us a crucial competitive edge and ensures our customers lifetime excellence,” he says. As a company committed to innovation, Stuart says Palfinger is a perfect partner for Rangedale. “Palfinger is committed to leadership in innovation. In the past, trailblazing developments have revolutionised products and, in future, intelligent system solutions and unique functionality will shape the industry and new product development,” he says. “As Rangedale continues to grow and expand its industry offerings, Palfinger’s innovation streak is sure to come in handy. “We look forward to maintaining our relationship with them long into the future.”

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TRANSPORT

Pneumatically secured health and safety WITH ASBESTOS REMOVAL PRESENTING A RANGE OF COMPLEX TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, WORLD WIDE DEMOLITIONS HAS PARTNERED WITH WEST-TRANS TO SAFETY SECURE THEIR LOADS.

hile generally considered a material of the past, asbestos is still commonplace in Australia’s built environment. Given the significant health risks posed by exposure to airborne asbestos fibres, even in small quantities, asbestos waste disposal presents a number of complex and unique challenges. Under EPA regulations, all transporters of asbestos waste must record information about the movement of loads from the site of generation to the final disposal point. Furthermore, every load must be secure and covered. This is a reality known all too well by Tony Johnston of World Wide Demolitions, who’s family run asbestos removal and demolition business has been operating in the NSW Illawarra region for over 30 years. Licensed in both friable and nonfriable asbestos removal, Tony says Worldwide Demolitions follow strict safety practices, remaining consistently compliant with shifting EPA regulations. He adds that it’s this commitment to maintaining, and exceeding, strict OHS standards that inspired his latest purchase. “To further support our compliance with those regulations, World Wide Demolitions have recently retrofit all our skip loaders with WestTranscover tarp towers,” Tony says. Developed by UK-based sheeting systems manufacturer TransCover and

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West-Transcover tarps are designed to help operators safely secure their loads.

distributed exclusively in Australia by West-Trans, West-Transcover tarp towers facilitate secure and covered waste transportation through streamlined and simplified design. Lightweight, easy to install and economical to maintain, WestTranscover tarp towers are purposebuilt for the waste transport industry. With a unique pneumatic lifting and lowering design, Tony says the tarp towers enable safe operations. He adds that the automated process means his drivers aren’t required to climb up on their vehicles to secure a load. “The system is designed to help operators safely secure their loads, and as such, reduces risk, and saves drivers considerable time when loading and unloading, which translates to significant economic benefits,” Tony says.

“I’ve been in this business for a long time, and the West-Transcover product functions at a level well above its competitors.” Operating via an electric tensioning motor, West-Transcover tarp systems are almost half the weight of old fashioned and more complicated hydraulic tarp tower setups. “Using air rather than hydraulics to extend the tower, West-Transcover tarps operate in unison with all our skip loaders. We’re yet to run into a problem,” Tony says. In addition to World Wide Demolitions’ new tarp towers, Tony says the company own a number of West-Trans skip loaders, with another hookloader on the way. Manufactured to suit rugged Australian conditions, West-Trans builds all major skip and hookloader components in house at their Mulgrave, NSW facility to ensure they meet the highest industry standards. World Wide Demolitions longstanding relationship with West-Trans is about more than their quality products. “West-Trans is incredibly easy to deal with. When I want something done, it’s done. For example, one of our drivers lost the remote for their tarp cover recently – I rang West-Trans and the next day the remote arrived in the mail. They operate under a very streamlined, customer-centric business model,” Tony says.

New capacity for NSW medical waste IN THE WAKE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SAFE AND AFFORDABLE WASTE DISPOSAL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER FOR OUR HOSPITALS AT THE FRONT LINE.

The new WTS Kurri Kurri thermal treatment plant, commissioned March 2020, offers a fully destructive incineration solution for all clinical wastes, using state of the art technology and in full compliance with Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strictest emissions controls. In conjunction with Pink Environmental Services, WTS offers full destructive and disposal services. Our Waste Services: Clinical & Related Waste Pharmaceutical Waste Regulated and Prescribed Industrial Wastes Commercial and Industrial Wastes

Biosecurity and Quarantine Waste Confidential Document & Security Destruction Total Waste Management Solutions Waste Audits

Safety is at the forefront of everything we do - contact us today:

Weston Thermal Solutions Plant (Kurri Kurri), 129 Mitchell Avenue, Weston, NSW 2326 P: + 61 2 4936 2166 | F: + 61 2 4936 2165 bpaton@westonal.com.au | www.westonal.com.au

Pink Environmental Services Suite 18, Level 11, 809-811 Pacific Hwy, Chatswood NSW 2067 David Bullard 0475 956 024 | david.bullard@pinkgroup.com.au

