Waste Management Review May 2022 by Prime Creative Media

MAY 2022

Oils ain’t oils APR Plastics is introducing an Australian-first to help solve the nation’s plastic recycling problem.

FEATURES

Equipment built to make tough jobs easier The case for hydrothermal liquefaction Giving plasterboard waste new life A Victorian council says no to more landﬁll

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In this issue

COVER STORY OILS AIN’T OILS

APR Plastics is introducing an Australian-first to help solve the nation’s plastic recycling problem.

SHREDDED TO BATTS Battery recycler EcoBatt is working to make its best even better.

Cleanaway’s plan to help Australia build a recycling circular economy for plastic.

29 32 34 37 40

NIR FLAKE SORTING:

TELFORD SMITH is helping to future-proof plastic manufacturers.

PLASTIC WASTE MEETS ITS (RE)MAKER How Brightmark is unlocking the building blocks of waste and making it reusable.

THE COMPLETE PACKAGE

Thinkpac is providing a circular solution for soft plastics under one roof.

RECYCLING GOES X-LARGE

INTEGRA PLASTICS combines all the process steps in one recycling plant.

A SOLUTION FOR EVERY PROBLEM

Material Recovery Solutions’ custom-made machinery for plastics recyclers.

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“WE’VE GOT BIG ASPIRATIONS. WE’VE DONE ENOUGH HOMEWORK TO SEE THAT THIS IS THE WAY OF THE FUTURE.” – Darren Thorpe, Managing Director APR Plastics

THE CASE FOR HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION

Dr Len Humphreys, CEC Licella Holdings details the next generation of advanced recycling.

Features A ROADMAP TO RECYCLING CONSUMER PLASTICS

AN ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE

A revamped process is turning waste plastic into a substitute for concrete aggregate.

THE PERFECT PICK-UP

A MEANINGFUL FIRST IMPRESSION

RecycleSmart is building a tightknit community determined to make a change.

HSR Southern Cross’s Rear Loader combines robustness and reliability.

REACHING NET ZERO

SHREDDED TO BATTS

ALL ROADS LEAD TO BUY RECYCLED

ResourceCo is ensuring there is a wider community benefit to carbon abatement.

Battery recycler EcoBatt is working to make its best even better.

Frankston City Council successfully uses recycled materials for infrastructure projects.

UPGRADE TO THE 58 AN CONVENTIONAL

Easyquip’s Prop-A-Lid is allowing users to raise bin lids safely.

60 A MILLION MILESTONE

WMR learns how Alex Fraser’s Laverton Asphalt plant produced its one millionth tonne of asphalt.

A GREENER ALTERNATIVE

CLOSING THE LOOP

Astec Australia’s mobile screen plant is giving plasterboard waste new life.

Cookers Bulk Oil System provides solutions to two of the food industries biggest polluters.

BIGGER 66 WHEN IS BETTER

Liebherr’s LH 50 M Industry Litronic material handler is built to make tough jobs easier.

FOOD 68 DOMINATING WASTE

CEA’s Rowan Dominator Depackager – a circular and safe solution to food package handling.

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

A RICH HISTORY

Dennis Eagle trucks are purpose-built for the waste industry.

The rise of Komatsu Forest in Australia.

Events

75 WASTE AWARDS 80 COUNCIL IN FOCUS

Regulars

82 PRODUCT SHOWCASE 85 LAST WORD

USE RECYCLED HELP DRIVE OUR CIRCULAR ECONOMY As market leaders, we’re focused on adding value to construction and demolition waste previously destined for landfill by providing a quality recycled product for the Civil Construction Industry. Creating demand by recommending your clients use quality recycled rubble on their job sites will progress a circular economy. That’s why ResourceCo is committed to supporting strategic partnerships, so everyone including our planet, benefits.

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PUBLISHER

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Sarah Baker sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au

MANAGING EDITOR

Mike Wheeler mike.wheeler@primecreative.com.au

EDITOR

Lisa Korycki lisa.korycki@primecreative.com.au

From the Editor

It takes a village In the past few months, I’ve ‘waste managed’ my house. They’re small changes, and ones I should have taken long ago. I know there is also much more I can do. What’s inspired me to step up now is having an ‘in’ to the waste industry. As editor of Waste Management Review, I speak with business owners, manufacturers, associations and recyclers who have a common goal – helping Australia take responsibility for its waste. They are the ones who, daily, face contaminated recycling streams, find solutions for hard-to-recycle products and are reimagining the wheel as waste bans and targets loom. As phase 2 of a plastics ban comes into effect on July 1, there is much cause for optimism. In this month’s cover story (page 20), APR Plastics gives us a first look at an advanced recycling facility in Victoria that will process soft plastic waste into oil for remanufacture. Darren Thorpe, Managing Director and Logan Thorpe, Special Projects Manager, have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the project as they believe it is a vital step toward helping Australia become a circular economy. In March, global waste solutions Brightmark announced it would build a $260 million facility in Parkes, New South Wales to re-purpose all seven types of plastics (page 32) and Thinkpac is keen to develop a circular economy, from recycling through to manufacturing of a new end product – under the one roof (page 34). Licella Holdings is taking things further, looking to the next generation of recycling. Dr Len Humphreys, Chief Executive Officer, puts the case forward for hydrothermal liquefaction (page 42). It’s not just in the plastics industry that innovation and talent is shining. The belated 2021 Waste and Recycling Innovation Awards recognised individuals and corporations that are setting new benchmarks (page 75). Everyone I’ve spoken to agrees there is not one answer to our waste problems, it’s going to take a team effort, including consumers, and several solutions. While I know it’s a small step, I’d prefer be part of the solution.

Lisa Korycki

8 / WMR / May 2022

JOURNALIST

Tom O’Keane tom.okeane@primecreative.com.au

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

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ARTICLES

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

Waste Management Review is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in Waste Management Review is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in Waste Management Review are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

Household Recoverables & Processing Solutions The APR Kerbside Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Truganina is the only one in Victoria that doesn’t accept glass.

For Municipal Councils that have partnered with APR Kerbside in the Glass-out program, their recyclables are now being received with less than 1% glass. These remarkable results have directly contributed to reducing contamination levels and further diverting waste from landfill. Improving the separation of household recyclables and having no glass in the kerbside commingled stream has led to a significant improvement in the quality of all recyclables.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

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News

New trial turning recycled rubber into concrete Rubber recycling could see end-oflife tyres repurposed into concrete for residential constructions, with new research from the University of South Australia showing it can be an alternative to conventional concrete. Working with RMIT University, researchers have shown that crumb rubber concrete is a safe, green alternative for residential construction in Australia. The product also creates a new market for the end-of-life tyres. As part of the research, two residential slabs (one with crumb rubber concrete and the other with conventional concrete) were poured at the University of South Australia’s Mawson Lakes campus in October 2018. These slabs were monitored for more than two years, with the crumb rubber proving to be a viable solution. Globally, about 1.5 billion vehicle tyres are discarded each year. Less than one per cent of these are reused, with the rest being unaccounted for or dumped in landfills. In Australia about

Research shows that crumb rubber concrete is suitable for residential constructions.

51 million tyres end up in landfills, stockpiles or dumped on mine sites. Co-researcher UniSA’s Professor Yan Zhuge says that the research shows how suitable crumb rubber concrete is.

“We strongly recommend that the concrete industry considers crumb rubber concrete as a sustainable alternative to conventional concrete in reinforced residential constructions in Australia,” Zhuge said.

New permeable pavement set to be trialled in Melbourne A new project through Sustainability Victoria’s Sustainable Infrastructure Fund, and in partnership with the University of Melbourne, will trial a new permeable pavement in Clifton Hill. The pavement, developed by The University of Melbourne, is made from about 70 per cent recycled tyres,

10 / WMR / May 2022

sourced from a local Victorian facility, as well as recycled glass and rock particles to give it the strength needed to sustain the weight of cars and other vehicles. The construction of the permeable surface will help to divert these materials away from landfill.

By using the new technology, the City of Yarra will aim to improve waterway health, better support tree growth in Yarra, and reduce waste. Construction was expected to start in March 2022. The performance of the permeable pavement will be monitored over the next two years.

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News

$45M recycling plant opens in NSW Australia’s largest PET (polyethylene terephthalate) recycling plant, capable of processing one billion plastic bottles each year has opened in Albury, New South Wales. The project was developed by the Circular Plastics Australia joint venture between Pact Group Holdings, Cleanaway Waste Management, Asahi Beverages and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. The $45 million plant in AlburyWodonga is helping to build a domestic circular economy and increasing the amount of locally sourced and recycled PET in Australia from about 30,000 tonnes to more than 50,000 tonnes per annum. On top of the environmental benefits as a result of recycling the equivalent of 1 billion plastic bottles each year, the project is expected to support local jobs. Sussan Ley, Minister for the Environment said the plant represented a massive step forward in end-to-end recycling by using materials sourced and remanufactured in Australia.

Up to 50,000 tonnes of PET per annum is expected to be recycled at the Albury plant.

“Often the domestic manufacture of drink bottles has involved importing recycled plastic,” she said. “This is a ‘bottle to bottle’ process that sees industry and government working together to help our environment and economy by fully remanufacturing on shore.” The installation of specialised equipment for the production of high-

quality recycled plastics suitable for use in food and beverage packaging was supported by the New South Wales Government’s Remanufacture NSW grant program. The program provides co-funding for waste and recycling infrastructure to support the resource recovery industry to respond to Australia’s waste export ban.

FOGO processing facility for ACT The ACT Government is investing in a large-scale Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) facility to process local waste. A feasibility study has identified available land at the Hume Resource Recovery, adjacent to the existing Materials Recovery Facility at Mugga Lane. The in-vessel composting facility will be capable of processing 50,000

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tonnes of food organics and garden organics per year with the ability to expand to take up to 70,000 tonnes per year to meet future demand. The government will release a tender for the new facility later this year. While the facility is under development, the government will continue planning for a city-wide roll out of household FOGO collection services.

A FOGO pilot in Belconnen has been very successful, with more than 480 tonnes of material already collected – enough to comfortably cover the entire playing surface of GIO Stadium. Early results show a low waste contamination rate of less than 0.1 per cent during the first three months of the pilot’s operation.

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FEATURE NEWS

Unlocking textile recycling ALEXIS TODOROVSKI, NATIONAL EXECUTIVE SCRGROUP, SAYS AUSTRALIA IS ON THE RIGHT PATH TO INCREASE TEXTILE AND CLOTHING RECYCLING.

very year, Australians purchase an average of 27 kilograms of new clothing each and throw out about 23 kilograms of used clothing, according to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Large quantities of methane gas is being released into the atmosphere as textiles rot in landfill. Dyes in clothing can also contaminate soil and waterways as they are exposed over time. As the second highest consumer of textiles in the world on a per capita basis, Australia presents the “ideal” conditions for a national circular economy for the material says Alexis Todorovski, National Executive for reuse and recycling company SCRgroup. In May 2021, the group took part in Australia’s first National Clothing Textile Waste roundtable which brought together key players across government, retail, charity and waste management to discuss the challenges and opportunities for textile waste. Alexis says that while national conversation is encouraging, there’s still more work to be done. “Our textile recycling rate is one of the lowest in the world, sitting at 12 per cent. The environmental impact of clothes sitting in landfill is detrimental,” she says. “But the solutions are quite simple, to fix a large problem.” SCRgroup provides a network of 1600 clothing drop-off hubs across the

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country. These hubs have been visited by more than two million Australians and 94 per cent of what is collected is diverted away from landfill. Alexis says collection hubs are “the best form of collection that you can get” but a lack of cohesion on a government level is hindering their set-up. “Here in Australia, we don’t have overarching objectives within our Federal and State Governments for clothing and textiles,” she says. “Local government areas and councils each have different policies and legislation that they adhere to. Some councils have banned clothing drop-off hubs, whereas others really promote it.” Alexis says that a united network has proven to be effective in France. “France implemented a policy of one clothing collection point for every 1500 inhabitants. Clothing hubs doubled over a 10-year period and during that time, their textile recycling rates tripled,” she says. “It’s critical to have a national approach and have objectives to achieve.” Alexis says education is also key. She says primary schools offer education around plastic, cardboard and paper recycling. But there is very little about textile recycling. “When these students grow into an age where they are tasked to make important decisions, they aren’t fully aware of the impact that clothing and textiles can have on the environment,” she says. “We run a school program

Alexis Todorovski, National Executive SCRgroup.

designed to help boost national textile recycling rates, by introducing the issue early in student learning.” As part of this education, Alexis hopes the importance of reuse can also be stressed. “It’s much better for the environment and very economical to reuse as much as we can from the clothing we collect.” Every year, SCRgroup re-homes more than 41 million items of unwanted clothing, both nationally and overseas. Alex says the first step for consumers to drive demand for second-hand clothing is making small lifestyle changes. “Really think about where you’re putting your clothes after you’re done with them and set aside time to clean out your wardrobe,” she says. “If each Australian cleaned out one bag of unwanted clothing from their wardrobe, that’s 25 million bags of clothes.

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FEATURE NEWS

Buying recycled at your fingertips SUSTAINABILITY VICTORIA IS PROVIDING A ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR LOCAL COUNCILS TO USE AND SOURCE RECYCLED PRODUCTS.

ustainability Victoria has launched the Buy Recycled Service to boost the use of recycled products in local government projects and empower councils to become leaders in sustainable procurement. The service provides tools and resources to upskill officers, build capability within councils and increase confidence to ensure recycled products are considered at each stage of the procurement cycle. It also raises the profile of industry developing these products and features local suppliers. The service is part of the Victorian Government’s Recycled First Local Government program, as set out in the circular economy plan, Recycling Victoria: A new economy, which steps out change that’s needed to cut waste, boost recycling and reuse resources. Paul Murfitt, Director – Industry and Infrastructure at Sustainability Victoria, says “Councils are a key player in Victoria’s transition to a circular economy. Not just because of their role in local waste management, but because of their focus on community education and the delivery of infrastructure”. He says councils have an opportunity to drive the demand for recycled products through their everyday purchasing decisions. “By purchasing and using recycled products, councils send a message that they have confidence in the products, which will grow the market for

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Installation of Replas, recycled plastic furniture at San Remo, Bass Coast Shire.

recycled materials. More and more, it’s becoming standard practice to use recycled products in roadworks. A lot of successful projects that have used recycled products have been driven by councils, in response to their communities who want to see sustainable options used. “Councils also play a key role in driving product development and supporting the use of products in new applications, beyond roads. To continue this work, council officers need to know where they can find recycled products.” He says the service is trying to mainstream buying recycled into general procurement processes at council. The Buy Recycled Service lets councils explore recycled products from more than 100 suppliers across Victoria. Fact sheets include product details, specifications, applications, benefits and limitations. It also provides a list of questions that councils can ask suppliers. Case studies featured showcase councils that have successfully

used recycled products. A Procurement Toolkit provides practical guidance including evaluation criteria. Paul says Sustainability Victoria is working with the Victorian Government’s Big Build project, which uses recycled products in major construction projects, and is translating their experience for local government. “We can lean on the guidance and resources they have developed and translate that to local government.” As part of the Buy Recycled Service, a series of masterclasses is being planned to bring councils together to discuss successful projects, their challenges and insights, and provide councils with tips and tools when buying recycled. Councils are encouraged to use the Buy Recycled Service, ask questions and sign up for updates as more resources and new events are released. For more information, visit: www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/buyrecycled-service

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FEATURE NEWS

Mission to end plastic waste CSIRO IS PLEDGING TO HELP REDUCE AUSTRALIA’S PLASTIC WASTE BY 80 PER CENT IN THE NEXT DECADE.

ustralians consume one million tonnes of single use plastic each year – with just 12 per cent recycled. Three-quarters of the plastic found along Australia’s coastline is single-use plastics. Larry Marshall, CSIRO’s Chief Executive, says that with global use of plastic expected to double by 2040, the challenge is far bigger than any one institution and needs a Team Australia approach. An initial $50 million will be invested in CSIRO’s Ending Plastic Waste Mission funded through contributions by CSIRO, industry, government, university, and other organisations and will develop cutting-edge science and innovation to change the way Australia makes, uses, recycles and disposes of plastics. “The Ending Plastic Waste Mission will bring together the whole innovation system, from government, industry and academia to turn science into solutions that will benefit the environment and create economic opportunities for Australia,” Larry says. “By working together, by aligning our efforts, and by pushing each other further for a common cause, we can tackle seemingly impossible challenges.” The plastic waste industry is valued globally at about $87 billion. Developing circular economy plastic initiatives for recycling is expected to provide US$67 billion in value globally by 2025.

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The CSIRO Plastics Mission will change the way we deal with plastic.

