Waste Management Review October 2019 by Prime Creative Media

OCTOBER 2019

Urbanisation triggers innovation Volvo’s Vice President of Sales Tony O’Connell discusses modern waste collection.

FEATURES ELB and Remondis optimise organics infrastructure COAG’s waste-to-energy opportunity One million tonne recycling facility under threat Veolia takes O&M to new heights in Kwinana

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COVER STORY

ONE MILLION TONNE RECYCLING FACILITY UNDER THREAT

“VOLVO KNOWS THAT SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT FOR COUNCILS AND OPERATORS WHO PROVIDE WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES IN BUSY RESIDENTIAL STREETS AND HIGHTRAFFIC URBAN ENVIRONMENTS.”

URBAN-INSPIRED COLLECTION Volvo’s new Vice President of Sales Tony O’Connell details the company’s latest waste collection iteration – the Volvo FE Low Entry Cab.

Alex Fraser has called on Kingston City Council to extend its operating permit for its glass and C&D recycling site as one million tonnes of recyclables risks going to landfill.

-Tony O’Connell, Volvo’s Vice President of Sales

In this issue

Features

13 ORGANICS IN AWABA Awaba Green Waste Processing Facility stakeholders talk about the infrastructure growth opportunities of high-tech equipment.

EOLIA SETS WTE 17 VBENCHMARK

Veolia is drawing on experts in the lead up to its operations and maintenance contract on Australia’s first thermal waste-toenergy facility.

F UELLING THE MARKET

Waste Management Review speaks with stakeholders about the potential tyre-derived fuel flow-on effects of COAG’s proposed export ban.

RACING EVERY 25 TDROP

Cookers Bulk Oil is helping the food services sector transition to a circular economy.

HE CONVENIENCE 28 TMODEL

Waste Management Review speaks with TOMRA about competing CDS models and Return and Earn’s success.

RUMB RUBBER 40 CGATHERING

Tyre Stewardship Australia provides an update on the progress of crumb rubber uptake.

C OLLABORATIVE VISION FOR MELBOURNE

Waste Management Review catches up with outgoing Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery CEO Rob Millard.

THE STATE OF WASTE Waste Management Review talks to Dr Gillian Sparkes about the 2018 State of the Environment Report and transitioning to a circular economy.

PSCALING 50 URESOURCE

RECOVERY

This year’s Waste Expo Australia is focused on the future of waste and recycling in the nation.

52 DIGITAL REVOLUTION

ifm efector is implementing datadriven solutions to support the waste sector.

CONSIDERED 54 AAPPROACH

APCO explains why businesses need to identify material alternatives as they move away from single-use plastics.

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57 PROMOTIONAL FEATURES 69 LAST WORD

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 3

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PUBLISHER

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

EDITOR

Toli Papadopoulos toli.papadopoulos@primecreative.com.au

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Holly Keys holly.keys@primecreative.com.au

From the Editor

It’s our waste, but who’s responsible?

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

ART DIRECTOR

Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au

DESIGN

Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

The recent Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting raises more questions than it answers. I was at the Institute of Public Works and Engineering conference and with the circular economy a hot topic, some stakeholders were quick to laud ScoMo for his efforts in finally putting waste on the agenda. While it’s pleasing to see the Federal Government pledge to ban the export of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres, some important questions remain. Number one: who is going to oversee the ban? To prevent ships from ominously travelling into international waters with our “dirty” rubbish, some level of oversight will be required. Will it be the Department of the Environment and Energy? Will it be the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade? What role will the states and territories play? How will the movement of waste be policed? Number two: how will it be determined what classifies as waste? Obviously there are varying definitions of waste in each state and territory, but how do you legally distinguish between a value-added commodity suitable for export and something requiring further treatment or disposal? Waste Management Review has contacted the Federal Government and some states and territories for comment with no response provided at the time of publication, most likely because further consultation is required at the November Meeting of Environment Ministers. The proposed ban is certainly a step in the right direction and we know that government progress takes time. The Australian Council of Recycling has quite rightly pointed out that great leadership by COAG must be followed by great investment that matches industry’s own. That means major support for reprocessing and remanufacturing infrastructure, more government procurement of recycled product and a range of other legislative and policy incentives. While the PM’s statement “it’s our waste, and it’s our responsibility” certainly rings true, whose responsibility will it really be?