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE – WASTE TRANSFER TRAILERS

Waste without wheels WASTECH ENGINEERING’S NEIL BONE DETAILS THE COMPANIES MULTIPRONGED APPROACH TO INNOVATION IN THE WASTE TRANSPORT SPACE.

ith over 27 years’ experience providing transport solutions to the waste and resource recovery sector, Wastech Engineering is committed to solving customer’s problems now more than ever. Neil Bone, Wastech Engineering Managing Director, says while the current global climate poses a number of challenges, it’s imperative for the waste industry to remain strong and forward focused. Highlighting the United Nation’s recent call for global governments to recognise waste as an essential service, Neil says Wastech are poised to support sector growth with high-quality and efficient waste transport solutions. According to Neil, Wastech’s Flexus Balasystem is a streamlined, nextWastech’s Flexus Balasystem offers a streamlined approach to waste transport.

generation approach to waste transport. This is, he adds, despite its lack of wheels or “vehicle” capabilities. The Flexus Balasystem, which functions like a satellite hub or transfer station, is a complete heavyduty system for bailing, storing and transporting compressed waste in round bales. With a processing capacity of up to 30 tonnes per hour, the Flexus unit has a helicopter-style wrapping component, with bale ejection at either side of the machine. “Finished bales are ejected onto a bale conveyor that holds up to three finished bales at once. These can then be loaded onto standard road and rail trailers for transfer,” Neil says. “By compressing material before it’s transported, operators stand to save significant time, reduced emissions and

increased payloads, with the level of material transported in a single trip multiplied significantly.” As an all in one system, Neil says the Flexus is cost effective, with a single machine fulfilling all required tasked along the chain. Flexus has a small footprint and low civil costs, with compacted and wrapped bales sealed in modular cells that can be stored on site. This, Neil says, provides operator flexibility by allowing transport out of peak traffic times. “Standard road and rail trailers can be used to keep logistics cost down, which eliminates the risk of trailer downtime and provides a competitive logistics environment with low operating expenses. Furthermore, as bales can be transported using any kind of trailer, back freight can be easily sourced. “Since the waste is baled, the trailer remains clean and freight can be brought back to the hub,” Neil says. The system is available in three different models and is suitable for a variety of waste types including municipal solid waste, solid recovered fuel and recyclables. “All of our Flexus bailing systems are tough and high-powered, providing clients many years of reliable service,” Neil says. Contact – Wastech Engineering Chris Andel P 03 8787 1656 E candel@wastech.com.au W www.wastech.com.au

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SPECIAL FEATURE – MEDICAL WASTE

Ace Waste’s Ben Huxley says it’s now more important than ever to provide support to the medical and healthcare sector.

Frontline support WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH QUEENSLAND HEALTH OPERATORS AND SUPPLIERS ABOUT MANAGING MEDICAL WASTE IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19.

s governments, working in conjunction with medical and scientific experts, continue to evaluate the transmissibility and severity of COVID-19, Australia’s National Biohazard Waste Industry Committee is suggesting a degree of precaution. While there is no evidence as of yet that direct, unprotected human contact during the handling of healthcare waste has resulted in COVID-19 infections, medical knowledge is evolving with each passing week based on epidemiological advice. The committee therefore suggests medical staff responsible for the management of increased, and potentially more hazardous, clinical waste volumes introduce additional safety measures. To respond to the COVID-19

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situation, Logan Hospital, a major hospital in one of the fastest growing regions in Queensland, has set up a specialised Fever Clinic to test patients suspected to have COVID-19. The clinic is located in a separate concreted alcove adjacent to he hospital’s Emergency Department to protect staff, visitors and other patients, and can only be accessed with consent from triage nurses after an outdoor consultation. In addition to setting up the new clinic, Wayne Hebblewhite, Logan Hospital Environmental Services Manager, says the hospital is adapting its waste management processes. “The main change is that we’ve had to double bag all our clinical waste, as well as labelling and locking or zip tying all our clinical waste bins. It’s a

change in processes,” he says. These changes are in line with the National Biohazard Waste Industry committee’s COVID-19 clinical waste guidance, which urges healthcare workers to implement double bagging of waste from COVID-19 confirmed patients. “By placing contaminated waste into a primary clinical waste bag and tying this bag up prior to disposal in the lined mobile garbage bins – the bag lining the mobile garbage bin must also be tied up – a significant increase in protection can be achieved,” the committee states. To manage these changes, in addition to heightened levels of waste generation, Wayne has been working closely with Logan Hospital’s clinical and related waste management