“By turning plastic waste into a renewable resource, the Mission will deliver collaborative scientific and manufacturing capabilities to drive new technologies across the entire plastics supply chain and grow Australia’s circular economy,” Larry says. Dr Deborah Lau, Mission Lead says it will take a combination of solutions to address the plastic pollution problem. “Our mission will be the national catalyst for systematic change to tackle plastic pollution. It will drive a significant co-ordinated response across the innovation sector and bring science and technology to the forefront to help

deliver a myriad of solutions to end plastic waste.” Research under the mission includes changing the way we make, use, and recycle plastics by developing innovative technologies, materials, products and processes and supporting a sustainable plastics circular economy by using plastic waste to deliver economic benefits, while reducing the detrimental impacts to human health and the environment. The Mission includes a collaboration between CSIRO and Murdoch University to establish a new Bioplastics Innovation Hub. Daniel Murphy, Murdoch University Professor says the

hub will develop a new generation of 100 per cent compostable products such as bottles, caps and wrappers, which currently contribute to the plastic pollution problem. “Compostable bioplastic demand is predicted to increase rapidly as global concerns around plastic waste and fossil fuel resources increase the importance of bio-based plastic alternatives,” Daniel says. “Some bioplastics are already in the market but most need UV light to break down. Our compostable bioplastics will break down in compost, landfill or in water, without leaving a trace.” The first key project for the hub will be working with Ecopha Biotech to develop a new process for water bottle production using compostable bioplastics derived from waste products from the food industry. “New bioplastics innovations will provide industry with new commercialisation opportunities and build sustainable and economic opportunities to grow Australia’s biomanufacturing industries,” Daniel says. There are several other projects underway as part of the Mission including a national plastic pollution survey to understand what types of rubbish end up where. Through the project so far, 270,000 items have been recorded and 9000 kilos of rubbish

removed with the help of volunteers from Conservation Volunteers Australia. The project focuses on data collected to understand the scope, scale and types of litter lost to the environment. This can help identify hotspots, problem areas and items, and importantly, identify methods to stop litter ending up in the environment in the first place.

PLASTIC INNOVATION HUB CSIRO and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are working with countries across the Indo-Pacific to reduce plastic waste, a critical challenge being faced by the region. The new Plastics Innovation Hub Indonesia was launched on 1 March with innovators, investors, community leaders, government, industry, and researchers coming together to address the plastics issue and solutions

specific for Indonesia. The hub will develop regional innovation capability and support the scaling of deep-tech solutions to tackle plastic waste.

RIVER RUBBISH TRAPS Stormwater drains and gross pollutant traps are used to prevent waste and sediments from flowing into the environment. But maintenance can be costly and time-consuming. CSIRO has developed sensor technologies to improve waste management on the front line. The autonomous sensor network monitors the traps to prevent rubbish ending up in the ocean. The sensors and accompanying decision support system will provide near real-time reporting on how much rubbish is in stormwater traps. It will also help councils optimise their management actions, by telling them which traps are nearly full, so they can save time, increase efficiency and stop waste from leaking to waterways. Further innovations include researching the digestive processes of certain insects to understand if they can be used to break down waste, advanced recycling technologies to tackle hard-to-recycle plastics, PVC recycling to save it from landfill, and testing seaweedderived polymers as a substitute for petroleum-based plastic.

An autonomous sensor network will monitor water pollutant traps to prevent rubbish ending up in the ocean.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 19

COVER STORY

Oils ain’t oils

The WASTX P1000 uses pyrolysis to break down products.

APR PLASTICS IS INTRODUCING AN AUSTRALIAN-FIRST TO HELP SOLVE THE NATION’S PLASTIC RECYCLING PROBLEM.

s Australia prepares for the second phase of the waste plastic export ban in July 2022, a Victorian company is powering up for a new generation of recycling. APR Plastics has installed an advanced recycling unit that will convert hard to recycle soft plastics destined for landfill, such as chocolate

20 / WMR / May 2022

wrappers and bread packaging, into oil for plastic remanufacture. The WASTX P1000 uses pyrolysis, the process of applying high temperatures under zero oxygen conditions, to break down products. Manufactured by the Biofabrik group in Germany, it is the first of its kind in Australia and will process up to

1000 kilograms of plastic per day. One kilogram of plastic waste becomes 850 millilitres of recycled oil. Three types of plastic – LowDensity Polyethylene (LPDE), HighDensity Polyethylene (HDPE), and Polypropylene (PP) – can be processed. Darren Thorpe, Managing Director APR Plastics, says the ability to process

“About 3.5 million tonnes of plastic is made in this country every year, that’s how much we have available to be able to recycle. We’re not going to get all of that, but this is a very good solution to help us reach national recycling targets. It’s a drop in the ocean but it starts the ball rolling.” Darren Thorpe, Managing Director APR Plastics

plastics to oil will go a long way to help solve Australia’s plastic pollution problem and build a circular economy. “About 3.5 million tonnes of plastic is made in this country every year, that’s how much we have available to be able to recycle,” Darren says. “We’re not going to get all of that, but this is a very good solution to help us reach national recycling targets. It’s a drop in the ocean but it starts the ball rolling.” Global plastics production has soared in the past 60 years and is expected to double across the world

by 2040, according to the Ellen McCarthur Foundation. The Australian Government has placed waste firmly on the agenda and from 1 July 2022, phase 2 of the waste plastics export ban comes into place. The ban means plastics will need to be sorted into single polymer type and further processed into flakes or pellets before they can be exported. The National Plastics Plan also sets a target of 70 per cent of plastic packaging to go on to be recycled or composted by 2025 and to have at least 50 per cent of recycled content

within packaging. Only 13 per cent of plastic used in Australia is recycled and 84 per cent ends up in landfill, according to the National Waste Report 2020. Darren says that after glass, soft plastics is the biggest contaminant of kerbside, yellowtopped bins in Victoria. “We were seeing that the biggest waste component coming out of our Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) was soft plastic,” he says. “We knew we had to find a solution.” Logan Thorpe, Special Projects Manager APR Plastics, says the pyrolysis method provides a circular solution for plastic waste. Because it is a completely sealed system, it also has little to no emissions compared to traditional disposal methods such as incineration. Oil created will be sent to a refinery to be further processed so it can be reused in food-grade plastic products. “It’s plastic-to-plastic,” Logan says. “We’re going from a resource as feedstock, to a product, and back to a resource. It has circularity.” It’s been an almost two-year project to bring the soft plastics to oil process to Australia. APR Plastics’ first machine was to be installed in

The facility will process up to 1000 kilograms of plastic per day.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 21

COVER STORY

The first machine installed at APR Plastics will be used to test the process.

“We’re taking plastic that is destined for landfill from MRF and turning it into oil which can then be refined and turned back into food-grade packaging. It’s an innovative project that will divert tonnes away from landfill.” Logan Thorpe, Special Projects Manager APR Plastics

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October 2021 but “COVID-19 slowed everything down”, Darren says. A one tonne WASTX P1000 was installed at the company’s Dandenong South facility in March 2022. With funding assistance from Sustainability Victoria, a five-tonne machine capable of processing 1800-tonne a year is on its way. The company has applied for funding through the Federal Government’s Recycling Modernisation Fund to purchase a 50-tonne machine to increase recycling capacity and is hopeful the machine will be in Australia by June 2023. “Lilly D’Ambrosio [Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change] is incentivising innovation in businesses to promote a circular economy. This is a perfect example,” Logan says. “We’re taking plastic that is destined for landfill from MRF and turning it into oil which can then be refined and turned back into foodgrade packaging. It’s an innovative project that will divert tonnes away from landfill.” The first machine is a “prototype” to test the process and the oil production. “We want to make sure we can give the end user a quality material with minimal contaminants,” Darren says. “For every hour we put 40 kilograms of plastic in, theoretically we should be getting 30 litres of oil out, but there’s a lot of information we don’t know about the types of plastics and contaminants. “There’s a lot of testing to be done before we start production. We’ve got to crawl, walk, and then run.” Logan is in discussions with Viva Energy, which owns the Geelong Oil Refinery, to process and refine the oil produced from the soft plastics. Viva also has made an international commitment to use

1 million tonnes each year of pyrolysis oil in its own processes. Logan is keen to see the oil produced by APR Plastics stay in Australia. “We have companies overseas through connections with Biofabrik who will take the oil, but we want to keep it in Australia,” he says. “We want to be part of Remade in Australia.” Australian Paper Recovery has five facilities in Victoria, including a Materials Recovery Facility at Truganina, a Commercial and Industrial processing site at Dandenong and a secure destruction and shredding facility at Fairfield. The Truganina facility is the only one in the state, and possibly the country, that doesn’t accept glass because of the risk of contaminants to the end markets. Darren says despite Australia’s focus during the past few years to take responsibility for its waste, he has not seen a reduction in the number of soft plastics coming through kerbside collections and going to landfill. He estimates that a minimum of 40 per cent of the waste collected is soft plastics and food packaging materials. At the moment they are sorted by hand at the MRF, but Darren is hoping to trial an opt-in system in which residents will be provided with a bag specifically for recycling soft plastics. The bag will be QR-coded to give feedback about the quality of materials. There are also plans to open a new MRF to triple kerbside recycling capacity and capture more soft plastics. Logan says the plastics-to-oil process is not an alternative to mechanical recycling but is complementary. He says the process has been successfully used overseas for some time. In Europe, which is about 10 years ahead of

APR Plastics hopes to bring a 50-tonne machine to Australia to increase recycling capacity.

Australia, up to 30 per cent of recyclable products are recovered. “We’ve got big aspirations,” Darren says. “We’ve done enough homework to see this is the way of the future. “There’s a lot of seasoned industry people getting excited about this. There are a lot of other companies

looking at it in different shapes and forms, but we’re the forerunner. “There’s 3.5 million tonnes of plastic per year available – there’s so much opportunity for everybody.” For more information, visit: www.aprplastics.com.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 23

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FEATURED TOPIC – PLASTICS RECYCLING

NIR flake sorting: greater quality control

The Sesotec Flake Purifier+ is rated at 3000 kilograms per hour.

TELFORD SMITH IS HELPING TO FUTURE-PROOF PLASTIC MANUFACTURERS AS THEY ENTER A NEW ERA OF RECYCLING.

ong before China banned the import of most plastics, and Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets were set, Martogg Group was adding value to waste. The Melbourne-based company, established in 1975, has been recycling plastic waste into resin for remanufacture since the very early days. In 2016 Martogg introduced its first polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling line using Vacurema technology.

Since then, Martogg has continued to invest in increased capacity and new technologies to improve its product offering to the market, and support increased demand. The installation of a TELFORD SMITH Bag to Bag flake purifying line incorporating Sesotec Flake Purifier+ is opening new opportunities to higher quality foodgrade recycled PET. Austen Ramage, Martogg Group Manager for Sustainability, says the need for recycled PET will

gain importance as Australia aims to reach 2025 National Packaging Targets. One of which is a 30 per cent recycled content target in plastic packaging items. He says one of the biggest considerations for a brand moving to recycled products is maintaining the quality and integrity of their packaging. The Sesotec Flake Purifier+ plays a crucial role in ensuring consistency and quality of the recycled resin, allowing use at up to 100 per cent of recycled

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 29

FEATURED TOPIC – PLASTICS RECYCLING

content back into fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) applications. “A lot of brand owners are looking to incorporate recycled content for the first time, and for some it can be daunting. The use of pre-sorting enables the incorporation by brands of a higher quality and more consistent product,” he says. “Moving forward, to ensure we are reaching these targets and consuming plastic in a circular manner, recycled content will become critical back into as many applications as possible. And using machinery, like our TELFORD SMITH Bag to Bag flake purifying line, is not only important to us, but also our customers and ultimately the environment because it stops plastic from entering landfill.” The Sesotec Flake Purifier+ is rated at 3000 kilograms per hour and can process granulated flakes of PET for Martogg’s marPET resin as well as other polymers such as HDPE (high density poly ethylene) and PP (polypropylene). The flakes are hung in bulk bags in an unloading station and pneumatically conveyed to a pre cleaner for separation of dust and labels. The majority of contamination is usually in the small/ large fractions, and so a classifier then separates flakes that are larger than 14mm and smaller than 3mm from the material. The classified ‘good’ flakes are conveyed to the Sesotec Flake Purifier+ which is fitted with three sensors to detect colour, shape, polymer type and metallic objects. If contamination is detected by a sensor, the purifier will use precise air valves positioned every 3.2mm to reject the contamination to off-specification. Sorted flake is then transported to a bagging station for loading into bulk bags. The bagging station has scales for inline weighing of the finished product and for precise bag changes and data

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The Sesotec Flake Purifier+ is fitted with three sensors to detect colour, shape, polymer type and metallic objects.

recording. The full system is controlled by a programable logic controller with full colour HDMI touch screen. The results have been so impressive that Martogg is now using the line for multiple applications. Austen says that TELFORD SMITH has a long history and decades of experience in the plastics industry, but it’s not just this Flake Purifying Line that attracted Martogg. “It’s a massive plus that they’re based in Australia,” he says. “If you want to talk to them, you’re not just sending an email inquiry, you can meet with them, have a coffee and talk about your requirements. “TELFORD SMITH will work with you from the start, walking through machinery specifications to assist with what’s going to be required as far as placement and auxiliary services. With this project, TELFORD SMITH identified what we needed all the way from ‘Bag to Bag’, tailoring the complete line to our requirements and then assisted with installation.” Austen says the flake purifying system is “one of the best investments” that Martogg has made, in terms of

improving the quality of its recycled raw materials. “The next few years will be interesting as Australia works towards a more robust plastics recycling industry locally.” He says educating consumers about their decisions is as important as changing how plastics are made. “We are very visual consumers so if something doesn’t look right, we won’t pick it up off the shelf. That’s why this installation has been instrumental in maintaining the quality of our product. “We want to be the leading foodgrade rPET resin supplier here in Australia. So, anything we can do to improve the quality of what we’re producing is good for us and great for our customers. Sesotec is globally recognised as one of the leading sorting machinery manufacturers and TELFORD SMITH had a thorough understanding of the in-feed, separation and bagging off requirements to complete the process. Going with them was an easy decision.” For more information, visit: www.telfordsmith.com.au

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FEATURED TOPIC – PLASTICS RECYCLING

Plastic waste meets its (re)maker “EARTH’S CLEAN-UP CREW” IS BRINGING A CIRCULAR SOLUTION TO PLASTIC POLLUTION DOWN UNDER. The Parkes facility will be capable of processing up to 200,000 tonnes of waste plastics annually.

lobal waste solutions, Brightmark is unlocking the building blocks of waste and turning it into something reusable. Brightmark’s first-of-its kind plastics renewal facility in Ashley, Indiana is coming to Parkes, New South Wales. The plastics renewal facility will be the first new circular economy business in the Parkes Special Activation Precinct and the largest of its type outside of America. Constructed in partnership with the New South Wales Government, the $260 million facility is tipped to create more than 100 new full-time jobs. It will re-purpose all types of plastics (1-7) to be ultra-low sulphur diesel, wax and naphtha to produce other plastics and will be capable of processing up to 200,000 tonnes of waste plastics annually, predominantly from NSW. Announcing the project in March, Paul Toole, Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW said the

32 / WMR / May 2022

project was a huge opportunity for Parkes and regional NSW to “get a slice of the $66 billion global plastics recycling industry” and bring strong economic growth and jobs. The 4800-hectare Parkes Special Activation Precinct is Australia’s first UNIDO Eco-Industrial Park, where business will work together to achieve cost savings and to solve problems

Brightmark’s Parkes facility will re-purpose plastics (1-7).

including waste and water reuse and energy use and generation. Located at the only junction of the Inland Rail and the Trans-Australian Railway, the precinct will give suppliers access to 80 per cent of Australia’s population within 12 hours by road or rail. Bob Powell, Brightmark Founder and Chief Executive Officer, says

“At Brightmark, part of our mission is to reimagine waste and create a world without waste. Australia is a very natural fit for us.” Bob Powell, Brightmark Founder and Chief Executive Officer

the Brightmark team is excited about the Parkes project. “It’s really clear to us that in Australia, and elsewhere globally, people have woken up to the fact that the things we throw away and dispose of have environmental impacts,” Bob says. “The last two to three years there has been an emphasis on plastic waste in Australia and we see an acceleration of that. Efforts to ban plastic waste are already in motion. “At Brightmark, part of our mission is to reimagine waste and create a world without waste. Australia is a very natural fit for us.” The plastics renewal facility uses a patented pyrolysis technology, decomposition brought about by high temperatures, to turn plastics into liquid that can then create usable products. Brightmark says it is the only company in the world to use this unique type of advanced recycling technology, that is 93 per cent efficient, on all plastic types. While contracts for the end-product from the Parkes facility are still to be decided, Bob says a “majority” of what is produced will be used in Australia. He says the wax produced from this recycling process is used every day in products such as food-grade wax and surfboard wax, the ultra-low sulphur diesels produced will be sold locally. “The largest emphasis for us is to create a fully circular solution,” he says. “We create the building blocks to remake plastics. One of the challenges we have with unrecycled plastics is we

have a use and dispose of model. Using Brightmark’s technology we can use and reuse plastics. “What’s great about this unique process, in addition to being able to take every plastic that is produced, we can do it economically, at scale, for a fully circular plastic that we can continually reuse. “It should largely eliminate the need for excessive amounts of virgin plastics.” Bob says waste collectors and potindustrial users who pay a landfill levy to dispose of non-recyclable plastics landfilled will save money whey they bring those plastics to Brightmark. “We’ve flipped the economic value of nuisance plastics. “There’s inherent value in the plastics we unlock.