6 / WMR / October 2019

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

CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Blake Storey

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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.

Rethink

waste

COVER STORY

Urban-inspired collection VOLVO’S NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES TONY O’CONNELL DETAILS THE COMPANY’S LATEST WASTE COLLECTION ITERATION – THE VOLVO FE LOW ENTRY CAB.

Volvo unveiled the FE Low Entry Cab on the opening day of this year’s Brisbane Truck Show.

ith more than 67 per cent of Australians living in a city, one of the biggest challenges going forward for the waste transportation sector will be maintaining and improving safety. Likewise, minimising one’s environmental impact and increasing efficiencies will be ongoing hurdles, not to mention keeping pace with population growth and its impact on waste generation. Original equipment manufacturers are cognisant of the task that lies

8 / WMR / October 2019

ahead and it’s this determination to innovate that has driven Volvo to continually refine its waste collection range. To tackle this challenge head-on, Volvo earlier this year launched its FE Low Entry Cab. The company has for years offered the FE and FM as a custom solution for select waste transportation and recycling solutions. Building on its previous success in the refuse sector, Volvo has made excellent ergonomics, superior allround visibility and a low vantage

point key traits of its latest iteration. Close to the coalface of its customers is Volvo’s people, with experienced professionals who know the ins and outs of their customer’s needs – fleet managers and councils. Tony O’Connell, Volvo’s former Aftersales and Services Vice President, is a Volvo industry stalwart. With more than 14 years’ experience with the company, Tony was recently promoted to Vice President of Sales. Tony brings experience across a number of areas, including Soft

Products and Retail, National Retail and Project Manager roles. CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO In his most recent role, Tony served across Volvo’s dealership network in Australia and New Zealand and focused on improving customer support. This allowed him to develop a grassroots understanding of his customers and challenge Volvo to improve its product offering. “I really enjoy working with customers and our dealer network to ensure their needs are met and we are best positioned as our customers’ longterm business partner,” Tony explains. “I like to solve issues before they become problems, and working in a company like Volvo where there is a lot going on, I enjoy negotiating those challenges.” The FE Low Entry Cab (LEC) design was born out of a need for an efficient and safe refuse vehicle in the busy city of London. The first Volvo FE LEC was released in 2009 but proved popular and quickly became a standard offering. “We know London is a recognised leader for requirements on direct vision in heavy vehicles, so it is good to be able to draw from the innovative work done in the UK,” Tony says. “Additionally, London is the epitome of urbanised living, and if the truck suits their strict safety requirements we are confident it will suit Australian cities also.” Volvo’s newest iteration comes as manufacturers are continually challenged to ensure drivers and refuse workers have maximum visibility and agility in their vehicles and avoid accidents wherever possible. By lowering the driving position and reducing hidden angles, Volvo is able to significantly improve all-round visibility. “As these vehicles operate in highly urbanised areas in close quarters with road users, it is important for them to

have the suitable manoeuvrability and visibility,” he says. Tony says that the FE Low Entry Cab’s low profile and safety credentials make it an attractive proposition for urban distribution as well as the waste segment. “Volvo knows that safety is paramount for councils and operators who provide waste management services in busy residential streets and high-traffic urban environments,” he says. Tony says Volvo aims to disrupt the current state of the segment and target those looking for safer, more versatile options, with the Volvo FE LEC ready for immediate sale.

“We want to place driver comfort, safety and visibility at the forefront, and we believe we can offer our customers the tailored solutions they need for their business,” Tony says. Tony says that for this reason, all FE and FM models feature world-class safety and technological innovations, including forward collision warning with autonomous emergency brakes in almost all models. He says that Volvo trucks are also engineered to be significantly quieter in order to cause as little noise pollution as possible. AGILE VISION Considerable testing has gone into ensuring driver needs are at the

Volvo aims to disrupt the current state of the segment and target those looking for safer, more versatile options.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 9

