8 minute read
A CIRCULAR EVENT
Circular presentations
DELEGATES AT THIS YEAR’S AWRE WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLORE A RANGE OF UNIQUE APPROACHES TO WASTE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY.
In 2018, the Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP) announced plans to build the world’s first commercial e-waste plastic micro-factory after receiving a $250,000 grant from Sustainability Victoria.
In partnership with UNSW SMaRT Centre and e-recycler TES, the microfactory will process up to 500,000 kilograms of waste plastic per year.
This will be recovered from e-waste recycling and reformed into 3D printer filament for retail sale.
Worldwide demand for plastic 3D printer filament is estimated to triple during the next three years, reaching
Hitachi Zosen Inova’s Marc Stammbach says AWRE seminars are an excellent opportunity to meet and address industry stakeholders.
a value of more than USD$1,965.30 million by 2023.
Warren Overton, CEO of ANZRP, says the e-waste plastic micro-factory is a truly circular economy approach that ensures materials are kept in productive use.
“As the volume of e-waste continues to increase, technologically advanced approaches such as micro-factories will play a key role mitigating the impact of old televisions and computers,” he says.
According to Overton, e-waste recycling logistics are significant in terms of cost, making the process often prohibitive for regional and remote communities.
“Rather than bringing the waste to Melbourne, we’re bring the factory to the waste,” he says.
The micro-factory has the potential to scale and accommodate the 6000-tonne plastic feedstock that is currently produced each year from the e-waste recycled through the TechCollect program.
“We have taken the first step with a scalable solution that has guaranteed feedstock, strong environmental benefits, as well as economic benefits through the creation of employment opportunities in regional and remote parts of Australia.”
Overton will discuss this and more at his upcoming Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo (AWRE) presentation in November.
AWRE seeks to promote ideas and opportunities for Australia’s waste and recycling community.
“We’ve had stands at the last two AWRE’s and I spoke at the event last year,” Overton says.
“It’s always a good turnout, and importantly, it provides an opportunity to speak with the right people and develop collaborative partnerships.”
Marc Stammbach of Hitachi Zosen Inova Australia will also be presenting at the event.
When asked why he chose to get involved in the speaker program, Stammbach highlighted that waste management is moving from a linear economy to a circular one.
“We talk a lot about circular concepts and small-scale initiatives. Ultimately, it will require solutions which will deliver at an industrial scale to have an impact,” he says.
“My mission is to help stakeholders understand what is possible and proven. Hence, I see the AWRE seminars as an excellent opportunity to meet and address the stakeholders of the industry.” Stammbach’s presentation will focus on why and how waste-toenergy (WtE) complements recycling and composting.
“Together, these solutions maximise diversion of wastes from landfills. Several European countries have achieved 99.9 per cent landfill diversion,” he says.
“The role of WtE is to complement material recycling by turning the non-recyclable and non-compostable streams into energy, clean flue gas, aggregate, metals and small nondegradable residue still going to landfill.”
Furthermore, Stammbach will discuss the realistic potential of the circular economy against the background of today’s realities in Australia.
“We shall finish with suggestions for the required regulatory framework and required actions to move forward into a sustainable resource recovery and waste management future.”
AWRE 2020 will cover the entire waste stream, presenting the industry’s greatest product showcase of profitable
Visitors come to AWRE actively seeking solutions to reduce their waste disposal costs and improve efficiencies. Warren Overton will discuss a unique micro-approach to e-waste processing.
and sustainable solutions to collect, process, recovery and recycle waste.
In addition to the aforementioned e-waste and WtE focus, AWRE will explore vehicles, bins, food and organics, software technologies, machinery and equipment, food packaging and general waste management.
“Visitors come to AWRE actively seeking solutions to reduce their waste disposal costs and improve efficiencies,” Melissa Clendinen, AWRE Product Manager, says.
“As the industry’s main stage for new ideas and innovations, AWRE offers a targeted platform to launch or promote products and services to the people who matter.”
According to Clendinen, AWRE’s continued aim is to provide a platform for the industry to grow, learn and conduct business safely.
“We are working alongside our partners, exhibitors and visitors to shape AWRE 2020 based on the needs and wants of the community,” she says.
Clendinen adds that AWRE are grateful to the waste and resource recovery community for their resilience and continued support during this unprecedented time.
“We look forward to AWRE 2020 providing a forum from which the waste, recycling and resource recovery sector can re-establish ties with each other and continue to drive change,” she says.
Difficult compromises needed for a better future
THE VWMA IS ASKING STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO EXTEND HOURS OF DOMESTIC COLLECTION DUE TO CHANGING WASTE VOLUMES DURING STAY AT HOME ORDERS ACROSS THE REGION, WRITES EXECUTIVE OFFICER ALEX SERPO.
Stumbling out of bed at 6am each morning, I ask myself, how did we end up here? Melbourne, one of the world’s most livable cities, is now locked down under an 8pm curfew. Personally, it feels like a prison sentence, but given that lives are at risk, I’m grateful to the public servants and health care workers who have worked tirelessly to bring this terrible virus under control.
COVID-19 demonstrates there are difficult compromises to life, but by doing something difficult we can prevent dire outcomes.
In the case of waste transportation, there are compromises that need to be made.
One of these important compromises is putting safety ahead of noise.
Currently local governments impos e curfews on waste collection.
That means domestic and commercial waste collection services can only occur within a permitted time frame, under local law.
Typical curfews are 7am until 10pm. Unfortunately, these hours are also when school children, workers and pedestrians are also busiest, with the morning hours especially challenging.
Alex Serpo is the Executive Officer of the Victorian Waste Management Association.
As waste collection vehicles visit almost every household and business at least once per week, they face safety obstacles on every street.
Waste companies have gone to extensive effort to make collection trucks safer, through driver training and onboard technology.
However, the simple reality is that
more cars, bicycles and pedestrians on the road means a higher chance of accident. This has been amplified during COVID-19 when people are working from home – and their cars are occupying streets which would typically be less congested.
Luckily, during the COVID period, most local government (but not all)
Alex Serpo says granting waste trucks earlier access has provided drivers and collection companies significant breathing space.
have offered waste trucks earlier access, extending access hours from 7am to 5am. This small relaxation has given drivers and collection companies a lot of breathing space.
Did you notice the change in your street? If not, it shows the earlier access hours have not significantly affected community amenity.
Indeed, street sweepers may have already been working your street well outside these hours.
However, these access hours make a big difference to waste collection companies.
Being able to put trucks on the road when t here are no school children makes waste collection vastly safer.
It also creates a more flexible working environment for drivers, as drivers that start earlier can finish earlier, a llowing them to take care of parental or personal duties in
Alex Serpo Executive Officer, VWMA
the afternoon.
Noise is still an important consideration for fleet managers, and noise from waste vehicles can be reduced over time with better systems.
Separated glass collection will help - as the yellow bin will only contain paper, metals and plastics.
Glass can be collected less frequently, because it is nonputrescible. Electric waste collection vehicles can also reduce noise.
For this reason, the VWMA is asking state and local government to extend access hours to 5am across all Victorian local government areas, during and past the COVID curfews.
There are difficult compromises to life, but by doing something difficult can we prevent dire outcomes.
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