“We are unleashing a value that otherwise was locked and lost.” Construction at Parkes is expected to start in mid-2023 and the plastics renewal facility to be operational by 2025. Bob says Brightmark has been working with a team in Australia for almost two years, which has played a big role in the project’s success so far. “Living and working in parts of Asia Pacific previously, we have found that to be successful with projects like these you need to make sure you have local people working as a team. “One of the most important things when we decide to build one of our facilities is ‘does the community want us there? The reaction from the Parkes community has been overwhelmingly positive. I think because of the awareness of the problem, and now what is a great solution to the problem. “We’re excited to be in Parkes and New South Wales.” For all corporate and commercial plastic inquiries, email Australia@ brightmark.com For more information, visit: www.brightmark.com

Patented pyrolysis technology turns plastics into liquid that can then create usable products.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 33

FEATURED TOPIC – PLASTICS RECYCLING

The complete package THINKPAC IS PROVIDING A CIRCULAR SOLUTION FOR SOFT PLASTICS – FROM RECYCLING THROUGH TO MANUFACTURING OF A NEW END PRODUCT – UNDER ONE ROOF.

hinkpac offers a unique opportunity as Australia aims to reach National Packaging Targets by 2025. The packaging company has been manufacturing soft plastic products since 1988 and began its own recycling arm in 2011. Now it’s looking to upscale and build a circular economy with industry players. The aim is to repurpose soft plastic ‘waste’ into packaging for the same supply chain, diverting them from landfill in the process. Calvin Ng, Thinkpac Managing Director says it’s the “business model of the future”. “We’re not just recyclers,” he says. “We go beyond recycling and provide a fully integrated circular packing solution. We do this by collaborating with waste management companies to convert soft plastic ‘waste’ and repurposing them into end user products, all within the same supply chain. “This process encompasses the true essence of a circular economy. It’s really unheard of in Australia so far.” “Our current recycling facility has the capacity to process more than 1500 tonnes per month of lowdensity polyethylene (LDPE). Soft plastics are washed, processed into pellets and then sent through the manufacturing plant.

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Calvin Ng, Thinkpac Managing Director.

“Many of the end products are supplied into the Australian market.” Second-generation business owner Calvin established a sales and warehousing operation in Melbourne to foster a better understanding of the local market and build deeper relationships with industry stakeholders. He also plans to build a local recycling and processing plant using Thinkpac’s circular business model in Australia. Calvin says having a vertically integrated recycling-manufacturing

process “under the one roof ” results in a cleaner stream of recycled material and assures the quality of end products. “We provide scalability and predictability to waste collectors. It’s a win-win-win for the end user of soft plastic, for waste management and the environment,” he says. “This is a huge opportunity for Australia to bridge the gap between its low recycling rates and decrease the number of recyclable plastics that would otherwise end up in landfill.”

Flexible plastics make up 32.7 per cent of all plastic packaging in Australia, but as of 2018-19 had a recovery rate of 10.7 per cent, according to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation. Australia has set ambitious National Packaging Targets to have an average of 50 per cent recycled content included in packaging, for 70 per cent of plastic packaging to be recycled or composted and 100 per cent of all packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. APCO’s Collective Impact Report November 2021, states that the recovery rate of plastics has remained relatively stable since 2017 and more work needs to be done to increase the recovery rate if Australia is to be serious in achieving the targets. Modelling predicts that at the current trajectory, and without further intervention, not all of the targets are achievable. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is the only polymer expected to reach a 70 per cent recovery rate by the target date. Calvin says the packaging targets have created a sense of urgency but it’s clear

Thinkpac’s recycling facility for soft plastics as of March 2022. The company plans to invest more in recycling and manufacturing in Australia.

“if we don’t do anything differently, we are not going to meet the targets”. He says while phase two of the plastic waste export ban, which comes into effect on July 1 2022, has forced many in the industry to react, Australian recycling infrastructure is still years away from coping with the soft plastics the country generates.

Thinkpac repurposes soft plastic ‘waste’ into packaging for the same supply chain.

Calvin says years of manufacturing and recycling experience at Thinkpac gives the company a deep understanding of the product design and suitability for the Australian market. He says Thinkpac has a “solid plan” to invest more in recycling and manufacturing in Australia but needs industry collaboration. He wants to encourage businesses and waste collectors to take a closer look at what Thinkpac can do and to make it easy for them to pass on their soft plastics. “Right now, soft plastics are going to random places and are not going back to their supply chain. “We’re not saying our solution will fix the problem. We need a combination of solutions to solve the problem, but we have one part of the solution covered. “We need people to be on board. The resources are there. The soft plastics are there. We can take a product of value, make something of higher value and return it back into the supply chain.” For more information, visit: www.thinkpac.com.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 35

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FEATURED TOPIC – PLASTICS RECYCLING

Film recycling goes X-large

Integra Plastics will produce up to 30,000 tonnes of PE and PP recycled pellets annually.

INTEGRA PLASTICS LEADS THE WAY IN POST-CONSUMER FILM RECYCLING USING EREMA TECHNOLOGY.

ne of the world’s most modern recycling plants began operation in Sofia, Bulgaria, in May 2019. Operated by Integra Plastics, the plant specialises in the recycling of heavily contaminated post-consumer household waste – materials that represent a real challenge to sorting, collecting and recycling technologies. For Julian Belev, Chief Executive Officer and one of the owners of the newly-founded company, it was clear from the outset that the best technologies available on the market would have to be used to convert this material into highquality pellets – technologies such as the INTAREMA 1716 TVEplus RegrindPro recycling plant.

The view at the site of the recycling plant, which was built in just over a year, is impressive. The entire area extends more than 35,000 square metres,12,000 square metres of which are used as production space and 5000 square metres as storage space. It’s an investment in infrastructure, sorting, washing and recycling technology and a laboratory. “We have now achieved our idea of a fully automatic plastics recycling plant that complies in every respect with the requirements of European legislation for the implementation of recycling management,” Julian says. He says that by combining all the necessary process steps at one location in a single recycling plant,

Integra has a unique position on the market worldwide. The input material consists of thick-walled post-consumer packaging and film, both of which are material flows that are particularly difficult to recycle due to their contamination. The material comes from Bulgaria and other EU countries and will be used to produce up to 30,000 tonnes of PE and PP recycled pellets annually. “We want to offer products that meet the increasing expectations of the market, and that deliver consistently high pellet quality as well as a high level of availability,” says Kostas Ziogas, Chief Sales Officer and co owner. “This requires the best technology.”

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FEATURED TOPIC – PLASTICS RECYCLING

Twin design ensures a throughput capacity of 1800-3000kg/h.

STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY Following pre-shredding, the mixed household waste films are transported more than one kilometre away to a pre-sorting plant where they are sorted according to polyolefin type and colour. The material is ground, hot washed and dried before the flakes are re-sorted. The two material streams – transparent/white and coloured – are then each recycled using an INTAREMA 1716 TVEplus RegrindPro system. The recycling system components are designed for a throughput of 1900kg/h for polyethylene and 2200kg/h for polypropylene. The Preconditioning Unit (PCU) can be quickly set for processing film or regrind material. A further advantage is that initial degassing takes place because the material is already preheated and predried in the PCU. Thanks to patented Counter Current technology, a constantly high output over a very wide temperature range is ensured. EFFICIENT FILTRATION The two recycling plants are equipped with an EREMA twin laser filter, particularly suitable for the kind of post-consumer input material that is processed by Integra. “To save packaging weight, films are becoming

38 / WMR / May 2022

thinner and thinner, which increases the relative proportion of impurities,” says Clemens Kitzberger, Business Development Manager, Post Consumer Applications at EREMA Group. The high-throughput laser filters are installed upstream of the extruder degassing system. Here, the melt temperature is even lower, and the short residence time directly at the screen, thanks to permanent screen cleaning, ensures that impurities such as paper labels, aluminium or foreign polymers originating from multilayer material such as PET or PA are reliably removed even at high levels of contamination. The twin design, ensures a The two recycling plants are equipped with an EREMA twin laser ﬁlter.

“With the technology we have chosen, we are ideally equipped to respond to each individual requirement - to the beneﬁt of our customers.” Julian Belev, Integra Plastics Chief Executive Ofﬁcer and Owner

throughput capacity of 18003000kg/h with a variably selectable filtration fineness of 70-200µm. The laser filter is available in filtration units up to 2000µm. “With the technology we have chosen we are ideally equipped to respond to each individual requirement – to the benefit of our customers,” says Julian. In Australia EREMA is represented by CEMAC Technologies. For more information, visit: www.cemactech.com

Container recycling made easy

FEATURED TOPIC – PLASTICS RECYCLING

A solution for every problem MATERIAL RECOVERY SOLUTIONS LIVES UP TO ITS NAME WITH CUSTOM-MADE MACHINERY FOR PLASTICS RECYCLERS.

he Australian Government is driving new investment in recycling technology and infrastructure, with a $1 billion transformation of the waste and recycling sector. As Phase 2 of a plastics waste ban comes into effect on July 1, 2022, Material Recovery Solutions (MRS) can draw on years of experience to help recyclers find the right equipment for the job. The manufacturer and importer supplies equipment for the material recovery sector from container refund schemes through to document shredding. Marcus Corrigan, Managing Director says MRS offers two solutions for the plastics recycling sector – shredders, for recyclers who process plastics themselves, or balers for companies to bale plastic and have it processed elsewhere. “Customers are more inclined to shred material so they can offer it as a virgin product,” Marcus says. “If you have already cleaned material to a high standard and then shred it, in essence it becomes a product for remelt and reuse, rather than a stepping-stone in the process. “We do have customers who are looking into plastic washing, delabelling and then shredding. We’re offering the shredding component and working with them to integrate that with other equipment.”

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MRS designs and builds shredders in-house for specific applications.

MRS designs and manufactures shredders in-house for specific applications. Marcus says the final design will depend on the product to be shredded and the end market customers are selling to. Shredders can be designed with an end-product as small as 6mm, and up to 80mm. “We don’t make generic, we custom build shredders so that they give customers a specific, required cut,” he says. He says new government legislation surrounding plastics has resulted in a change in the type of product required by customers. He says in the past, recycled plastic wheelie bins would have been baled and sold overseas for further processing. MRS now has customers looking to shred wheelie bins. “We offer a custom-built shredder that accommodates wheelie bins in their entirety and shreds them

down to a specific size. Another customer wants the provision for processing wheelie bins, but they also want to shred LDPE (low density polyethylene) and other products. For that customer we have interchangeable screens to offer different size end products.” MRS also manufactures associated equipment such as conveyors of all types, platforms, walkways and structural steel. “We’re very proud to be an Australian manufacturer,” Marcus says. “In a typical production line, we manufacture everything in Australia with the exception of balers, which is why we align ourselves with Godswill.” MRS is the exclusive agent for Godswill balers in Australia and New Zealand, offering an impressive range including, but not limited to auto channel, semi closed length,

High compaction/volume reduction is essential for reducing transport overheads.

auto two ram and custom build balers. Marcus says the ability to bale material efficiently and at maximum capacity will be a priority for facilities

dealing with large volumes of recyclable material. “We offer a twin-ram baler, which offers high compaction

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for plastic bottles,” he says. “High compaction is essential for transporting materials, internationally or domestically.” All Godswill Balers have a Human Machine Interface that allows operators to monitor or adjust the machine parameters, as well as troubleshoot problems. They also feature modular hydraulic systems, which allow MRS to increase kilowatt packages to tailor a baler’s configuration to customer requirements. MRS offers technical support and has the service equipment, OEM spare parts and technical resources on hand 24/7, minimising downtime for customers. For more information, visit: www.materialrecoverysolutions.com.au

FEATURED TOPIC – PLASTICS RECYCLING

What is hydrothermal liquefaction? DR LEN HUMPHREYS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF LICELLA HOLDINGS, TELLS WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION OF ADVANCED RECYCLING.

he topic of how we use and manage plastic exploded at the beginning of 2018, when China told the world it would no longer accept its plastic waste. The aftershocks were felt by waste contractors, councils and then the public; some councils even paused recycling collection. Fast forward to 2022 and the rapid and systems-wide transformation needed to enable a local circular economy for plastic has not happened. The sad reality is that 87 per cent of plastic is still not recycled in Australia, according to the Plastic Waste Advanced Recycling Feasibility Study: GeelongAltona Industrial Corridor 2021. To achieve the Australian government’s ambitious National Waste Management Target of 80 per cent average resource recovery rate, plastics will require an additional 2.5 million tonnes of recycling capacity – that is a 13-fold increase on what is in place. Advanced recycling is one piece of the puzzle to help achieve this. Also referred to as ‘chemical recycling,’ advanced recycling takes plastic back to its chemical building blocks; oil that can be used back into the local plastic supply chain. Critically, advanced recycling helps close the loop on the 87 per cent of plastic that still is not recycled in Australia each year. Unlike mechanical

42 / WMR / May 2022

From left, Dr Len Humphreys, Trevor Evans Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management and Lucy Wicks, Member for Robertson with a KitKat recycled wrapper protype made with oil from post-consumer soft plastic collection.

recycling, where plastic needs to be sorted by type, advanced recycling can process mixed plastics, including multilayer packaging. Advanced recycling takes plastic back to the oil it came from, which enables the production of food-grade recycled plastic. It complements mechanical recycling by offering a solution for difficult to recycle plastic that currently goes to landfill or incineration.

A NEW APPROACH While older advanced recycling approaches, such as pyrolysis, are purely thermally based, a lower-carbon

approach has emerged – one that uses water. Hydrothermal liquefaction (or HTL) is the next generation of advanced recycling. Moreover, the most commercially advanced HTL technology in the world is Australian – Licella’s Cat-HTR (Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor) platform. HTL was developed in a carbon constrained world. It uses hot, pressurised water to recycle more carbon from plastic than pyrolysis, while using less energy to achieve this. In addition, HTL moves hydrogen from the water into the product

oil, making it easier to upgrade in a conventional refinery. Some of the biggest players in the industry have thrown their support behind facilities with the Cat-HTR HTL platform at their core, including Shell Catalysts & Technologies, Dow Chemicals, KBR, Mitsubishi Chemicals and LG Chem.

HTL VS PYROLYSIS Pyrolysis works by pyrolyzing plastic – heating it in the absence of oxygen. Heating plastic from the outside is an energy intensive process that results in the formation of a ‘char’ or waste carbon. Using water makes HTL a more controlled reaction. The water more efficiently transfers heat, meaning that HTL operates at significantly lower temperatures than pyrolysis. A more controlled reaction also means that more carbon is retained from the plastic into the product oil. Essentially, this helps keep more plastic in circulation and reduces the demand for virgin plastic from fossil resources. Another major advantage of HTL is its proven ability to handle a wider

Plasti-crude: the oil produced by Licella from post-consumer plastic. The oil is used in the local plastic supply chain in place of refined fossil oil.

Commercial-scale Cat-HTR reactors at Licella’s plant in Somersby, NSW.

range of plastics and contaminants, including PVC. Undesirable chemicals, like the chlorine from PVC, are removed with the water.