COVER STORY

forefront of Volvo’s success. Tony says that this involved relentless testing to support maximum visibility out of the front and side windows as well as the mirrors. In providing excellent ergonomics and superior all-round visibility, Volvo has ensured the windows on either door (optional) allow the driver to clearly see what or who is right beside them. This simple, yet effective feature is particularly important for use in high-traffic urban areas where the safety of vulnerable road users is paramount. “The literal step up to the cab and the 90-degree angle at which the door opens have been included with driver ease-of-access in mind, aiming to maximise driver convenience when swiftly entering or exiting the cab,” Tony says. The Volvo FE LEC can accommodate up to four people with the low instep aiming to save drivers time. A range of telematics and connected services also assist in truck monitoring, tracking, preventive maintenance and servicing. As far as safety is concerned, Volvo has made numerous advancements in its latest model. Tony says the low vantage point of the FE LEC allows the driver and passenger to have maximum visibility of all pedestrians, cyclists and road users surrounding the vehicle. “As workers in the segments we are targeting often have to leave the vehicle multiple times a shift, it is important they are able to do so safely by having a clear view of their surroundings,” he says. In the FE LEC, the step has been brought lower to the ground to allow for ease of access. Tony says that as drivers are doing multiple stop shifts where they are hopping in an out of

10 / WMR / October 2019

Safety and sustainability were once again front of mind in the design of the new model.

the truck, the walk-up start with a lower step ensures less strain is placed on the driver. A kneeling function has also been included to allow for the vehicle to get 90 millimetres closer to the ground. “Safety is so important to us at Volvo Trucks. These improved driver ergonomics reduce the chance of a driver tripping or missing a step. “Some drivers get in and out of the cab more than 200 times a day, the LEC therefore ensures higher safety and productivity.” KEEPING IT GREEN Sustainability and a low emissions profile are also values integral to Volvo and part of the design of any new vehicle. In designing the vehicle, Volvo has made the FE Low Entry Cab Euro 6 compliant with an eight-litre up to a 350-horsepower diesel engine ahead of the standard regulations. “The engine emits clean, frugal power on the road, as to deliver on our promise to work towards cleaner transport solutions,” Tony says. “In addition, the cab fulfils both EU and Volvo unique safety demands, including legal requirements ECE-R

29/02 and Volvo’s even stricter internal safety requirements such as the Swedish BOF 10 and barrier testing at 30 kilometres an hour.” To ensure Volvo can service the market with servicing, part and maintenance across the country, Tony says the company offers the largest dealer network in Australia and New Zealand. “The total cost over the lifetime of the truck is also something our customers value and we consider our offers, including uptime solutions, to be highly competitive,” he says. “With specific reference to the Volvo FE LEC, this truck has been brought to market as a result of local demand. It’s another example of listening to our customer base and delivering.” And as the ever-growing waste market continues its upward trajectory, Volvo aims to leverage its global capabilities to meet niche local demands. “I look forward to capitalising on our global capabilities more in the future to deliver on our promise to tailor our solutions to our customers’ needs,” Tony says.

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PROJECT REPORT

Gunther Newmann of Remondis and Craig Cosgrove of ELB Equipment have been working together at the Awaba Green Waste Processing Facility.

Organics in Awaba WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH AWABA GREEN WASTE PROCESSING FACILITY STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT INCENTIVISING COMPOST AND THE IMPACT OF HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT.

andfill capacity concerns are a common issue for local councils, particularly so for those with steadily growing populations, such as Lake Macquarie City in the NSW Hunter Region. In 2010, the city’s Awaba Waste Management Facility Landfill was edging towards capacity, landfilling roughly 94,000 tonnes of waste per year. According to the NSW EPA’s Waste and Resource Recovery Needs Report 2017-21, the state has a known capacity of 31.8 million tonnes of putrescible landfill space per annum. This represents a space gap of 742,000 tonnes, based on the report’s generation figures. With this mind, Lake Macquarie City Council decided significant infrastructure upgrades were required to prevent future landfill capacity issues and grow resource recovery in the region. According to a council spokesperson, they found a solution in composting. Waste Management Review explores the Awaba Green Waste Processing

Facility with Lake Macquarie Council, Remondis and ELB Equipment. In 2010, Lake Macquarie waste audits showed the contents of domestic kerbside garbage bins were roughly 50 per cent compostable organic material, namely food and garden waste. “These findings presented an opportunity to not only tackle the rising lack of landfill space but also provide a more sustainable waste management solution for the city,” the spokesperson says. “Timing had never been better to undertake a major resource recovery project that would extend the life of the landfill and save council substantial money in the long term.” Following the waste audits, council undertook extensive community engagement to develop a new waste strategy. As part of the strategy, council proposed introducing a threebin kerbside collection system in two phases. In 2013, Lake Macquarie commenced phase one, introducing fortnightly garden organics collections.