provider Ace Waste. “From day one, they sent out all the literature we needed to follow their instructions and gave us clear guidelines on how to manage potentially COVID-19 contaminated waste,” Wayne says. He adds that Logan Hospital’s Ace Waste Key Account Manager, Ben Huxley, came to the hospital to discuss process changes and walk the Logan team through the process. Wayne says he’s been very supportive. “We needed additional bins and they were provided the following day,” Wayne says. “We also required foot pedals for bins in our clinical waste areas to minimise human contact, and Ace Waste were able to provide those to us as well.” According to Wayne, Ace Waste’s level of service has been consistent throughout the long-standing relationship. “We’ve always found Ace Waste to be 100 percent professional. Ben is in contact at least once a month to discuss any sorts of issues we have. Nothing is too much trouble, if they can help us, they will,” he says. David Brown, Wide Bay Hospital & Health Services Region Operational & Support Services Manager, expresses similar sentiments. “We’ve been working with Ace Waste for 12 months, and in those 12 months we’ve had a seamless transfer from our previous contractor to Ace Waste,” he says. “We’ve had no issues whatsoever, and to this date, I’ve had zero complaints from any of our facilities about the clinical waste service Ace Waste provides.” Servicing more than 214,000 people across an area of 37,000 square kilometres, David’s operations cover the Bundaberg, Fraser Coast and North Burnett regions, as well as parts of Gladstone.

“We’ve seen an increase in our clinical waste product, with more kilograms being created, and as a byproduct of that, we’ve had to increase the storage capacity of our bins, which Ace Waste helped facilitate,” he says. Queensland Health’s recently released COVID-19 waste management recommendations stipulate that all staff should be trained in the correct procedures for waste handling. To support this effort, Ace Waste have provided Wide Bay with extensive educational material that breaks down waste segregation in a simple and consistent manner. “The material covers: what is clinical waste and what goes in which bin. It’s been very handy having that at this point in time with COVID-19 happening,” David says. As part of its response to COVID-19, Queensland Health is supporting the internal expansion of Intensive Care and Emergency Department capacity. According to Ben Huxley, Ace Waste Key Account Manager, Ace Waste is working to support their clients through this expansion by developing bespoke procedures and providing information on safe handling, transportation and waste receiving requirements. “Since early March, there have been a considerable number of Fever Clinics established throughout our service area,

both within hospital campuses and as stand-alone operations,” Ben says. “An ongoing challenge faced by Ace Waste in supporting these services has been identifying and adapting to the rapidly evolving demands and service delivery platforms.” Using their intimate knowledge of healthcare industry needs, systems and compliance, Ben says Ace Waste have been able to assist in process development and provide appropriate equipment requirements for each facility it services. “Ace Waste is also providing expanded waste collection frequencies and facilitating additional servicing demands to ensure the focus of our healthcare professionals remains on providing the highest level of care to our community,” he says. Ben adds that Ace Waste understands that future changes are likely to occur and is planning for a ‘worst case scenario’. “Ace Waste is working on further expansion to accommodate future increased demand, and we are well positioned to service the Queensland community should the need arise,” he says. “We’re in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, and it’s now more important than ever to support our valued clients in the medical and healthcare sector.”

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SPECIAL FEATURE – MEDICAL WASTE

Neutralising biohazards WESTON THERMAL SOLUTIONS AND PINK ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ARE UPPING THEIR CAPACITY TO ASSIST MEDICAL WASTE PRODUCERS TO DEAL WITH A SURGE IN INFECTIOUS MATERIAL IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19.

WTS opened its innovative thermal destruction plant at Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Valley last month.

ince first reported to the World Health Organization in December 2019, COVID-19 has spread rapidly to every continent in the world, barring Antarctica. The World Health Organization declared the situation a global health emergency on 30 January 2020, with movement restrictions soon enacted world-over. In light of the global pandemic, hospitals and waste management operators are bracing themselves for a surge in waste-contaminated with infectious materials. While there is no current data on how much medical waste is being produced as a result of

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COVID-19, the recommended use of disposal personal protective equipment alone is set to see hospital waste generation skyrocket. To help operators manage the surge, Belinda Paton, Weston Thermal Solutions (WTS) General Manager, says WTS – the thermal processing arm of The Weston Group – is working to increase the quantity of waste they receive. “As demand increases on our healthcare system during this time, generated waste volumes also increase. To address this, we’re working hard with medical waste producers to

provide a streamlined collection and disposal service,” Belinda says. “Removing this waste in a timely and safe manner minimises the risk to healthcare staff, patients and the community as a whole.” The Weston Group, which traditionally processes industrial waste and manufactures steelmaking supplies, recently diversified its operations to include the thermal treatment of various hazardous wastes, under the name WTS. Using state-of-the-art technology, in conjunction with the strictest emission criteria in Australia, WTS opened its innovative thermal destruction plant at Kurri Kurri in NSW’s Hunter Valley last month. Working with Pink Environmental Services (Pink), which collects and consolidates medical and hazardous waste, WTS has the capacity to thermally process 800 kilograms of waste each hour – with a proposed annual throughput of 8000 tonnes. As a critical part of the WTS supply chain, Pink, which was established in late 2019 as the collection arm of WTS, works to consolidate waste generated by hospitals and waste management operators for bulk shipment to the Kurri Kurri plant. Due to the nature of hazardous waste management, David Bullard, Pink General Manager, says safety