IT ALL COUNTS Compared to older advanced recycling approaches, HTL keeps more carbon from plastic in circulation, meaning we need to take less fossil carbon from the ground. It also uses less energy, therefore creating less emissions. In Licella, Australia has the world’s leading HTL advanced recycling technology, and an unprecedented opportunity to support local technology that reduces emissions and keeps more plastic in circulation. In 2021, Licella, supported by Amcor, Coles, iQ Renew, LyondellBasell, and Nestlé, released a report highlighting the potential for establishing an advanced recycling facility using HTL. The report followed a feasibility study that demonstrated a circular economy for plastic is not only possible but is essential for

Australia to meet its National Waste Policy commitments. The report highlighted significant economic and environmental benefits using advanced recycling with HTL to enable a local circular economy for plastic. It found that compared to imported conventional crude, Cat-HTR oil delivers a 64 per cent CO2 reduction. The study identified Altona in Victoria as the location best placed for an advanced recycling facility, given the area’s existing infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities. The advanced recycling facility would be an Australian first and presents the opportunity to divert up to 120,000 tonnes, or 24 per cent, of the waste plastics sent to landfill every year in Victoria alone. The project is at the fundraising stage and well advanced with site approval and community consultation. For more information, visit: www.licella.com

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FEATURED TOPIC - PLASTICS RECYCLING

An eco-friendly alternative URBAN RECYCLING SOLUTIONS HAS TEAMED UP WITH ENVIROPLAZ INTERNATIONAL TO MAKE A PRODUCT THAT PARTIALLY SUBSTITUTES ROCK AGGREGATE AND SAND IN CONCRETE WITH CO-MINGLED WASTE PLASTICS.

ccording to World Wildlife Fund Australia, 130 kilograms of plastic is used per person each year. Less than 12 per cent of that is recycled. Additionally, up to 130,000 tonnes of plastic will find its way into waterways and the ocean annually. With waste plastics becoming a national and global issue, many companies are looking to close the loop on plastic products. Urban Recycling Solutions is one of them. Gavin Grace, Co-Director says the issue needs rectifying. “Plastic is polluting the world at alarming rates. A lot of people don’t fully understand the impact that waste plastics are having on the environment, whether it be in the soil, water or air,” he says. After seeing the large volume of medical waste which was being produced during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gavin started doing his own research on how it could be dealt with. He came across a product known as Plazrok, a concrete aggregate additive that enhances the properties of concrete and is made from all seven types of plastics that occur in co-mingled waste plastic. Dean Payne, Urban Recycling Solutions Co-Director says the process of making Plazrok does not require burning, instead it uses a

44 / WMR / May 2022

Plazrok can be included in a range of applications, such as pavement, road barriers or even railway sleepers.

thermomechanical process. The product can include co-mingled plastics from classes one to seven, meaning that virtually every plastic product can be used, including contaminated materials such as discoloured plastic and residues. No sorting or washing is required. Labels and caps need not be removed. “We can take the full spectrum. This plastic waste can be anything, from your kids’ toys to e-waste or nylon from tyres,” Gavin says. “It creates a commercial market for waste management companies, while also reducing plastic pollution.” Plazrok is compatible with existing concrete batching plants. Plazrok has already proven itself in practical environments, with the additive being used to make concrete panels and in

other applications such as pavement, facades, road barriers and railway sleepers to name a few. The products attributes such as size and dimensional ratios can be altered to specific project requirements.

AN INTERNATIONAL ORIGIN Plazrok is a product invented by the founder of the New Zealand technology company Enviroplaz International Ltd, Peter Barrow, and developed in conjunction with an American partner Gavin and Dean have secured the Master License to manufacture the product in Australia, with the view of commercialising the product for use in various other countries. Dean says that initial testing, conducted in New

FOR MON

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Zealand, has shown it’s more than just a viable alternative to conventional concrete. “Plazrok is about 20 per cent of the weight of standard aggregate. It improves the tensile strength, without changing the compressive properties,” he says. “The reduced weight means moving the product takes less trucks, saving time and costs. It also performs to a better when undergoing fire-proofing tests, compared to standard concrete. It can last up to an hour longer,” Dean says. Testing has found that the product is expected to have superior thermal and acoustic performance, when compared to conventional aggregates. Concrete produced using Plazrok has high impact and shatter resistance. Plazrok is also recyclable, once the concrete has reached its end-of-life.

vertical shredders. Built tough for the most demanding of shredding applications.

THE NEXT STEP Urban Recycling Solutions will look to manufacture the product on a greater scale early in 2023 following the completion of testing. A major Australian concrete company has shown interest, as well as state government. Gavin expects this interest to “go crazy” once prospective customers understand the product’s potential. “Because it is a new technology, some people are hesitant as they don’t believe that it can accept all types of plastic, when it actually can,” he says. “At the moment we are talking to overseas government officials and ministries. We are hoping by the end of next year to have 20 production plants globally.” For more information, visit: https://plazrok.com/

• Aggressive size reduction and densification of preshredded materials • Clean, high bulk density output for easy sorting and transportation • C&D waste, scrap metal and other heavy duty applications • Available with up to 440kW of power • Industry-proven and built tough for Australian conditions

The size of the Plazrok ‘nugget’ can be altered, depending on what is required for any given project.

To find out more, call: 03 9706 8066, Email: sales@appliedmachinery.com.au, or visit: www.appliedmachinery.com.au

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – RECYCLING

The perfect pick-up RECYCLESMART IS CREATING A TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY, KEEN TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE UBER FOR WASTE.

RecycleSmart has created a tight-knit community engaged with the brand.

ecycleSmart’s innovative Power Pick-up service is solving one big problem – making sure that tricky-to-recycle items make it from households to the right recycling drop-off location. An online-system enables residents to book an on-demand collection right from their doorstep. But it’s not just the convenience that stands out – RecycleSmart has a unique relationship with the residents who use the service. Through recyclesmart.com and the RecycleSmart app, the users (Recycle Heroes in RecycleSmart language) are in direct contact with RecycleSmart and vice versa. This enables RecycleSmart to create a strong relationship and be a point of reference for all things related to recycling. Eugenie Alonzo, RecycleSmart Chief Marketing Officer, says RecycleSmart has created a tightknit community, very engaged with the brand. In the past month RecycleSmart’s social media presence on Instagram and Facebook is capturing increasing engagement, +200 per cent. Tik Tok is set to ramp up and more than 350 Google Reviews collected over time have a 4.9 out of 5-star average rating. “Creating this engagement enables RecycleSmart to encourage more people to recycle more, more often,” Eugenie says. “Indeed, the latest numbers show that only four per cent of subscribed residents drop out

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – RECYCLING

“Creating this engagement enables RecycleSmart to encourage more people to recycle more, more often. Indeed, the latest numbers show that only four per cent of subscribed residents drop out of the service. We can help Recycle Heroes to recycle better and inspire them to spread the word.” Eugenie Alonzo, RecycleSmart Chief Marketing Officer

of the service. We can help Recycle Heroes to recycle better and inspire them to spread the word.” Which is exactly what they are doing. Angelina Panos found RecycleSmart on Facebook. She now uses the same channel and the “Nextdoor” Neighbourhood site to share news and specials days highlighted by RecycleSmart. “RecycleSmart is always working on something new and advertises new initiatives that align with special days on the calendar such as a Christmas toy drive, Earth Hour, New Year’s Resolution and initiatives to support Clean Up Australia,” she says. “The newsletters keep me informed of what is happening and lets me know of the latest items that may be recycled and placed in my pickup service.” The Randwick resident says it was the wide range of waste collected and the convenience of a pick-up service that attracted her to RecycleSmart. The service at Randwick was initially charged $2 per bag. The service has since been expanded to

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one free monthly collection of up to two bags, on a subscription basis. RecycleSmart has recently also started a pick-up service from workplaces. Angelina says the convenience of having waste collected from your doorstep means it’s not stored for a day when you are free to go to a council-run recycling centre, which might never happen. “It’s also great for the elderly and people who don’t have transport to go to the recycling centre or a charity shop.” Angelina was a recycler before using RecycleSmart but says her recycling habits have changed. “The fact that it is being picked up from you home gives you incentive, I think, to see how many items that you have that may be collected,” she says. “I’ve noticed the majority of supermarket items are packaged in soft plastic and wrappings that may be recycled. Also vitamins and medications are sealed with plastic packaging, while the packaging that comes with new purchases

can be removed and placed in a RecycleSmart bag instead of going into the waste bin.” Shona Bates worked in waste regulation in the UK for years so knows and understands the importance of waste segregation. The Randwick resident says that when RecycleSmart partnered with the council she jumped on board. “I know that clean streams of waste are easier to recover materials from,” Shona says. “Mixed recycling streams take energy to sort and contamination prevents recovery, while sorting waste at source makes us more conscious of the waste we generate. “If recycling is easier, we recycle more. “The key thing for me has been diverting materials I knew could be recycled out of the red bin. I can immediately see the amount of waste I’m diverting from landfill – both by the amount collected by RecycleSmart and the emptiness of my red bin – which is almost empty these days.” Shona has a monthly booking with RecycleSmart, devoted to soft plastics. She orders a top-up collection as required. She says the pick-up service is ideal for households wanting to do the right thing but unable to get to recycling facilities. “RecycleSmart’s customer service is great, the booking system is easy to use and there’s generally a very quick response time between booking and collection. If there is an item they can’t take, the driver collecting texts to me explain why. I can also add extra bags on the day. “This should be part of every council’s approach.” For more information, visit: www.recyclesmart.com

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION - REAR LOADERS

A meaningful first impression STEPHEN BRANKSTONE, SYDNEY COLLECTIONS OPERATIONS MANAGER VEOLIA, SAYS HSR SOUTHERN CROSS’S REAR LOADER HAS IMPRESSED RIGHT FROM THE START.

ith about 70 trucks at the Veolia Sydney depot, including 24 front loaders and 46 rear loaders, it could be easy to mistake HSR Southern Cross’s Rear Loader for “just another truck”. Stephen Brankstone, Sydney Collections Operations Manager Veolia says it’s anything but.

After realising that his team needed a smaller truck with greater manoeuvrability, Stephen was keen to see what was in the market. While on the waiting list for another manufacture for some time, Stephen learnt that HYVA/HSR Southern Cross’s Rear Loaders were readily available.

Hyva/HSR Southern Cross’s Rear Loader comes in Mini, Medium and Mega capacity configurations.

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He and his team are tasked with completing commercial and industrial collections, from apartment complexes to restaurants and hotels, as well as paper and cardboard collections in the region. Stephen says these tighter working environments are ideally suited to HYVA/HSR Southern Cross’s

Medium capacity (14, 16 and 18m3) range of Rear Loader. Mini (8, 10 and 12m3) and Mega (18, 20, 22 and 24m3) capacity ranges are also available. The Sydney operation now has three HYVA/HSR Southern Cross Rear Loaders. “One of the reasons we purchased the Rear Loader from HSR Southern Cross was that the product looked great visually,” Stephen says. He says the machine has a “clean appearance” with aluminium side panels concealing cylinders and hoses.

DURABLE DESIGN HYVA/HSR Southern Cross’s Rear Loaders are constructed from high tensile steels and wearable steels in abrasive exposed areas. This not only gives structural strength, but high durability against corrosion.

“The vehicles are very well made. They seem to be more robust, which means they will likely be a longer-term investment, rather than a short-term investment. It performs well.” Stephen Brankstone, Sydney Collections Operations Manager Veolia

Stephen says the toughness of the Rear Loader body has been a “standout” feature. “The vehicles are very well made. They seem to be more robust, which means they will likely be a longer-term rather than a short-term investment,” he says. “It performs well.” While it is tough, the machine also features lower noise, allowing it to be comfortably used in residential areas for crews operating 24/7. The loader also has reduced energy consumption and zero leakage. Loading can be done manually, or by hydraulic bin lift. The Refuse Collection Bodies can be manually or electrically operated. Stephen has also had additional features installed. “We had asked for on-board scales in order to weigh bins. We got our switch system installed, as well as a driver cam system. All before delivery,” he says. The intuitive design supports new operators. An electronic control system uses prompts and simple instructions to guide operators, with soft-touch icons allowing users to visually identify how to control the unit.

RENOWNED SUPPORT HSR Southern Cross customers are supported by a comprehensive repair and maintenance service, some of which is conducted in-house at its facilities in Western Sydney.

“One of the big deciding factors for me when purchasing a vehicle like this is the back-up service,” Stephen says. “In that regard I can’t fault HSR Southern Cross, their service is second-to-none. “They have been quick to come out for servicing and get parts fixed, even for machines from other manufacturers. “If their back-up service continues to be as good as it has so far, I can only see us purchasing more of their products.” HSR Southern Cross can conduct hydraulic performance testing of pumps, motors and cylinders in its ‘state-of-the-art’ Eaton Hydraulic Test Bed. Since 2001, HSR Southern Cross has also provided technical solutions to clients requiring auto electrical and vehicle body building services. These services can be provided on-site. HSR Southern Cross’s commitment to Australian made is the “icing on the cake”, Stephen says. “The HYVA/HSR Rear Loader has an Australian-made body, which is made locally and supported locally,” he says. “We’re a government contracted company, so it’s good to source locally-made products and support local business.” For more information, visit: www.hsrsx.com.au

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – CIRCULAR ECONOMY CARBON ABATEMENT

Reaching net zero RESOURCECO IS LEADING THE WAY TO ENSURE THERE IS A WIDER COMMUNITY BENEFIT TO CARBON ABATEMENT.

nder the Paris Agreement, Australia has a target to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. To help it reach those goals, the government is turning to technology and, among other things, is investing in large-scale energy storage, improving soil carbon storage and measurement and reducing emissions through carbon capture, use and storage. Henry Anning, Chief Executive Officer of ResourceCo’s Energy Systems says sustainability and carbon abatement has gained momentum in the past 18 months, evidenced by a significant increase in the cost of carbon credits in that time. He says that as corporate Australia increases its interest and activity in reaching carbon goals and a net zero future, there is an increasing focus on not just carbon outcomes but circular economy outcomes. “Companies are seeking carbon credits aligned with their business philosophy,” Henry says. “There is an increasing appetite to put together a portfolio of carbon credits that achieves other outcomes. “They’re seeking multiple outcomes – social, economic and environmental benefits.” The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015 by 196 countries, sets out goals and plans for reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases by each country. In Australia, the Clean Energy Regulator administers new projects which aim to capture and store carbon or repurpose its emissions. Australian

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ResourceCo has produced more than two million tonnes of carbon abatement.

Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) are a financial instrument awarded to eligible projects which can be purchased by companies to help offset their own emissions. Overseas credits are also available. The Clean Energy Regulator states that each ACCU represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent stored or avoided by a project. But, Henry says, not all carbon credits are created equal, and companies are increasingly looking to offset activities and preference ACCUs based on how that carbon is generated. “Some are having an increasing appetite for Indigenous carbon, that is, carbon generated through projects with Indigenous communities. Others are looking at energy efficiencies or tree planting. “We’re starting to see that also

develop for circular economy carbon – carbon generated from activities in the circular economy which have those other benefits such as reducing landfill and increasing employment. “Diverting a tonne of waste from landfill and the jobs that come from that are seen as far more tangible.” ResourceCo is a pioneer in carbon abatement and has been recognised under government schemes since they began 10 years ago. The company has repurposed 60 million tonnes of materials and is one of the largest contributors to carbon abatement in Australia, producing more than two million tonnes of carbon abatement to date – equivalent to taking 450,000 cars off the road. Henry says ResourceCo is working with major corporations to ensure they understand where their carbon is

coming from and the benefits. He says one of the growing areas is from waste generators, keen to get the ACCUs back relating to their waste. “Everyone generates waste, I can only see there will be more interest and focus on where that waste is going and creating circular economy carbon outcomes for it,” he says. He points to the Cleanaway ResourceCo Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) in Sydney as an example. The RRF diverts commercial, industrial and demolition waste from landfill to produce process engineered fuel, or PEF, used in cement kilns to replace coal. PEF has a lower emissions profile and displaces millions of tonnes of fossil fuels at a lower price point, as well as abating hundreds of thousands of tonnes of CO2. “We’re registered under the

emissions reduction fund through the alternatives wastes treatment methodology,” Henry says. “We’ve generated ACCUs from that project for a number of years and they achieve significant additional outcomes beyond just carbon. “These include a 95 per cent diversion from landfill rate, more than 40 full-time jobs and significant ongoing investment, maintenance of materials in the economy rather than just landfilling them and avoiding other environmental impacts of landfill.” In 2021, as part of its Climate Active Program, the Commonwealth Government ruled that at least 25 per cent of carbon offsets purchased by Australian companies must be ACCUs. A quick look at the Climate Active Website and it’s noticeable that many carbon abatements are from

projects outside of Australia. Henry agrees price is one factor when companies are purchasing carbon credits. Australian credits are about $30 currently (they were $55) compared to $5 or less from overseas. “Carbon emissions is a global problem and a tonne of real, verified carbon abatement in China is the same as carbon from Australia – I don’t have a fundamental problem with that,” he says. “From a perspective point of view, I can see why the government has brought in the minimum use of ACCUs. “These are Australian products and companies that have gone through strict certification.” For more information, visit: www.resourceco.com.au

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – BATTERY RECYCLING

Shredded to batts Using metals from alkaline batteries that once went to landfill is a great environmental success story.