“Introducing a third organics bin helped reduce waste to landfill by 10,700 tonnes at the end of the first year,” the spokesperson says. Council also partnered with recycling and waste management service provider Remondis to build and operate a 44,000-tonne-per-year composting facility with help from ELB Equipment. Over 100 contracting firms were engaged to build the facility, which also houses an education centre, where schools and community groups can experience the composting process. The Awaba Green Waste Processing Facility opened in late July 2018. DECOMPOSITION According to Gunther Neumann, Remondis Lake Macquarie Organics Resource Recovery Facility Branch Manager, addressing the issue of food waste is the primary function of the Awaba facility. “Processing green organic waste for mulch or compost is relatively straightforward. However food waste, which presents 40 per cent of Lake

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 13

PROJECT REPORT

The Crambo Direct dual-shaft shredders keeps Remondis’ outputs high and consistent.

Macquarie’s organic material, is more of a challenge,” he says. As food waste presents several potential risks and health concerns if not handled correctly, Remondis ensures the material is thoroughly pasteurised in a controlled environment before it is composted. “To address this, we installed five fully automated tunnels at the site which ensure the safety and quality of the output, while also keeping noxious odours to a minimum,” Gunther says. The facility is a unique hybrid model of in-vessel and mobile aeration flood systems, with a fully automated tunnel composting system capable of pasteurising food waste in two weeks. Integrating these approaches means the organic material is first subjected to anaerobic digestion before the bioreactor process is switched to composting through forced aeration and material agitation. Additionally, Awaba features an Australia-first automatic, cashless weighbridge system, giving users access to the facility with the swipe of a card. This incentivise facility use by streamlining the drop-off process, according to the spokesperson. HYBRID MODEL To efficiently process the composted material, Remondis engaged longstanding equipment supplier ELB

14 / WMR / October 2019

through National Sales Manager Craig Cosgrove. “Remondis chose to work with ELB due to the company’s after-sales and service credentials,” Gunther says. He adds that Komptech, which ELB represents in Australia, has a reputation for manufacturing star screens that provide throughput in wet, sticky organics applications. “With an annual workload of 44,000 tonnes, it’s important for the plant to have high uptimes and consistent throughput,” Gunther says. ELB was initially asked to supply a Komptech Multistar L3 star screen to separate organics and remove fine particle contaminants following the initial aeration process. The Multistar L3 star screen provides high throughput across a range of food and organics applications, combined with a patented cleaning system to enhance wet material separation. According to Craig, the Komptech Multistar separated composted material into three size fractions. “The large oversize fraction is either returned to the process to provide structure and allow for further breakdowns, or used for daily landfill cover,” he says. The midsize fraction is used by council on gardens and flowerbeds and sold to the general public as mulch. The fine faction is similarly used as a high-

quality nutrient-rich compost for urban amenities, to help facilitate soil health and drought tolerance. “Council and Remondis sell the compost to landscapers and avocado farmers in the area, and Hunter Valley vineyards,” Craig says. The performance of the Komptech Multistar L3 caused Gunther to contact ELB again when the facility needed a shredder to process waste after initial decontamination but before pasteurisation. Craig says Remondis initially tested a few equipment solutions, including a high-speed grinder. “The high-speed grinder turned any residual plastic contaminants into confetti, making it impossible to separate out,” Craig says. “High-speed grinders are also known to have a low resistance to contraries, and as a result, high downtime.” After consulting with Craig, Remondis trialled a Crambo Direct dual-shaft shredder. The shredder has two slow-running drums, with shredding tools that minimise fine particle noise and dust emissions while resisting contraries. “The Crambo keeps our output high and consistent,” Gunther says. “We know we can rely on ELB and Komptech to provide excellent equipment.” Gunther adds that working with ELB on the Awaba project highlighted the importance of engaging with companies that understand the composting process and provide high-quality equipment. “We could have the most hightech automated composting system in Australia, but without reliable and efficient equipment to perform the secondary separation job, it wouldn’t amount to much,” he says. Craig says ELB is proud to have their equipment employed at the Lake Macquarie facility. “ELB is an industry partner, first and