David Bullard says safety is at the forefront of Pink and WTS’ approach to every issue.

is at the forefront of Pink and WTS’ approach to every issue. “The risk profile is such that, you have to approach and treat everything as though it could kill, maim or even severely injure, because when you do, you mitigate the risk at that level,” he says. “This leads to a safer working environment, which is absolutely paramount in the approach we take at Pink. It’s Pink’s intention to operate at industry best practice and then push beyond, so Pink then sets the standard.” As waste is considered an essential service, David says it’s Pink’s role to support those on the front line, and provide whatever services are required to support their operations. “Pink has offered its support to many companies that are conducting primary collections, providing the disposal services, and working with the relevant government authorities,” he adds. “At Pink, we believe the best way to minimise risk in the current circumstances, for industry, the community and the environment, is to earmark all COVID-19 contaminated material and potential COVID-19 contaminated material for ultra-high thermal destruction, rather than sterilisation and landfill.”

Belinda shares similar sentiments, citing thermal destruction as arguably the most secure way to destroy pathogenic substances including the COVID-19 virus. Belinda adds that through the process, only ash which has been treated for prolonged periods at high temperatures is sent to landfill. “This generally represents only 10 per cent of the initial waste load, thereby drastically reducing the burden on landfills and extending their operational lifespan,” she says. By neutralising the potential for biohazardous waste streams to negatively impact community health and the environment, Belinda says thermal treatment facilitates a disposal option for waste streams that cannot be disposed of via other means. “While always an important link in the waste management chain, thermal treatment is particularly critical in these challenging times,” she says. WTS’ new plant features a primary combustion chamber rotary kiln, which Belinda says enhances thermal processing by providing greater contact between waste and combustion air. “The rotary kiln primary chamber is an ashing, co-current operation, with material loaded into the primary combustion chamber for initial processing,” Belinda says. Following combustion, the resultant ash material is discharged from the kiln and maintained on a stationary burnout hearth for up to eight hours, to ensure complete burnout of all carbonaceous matter. To safely manage hazardous and medical waste, WTS employs strict inspection and quarantine protocols to all incoming waste. This, Belinda says, ensure the status, classification, storage requirements, optimal treatment mode and destruction verification of all incoming streams. “Good chemical hygiene is crucial while working with hazardous and

bio-hazardous waste, so our treatment process is designed to be almost entirely automated, with no physical contact between operators and hazardous waste,” Belinda explains. This is achieved through the design and use of a tippler bin to deposit waste directly into the loading system of the thermal destruction process. “The site also has a cool room facility to maintain putrescible waste below 4°C at all times until processing occurs. Bin disinfection processes are also applied to ensure the safety of bins/receptacles exchanged/returned as part of the service,” Belinda says. According to David, regulatory authorities have approached WTS and Pink regarding their capacity to assist in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. “While approved to thermally destroy other inputs, we are currently focusing our attention and plant capacity on processing clinical and related wastes,” he says. “We want to ensure that we are positioned with sufficient storage and processing to support the NSW effort in this crisis situation.”

WTS’ treatment process is designed to be almost entirely automated.

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APCO COLUMN

Achievements amid challenges APCO IS CURRENTLY PLANNING HOW IT WILL DELIVER ITS OBJECTIVES TO BUILD A NEW CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR PACKAGING IN THIS NEW WORLD OF WORK, WRITES CEO BROOKE DONNELLY.

ight now, the APCO team – like the rest of Australia – is working hard to navigate the strange and unsettling new reality that is life under COVID-19. Our first priority has been to ensure that everyone in our team and our community is as safe as possible. Secondly, we have been figuring out how we can continue to deliver our objectives – to build a circular economy for packaging here in Australia – in this new world of work. At the time of writing, we were about to host a series of working group meetings – the first for 2020 and the first ever in an online format. Despite the challenges, 2020 has already seen some significant sustainable packaging achievements delivered by APCO and our members. In March, along with our APCO Board Chair – Sam Andersen, it was a pleasure to represent

our membership community at the inaugural Plastics Summit, where several APCO Members made important public pledges. During the Summit, we also announced that the APCO team will be leading the development of the ANZPAC Plastics Pact, the latest to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact network. ANZPAC, which will formally launch to the public in late 2020, will work with businesses, governments and NGOs from across the plastics value chain in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island nations to develop a common vision of the circular economy for plastics. Under the ANZPAC program, participants will commit to deliver a series of concrete, ambitious and timebound targets, which will be established and launched in the coming months. Then under the ANZPAC Mobilisation

The inaugural Plastics Summit saw several key pledges from a number of APCO members.