BATTERY RECYCLER ECOBATT IS WORKING TO MAKE ITS BEST EVEN BETTER TO ENSURE MAXIMUM RECOVERY.

here are various types of batteries, each with their own chemistries, capabilities, size and states of charge. It stands for reason each also presents its own challenge when it comes to recycling. For the past four years, EcoBatt has trialled various machinery and delved into research and development to find the right equipment to handle the range of sorted batteries in Australia. Doug Rowe, Director of EcoBatt and Recycal says industry colleagues overseas have been invaluable in helping find the most efficient and economical solutions for battery process in Australia.

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“We feel confident we have created a great national collection network,” Doug says. “We have a world-class sorting facility. The next phase was always to build a state-of-the-art processing facility that can handle the full range of batteries and chemistries. “We have visited many processing plants overseas and seen how they process these batteries. It’s with this knowledge we have been able to install equipment with some confidence. “It’s a great system we have and it’s unique to Australia.” While granulators and small pre-shredders are used by some in battery recycling in Australia, Doug says they weren’t suitable

for the throughput or approach EcoBatt is aiming for. He says the non-DG alkaline batteries were always a focus because of the tonnage available – they account for about 70 per cent of batteries that are recycled. The steel-coated cans of the non-DG alkaline batteries are melted down and alloyed to make castings at the company’s foundry in Launceston, Tasmania. Once these castings are worn out, they’re melted again and again to make new castings. “To be able to melt them down and pick up the valuable metal units is a real bonus,” Doug says. “And it’s a great recycling story. A true in-

house circular economy story in our own backyard.” Doug says a lot of manganese reclaimed from the batteries can be used at the foundry. The metal fume or dust is caught in baghouses and can be recycled. “We are finding that the refined black mass can give us good credits of manganese and we’re excited about the results we are seeing,” he says. “With commodity prices increasing like they have, the more we can use in our own foundry the better. Using metals from alkaline batteries that once went to landfill is a great environmental success story.” Lithium batteries, says Doug, are more challenging because their range, size and chemistry is much greater. While more of these batteries are being recycled, it will be several years before larger tonnes are collected. Smaller lithium tool, bike, computer and phone batteries are collected by EcoBatt and processed separately. Tonnes of these batteries can be processed each hour, separating the steel, aluminium and copper for recycling. The black sand is exported. “We are working with some local mining operations to see if they can take it, but we don’t see Australia having the tonnes to justify this as a stand-alone investment for years to come,” Doug says. EcoBatt is also working with overseas partners to refurbish damaged cells in EV batteries for cars and send them back out to market. “It’s similar to what we used to do in the old days at Challenge Batteries with Stirling Batteries in Carlton,” Doug says. “We would take a lead acid tar top battery, melt out the tar, replace the damaged cell and put it all back together again. What we’re doing with EV batteries is a similar idea. “There’s good interest in the battery back-up storage market for the

EcoBatt is planning a state-of-the-art facility able to handle the full range of battery chemistries.

good cell packs that still have some serviceable life left in them. Portable and fixed storage units using this type of battery are proving popular.” A containerised power storage unit for EV battery cells is being installed at EcoBatt’s new head office. The batteries will be charged by solar power from the factory roof and the power generated stored, then fed to EV car battery charging units in the car park. Large storage cells and car or truck-size batteries are shredded into smaller sizes for processing. Small amounts of nickel metal hydrate batteries, and even fewer nickel cadmium batteries, are processed and sent overseas for refining.

“Batteries need to be respected,” Doug says. “It’s a challenge to be prepared and flexible for the changing chemistries and the risks that surround the collection, sorting and processing of batteries. “We are working towards a stateof-the-art processing facility to be installed in 2023. This will have far greater capacity than what we need for the next five to ten years and will have the ability to handle the full range of chemistries in this everchanging marketplace.” For more information and nearest drop-off points, visit: www.ecobatt.net

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – BUY RECYCLED

All roads lead to Buy Recycled FRANKSTON CITY COUNCIL HAS USED RECYCLED MATERIALS FOR SEVERAL RECENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. THEY WERE SO SUCCESSFUL, THE CITY IS PLANNING MORE LOCAL ROAD WORKS USING RECYCLED MATERIALS.

Reconophalt, a road surfacing material containing high recycled content, was used.

rankston City Council in Victoria is committed to reducing its environmental impacts, so using recycled materials for a recent infrastructure project seemed a natural fit. The council received $300,000 from the Victorian Government’s Sustainable Infrastructure Fund to contribute to the construction of a concrete pedestrian footpath, concrete kerb, channel and indented parking, drainage works, road resurfacing and traffic management improvements at Brighton Street, Frankston South. It included ‘Reconophalt’, a road surfacing material containing high recycled content including soft plastics, glass and printer toner, and

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‘Green Pipe’ drainage pipes made from recycled plastic. Concrete supplied on the project included ‘Polyrok’, an aggregate alternative containing recycled soft plastics, which was used to construct footpath, kerb and channel and an indented parking bay. Cam Arullanantham, Council Director Infrastructure and Operations says the project’s success has given other council departments confidence to consider recycled products in future. “Council was able to successfully divert the waste from landfill while constructing essential road infrastructure. Using recycled products and materials

helped to reduce the overall environmental footprint, which is a great outcome for council and its community,” he says. Cam says there is a lot of community support for sustainable outcomes. He believes the success of projects such as those in Frankston will lead to an increase in demand and investment in innovative, environmentally friendly solutions by other councils. Frankston council’s procurement policy encourages the use of products that have minimal impact on the environment and human health and to support suppliers that are socially responsible and adopt ethical practices.

Works in progress at Brighton Street, Frankston South.

Cam says no changes in policy or procedures were needed to use the recycled materials and the council was able to specify suppliers and products within its tender criteria to guarantee their use in the project. He says the only challenge was ensuring they were working with suitable lengths of The Green Pipe for installation. “There were no major issues. All recycled products used in the project were readily available and implemented per conventional construction techniques and practice.” Sustainability Victoria has launched the Buy Recycled Service to boost the use of recycled products in local government projects and support councils to become leaders in sustainable procurement. The service provides tools and resources to ensure recycled products are considered at each stage of the procurement cycle and is part of the Recycled First Local Government program, delivered as part of the Victorian Government’s circular economy plan, Recycling Victoria: A new economy. Cam says councils looking to use recycled products traditionally rely on the products and materials approved by VicRoads, the Department of Transport or Australian Standards because it gives them surety that the product has been tested and will perform to the end of its life cycle. He says one of the barriers for councils may be not having the VicRoads specifications for the recycled products. “The Buy Recycled Service provides a comprehensive directory for councils to easily sort, preview and understand what products are available to them, as well as provide direct contacts for councils to get additional information from suppliers should they need. For some products, VicRoads and Australian Standards are provided which makes product selection easier. “It is a great resource that collates information on new products which are not common knowledge, providing councils with additional, environmentally friendly options to consider, procure and implement,” he says. Cam said, based on the council’s experience with the procurement, installation and constructability of the recycled products used, the council would consider using the products in similar road projects in the future. “Council is always looking for opportunities to incorporate recycled products in our projects. After the Brighton Street project, the Polyrok concrete product was used for the construction of a shared user path at Stotts Lane, Frankston South. “Frankston council manages about 709 kilometres of roads, many of which could benefit from use of Reconophalt or similar surfacing treatments as part of the road asset renewal program.”

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION - MANUFACTURING

An upgrade to the conventional

The Prop-A-Lid also comes in a range of different lid colours.

EASYQUIP’S PROP-A-LID BUILDS ON THE COMPANY’S SUCCESS WITH FRONT LIFT LID SYSTEMS, ALLOWING USERS TO RAISE BIN LIDS SAFELY AND WITH EASE.

esigned in 1994 by Easyquip Founder and CEO Greg Beer, the Easylid system has been embraced by Australian waste collection companies, with more than 35,000 units sold to date. A single-piece, counterweighted plastic lid, the Easylid system was a welcome upgrade to traditional bin covers. Now Easyquip has used its experience for a more modernised design, the Prop-A-Lid.

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General Manager Jeff Grace says the Easylid is still available, however that product is no lighter to operate than conventional bin lids. “We realised that a lot of people in the industry required assistance to operate existing bins,” Jeff says. “We aimed to lower the weight and force required to raise the lid. By using a spring, the Prop-A-Lid doesn’t add any additional weight to the bin. It requires approximately half the

force to open, compared to other solid lid bins.” The Prop-A-Lid replaces a solid steel counterweight with two springs mounted on the underside of the lid. Jeff says that traditional lid designs, which use lid stays mounted on the outside of the bin, can pose health risks to users. “Bin lids are often quite heavy and awkward to open. Even with the standard two-piece lids, people

“With its spring mounts, the Prop-A-Lid provides a more durable design. We were really looking for a system which solved the ratchet structure, moved the lid stay away, but still maintained the same prop system people are already familiar with.” Jeff Grace, Easyquip General Manager

often struggle to open or close them and because they are struggling they don’t always operate the prop mechanism safely,” he says. “Which has led to people dropping the lid and injuring their fingers, and in severe cases, cutting them off.” Jeff says because traditional lids are only supported from one side, they can also be exposed to twisting and breakages. “This is a maintenance issue and when they start to fail, they become more difficult for customers to use. With its spring mounts, the Prop-A-Lid

The Prop-A-Lid replaces the old counterweight design, with two side-mounted springs.

provides a more durable design. We were really looking for a system which solved the ratchet structure, moved the lid stay away, but still maintained the same prop system which people are already familiar with.” Jeff says that the Prop-A-Lid is also suitable for environments such as schools, where safety and ease of use is of paramount importance. The lid’s full width design means that odours are kept in, while vermin and the weather are kept out. The Prop-A-Lid is also manufactured in Australia, meaning they are purpose-built for Australian waste collection companies. Easyquip designs, manufactures, and delivers waste handling equipment throughout Australia, predominantly for waste collection businesses. Since its inception in 1993, the company has grown to employ more than 60 people across two sites. One of which being a manufacturing plant which was opened in June 2017 in Brisbane, to support the production of products such as the Prop-A-Lid. Because it is purpose-built, the Prop-A-Lid offers flexibility for existing bin owners. It can be retrofitted, with complete kits providing mechanisms

and essential parts. All that’s required is some cutting and welding. Additional customisation options are also available. “They are available in the commonly used bin colours such as black, red, blue, lime green and yellow,” Jeff says. “We can also do custom colours, subject to minimum requirements.” Easyquip is trialling a new recycling process, using a local plastic supplier to create a resin from old and unusable plastic bin lids. “Once the lids have been received by the supplier this plastic is shredded, washed and grinded, mixed with black colour pigment and in some cases reused,” Jeff says. He says that Easyquip will consider expanding the service, to increase the ratio of recycled to virgin materials in each lid, as well as increasing the number of colours which can contain the recycled material “Right now, we can use 25 per cent recycled material, with the remainder being virgin materials. That recycled content is only used in our black lids.” For more information, visit: www.easyquip.com.au

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION - BUILDING GREENER ROADS

A new milestone ALEX FRASER’S LAVERTON ASPHALT PLANT IN MELBOURNE HAS PRODUCED ITS ONE MILLIONTH TONNE OF ASPHALT. WMR FINDS OUT MORE ABOUT THE FACILITY AND THE MILESTONE. Alex Fraser’s Asphalt production team.

n May 31, 2019, following a 16-month build, Alex Fraser unveiled its high recycled technology asphalt plant, along with an innovative glass recycling plant at its Sustainable Supply Hub in Laverton North. Lily D’Ambrosio, Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change officially opened the $20 million plant which creates sustainable asphalt to build greener roads and rail projects across Victoria. With the capability to produce asphalt mixes incorporating recycled glass, plastic and reclaimed asphalt pavement, the facility has been heralded as one of Australia’s greenest asphalt production plants. After just two years, Alex Fraser’ Laverton Asphalt team are celebrating their first million tonne production milestone. Recycled content accounted for more than 30 per cent 60 / WMR / May 2022

of the total production tonnes. Brendan Camilleri, Asphalt General Manager, says the achievement is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the Laverton Asphalt team. “It was a very proud moment for the team,” he says. “As the millionth tonne was loaded, we rang a traditional cow bell which was presented to us by the Ammann Group, on the day the plant was commissioned.” Brendan says he is particularly proud of the team effort behind the milestone. “It was a big and ongoing effort. The first year was especially challenging, as we were learning to use the new facility to its optimum, while servicing several major projects that demanded high volumes of material,” he says. “It was all hands on deck, and a great team effort. I’m extremely proud of how our people came together.”

MAJOR PROJECTS Asphalt produced by the Laverton plant has been supplied to major projects throughout Victoria, including the Western Roads Upgrade. Alex Fraser supplied more than 170,000 tonnes of road base and 200,000 tonnes of asphalt for the project. In total, the recycled glass equivalent of 190 million bottles was used. The use of Alex Fraser’s sustainable construction materials on the Western Roads Upgrade helped to divert 264,800 tonnes of material from landfill and reduce carbon emissions by 1729 tonnes. “The Western Roads Upgrade projects were the first major projects supplied by this plant,” Brendan says. “They called for high volumes every day, so we worked closely with the Department of Transport and our clients to provide green roads asphalt with the

highest possible percentage of recycled materials. “The plant was active 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure we could help our clients to achieve their demanding project timeline.” The facility will be servicing more major projects in the near future. “We have just completed supplying the Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine Facility and we are currently servicing the Hi Quality Eco Hub project in Sunbury. We have many more major projects in the pipeline too,” Brendan says.

FOR THE FUTURE As Brendan explains, Alex Fraser’s Asphalt team is focused on continuous improvement. He says there are big things on the horizon for the facility. “The plant was designed for the future, and as soon as specifications allow, we have the ability and technology to vastly increase the percentage of recycled material in our green roads asphalt mixes,” he says.

(From left to right) Alex Fraser Managing Director Peter Murphy, Alex Fraser Asphalt GM Brendan Camilleri, Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change and Hanson Australia CEO Phil Schacht.

“We are constantly diversifying our green roads range, to include glass, different types of plastic and other problem waste streams to help achieve better outcomes for the environment. “We have a range of initiatives underway, including new green roads mixes which we expect to be launched this year. As a company that is part of Hanson Australia, we

WE DRIVE THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY.

have some exciting sustainability targets we’re working to achieve within our Sustainability Charter. This means further expansion of our sustainable product range and energy saving initiatives to deliver even greater sustainable outcomes for our customers and communities.” For more information, visit: www.alexfraser.com.au

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – MACHINERY

A greener alternative

Stockpiles of waste plasterboard.

ASTEC AUSTRALIA’S MOBILE SCREEN PLANT IS GIVING PLASTERBOARD WASTE NEW LIFE AND REDUCING A RELIANCE ON LANDFILL.

ome improvements and renovations boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdowns forced people to stay at home. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, during the 12 months to October 2021 renovations approvals totalled $11.82 billion nationally. Hand-in-hand with the building frenzy was an increase in construction and demolition waste. While resource recovery rates for C&D materials is increasing, there is still millions of tonnes of waste dumped in landfills. Plasterboard is usually a harmless material but when placed with biodegradable waste in airless, moist landfill sites it can create hydrogen sulphide. Latest engineering, such as Astec Australia’s GT205MF

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Tracked Mobile Screen Plant, means plasterboard waste is almost 100 per cent recyclable. “Plasterboard is a very good quality resource that was previously going to waste,” says Adam Gordon, Astec Business Line Manger – Materials Solutions. “It is high-grade gypsum sandwiched between two layers of cardboard. We need to better use it instead of burying it in landfill.” The key ingredient in plasterboard is gypsum, a sulphate mineral mixed with water and pressed between two lining sheets, usually cardboard, before being dried out to create a solid board. Once recycled, the gypsum can be reused as an agricultural soil improver, or as an ingredient in the production of cement. The cardboard can also be broken down and added into wood

mulch. Any small gypsum particles left over help the compost process. The plasterboard first needs to be shredded. Adam says most grinders on the market will be able to shred plasterboard effectively, the final solution is “having the right screen” to separate the materials. He says the GT205MF Mobile Screen Plant produces three products – oversized which will be re-shredded, cardboard, and a minus 2-millimetre gypsum. The GT205MF is ideal to recycle plasterboard because it can screen the smaller, more difficult pieces. “Traditionally, a standard screen has one motion, which may be okay for bigger material, but once you start getting down to one or two millimetres you will struggle,” Adam says. “Astec has added isolation frames

“Plasterboard is a very good quality resource that was previously going to waste. It is high-grade gypsum sandwiched between two layers of cardboard. We need to better use it instead of burying it in landfill.” Adam Gordon, Astec Business Line Manager – Materials Solutions

with hydraulic exciters so you can introduce an additional vibration. We can get lighter particles to be accurately sized more efficiently. “A traditional screen has one set vibration, one RPM and one combined motion – it tends to be overloaded at the feed-point, perfect in the middle and not enough feed in the bottom section causing this material to bounce and being very difficult to size efficiently.