foremost, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Remondis at the Awaba facility once again,” he says. “After all, it is one of the most advanced of its kind in Australia.” THE FUTURE According to Craig, the Awaba facility provides an example for other councils hoping to follow in Lake Macquarie’s composting footsteps. “With more impetus coming from government to recycle, the Awaba facility welcomes a steady stream of visitors from other local councils to assist and educate them on set up cost, approvals and processes,” he says. “Thanks to the technology employed at the Awaba facility, Lake Macquarie can reduce its landfill rate by as much as 30 per cent.” While still in its early stages, Lake Macquarie’s spokesperson says Awaba’s impact has been significant. “Council collected and processed 38,000 tonnes

of food and organics material in the facilities first 12 months, with an annual average contamination rate of just over one per cent,” the spokesperson says. “This is a 17,000-tonne, 80 per cent increase in diversion of organics over the previous year.” In the same period, council reduced the amount of landfilled waste from its domestic waste collection service by 22,380 tonnes, highlighting the community’s engagement with the facility and wider FOGO collection system. “Success will be measured over time by tonnages of organic waste received and processed, participation in the kerbside green waste service, low rates of contamination, balanced operating costs and numbers of community and school tours to the on-site education centre,” the spokesperson says. “While strong rates of participation and low rates of contamination are pleasing, they are not yet perfect, and

council will continue to work closely with Remondis and the community of Lake Macquarie to support ongoing improvements in services, and the overall efficiency of the facility.” Gunther adds that in just over a year of operations, the facility has shifted diversion rates from 41 per cent to 64 per cent. If rates continue to climb, he says the facility will save council an estimated $4 million in waste management costs over 10 years. “Remondis applauds forwardthinking local government organisations, such as Lake Macquarie City Council, for their dedication to building the vital recycling infrastructure that will create job opportunities, strengthen the Australian economy and reduce our environmental footprint,” he says. “It’s important to Australia and the waste and recycling industry that more councils adopt source-separated food waste recycling.”

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Transfer Trailers The Wastech ‘Clearline’ rolled wall body design provides greater durability and integral strength to withstand the high compaction forces from waste transfer station applications.

Wastech have recently also developed their top load moving floor steel transfer trailer with increased payloads and performance. Capacities from 57m³ up to 130m³ for Road Train capable prime movers Tare weights from 11,100kg Locally engineering and manufactured to suit specific customer requirements

The Clearline Trailer is built to withstand the high piercing forces during compaction of industrial type wastes. This Wastech designed trailer incorporates the use of high tensile steel plate in the body, reducing tare weight and increasing payload. Additionally, the seamless internal walls along with the hydraulic eject blade, safely and efficiently ejects the waste load at landfill.

Technical Specifications Material High Tensile Steel (5mm floor, 4mm walls and roof) Rear Door Cyle Time 15 Secs. (Hydraulic Operation) Preferred Hydraulic Pump Size 80l / min Working Pressure 2,100 PSI Cyclinder Type 5 & 6 Stage Telescopic Cylinder with Centre Support Eject Blade Cycle Time Eject: 140 secs. | Retract 150 secs. (5 Stage Cylinder - Single Trailer) Doors Top or Side Hinged Rear Doors (Hydraulic or Manual) Tare Weight From 11,100kg - Single Trailer (subject to options)

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FEATURED TOPIC – WASTE TO ENERGY

Veolia sets WtE benchmark VEOLIA AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND IS DRAWING ON LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS IN THE LEAD UP TO ITS 25-YEAR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE CONTRACT ON AUSTRALIA’S FIRST THERMAL WASTE-TO-ENERGY FACILITY.