Plan, participants will work to deliver a range of projects, clear reporting guidelines, and the development of the Circular Plastics Research Initiative, a new innovation hub that will bring together researchers, investors and industry to share knowledge and align efforts. Finally, all ANZPAC signatories will be required to commit to publicly report on their progress each year. In April, we also unveiled during an industry webinar one of APCO’s most significant projects to date – Our Packaging Future, the new strategic framework outlining how Australia will deliver the 2025 National Packaging Targets. Of the 5.5 million tonnes of packaging material placed on the market annually, 88 per cent is currently recyclable, yet just 49 per cent is recovered for use in future applications, with the rest ending up as landfill, or litter on land and in our oceans. The strategies address issues of packaging design, improved collection and recycling systems and expanded markets for used packaging, and provide a systemic, whole-of-environment approach to building Australia’s sustainable packaging future. The vision for this report is clear: to build a packaging value chain that collaborates to keep packaging materials out of landfill and maximise the circular value of the materials, energy and labour within the local economy.

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT - THERMAL IMAGING

Measuring essential temperatures WITH A COMMITMENT TO CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, FLIR SYSTEMS AUSTRALIA WILL PRIORITISE THE DELIVERY OF ITS NEW LINE OF THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS TO OPERATORS RESPONDING TO COVID-19.

n the wake of COVID-19, industry consensus is clear: waste management is an essential service. While legislative recognition is still a matter of debate, waste management operators across the country are committed to maintaining their services for councils, businesses and the wider community in challenging times. Despite the altruism of this commitment, individuals working in the waste management space, much like their medical and food service counterparts, are having to forego self-isolation. As such, Sean Towner, FLIR Systems Australia Sales Manager Instruments, says it’s now more important than ever to prioritise appropriate health and safety monitoring. He adds that by doing so, businesses can protect their workers and stave off potential operational disruptions.

The A400/A700 line builts upon existing technology in efficient screening. 56 / WMR / May 2020

“Like all businesses, FLIR have had to adjust our operations in light of the current COVID-19 situation. That said, we also felt it paramount to use our technological innovation expertise to help the international community adapt,” Sean says. The result, he explains, is FLIR’s A400/A700 Thermal Smart Sensor and Thermal Image Streaming fixed camera - launched 31 March this year. “FLIR’s thermal imaging technology has been used in waste facilities across the globe for fire prevention for over 40 years. From warehouses to recycling sites and waste to energy facilities, FLIR understands that protecting one’s site from damage is integral to keeping insurance premiums down,” Sean says. “With the new A400/A700 line, we’ve built upon that existing technology to provide an efficient screening solution for monitoring equipment, production lines, critical infrastructure, and importantly, skin temperatures.” The highly configurable smart camera systems provide accurate, non-contact temperature monitoring across a wide range of disciplines including waste management, emissions monitoring, facility maintenance and environmental, health and safety regulation.

According to Sean, delivery of the FLIR A400/A700 Thermal Smart Sensor solution will be initially prioritised for operators and companies responding to COVID-19. “As the world works together to face the global COVID-19 pandemic, FLIR will prioritise initial deliveries of this new A-series camera to professionals using it in elevated skin temperature screening, as an adjunct to other elevated body temperature screening tools to help to fight the spread of the virus,” he says. With multi-image streaming, edge computing and Wi-Fi connectivity, Sean says the range can help speed up data flow. This, he adds, improves productivity and safety for all operations and applications. “FLIR designed the A400/A700 cameras with two configurations to better meet application-specific needs,” Sean says. “The Thermal Smart Sensor configuration, recommended for measuring elevated skin temperatures, incorporates advanced measurement tools and alarms with edge computing to enable faster critical decision making.” Furthermore, the Image Streaming configuration provides multiple thermal streaming capabilities to help optimise process control, improve quality assurance or identify potential

FLIR’s fixed-mount camera solitions can tackle complex remote monitoring.

failures that could shut down facility operations. “Users can design their systems by choosing either the Smart Sensor or Imaging Streaming configurations, selecting either the A400 or A700 camera body based on the resolutions they need, and then adding lenses and a range of optional features to fit their application,” Sean says. The smart sensor range also

includes options to adjust measurements and alarms based on a reference temperature source, with advance image quality up to 307,200 pixels and a measurement accuracy of +/- 2°C. Sean adds that with multiple fieldof-view choices, multi-streaming capabilities, motorised focus control and optional compressed radiometric streaming over Wi-Fi, FLIR’s fixed-mount camera solutions can tackle complex remote monitoring objectives. “The camera’s remote monitoring capabilities are an added value when considering how many people are currently working from home,” he says. “Easy configuration also allows operators to tailor the monitoring system to their company’s quality, productivity, maintenance and safety

needs.” Through compressed radiometric streaming that cuts bandwidth, Sean says FLIR’s thermal streaming solution makes it possible to add multiple cameras without the cost of expanding infrastructure. He adds that this is a significant advantage in light of current global economic challenges. “Regardless of external circumstances, waste management operators are committed to getting the job done. This means it’s crucial we ensure both the personal health and wellbeing of operators and the maintenance and efficiency of their equipment,” he says.