“With the multi-frequency screen you can set up each screen section to match the material load directly above it. It’s like having six screens in one. It’s all about efficiency, the more tonnes you can do, the more efficient you are, the more economical you become.” Adam says the GT205MF Mobile Screen Plant can process up to 110 tonnes an hour of plasterboard, creating high-grade gypsum for reuse.

Gypsum recovered from plasterboard is very high-grade.

“With gypsum, the whiter it is the higher the purity. It’s very high-grade from plasterboard and is a valuable resource that should be reused. “You can bulk it into stockpiles and sell it on to farmers or other purposes.” The GT205MF has 9 square metres of screen area on the top deck and 8.1 square metres on the bottom deck. The top deck has side tensioned screen cloths, hydraulic angle adjustment and adjustable amplitude and nominal 850 RPM. The bottom deck has end tensioned screen cloths and up to 4200 RPM on each exciter which are individually adjustable. The plant is a tracked unit, easily transported to various sites, increasing the economics by processing material at various locations. Adam says recycling plasterboard could be one solution to the mounting clean-up facing New South Wales and Queensland communities following devastating floods earlier this year. Piles of rubbish lining streets include plasterboard ripped from the walls of flood damaged homes and businesses. Some industry experts say up to a year’s worth of waste needs to be cleared as a result of the floods. With regional landfills under pressure there are concerns about where the waste will end up. Adam says recycling the plasterboard could help ease the pressure and provide opportunities to reuse a valuable resource that is currently going to waste. “Initially we need to get rid of the waste on the nature strip to help the environment and the mental health of residents,” he says. “Plasterboard can be stored so it can be separated and processed later, and the resources recovered for reuse.” For more information, visit: www.astecaustralia.com.au

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS

Closing the loop on oil waste COOKERS BULK OIL SYSTEM PROVIDES SOLUTIONS TO TWO OF THE FOOD INDUSTRIES BIGGEST POLLUTERS – PACKAGING AND RESIDUAL OIL.

ustralia’s National Waste Policy aims to reduce the waste generated in the country by 10 per cent per person by 2030. The Cookers Bulk Oil System is contributing to this goal by minimising the amount of oil packaging waste going to landfill each year. This is in addition to the large volume of used cooking oil being collected as opposed to being dumped in drains or waterways. Traditionally, commercial cooking oil has been delivered in 20-litre tins which usually end up in landfill. When using tins there is often up to 200 millilitres of residual oil left in them. As a result, this oil also ends up in landfill. Hari Srinivas, Cookers National Quality and Safety Manager says the Cookers system provides an environmental and sustainable solution for both the tins and residual oil. The supply of tins is still an option, however many businesses have converted to a bulk oil solution as the industry has a strong focus on sustainability initiatives.

Bulk cooking oil is delivered and collected in food-grade trucks.

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The used cooking oil is recycled for the biodiesel industry, closing the loop on oil waste.

Cookers supplies a complete cooking oil management system for foodservices such as restaurants, takeaways, hotels, caterers and food manufacturers. It is one of a few Australian businesses to hold an International Sustainability and Carbon Certification. Cookers supply fresh oil and collect used oil in a bulk format in stainlesssteel equipment provided on a free loan

basis. Every drop supplied is used, as opposed to packaged oils where residual oil is left in the packaging. The used cooking oil is recycled for the biodiesel industry, closing the loop on oil waste. “Used cooking oil is now a valuable commodity and has another life in either renewable fuel manufacture or in livestock feed rations,” Hari says.

“People are aware of its value and the fact that it is recyclable. This has led to vastly improved disposal practices.” Cookers’ cooking oil is locally processed and only two weeks old at the time of delivery, ahead of fresh cooking oil industry standards. Scheduled deliveries provide two weeks’ worth of fresh oil. Oil is delivered direct from a food-grade truck to storage units in the kitchen. There is no heavy lifting and no spills. A computerised system then informs Cookers when the oil needs to be collected. Hari says Cookers is continually striving to improve its equipment offering as well as assisting its customers with oil management procedures designed to maximise the performance of the oil. One of the equipment offerings is a filtration system.

During the frying process, small particles including crumbs, chips and starch are left in the oil. In turn they burn and denigrate the oil quality causing it to break down quicker. By using filtration, these particles are removed with the effect of extending the life of the oil and creating a cost saving. “Anyone can supply cooking oil, but Cookers supply it in an effective way that takes care of safety, the environment and is food-grade,” Hari says. “We’re continually making it easy for the customers to manage their cooking oil system in a very effective way that can give them more confidence in the safety of their operations.” The Cookers Bulk Oil System is available in the majority of areas in

Cooking oil is delivered direct to storage units in the kitchen.

Australia, this includes all mainland cities, metropolitan and selected regional areas. For more information, visit: www.cookers.com.au

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – MATERIAL HANDLING

When bigger is better LIEBHERR’S LH 50 M INDUSTRY LITRONIC MATERIAL HANDLER IS BUILT TO MAKE TOUGH JOBS EASIER.

ony Ditrih knows his stuff. The Mechanical Engineer, and Equipment Manager at Sell & Parker, knows that machinery needs to be tough to cut it in the scrap metal industry. As he puts it, “you can’t have little Tonka toys”. Tony says Sell & Parker was one of the first in the scrap yard industry to buy a Liebherr material handler. As of February, the company has five LH 50 M Industry Litronic material handlers working across eight facilities and another on the way. “We have to have the larger machines,” Tony says. “The bigger reach you have, the more productive you are.” Sell & Parker has more than 50 years’ experience dealing with all aspects of scrap collection and recycling and is one of only three accredited suppliers to Bluescope Steel. It handles everything from small deliveries of 10 kilograms, such as small backyard clean-ups, to thousands of tonnes of scrap including steel, aluminium, copper, brass and stainless-steel. Tony says it’s the larger jobs where the LH 50 M comes into its own. “In our industry, you’ve got to stack the cars up high and be able to move around the piles,” he says. “The smaller machines we used to have only had a reach of 15.3 metres, it’s not long enough. The biggest reach the LH 50 M has is 18 metres – that’s a more comfortable range for us.” Since its foundation in 1949 Liebherr has decades of experience

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The LH 50 M has an 18-metre reach, making it ideal to stack and sort materials.

in the development and production of machines that are designed to be efficient and perform in challenging and difficult environments. Performance is important in scrap handling whether it’s sorting mixed scrap material, loading and unloading HGVs and ships or loading shredders, shears and press plant. Paul Findlater, from LiebherrAustralia, says Liebherr material handling machines have been developed for high productivity. “High lift capacities and fast work cycles are essential prerequisites for efficient handling operations,” Paul says. “The optimum interplay between the hydraulics and electronics guarantees powerful, fast movements during handling and at the same time make it possible to work sensitively and precisely in challenging sorting tasks. “The new generation of material handling machines are powerful and efficient because of Liebherr’s engine technology which is manufactured in-house and optimised to meet the requirements of controlled hydraulics. “Liebherr-Power Efficiency (LPE) enables machine operation in the area of improved economy. Combined with the Liebherr energy recovery system, fuel consumption is reduced to a minimum while material handling is significantly increased thanks to faster and more homogeneous work cycles.” A variety of attachments are available, so the LH 50 M is optimally matched to job requirements. Tony says the LH 50 M is used across Sell & Parker’s scrap and recycling yards to load, stack and sort material and feed material into a pre-shredder. Each machine can work up to 70-80 hours per week. “We work them hard,” he says. “From 5.30am every day for six

The LH 50 M has been developed for high productivity.

days, sometimes seven days a week. If you push it to the limit, obviously you’re going to use fuel, but fuel consumption of the LH 50 M is very excellent.” Liebherr prides itself on placing a focus on customer satisfaction – not just for the company’s products but also its services. The company aims to bring added value and push the limits on what was previously thought impossible. Tony says Liebherr’s service team is within 20 kilometres of Sell & Parker’s main site and is on call for any issues that may occur, including at weekends and after hours. “We can’t afford not to have maintenance teams at close range,” he says. “Liebherr understand what our requirements are and respond accordingly.” He says improvements to data transmission and positioning systems help improve the management of the equipment and cost efficiency.

“I physically check the machines each morning and talk with the operators. I check all details with Liebherr service in case we’ve missed any issues. “We can’t afford to miss anything. We need to eliminate faults as they occur, especially with five machines operating. “It’s working quite well. We work closely and we work as a team.” Tony says his own team loves the LH 50 M, particularly several female operators who say the LH 50 M is easy to operate, stable and comfortable. Sell & Parker has recently purchased more land next to its main production plant at Kings Park. Tony says it might take a few years to expand, but the company will be speaking with Liebherr about buying more machinery. For more information, visit: www.liebherr.com.au

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION - FOOD WASTE

Dominating food waste

The Rowan Dominator Depackager’s 2500 model variant.

CEA’S ROWAN DOMINATOR DEPACKAGER IS GIVING THE FOOD INDUSTRY A CIRCULAR AND SAFE SOLUTION FOR PACKAGE HANDLING.

or years, many within the food and hospitality sector have been exposed to potentially harmful bacteria, such as E. coli or salmonella. Many of these diseases are born out of the incorrect handling of both food products and packaging. According to Queensland Health, there are 55,000 cases of salmonella each year and the total annual cost to society for foodborne illness is $1.249 billion. Jay Cutting, New South Wales Sales Representative for Komptech CEA says the Rowan Dominator Depackager machine is helping to prevent this transmission. “By using the Rowan Dominator Depackager, companies no longer need to put their workers in unnecessary

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harm, whether that be from foodborne illnesses or other related injuries,” he says. “This is being achieved while also increasing the throughput and efficiency of the user’s operation.” The Rowan Dominator Depackager uses a motor to drive a solid steel shaft lined with paddles. Through both mechanical and centrifugal forces, material is de-packaged and forced through a set of punch plate screens and the waste packaging is discharged through a separate chute, separating recyclables and waste products simultaneously. The machine can handle a variety of packaging, including supermarket waste, plastic bottles, tinned cans, packaged pet food waste,

pharmaceutical, cosmetics and even plasterboard waste. “Instead of disposing of the packing and content to landfill, these products are going through the Dominator, with the contents being removed and the tins being collected for recycling,” Jay says. Australians throw away about 1.9 million tonnes of packaging each year – enough to fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground nine times over, according to Sustainability Victoria. As such, Jay says that any progress made towards a full circular economy for food waste is a positive step. “Once separated, the packaging is able to be recycled,” he says. “The machine is helping to close the loop for packaging which previously would

have ended up in landfill.” The Rowan Dominator Depackager is available in four different sizes, each named after their respective barrel lengths (mm). The 1800 and 2500 Rowan Dominator Depackager models are suitable to process 15-20 tonnes of food waste weekly, Jay says. The 3000 and 3500 models are best suited for processing more than 30 tonne per week. “All machine models, in theory, operate exactly the same, just with different throughputs (from 4m3/h, up to 20m3/h) and slightly different belt and pulley power,” Jay says. The power of the Rowan Dominator Depackager models range from 15kw (1800 shaft mounted) up to 75kw (the 3500 belt and pulley). Each model can be retro-fitted to suit current set-ups, such as a dedicated walkway. Jay says that screw conveyors and an in-feed hopper are available

The mesh screen separates the packaging from its contents.

options in a ‘turn-key’ package. “The Rowan Dominator Depackager has a dedicated design to look after the de-packaging needs of the food and consumables industry,” Jay says. “We have plenty of orders still on the way, with applications such as piggeries also showing growing interest in the product.”. The Dominator has already had

success in New South Wales and South Australia, with multiple models requiring minimal servicing. As with the rest of the CEA machinery range (Komptech, Diamond Z, and Screenpod) customers are supported for maintenance needs and spare parts. For more information, visit: www.cea.net.au

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TRANSPORTATION

The Eagle has landed DENNIS EAGLE TRUCKS ARE PURPOSE-BUILT FOR THE WASTE INDUSTRY.

ennis Eagle trucks are built by refuse people, specifically for the refuse industry. Shannon Mair, Head of Fleet, Penske Australia, says Dennis Eagle has about 20,000 refuse bodies in service worldwide, and experience that spans more than 100 years. “Rather than take a generic truck and trying to make it suitable for the waste industry, Dennis Eagle builds cab chassis and refuse bodies tailored specifically for the industry,” he says. UK-based Dennis Eagle is owned by Royal Terberg Group, Europe’s largest refuse collection vehicle manufacturer. The Dennis Eagle Elite 2 low entry cab has been available in Australia since 2009 as a Euro 5 variant and more recently as a Euro 6 version. The new Elite 6 builds on the fundamental design of the previous model and incorporates Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) including autonomous braking, lane departure warning and electronic stability control. It has been independently recognised as one of the safest on the market. “The UK is a lot more advanced in investigating interaction with heavy goods vehicles and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists,” Shannon says. “Dennis Eagle engaged an independent design school at Loughborough University to compare leading truck manufacturers and how well they performed with blind spot and direct vision. “Dennis Eagle outperformed every brand in each instance. The Elite 6 was the only one that got a 5-star direct vision rating.”

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The Dennis Eagle Elite 6 includes Advanced Driver Assist Systems.

Shannon says it’s one of the design features of the Dennis Eagle that make it ideal for the waste industry. The trucks are low entry vehicles which means the cabs sit forward and low. If they are parked against a kerb, it is only one step for drivers to get in and out. Having a low entry point also improves driver visibility of vulnerable road user such as pedestrians and cyclists. Window pillars and mirrors can be blind spots for drivers. The Dennis Eagle has the narrowest pillars in its class. “You get excellent panoramic vision,” Shannon says. A “true” flat floor walk-through cabin allows drivers to transition from the driver’s side of the truck to the lefthand side without stepping into traffic,

particularly useful for dual control sideloader collections. Newer aesthetic headlights, stability control and electronic levelling control are now standard across the Elite 6 range. “When you add these ADAS systems, on top of the already fundamental safe truck with best-in-class visibility, easy ingress and egress, efficiency and moving to Euro 6 well before it’s legislated – we believe we have the perfect and best choice for the waste industry,” Shannon says. Dennis Eagle continues to be popular in the waste industry in Australia with close to 600 trucks in operation with Cleanaway and another 400 with other major fleets and city councils. Shannon says the fundamentals of the truck have always been right, but

it has been refined to suit Australian conditions including distances travelled and the number of bins collected. “In a side-loader vehicle in Australia you can be picking up anywhere up to 1500 bins a day,” Shannon says. “That’s a lot of stop-start activity. When you go from household to household, you’re always going to accelerate hard and brake hard. That type of stop-start is very arduous and takes a toll on the vehicle. You’re also putting 10 tonnes of waste in them. We had to build in improvements to suit the Australian market. We’ve introduced all the learnings from our time here in the last decade into the product we’ve got today.” He says some clients have now had vehicles in service for more than

The Elite 6 has received a 5-star direct vision rating.

a decade and are looking at new contract terms. Dennis Eagle continues to be distributed in Australia and New Zealand through the Penske owned and independent operated dealer network. Staff members who had been with the Dennis Eagle brand since 2009 in Australia

have stayed on, providing a continuity of service. *Penske and Dennis Eagle will be at stall 43 indoors and displays 23, 24, and 25 outdoors at the Waste 2022 Coffs Harbour Conference. For more information, visit: www.penske.com.au

BUILT TO CONNECT

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION - COMPANY PROFILE

KF & Peterson: A Rich History WMR LOOKS AT THE ORIGINS OF WHAT HAS DEVELOPED INTO A FRUITFUL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KOMATSU FOREST AND PETERSON, AND HOW ITS PRODUCT RANGE HAS EXPANDED.

omatsu Forest (KF) has had a very keen interest in the Peterson chipper and grinder distribution for the Australian market since the late 1990s. As Brett Jones, Komatsu Forest’s Managing Director recalls, Peterson’s close association of their products with the forest and timber industries was an exciting proposition. “There was an existing dealer at that time, which prevented us from becoming involved with the Peterson products. We were persistent and Peterson were convinced to appoint us their dealer for both Australia and New Zealand,” he says.

Peterson’s 5710D Horizontal Grinder, processing waste wood.

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The agreement marked a new era for KF, with the company now exposed to new technology. As such, steps were taken to ensure a beneficial changeover. A smooth transition of spare parts transfer, sales history, and technical support was established with the previous dealer. Brett says it was important to maintain continuity with Peterson’s established customer base. As a result, Peterson retained the services of Mal Windrim, the factory Area Manager for Asia Pacific region. “After many successful years with the KF team, Mal thought it was time to retire, this decision wasn’t taken lightly but Mal wanted to see if the fish were

still biting,” Brett jokes. “KF have been fortunate enough to maintain Mal’s services on a consultant basis where his skills and long product history are invaluable.” “The Peterson Pacific Corporation was purchased by Astec Industries Inc in 2007 and operated as an independent company within the Astec Group. Last year Astec changed its structure, rebranding and the look of its various companies which led to the new company name of ‘Astec’ for all products and companies,” says Brett. “Interestingly, Astec has acquired nearly 20 subsidiary brands across the forestry, road building, aggregate and other industries,” he says.