aste-to-energy (WtE) in Australia has historically been slow to progress, but Veolia recently set a new precedent for the sector. Earlier this year, construction began on Australia’s first thermal WtE facility. Based in Kwinana, WA, the site will be operated and maintained (O&M) by Veolia Australia and New Zealand postconstruction for 25 years. Leveraging its experience in operating more than 65 WtE

plants across the globe, Veolia stands ready to spearhead efficient, effective and economically viable renewable energy solutions. Avertas Energy was named the supplier and will process 400,000 tonnes of waste, equivalent to a quarter of Perth’s post-recycling residuals. In addition, Avertas Energy will generate and export 36 megawatts of green electricity to the local grid per year, enough to power more than 50,000 households. As the preferred supplier of

baseload renewable energy, Avertas Energy will also support the green energy needs of the Western Australia Local Government Association (WALGA) and its members. Macquarie Capital and the Dutch Infrastructure Fund (DIF) are co-developing the Kwinana plant, now known as Avertas Energy. Infrastructure company Acciona was appointed to design and construct the facility. Veolia’s global experience will see it leverage the expertise of

Veolia will leverage the expertise of international engineers, project and site managers in its operations and maintenance contract in Kwinana, WA. www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 17

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTE TO ENERGY

Veolia’s Toby Terlet in front of a 25 megawatt generator at its WtE plant in Birmingham, UK.

international engineers, project and site managers. As the company operates 10 facilities in the UK, these sites served as the perfect methodology to replicate to local conditions. One of Veolia’s oldest WtE facilities is its Birmingham plant in the UK and it was there that Veolia’s Project Director for Kwinana, Toby Terlet, gained significant experience. Drawing on previous experience in Australia with Veolia, Toby moved to the UK in 2014. Toby tells Waste Management Review that around five years ago, thermal treatment was still being discussed in Australia as an emerging technology. “At the time, I didn’t know much about converting municipal waste into electricity, although I did have some experience with manufacturing wastederived fuels for cement kilns and clinical incineration,” Toby explains. Toby saw the UK experience as an eye-opener, with Britain up to 25 years ahead of Australia in WtE. After Veolia won the O&M contract on the Kwinana project, Toby returned to Australia to a

18 / WMR / October 2019

project director role based in the site’s heartland in Perth. In the lead up to 2021 and over the life of the contract, Veolia’s network of on-call local and international expertise will help anticipate and prevent issues ahead of time. Toby says that having a general understanding of how WtE facilities operate and the effort needed to maintain a facility will help achieve more than 90 per cent availability. “The technology works well. However, it’s just as important to have skilled and experienced operations and maintenance teams to run the facilities,” Toby says. “Education about the treatment of waste can always be improved. Birmingham is a positive example of how recycling, reuse and WtE can coexist. We need to better educate people on where WtE fits and how it provides an alternative to landfill.” While WtE will continue to be a better option to utilise stored energy than landfilling, Toby says this needs to be complemented with a strong education program. “I believe the process will slowly shift towards waste being converted to electricity through WtE rather than sitting in a landfill for the next 100 years,” Toby says. “Segregating waste at the front end will always be the best option, complemented with the most economically viable technology to pull out things which may have been missed. This is the ongoing challenge for Australia.” His passion for WtE as a viable solution within a waste hierarchy inspires him to break the stigma surrounding it. “One of the biggest misconceptions around WtE is that it will burn anything. This is what I thought prior to leaving Australia. It didn’t take

long to understand that waste is a fuel and needs to be blended to provide the right consistency based on the calorific value (CV).” Toby says that obtaining the optimum CV will also be an ongoing challenge to work through. Wastes such as MRF residue have a high CV and this can create spikes in the heat transfer lowering throughput, so it’s about finding the right balance. To make the project economically viable and provide financial close, supply agreements will start at the minimum amount of waste needed. “The majority of volumes are contracted for a long period of time and some projects opt for smaller agreements to cover any shortage. I think based on a large number of states currently having issues with a reliable source of electricity, green energy production will be high on the agenda.” While it’s still early days for the project’s construction and planning, piling recently finished with the civil works with concreting now well under way. Looking to the future, Toby says stakeholders will identify all design improvements throughout the next 12 months to ensure the Kwinana project is the most efficient not only in Australia, but around the globe when handed over in late 2021. “I’ll be proud to recruit the best O&M team for the project who will have the utmost dedication to safety and a passion to make a difference and spread the positive energy needed to make more of these facilities possible,” Toby says. “This is just the start of Veolia’s determination to drive the circular economy approach and resource the world by identifying and developing complementary projects to better utilise resources which are currently going to landfill.”