Contact - FLIR P 1300 729 987 W www.flir.com.au

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT - BINS

Smashing contamination A TRIAL IN A LOCAL COUNCIL PARK HOUSING A BIN WITH COMPOSTABLE DOG WASTE BAGS HAS LED TO A LESS THAN ONE PER CENT CONTAMINATION RATE, SHOWING PROMISE FOR A WIDER ROLL-OUT.

n 2020, Andrew Wynne of Woodlands is counting his lucky stars that he stuck to 100 per cent Australian-made, as he says the ability to support locally made products is important now more than ever. “Given the current climate and economic and social challenges we face, the more we can do to support local products and employment, the better,” Andrew says. Based in Perth, Woodlands, which has been around for around 30 years, has been designing Australian-made litter receptacles and complementary products for more than a decade. With demand for food and garden

Woodlands’ compostable bag liner can be thrown into the green waste stream.

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organics (FOGO) collection increasing, driven by WA’s push to a three-bin system, Andrew says a few years ago, the company saw a gap in the market for bins that would support compostable bags with minimal contamination. A casual barbecue, long before the world of social distancing, saw Andrew come up with the name Doggie Dunnie – a bin that allows compostable dog waste bags to be collected and composted off-site. The bin is threaded through a dog waste bin, ensuring no other waste contaminates the bins. The compostable bag liner can then be taken and thrown straight into the green waste stream, preventing it from going to landfill. The company offers both 55-litre capacity or 240-litre solo bin capacity – either a fixed galvanised liner or litter receptable, respectively. Andrew says that with subsequent demand for compostable receptacles, one shire approached him late last year to accommodate a dog waste bag. As part of a three-month dog waste trial project in a massive park in Port Elliot, green waste was collected for the first time in two green bins over December 2019 through to March 2020. The headline result from the community-driven trial was a less than one per cent contamination rate with only two or three plastic bags found in

the Doggie Dunnie. The trial comprised a standard 240-litre wheelie bin that was locked and had a small round hole in the top lid with the 55-litre Doggie Dunnie bag inside. Both green bins were weighted each week for 12 weeks and monitored for contamination for anything that was not a lime green compostable bag. Around 121 kilograms of material in a wheelie bin was collected over 11 weeks, weighing an average of 11 kilograms per week. Additionally, 65 kilograms collected in the Doggie Dunnie bin weighed an average of 5.9 kilograms per week, making the collective total of both bins 186 kilograms. The number of rolls of compostable bags placed in the three dog park dispensers were also monitored before and during the trial. Results show around 1000 bags were diverted from landfill in 12 weeks in conjunction with the dog waste collected, resulting in a positive and measurable outcome. “The 240-litre unit can accommodate larger parks and we’re looking at rolling this out to a range of councils in WA and hopefully across the country,” he says. Contact - Woodlands

Andrew Wynne P 0412 429 767 E andrew@woodlandsf.com.au W www.woodlandssf.com.au

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT TELESCOPIC HOOKLOADERS

PALFINGER’S TELESCOPIC HOOKLOADERS Palfinger hookloaders are designed for maximum payloads and operational efficiency.

Transfer Stations Wastech are widely considered the leaders in the design, manufacture and installation of Transfer Station and waste handling equipment in Australia. At Wastech we enjoy collaborating with our customers from the first contact point, through design and manufacture to delivery and installation of the agreed solution. Wastech can offer: conceptual design and 3D modelling, traffic management and vehicle movement analysis, payload and compaction rate assessment, all required equipment – Compactors, Trailers, Shredders, Balers, Moving Floors, Conveyors, Bins and Skips, 24/7 service and support.

Palfinger’s hookloaders were designed for maximum payload and efficiency of operation. The variety of models boast increased payloads and tipping capacity, low transport heights, hydraulic locking, an articulated arm, cab control and a range of other features. Palfinger is able to offer hookloaders to suit a desired application, from the telescoping loaders for different container lengths loading, to its telescopic A systems which offer an ability to handle shorter containers. High-tensile steel reduces hookloader weight for maximised payloads while optimising the weight to increase truck longevity and reduce fuel costs. Low build and compact subframes enables reduced transport heights, with a low centre of gravity providing better and safer driving conditions. The loading of higher containers increases transported volume. Palfinger’s telescopic hookloaders also work to reduce horizontal forces and increase tipping capacity. For increased safety, articulated arms allow very low loading angles and avoid load sliding, while offering underroof and under-floor loading. Hydraulic locking secures the containers in the front while the crane operates, with tank containers or containers with hydraulic devices for very high and long containers. Cab controls are ergonomic and intuitive and offer magnetic fastening while thin cables facilitate cab control manipulation.