The Peterson 500H Whole Tree Disc Chipper in action.

GRINDERS NATION-WIDE The partnership was up and running by late 2010 and the first orders for machinery followed shortly after – these being the 2710C for Tripodi Transport and the 5710C for Davis Earthmoving, both delivered in early 2011. These early sales lead to a good first year, with another two grinders and three chippers being delivered across Australia. The grinder business has continued to increase over recent years with a strong emphasis on recycling products such as waste timber and green waste. “Peterson has a broad model range from the 2710D (780HP) to the 6710D (1100HP), all with the same unique features,” says Brenton Yon Sales and Marketing Manager. “An Impact Release System incorporates a Patented Air Bag protection for contaminated feed stock while the Impact Cushion System protects the mill from catastrophic damage from large items in the feed stock.” Brenton says that all models sold in Australia are tracked grinders, with the most popular model being the 2710C/D, with 18 units sold across the country. Five of now belong to Snell Contracting in the Northern Territory. Behind the 2710C/D comes the 5710

C/D, the second most popular unit in the Peterson range. “Most Peterson owners have multiple units, testifying to the quality of the product and back-up support which we have,” Brenton says.

A GROWING CHIPPER RANGE Since 2011 KF has delivered 64 Peterson units, including 30 horizontal grinders and 34 units from the flail and chipper range. Peterson’s range also includes drum and disc models, depending on customer requirements. The disc chipper is primarily used to produce an export quality chip in bark content and chip size. It’s also capable of producing a product suitable for biomass and pellets. The drum chipper is used to produce a product suitable for medium-density fibreboard manufacturing, panel board, biomass, garden products and with the change of drum can produce poultry and equine bedding. The most popular chipper unit being the Peterson 5000H Whole Tree Disc Chipper, with KF delivering 22 units since 2011. “There are several owners with multiple units including LV Dohnt, Tabeel Trading, Kevin Morgan Group, Les Walkden, Ashers, Bluewood Industries and Tiwi Islands’ Aboriginal

Community,” Brenton says. “The Peterson 5000H’s popular demand is based on its combination as a flail, debarker, chipper, its suitability for softwood or hardwood operations and its ability to handle whole trees up to 56cm diameter.” The machine is capable of producing export chip quality at up to 80 tonnes per hour, depending on tree size and characteristics. The 5000H also has a self-loading crane with a high position cab, providing improved vision for operators. For larger requirements, a two-unit operation is required ie. a stand-alone flail and chipper. A prime example is the Peterson 6910 Disc Chipper which can accept a 69cm diameter tree, producing up to 160-180 tonnes per hour, depending on chip size and wood characteristics. For smaller volumes and tree sizes Peterson manufacture a 5910 Disc Chipper which can be supported with the smaller 4810 Flail. “The Peterson range complements our factory-owned forest products,” Brett says. “Peterson is now a significant contributor to our annual turnover in both unit sales and after-sales-support.” For more information, visit: www.komatsuforest.com.au

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Plazrok

Turning Waste Plastic into a lightweight aggregate primarily for use in the concrete industry Addressing two of our biggest environmental challenges with one product — Plazrok is a solution to the earth’s overwhelming plastic pollution problem while giving concrete manufacturers an eco-friendly alternative to standard aggregate. An Advanced Product of the Future Plazrok™ is manufactured specifically to be a lightweight composite aggregate, made entirely from the waste stream, designed as an additive or a replacement for conventional aggregates for a variety of concrete applications. Plazrok™ not only provides a variety of advantages to concrete but uses all plastic waste without the necessity to sort or separate along side a variety of other waste derived from landfills.

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Onto a winner THE WASTE INNOVATION AND RECYCLING AWARDS ARE A CHANCE TO CELEBRATE THE WORK CARRIED OUT ACROSS ALL LEVELS OF THE WASTE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY SECTOR.

aste industry stalwart Harry Wilson scooped the pool at the 2021 Waste Innovation and Recycling Awards. The founder of Handybin Waste Services took out awards for Leader of the year, Workplace of the Year and the Innovation Award. REMONDIS Australia was the other big winner on the night, winning the Outstanding WARR Projects Metro for its Western Australia Container Deposit Scheme and the Operational Excellence Award. Susie McBurney, REMONDIS General Manager was the Woman of Waste winner. More than 150 people from the waste and recycling sector attended the awards night at Showtime Events Centre.

expertise as an active executive member of Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association (WCRA), New South Wales for more than 20 years, 11 as president. In 1987, Harry left his corporate position with Brambles to start a waste collection business for Sulo Australia MGB Pty Ltd, introducing the mobile garbage bin and single driver-side loading collection vehicles to councils across Australia and south-east Asia. He acquired the business in 1992 and renamed it SMS Municipal Services. In partnership with councils and the communities it served, the company went on to identify best practice in the sector including optimising bin sizes and service frequency for both recyclables and residual waste.

Harry designed and built some of Australia’s most sophisticated MRFs of the 1990s and pioneered garden waste collections in Willoughby Council from 1993. By 2000, more trials in organic waste collections led to FOGO (Food and Garden Organics) collections and extending the range of plastic polymers accepted in kerbside recyclables collections. In 2005, Harry combined his logistics background with his deep understanding of resident behaviour to create a new company called Handybin Waste Services. He won the kerbside collection and MRF processing contracts for Coffs Coast – three mid NSW north coast councils of Coffs

LEADER OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY

Given to any private, not-for-profit or government organisation that has proven to achieve exceptionally high levels of workplace engagement through investment in its employees and initiatives that promote equality. Winner: Harry Wilson Handybin Waste Service Waste Industry stalwart Harry Wilson is described as a quiet achiever, an unsung hero and a true gentleman. He has lead innovation, conducted research and shared results leading to best practice in a career spanning 50 years in the waste and resource recovery sector. He has given back to the sector his time, experience, and

Harry Wilson and Daimler’s Steve Ham.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 75

XXX

Harbour, Bellingen and Nambucca. At the same time, Harry partnered with Paul Coffey a leading organics expert, to start Biomass Solutions. They won a 20-year processing contract of organics and mixed waste for Coffs Coast. The investment brought overseas technology to regional Australia. The Coffs Coast MRF has since piloted plastic film and textile recovery, as well as a glass processing plant allowing both kerbside and commercial glass to be processed to local market specifications. Harry said it had been a long journey, but one he had always enjoyed.

OUTSTANDING WARR PROJECT: REGIONAL Given to a project that has delivered cost-effective and high-impact success in its targeted field. Winner: McMullin building demolition – Drumderg Services The demolition of the McMullin Building proved to be a benchmark

Steven Fam from Drumderg.

project for the University of Newcastle, Drumderg and TSA Management in establishing complementary protocols for planning, achieving and exceeding best practice environmental, recycling, HAZMAT removal and safety across all phases of the demolition project. In total, the project diverted 99.83 per cent of materials from landfill,

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achieved an above six-star Green Star standard, retained 35 significant trees and processed and crushed more than 15,000 tonnes of concrete on site. Detailed planning and significant investment into specialised equipment were all contributing factors to the project’s success. The demolition works were monitored against the methodology with recycling initiatives and reported monthly. Through identification of the waste streams and recovery options the project exceeded the requirements of diverting building fabric from landfill. Waste wood produced from the demolition was mulched and transformed into chipboard, all carpet was removed and stacked to supply to the pacific island nations and e-waste items were refurbished and donated to both rural school communities and the Rural Fire Service. The project presented a unique opportunity for university researchers given the building’s age, structural composition, coastal location and endurance through the 1989 Newcastle earthquake. Researchers from the College of Engineering, Science and Environment captured data throughout the demolition to calculate the carbon footprint and for laboratory assessment.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE Given to an individual or team that has achieved demonstrable improvements in efficiency, best practice OHS and impeccable records. Winner: Operational excellence in ACT – REMONDIS Australia REMONDIS Australia has operated Mugga Lane Landfill, Mugga Lane Transfer Station, Mitchell Transfer Station and ACT’s Recycling Drop Off Centres since it acquired Thiess Services in 2011. It has also operated the Mugga 2 Quarry site, which receives

contaminated soils from the region, since 2019. The facilities are managed on behalf of ACT NoWaste and service all of Canberra and some adjacent New South Wales jurisdictions. Over time, the facilities have transitioned from disposal to resource recovery operations and are assisting the region to achieve its objectives under the ACT Waste Management Strategy 2011-2025. Since the start of the current Mugga Lane Landfill (MLL) contract in 2016, REMONDIS and ACT NoWaste have made changes which have extended the landfill life expectancy, reduced labour and equipment costs by about $700/day and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by minimising plant and vehicle machine hours and fuel usage. They have established the first KPI-based landfill disposal contract, delivering value for money to government and residents with a quantifiable bonus and penalty structure and enhanced the plant fleet, including an additional 836 compactors. REMONDIS also has the benefit of retaining staff with more than 22 years of consecutive site management experience at Mugga Lane Landfill. While the waste and resource recovery industry continues to evolve and pose new challenges, staff understanding of the site’s history and past challenges is invaluable. Susie McBurney, REMONDIS General Manager, said the award is “for

Emcee Jacquie Felgate and Susie McBurney, REMONDIS.

the hard-working team” in the ACT at the Mugga Waste Landfill. “They have certainly implemented a lot of strategic initiatives over the past few years, whether it’s our tarping initiative or what we’ve done with compaction, with a forward thinking client in ACT NoWaste.”

OUTSTANDING WARR PROJECT METRO The Outstanding WARR project award is given to a project that has delivered cost-effective and high-impact success in its targeted field. Winner: Creating change with containers in WA REMONDIS Australia REMONDIS Australia risked a nonconforming bid when it submitted a tender for Western Australia’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS).

REMONDIS’ Chris Gusenzow and Susie McBurney.

It was the first CDS in Australia REMONDIS had tendered for and the company wanted to improve industry practice to provide the cheapest model and the safest and most environmentally friendly collection service. REMONDIS’ solution was onsite compaction and rear lift truck compaction to reduce the amount of air and increase the number of bottles able to be collected and transported, while using RFID and trade approved scale technology to ensure a high level

of auditability and accountability. Since October 2020 the initiative has collected and processed more than 28 million containers per month, equivalent to 500 tonnes, from more than 60 locations. Accepting the award, Chris Gusenzow REMONDIS General Manager – WA said the company worked closely with Containers for Change when making a submission for the WA scheme. “We wanted to come up with something that was completely different,” he said. “We went out on a limb, they believed in us and it’s producing savings across the board, not just in environmental savings but cost savings. “We’re really happy with what we’ve delivered.”

WARR WORKPLACE OF THE YEAR Given to any private, non-for-profit, or government organisation that has proven to achieve exceptionally high levels of workplace engagement through investment in its employees and initiatives that promote equality. Winner: Handybin Waste Services PTY Ltd Handybin is committed to the philosophy of seeking maximum recovery of recyclables and of achieving the highest economic value for all of its products. It is also a strong advocate for local employment. Handybin is a significant local employer of more than 65 locals drawn from the three nearby council areas. Where larger multi-national companies sometimes consolidate their services typically in metropolitan regions, Handybin’s key business activities are all Coffs Harbour based, including its workshop, administration and call centre and processing facility. The company offers apprenticeships and traineeships to locals and has a long-standing relationship with not-for-profit social enterprise New

Horizons, providing employment for its members in the Materials Recovery Facility or with projects such as collating for education mail-outs and compost bagging for resident giveaways. Harry Wilson, Handybin Founder, said he entered the award because of his employees. “I have been fortunate enough to work for a large private company, a large public company, an overseas German company and now my own company,” he said. “The one thing I’ve appreciated over all those years is my employees. “I hope I’ve developed a good relationship with all of my employees. I work very hard at it, and I can only recommend that to every other waste company in the operation. Look after your employees and they’ll look after you.”

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR An individual aged 35 years or younger who has impressed their colleagues and counterparts with their contribution and impact to their organisation, and excellence in service. Winner: Tara Osborne – BINGO Industries At the age of 28, Tara Osborne is a general manager and has seen BINGO through its initial public offering and several large acquisitions. Collecting the award for Young Professional of the Year, Tara said she was especially grateful for her “BINGO family” which has supported her career and afforded her development opportunities over the past few years. “I couldn’t ask for better cheerleaders and mentors in senior management that I’ve been fortunate enough to have at BINGO. In my relatively short five years in the waste industry, I’ve witnessed so much change and I’m excited

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Tara Osborne.

Winner: TerraCycle School Recycling Program – TerraCycle TerraCycle is empowering teachers and parents to raise the next generation with sustainable practices and values, by incorporating hands-on learning about recycling in the classroom, while driving positive outcomes for the environment. Alice Cooke.

TerraCycle first launched recycling programs in Australia for schools to sign up to in 2014. In the first four years, school sign-ups grew steadily year on year. In 2017, sign-ups significantly increased by 111 per cent. 2018 became the first year that sign-ups exceeded more than 1000 new schools recycling. TerraCycle schools recycling program has been replicated in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand.

OUTSTANDING FACILITY AWARD: Given to a new infrastructure project that commenced operating in 2020 or 2021. about the future prospects that we have as we push towards a circular economy. “BINGO has been at the forefront of this push, leading the charge for greater recycling of building and demolition and commercial and industrial waste along the east coast of Australia. “It’s the challenges and the opportunities that we have as an industry and as a business to shape better outcomes for our environment and our community that really motivate me and give me such a rich sense of purpose in my role of leading group strategy and innovation for BINGO. “By working together collectively as an industry I have no doubt that we can continue to lead the investment in innovation and recycling to drive towards our common vision of a more sustainable future.”

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUCCESS OF THE YEAR Private, not-for-profit or government organisation that has started programs that have had measurable success in engaging and communication with the community, resulting in positive outcomes for the industry.

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Since 2017, TerraCycle has helped more than 5500 Australian schools sign up to recycling programs, to divert 1.8 million units of waste from landfill. TerraCycle partners with leading brands such as Colgate, BiC, PAW Patrol and Glad to offer schools free recycling solutions. Schools that return waste earn TerraCycle points that can be redeemed to raise funds for themselves, or non-profits such as Wide World Fund for Nature (WWF) and Keep Australia Beautiful. The programs have generated longlasting benefits for schools and the wider community through the installation of playgrounds made from recycled waste, community garden beds and outdoor classrooms. Challenges which encourage school communities to collect the most waste for recycling have not only demonstrated how recycled materials can be used as a sustainable alternative to virgin plastic but prizes that have been won through the competition promote gardening and healthy eating among students.

Winner: Central Waste Facility -– Bega Valley Shire Council The Central Waste Facility emergency landfill was Bega Valley’s response to help the community clean up after the devastating 2020 bushfires. In New South Wales, about 2400 homes were lost in the fires, with the Bega Valley Local Government Area sustaining some of the greatest losses across 540,000 hectares, or 58 per cent of the shire. The amount of waste the fire generated in the Bega Valley was estimated at more than 200,000 cubic metres, of which half was asbestoscontaminated, all destined for landfill. The Bega Valley landfill was

Joley Vidau, Waste Strategy Co-ordinator Bega Council.

already under pressure after the cleanup of the March 2018 Tathra and Reedy Swamp fires. Council was proud of how it managed this clean-up but could never have expected the plans and processes it put in place during this disaster would need to be actioned again so soon, and on a much bigger scale. “We managed to construct a 200,000 cubic metre landfill, seven dams, weighbridge, gatehouse, four roads, two kilometres of water and a fence in four week,” Joley Vidau, Bega Shire Waste Strategy Co-ordinator said at the awards ceremony. “That was achieved because our contractors and everyone from Bega council and New South Wales planning stepped up and really supported us. This award is for all those people who helped get us across the line.”

INNOVATION AWARD SPONSORED BY

Given to an individual or company that has implemented processes and practices or developed and/or rolled out technology and/or plant that have successfully closed the loop, creating a demonstrable circular economy. Winner: Handybin multi-stream recycling services – Handybin Waste Services Pty Ltd In addition to traditional materials processed at its Materials Recovery Facility, Handybin has successfully introduced glass, polystyrene and textiles recycling to the communities its services. The glass is used in the manufacture of new glass and production of aggregate material. Since 2012, Handybin has successfully used all its glass and disposed of none to landfill. The textiles are offered to local charities for resale and the polystyrene is used to produce outdoor furniture

to do so, leading to progress in breaking down barriers and creating new career prospects for the next generation.