Streets ahead VOLVO FE DUAL CONTROL There are three simple reasons we believe this is Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best waste truck. The Volvo FE Dual Control is Safer, Cleaner and Quieter. Careful design and clever ergonomics add to the safety dynamic of this world leading waste truck. The FE Euro 6 is built to deliver maximum environmental care and is engineered to be significantly quieter thanks to our unique Volvo Engine Brake system and lower engine noise. So when you are considering your next waste truck, make sure you choose the safest, cleanest, quietest option available. For more information visit volvotrucks.com.au

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTE TO ENERGY

Fuelling the market WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH KEY INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL TYREDERIVED FUEL FLOW-ON EFFECTS OF THE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS’ PROPOSED EXPORT BAN.

n early August, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) released a communique detailing its decision to ban the export of waste materials including plastic, paper, glass and tyres. Specifics of the ban have not yet been released, with government stating that it would develop a ban timeline and action plan in due course. Despite this, industry responses have been swift and overwhelmingly positive, with particular focus given to the potential waste-to-energy flow-on effects of a ban on tyre exports. Gayle Sloan, Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) CEO, says Australia has a robust and sustainable non-baling tyre recycling industry, which processes roughly 23 million used tyre units per annum. “A ban on the export of whole-baled tyres will further drive the industry, which will create Australian jobs while ensuring human and environmental health are protected,” she says. Pete Smigel, Australian Council of Recycling CEO, says consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable end-of-life disposal and recycling of products that offer sustainable environmental and human health outcomes. “Australia has a great opportunity

to develop a strong, sustainable and profitable tyre recycling industry that delivers significant environmental benefits and as well as job creation across the new manufacturing industry,” Pete says. “It’s imperative this is supported by responsible government policy, and the COAG communique is a great step towards that.” Tyrecycle, one of Australia’s largest collectors and recyclers of end-of-life tyres, operates numerous collection and processing facilities across the country, including Australia’s largest crumbing plant based at Somerton in Melbourne. It also has full chain-ofcustody reporting. Jim Fairweather, Tyrecycle CEO, says COAG’s signalled intention to ban the export of waste tyres is a win for the environment and the circular economy. “The proposed ban presents the best opportunity to turn all endof-life waste tyres in Australia into value-added commodities such as rubber crumb, rubber granule, tyrederived fuel (TDF) and high-tensile steel, creating more sustainable jobs in Australia,” he says. “A ban on the export of waste tyres should include both whole-baled tyres, which are sent unprocessed to countries such as India and Malaysia, as well as casings from old truck tyres

Tyrecycle has welcomed COAG’s intention to ban the export of waste tyres.

sent into overseas markets for use as seconds or in retreading.” Jim says these elements go hand-inhand, given the ban on whole-baled tyres will require the establishment and growth of new markets for repurposed tyre-derived products. Australia currently exports

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 21

FEATURED TOPIC – WASTE TO ENERGY

approximately 70,000 tonnes of whole-baled tyres per annum, which are then used in open burning as a fuel to heat drying kilns and in lowgrade pyrolysis plants. Rob Kelman, Australian Tyre Recyclers Association (ATRA) Executive Officer, says operations like this are controversial, do not comply with environmental, health and worker regulations and are associated with high levels of pollution. ATRA members agreed to ban the practice of exporting whole-baled tyres in 2014, due to poor environmental outcomes and a direct association with water borne diseases. “The World Health Organization specifically identifies international movement of whole tyres as a key

Tyrecycle’s crumbing plant is based in Somerton, Melbourne.

22 / WMR / October 2019

factor in the increase in Dengue incidence,” Rob says. Australia’s tyre recycling sector is largely dominated by traditional recycling methods, which use a series of shredders, screens and granulators to separate waste tyres into commodities. Jim says these commodities, which are valued commensurate with their level of refinement, are used as raw material in the manufacture of new products such as soft fall surfaces and asphalt, as well as civil work applications such as roads and infrastructure. “Waste tyres are also used in TDF – a globally traded commodity, which fuels sophisticated, high-energy manufacturing environments and power generation

plants overseas,” Jim explains. “The technology is proven, and TDF has excellent environmental credentials that include a reduction in landfill, improved emissions and reduced use of fossil fuels.” Jim adds that for every tonne of TDF used, one tonne of CO2 is displaced. “It burns cleaner than coal and has twice the energy value of brown coal,” he explains. “The global TDF market, which includes South Korea and Japan, is hungry for more and could easily consume all of Australia’s waste tyres as TDF, but there should also be a gradual push to increase the domestic uptake of TDF, most likely in cement kilns.”