Contact - Palfinger Mark Gardner E mark.gardner@palfinger.com.au W www.palfinger.com.au

Moving Floors

Transfer Trailers

The high tensile steel rolled wall body design provides lower tare weight, higher payload, greater strength and durability.

Tough, durable and long lasting moving floors, eliminate the need for double handling of waste.

Compactors

3D Design

Bring your ideas to reality with Wastech utilising our design team and 3D modelling.

The Wastech range of transfer station compactors are designed to maximise payloads and reduce the number of trips to landfill.

2 3 1

Ejection Blade Transfer Trailers The Wastech ‘Clearline’ rolled wall body design provides greater durability and integral strength to withstand the high compaction forces in waste transfer station applications. The use of high tensile Hardox steel allows for market leading tare weight and maximimsed payloads.

Compactors

Conveyors

Wastech Engineering design, manufacture and service Compactors for the Australian and International market. From S4000 for small to medium transfer station up to the market leading S8000X compactor for large transfer stations, we can design and manufacture a toughcompactor to suit your specific application.

Conveyors are an efficient and cost effective means of moving large volumes of waste from receival areas into Compactors. The conveyors throughput capacity can be adjusted to ensure the compactor can be feed at the correct rate to maximise the efficiency of the load time.

1800 465 465 www.wastech.com.au

VIC I NSW I QLD I WA I SA I TAS I NT I ACT I NZ

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

ELB’S RANGE OF KOMPTECH MOBILE TRACKED SHREDDERS Designed for the waste industry, ELB Equipment’s range of Komptech Mobile Tracked Shredders facilitate flexible and efficient processing. Turning the spotlight on two available models – the Crambo 5200 and the Terminator 6000 – ELB is well placed to service a range of processing needs. The Komptech Crambo features two slow-running drums with shredding tools to minimise fine particle and noise/dust emissions and resist contraries. Combining the functionality of hydraulic drive with the efficiency of mechanical drive, the Crambo offers top economy, while retaining product benefits such as overloading protection, reversibility and material adaption. In the extra-large shredding chamber, two 2.8 metre counterrotating toothed drums ensure positive feed. From bulky branches and cuttings to rootstocks of any size, to used wood contaminated with contraries, the unit shreds everything down to a defined particle size. The Terminator is a slow-running, single-shaft shredder, with robust teeth on the shredding drum and the opposing counter comb allowing coarse pre-crushing to a defined shredding size. Additionally, the hydraulic drive

ELB Equipment’s Komptech shredders facilitate flexible and efficient processing.

with load-dependent speed control ensures maximum utilisation of the engine output. Contact - ELB Equipment P 1300 ELB EQU (352 378) W https://elbquip.com

Man’s best friend’s, best friend. The Australian made Doggie Dunnie is specifically designed for the clean separation of compostable dog waste bags from general waste. No mess and no fuss. Available in 55 litre and 240L Sulo specific options.

“The Doggie Dunnie concept is great and seems to work really well to help reduce contamination when collecting green waste”

How it works

Step 1

Tie compostable dog bag first and then slide into front baffle.

Step 2

Follow maze through rubbish limiter chute with tied dog bag.

www.doggiedunnies.com.au

Step 3

Drop into centre of the bin at the end of the maze.

Step 4

Bag is collected inside liner ready for recycling.

Andrew: 0412 429 767

LAST WORD

Does Victoria need four bins? WITH MUCH DISCUSSION ON A FOUR-BIN SYSTEM IN VICTORIA, THE KEY QUESTIONS ARE: HOW WILL IT WORK? AND WHAT WILL IT ACHIEVE? WRITES JENNI DOWNES, RESEARCH FELLOW AT BEHAVIOURWORKS.

n the last two years since China implemented its National Sword waste import restrictions, the waste industry and many others have been watching and waiting for strong state government policy responses. Victoria has just answered, with the release of its long-awaited circular economy policy Recycling Victoria. It covers a suite of broad-scale changes warmly welcomed by Australia’s peak waste bodies, including regulation of waste as an essential service, progressively increasing the landfill levy, introducing standards and specifications and $100 million in support for industry and infrastructure development to support new markets. However, the announcement that received the most immediate news coverage was the introduction of a consistent state-wide household recycling collection system capturing four separate streams (the four-bin system).