Harry Wilson and Steve Harrison from ResourceCo.

and fencing with substantial environmental and social benefits. Handybin has processed just over 15 tonnes of polystyrene – about 6000m3 – enough to fill 100 shipping containers or to cover a full-sized football field to a depth of more than 1m3. Harry Wilson, Handybin Founder, said the award comes from years of experience. “My history goes back to recycling beer bottles off the back of a garbage truck, followed by crates, followed by a divided wheelie bin, which is the worst recycling service I’ve ever handled in my life, to Handybin, which is a threebin system for recycling materials. “By the time we got to a real recycling bin we’d really thought about how we could successfully maximise our bin and we’ve been successful in our endeavour over a 13 to 15-year period,” he said. “We’ve loved the journey and still are looking for more innovation.”

WOMAN OF WASTE SPONSORED BY

Recognises a woman in the industry who has driven change and continues

Winner: Susie McBurney – REMONDIS Australia Susie has more than 20 years’ professional experience in the waste industry, including senior management positions at both REMONDIS and Cleanaway. Her exposure to the waste and resource recovery industry started much earlier, growing up involved in a waste and recycling business that was started, operated and managed by her family. As REMONDIS’ General Manager for New South Wales and ACT, Susie oversees more than 15 sites, including landfill operations, composting and material recovery facilities and domestic and commercial collection depots. Accepting the award, Susie thanked her parents who, 20 years ago “recognised the benefits of women in leadership long before it was popular and have always been my greatest supporters”. She said she had the benefit of working for and with some amazing male colleagues, including those who employed the first female general manager of REMONDIS in 2014. “As a 24-year-old female, let’s be honest ladies, joining the waste industry in the year 2000, it wasn’t without its challenges. Today I am a strong advocate for women leading the way in the waste management sector. “My advice to women in a still male dominated industry is work hard, have balance and if you’re told no, find someone who will say yes.” Susie paid tribute to the other nominees and said she could continue a personal commitment to “shining that light on a path for other women to follow”.

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COUNCIL IN FOCUS

Tipping point WITH ITS REGIONAL LANDFILL DUE TO REACH CAPACITY IN 2023, THE CITY OF GREATER BENDIGO IN CENTRAL VICTORIA IS LOOKING FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY SOLUTION TO MANAGE WASTE AND RESOURCES. Greater Bendigo City’s FOGO collection facility.

ith a lifespan of less than 12 months at its Eaglehawk landfill, Greater Bendigo City Council is taking a bold step and saying ‘no’ to more landfill. Instead, it aims to create a local circular economy to create jobs and keep resources and resource recovery spending in the region. Greater Bendigo City councillors placed a moratorium on the development of new landfills in the region in 2014 and in 2019 acknowledged the urgency for action on both the climate and biodiversity crisis, which kick-started the Circular Greater Bendigo project. In 2020, as phase one of the project, the City called for Expressions of Interest for solutions to manage its waste when the landfill’s last active cell is full. More than 40 submissions were received, with 22 proceeding to codesign discussions. Of 11 submissions received during a closed tender process, three have been shortlisted for further investigation.

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Brooke Pearce, Resource, Recovery and Education Manager City of Greater Bendigo, says the City’s waste system struggles to do much with end-of-life materials. However, the creation of circular economy solutions will change how material resources are handled and valued. “It’s really about shifting from a ‘take, make, waste’ society to a ‘take, make, reuse’ society, where we recover and eventually reuse all of the material resources from products that are no longer needed,” Brooke says. “With details and thorough design to meet the community’s disposal needs, and effective recovery of materials, we will be aiming to avoid landfilling waste completely and creating new opportunities for local industries in Greater Bendigo.” Brooke says the creation of a local circular economy will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions as landfilling waste materials, and the process of moving waste materials to landfills, accounts for more than half of Greater Bendigo’s emissions. The City manages about 95,000

tonnes of waste materials each year and says more than 85 per cent of the current waste stream could be used in an alternative circular economy process in the future. The three projects to be further investigated include establishment of a local composting site within 25 kilometres of Bendigo to process more than 15,000 tonnes of food and garden organics each year. The site would reduce emissions by 16.3 per cent, in comparison to current kerbside organics disposal arrangements. Establishment of a small-scale, modular Energy-from-Waste plant, using pyrolysis and gasification, could convert 30,000 tonnes of general waste per year to 5660 tonnes annually of biochar. The gas would then be converted to electricity and exported to the grid, resulting in a 78 per cent reduction in emissions in comparison to sending the waste to landfill. Another proposal would process soft plastics into a road-based additive to be used in roads in Greater Bendigo. The plastics would be processed by a Melbourne-based manufacturer,

Greater Bendigo City Council’s Eaglehawk Landfill will reach its capacity next year.

resulting in a 392 per cent reduction in emissions when compared with current landfilling of soft plastics. Kylie Douglas, Senior Landfill Engineer City of Greater Bendigo, says the City’s intent was to target local industry that could provide circular economy solutions as well as creating employment in the region. “Circular economy means thinking about alternative solutions for these resources and no longer referring to them as ‘waste’. The current practice of landfilling is simply dealing with the end product and limits options and innovation,” she says. “We don’t want to transfer responsibility and shift one gate fee to another, this is about finding long-term circular solutions. “The reality is we have no more room to move at the Eaglehawk Landfill. We had to make a change.” The Eaglehawk Landfill site will remain open to the public as a full-time transfer station when it reaches capacity next year. The City is calling for solutions for other material streams including commercial and industrial waste, textiles, plastics and other items traditionally sent to landfill. The short-listed projects in the first round were to be presented to the Council in April for consideration.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

TRIMBLE® LOADRITE® E2750 Improve your waste haul operations tracking, safety and profitability with accurate payload measurement. The Trimble® LOADRITE® E2750 weighing system gives you the information to increase efficiency and maximise profits. Knowing the weight of each customer’s bin helps to charge correctly; unprofitable customers are no longer subsidised by more profitable ones. Accurate weighing ensures trucks are loaded to the correct value avoiding expensive overload fines. By tracking the weight of each bin, you can provide accurate weights to your customers for environmental reporting and help reduce their environmental impact by increasing their recycling rate. The E2750 is easy to use and integrates into your onboard computers. The system automatically measures the net weight of the bin as it is emptied, providing accurate bin weight information to improve business operations and maximise profits.

The E2750 integrates into onboard computers.

Contact - SmartTech Australia P 1800 655 860 W www.smarttechaustralia.com.au

Contact - Loadrite New Zealand P 0800 493 444 W www.loadritescales.co.nz E info@loadritescales.co.nz

TUTT BRYANT, M&J4000M PRESHREDDER M&J Recycling shredding technology is based on an extremely aggressive knife design and open cutting table, which provides outstanding performance when dealing with mixed and challenging materials. These key features make M&J pre-shredder units extremely resistant to wear caused by materials and waste normally considered as un-shredable; including solid steel, reinforced concrete and rocks. The machine is designed for easy maintenance and seamless uninterrupted operations. Loading and discharge height parameters can be varied to allow optimum performance even in challenging environments. Visit Tutt Bryant at Booth 46 of the 2022 Waste Conference in Coffs Harbour.

M&J pre-shredders are extremely resistant to wear. Contact – Tutt Bryant P 1300 658 888 E www.tuttbryant.com.au

KOMPTECH CEA, TERMINATOR 6000S The Terminator is a slow-running, single-shaft shredder for all types of waste. Robust teeth on the shredding drum and the opposing counter comb give coarse pre-crushing to a defined shredding size. The continuous cutting gap adjustment allows precise setting of the particle size for subsequent process steps. The hydraulic drive with load-dependent speed control ensures maximum use of the engine output. The hook lift platform, 3-axle chassis and steel tracks with hydraulic drive options provide excellent mobility. Hydraulic drive is also a good choice where frequent changes of materials require constant throughput rate adjustments to accommodate downstream machines, thanks to integrated throughput regulation by the drum speed.

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The Komptech CEA, Terminator 6000S.

Contact - CEA

P Deon Cope E d.cope@jcbcea.com.au W www.jcbcea.com.au

TELFORD SMITH, SESOTEC FLAKE PURIFIER+ MULTI-SENSOR SORTING SYSTEM The FLAKE PURIFIER+ provides effective contamination detection and separation as well as sorting by material type, shape and colour. It is used especially for the sorting of plastic flakes such as PET, HDPE or mixed plastics flakes. These systems use a modular concept to allow the combination of all available sensors for contaminant detection: sensors for metal separation, sensors for colour separation / sorting, and sensors for the separation and sorting by plastic types. The information provided by the individual sensors is processed by the evaluation unit based on octa-core technology. Separation of material is by air-blast unit. SESOTEC is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of inspection, separation and sorting systems that are used in process, packaging, and production lines throughout industry and in the specialised preparation of materials for recycling. SESOTEC systems are used for detecting and separating bulk material precisely and consistently at high speed, such as separation of plastic bottles, crushed

SESOTEC systems are used for detecting and separating bulk material.

electrical appliances and mixed plastic scrap, PET flakes, and all by material type, colour, shape and metals. Contact - Telford Smith P 03 8792 9777 W www.TelfordSmith.com.au

ELDAN RECYCLING, MULTI PURPOSE RASPER The Eldan Multi Purpose Rasper is a tough, versatile shredder with built-in screening for both primary and secondary size reduction, depending on the material. Suitable for a variety of applications, it can be used for steel wire cleaning, aluminium, cable, electronics and fridge recycling, municipal solid waste, various scrap and tyre recycling. For tyre recycling, the Multi Purpose Rasper can be used for size reduction of shreds from any type of tyre from passenger vehicle tyres through to mining truck tyres. High inertia from the flywheel ensures an even load on the machine, yielding a higher cutting power. The machine is belt driven for simple transmission, and the rotor is manufactured and designed for minimum wear. The knives can be reground multiple times on a “flat-bed“ grinder, ensuring long life and low operation costs. The machine is designed for quick and easy change of knives and screens, which are available in different hole sizes for flexible production. Wear parts are exchangeable. The Multi Purpose Rasper is available in different sizes and as extra heavy-duty versions depending on the capacity and cutting force required. A frequency converter, available at an additional cost, allows adjustable rotor speed, reduced power consumption by up to 40 per cent and for the machine to be started when full loaded.

The Multi-Purpose Rasper is available as an extra heavy-duty version.

Contact - Eldan Recycling – Carsten Nielsen P +45 2149 1967 E cn@eldan-recycling.com W eldan-recycling.com

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HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH

NNOVATIO I E T S WA YCLING AW N A C RDS E R & STAND OUT AS AN

INDUSTRY LEADER NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN

www.wasteawards.com.au Sponsors

LAST WORD

Building a national approach to SUPs PLASTIC RECYCLING REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING AREAS IN AUSTRALIA’S JOURNEY TO ACHIEVING THE 2025 NATIONAL PACKAGING TARGETS. BROOKE DONNELLY, CEO OF AUSTRALIAN PACKAGING COVENENANT ORGANISATION (APCO) LOOKS AT THE STATE OF PLAY.

ith just 16 per cent of plastic packaging successfully recovered in 2019-20, Australian government and industry will need to make significant changes to successfully reach our plastic recovery target of 70 per cent. Building a clear and nationally consistent approach to the phase-out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic

packaging (SUPs) is one of these allimportant areas of change. In 2019, about 50,700 tonnes of single-use plastic packaging was produced, making up 5 per cent of the total 1 million tonnes of plastic packaging placed on the Australian market. Phasing out SUPs is fundamentally a packaging design issue and an essential part of

closing the 14 per cent gap that exists between packaging that is recyclable by design (84 per cent) and Australia’s 100 per cent recyclable National Packaging Target. The good news is that both industry and government have made significant progress on the phase-out of SUPs already. Since the 2025 National Packaging Targets were agreed in 2018,

APCO is seeking coherent, national approaches to plastic packaging regulations.

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LAST WORD

“By continuing to collaborate with the complete packaging supply chain, we can shift our approach away from single-use, disposable plastic to more durable reusable and recyclable options.” Brooke Donnelly, CEO Australian Packaging Covenenant Organisation

Brooke Donnelly, CEO Australian Packaging Covenenant Organisation.

APCO has worked with the whole plastic supply chain to produce an agreed list of materials for phaseout and agreed timelines to meet that phase-out. The items that businesses and government are working to phase out include lightweight plastic shopping bags, fragmentable plastics, expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging for food/ beverage service and fresh produce, EPS loose fill packaging, moulded EPS packaging for white/brown goods and electronics, rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) packaging, rigid polystyrene (PS) packaging, opaque polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and rigid plastic packaging with carbon black. At the federal government level, the National Plastics Plan released in 2021 set out a new standard for how Australia will tackle the plastics issue. The Plan provides a comprehensive approach designed to keep plastic in the economy for as long as possible, and out of landfill and the environment. It also sets out clear deadlines that industry needs to make in the phase-out of single-use plastic packaging. State and territory governments are continuing to develop and

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implement policy and legislation on SUPs, including some packaging items. In November 2021, the NSW Government passed the Plastic and Circular Economy Act 2021. This legislation provides for the government to ban problematic and single-use plastics items, establish mandatory design standards, mandate product stewardship approaches and targets, and require the development of action plans. In January 2022, regulations came into force in Western Australia to ban certain single-use plastic items. Enforcement of bans on stage 1 items will start from 1 July, except plastic cups (including some plasticlined paper cups) which are banned from 1 October 2022. Plastic and plastic-lined takeaway coffee cups are included in stage 2 of the bans, which start on 1 January 2023. A full list of single-use plastic phaseouts for the relevant states and territories can be found in the February government update on the APCO website: https://apco.org.au/ news/20Y9e00000000fUEAQ. There are plenty of Australian businesses that are making these changes in their packaging already. In 2019, Woolworths and Coles phased out single-use plastic bags while Officeworks is a leader in the space, having successfully phased out all polystyrene packaging from its home

brand furniture and shredders and now helping the wider supply chain to follow suit. APCO also has a range of tools, programs and resources to help businesses make these changes. In December 2020, APCO published Strategies for Problematic and Unnecessary Single-Use Plastic Packaging, a practical resource to help Australia’s packaging supply chain phase out this packaging through innovative, sustainable solutions. APCO has a range of new resources currently in production to help industry make the change from single use to recyclable packaging. This includes the roadmap to implement a national phase-out of business-to-consumer EPS packaging, which sets out a voluntary, industry-led approach to address the environmental impacts associated with EPS packaging in Australia. Looking ahead, APCO will continue to engage with state and territory governments, members and stakeholders regarding SUPs policies. We are seeking coherent, national approaches based on sound evidence and environmental outcomes. By continuing to collaborate with the complete packaging supply chain, we can shift our approach away from single-use, disposable plastic to more durable reusable and recyclable options.

DELIVERING A GREENER FUTURE Komptech CEA is a leading supplier of machinery and systems for the treatment of solid waste through mechanical and mechanical biological treatments, as well as the treatment of biomass as a renewable energy source. Komptech CEA is proud to provide innovative solutions for handling waste and biomass. Komptech CEA’s extensive range of products cover all key processing steps in modern waste handling. At Komptech CEA the focus is always on innovative technology and solutions ensuring maximum benefit to the customer. Like to know more? why not speak to one of our team today?

SHREDDERS

TROMMEL SCREENS

TERMINATOR Where Function Meets Technology A slow-running, single-shaft shredder suited to all types of waste.

CRAMBO Less Fuel, More Power Ideal for shredding all types of wood and green cuttings.

STAR SCREENS

WINDROW TURNERS

MULTI STAR Screening with a Star Makes waste wood and biomass processing highly efficient.

NEMUS Robust and Reliable Combining the practice-proven virtues of its predecessors with new solutions for even greater performance.

TOPTURN X

AXTOR

The Ideal Combination of Performance and Design

Shredding and Chipping Made Easy

With a sturdy frame, powerful hydraulics and large drum, the Topturn X is ready to handle any work situation.

One of the most versatile machines around for processing wood and green cuttings.

1300 788 757 komptechcea.com.au

Waste Management Review May 2022

Articles inside

A RICH HISTORY

DOMINATING FOOD WASTE

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

WHEN BIGGER IS BETTER

A MEANINGFUL FIRST IMPRESSION

ALL ROADS LEAD TO BUY RECYCLED

A GREENER ALTERNATIVE

REACHING NET ZERO

AN UPGRADE TO THE CONVENTIONAL

A MILLION MILESTONE

SHREDDED TO BATTS

THE PERFECT PICK-UP

NIR FLAKE SORTING

RECYCLING GOES X-LARGE

AN ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE

A ROADMAP TO RECYCLING CONSUMER PLASTICS

PLASTIC WASTE MEETS ITS (RE)MAKER

A SOLUTION FOR EVERY PROBLEM

THE CASE FOR HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION

THE COMPLETE PACKAGE