What is the proposed system, and how will it work? Details are still being ironed out by individual councils, but by 2030 the new system will see collection expand from the current two or three bins that most households have to four bins. The purple glass stream will come first, with the gradual roll-out starting next year as some Victorian council’s existing

collection contracts end. The service will be fully in place by 2027. The expanded green bin service accepting food scraps alongside garden waste must be rolled out by 2030. There are a number of important considerations to ensure a smooth transition and effective system. Among these are: the type of glass service (eg. bin, crate or even dropoff point), the collection schedule (balancing household needs against transport efficiency) and new processing arrangements. Another critical consideration is correct use of the new system, namely: keeping contamination of the green, yellow and purple bins to a minimum. If the purpose of the new system is to improve the quality of collected materials then household behaviour is critical – and the policy recognises

this, including provisions for statewide education and behaviour change campaigns. We know from our research that “education” is rarely if ever sufficient to achieve widescale changes in behaviour. Recent BehaviourWorks research identified that changing the physical context is one effective way to disrupt existing recycling habits and allow new ones to emerge, and the extra bin(s) could provide this opportunity. But any communications capitalising on this must be salient enough to grab and hold attention in our fast-paced, information overloaded world, plus address the many misconceptions and attitudinal barriers that undermine correct recycling. Such campaigns could adopt persuasion and social modelling, and if rolled out state-wide, this might also change the social context, creating

Source: adapted by author from vic.gov.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 61

LAST WORD

of recyclables can increase the quality of material collected, and (despite ‘common sense views of convenience’) it can also actually make it easier for people to know what belongs in each bin. For example, it’s easier to know if something is a ‘plastic container’ than to know if it is ‘recyclable’. One key issue with Source: BehaviourWorks Australia (forthcoming report) the current commingled collection system is the new social norms, all of which should impact it has on the recyclability of both reduce contamination behaviours. the kerbside glass and fibre streams, through the continual breaking down of The second, and more crucial glass items into piles of multi-coloured question is, what will this achieve? ‘fines’ and shard embedded in paper (And is it necessary?) and cardboard. We know that the issues affecting Given the cross-contamination, it our recycling system fall on both the is perhaps no surprise that paper and supply-side (eg. packaging design glass are the most common single and collection) and demand-side (eg. streams kerbside collections in Europe infrastructure and end-markets). according to European Commission While there is much that governments research, and both have rare can do (and Victoria is certainly trying appearances in Australia. with its new policy) to directly stimulate The new purple glass bin will demand, many local remanufacturers substantially improve the quality frequently point to the poor quality of of collected paper by removing the household recyclables as a barrier – and possibility for glass shards. Owensthe four-bin system is designed to tackle Illinois, Australia’s largest glass this. remanufacturer, also believes that a glass The introduction of any consistent only collection will significantly increase (and consistently-communicated) glass recovery, up to at least 90 per cent, collection system across the state according to their submission to the last is the most exciting aspect of this Federal Parliamentary Inquiry. announcement, and demonstrates However, breakage is likely to be strong leadership. Such consistency even greater in glass-only bins, which should address one of the main won’t have any cushioning from fibres drivers identified by BehaviourWorks and plastics, and so would presumably behind household contamination: require additional colour sorting of misinformation and confusion among glass fragments for any closed-loop households about what is and isn’t recycling. Glass crates or glass dropoff recyclable. bring-back systems (such as that in We also know that source separation Ballarat, VIC and Ipswich, QLD) could

62 / WMR / May 2020

potentially reduce breakage, allowing easier colour sorting. All of these will also (still) require households not to contaminate with ineligible items like glassware, ceramics and lightbulbs. The alternative separated fibre stream (in blue-lidded bins in NSW) could also reduce the cross-contamination of paper by glass, as well as keeping the paper clean of any remaining food/liquid residues in glass, plastic and metal containers. It also makes communication around the remaining commingled streams much simpler to households, as the yellow bin becomes the ‘container recycling’ bin for plastic, metal and glass containers. There are also other alternatives that can be looked at such as reducing the compaction of recyclables in the collection trucks and expanding existing container deposit schemes. Collection is only one piece of the puzzle While standardising the recycling system and addressing crosscontamination of glass and paper should improve some aspects of quality, demand-side issues will still remain for household recycling. Other elements are also needed to address larger household recycling and waste challenges. These include increased extended producer responsibility schemes tackling unrecyclable packaging and planned obsolescence of products, national support for the recycling industry to meet the export ban, and regulating the incorporation of recycled material in packaging, products and infrastructure through government procurement policies, mandated industry targets and/or fiscal policies, such as a tax on products made from 100 per cent virgin materials.

TERMINATOR SINGLE-SHAFT SHREDDER

READY FOR ANYTHING

The Komptech Terminator is a low-speed, high-torque single-shaft industrial shredder designed to process nearly all types of difficult waste, including heavy C&D debris, bulky waste, white goods, mattresses, tires and municipal solid waste.

TIRES

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE

MATTRESSES & BULKY WASTE

HEAVY C&D

CARPET

WHITE GOODS

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 Palfinger Australia - Head Office: 66 Industrial Avenue, Wacol, Queensland 4076