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP

Tracing every last drop COOKERS BULK OIL IS HELPING THE FOOD SERVICES SECTOR TRANSITION TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY THROUGH A BUSINESS MODEL CENTRED ON MANAGING THE ENTIRE LIFE OF OIL AND TRACEABILITY.

raceability is a prominent concept across the waste and resource recovery sector as multiple players in the supply chain are tasked with looking after the movement of waste. The same concept is just as important in Australia’s food sector with certifications that ensure products and services gain a tick of approval for best practice. Minimising environmental risks is central to providing customers with such a service. With tens of thousands of eating establishments throughout Australia – all of which use cooking oil of one form or another – it is an issue that bulk oil specialist Cookers Bulk knows all too well. When it comes to sustainability, traceability and how vegetable oil can affect its surrounds, the company has processes in place aimed at keeping the environment free from any negative outcomes caused by vegetable oils. National quality and safety manager for the company Hari Srinivas says product traceability is a universally applicable concept. He says this is why Cookers has rigid standards when it comes to sourcing its vegetable oil supplies. “To deal with Cookers you need to be an approved supplier, which means

we look and see what sort of practices and standards you are following,” Hari explains. “Suppliers need to meet minimum standards and it means we don’t go to any supplier who hasn’t got a certification/traceability system in place that is not internationally recognised.” He cites the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) a private organisation established and managed by the Consumer Goods Forum in Belgium. It maintains a scheme to benchmark food safety standards for manufacturers.

Cookers provide on-site storage equipment for their customers.

Certification can be achieved through a successful third-party audit by schemes recognised by the GFSI including the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 8, IFS Food Version 6 and SQF Safe Quality Food Code 8th Edition, to name a few. “Without those types of certification we don’t even entertain any supplier,” Hari says. “We are stringent with our suppliers. If you look into the way the industry is going now, the majority of the supply chains are going through some sort of certification system, including HACCP. These sorts of certifications are one of the core fundamentals of traceability.” Hari says he is proud that the company has yet to have any of its products recalled. He puts it down to not only the standards it sets, but also compliant suppliers, and their own end-users as well. Every year, Cookers performs an exercise where they have a mock recall, which involves checking its suppliers’ traceability to make sure they have the correct systems in place and that they are working. This is because he knows that if there ever is a recall, they need to know where every drop of oil they have distributed has ended up. The good news for end-users is that

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 25

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP

if that does happen, Cookers will be able to trace the batch number and know where the offending product is very quickly through its centralised system. Traceability is also key when it comes to dealing with customers in case things go wrong once the oil has been distributed. Cookers make sure its customers also comply with standards and regulations, too as it’s important the company ensures its customers are getting the product they paid for, according to specifications. “We are audited every year, and our auditor reviews how long it takes to check something and what is the level of accuracy of our traceability,” Hari says. “If we have an issue, we can compare it with the same batch delivered nationally to different customers. We can get a sample and test it with the same batches from other customers.” Cookers’ circular economy solution ensures that the customers who

procure its fresh oil are also its used oil collection customers. Within this setup, Cookers also run a fleet of vehicles, including stainless steel trucks delivering fresh cooking oil and blue vehicles picking up the used product. Not only do they pick it up, but the company provides storage equipment used on-site by the customer and facilitates the management of the entire life of the oil. “Once they use the oil, we provide the equipment to transfer the used oil product into our blue tankers, which collect it at regular intervals,” Hari says. “We get the oil back and we have got mechanisms to handle the oil in such a way it can go into biodiesel production. “It means that with every drop of oil we sell, we make sure not a single drop goes into the drain.” Taking this a step further, Cookers can measure the amount of oil collected and ensure it is the same as

Cookers runs a fleet of vehicles, including stainless steel trucks, delivering fresh cooking oil.

26 / WMR / October 2019

that delivered. “We do all the calculations, so if there are any big variations we will go and speak to the customer to see if there is anything wrong and find out whether we can help with oil management.” He says another reason to use a company like Cookers Bulk Oil is that due to its tanker delivery method, no empty oil tins head to local landfill. If a customer needed 100 litres of oil per week, that would usually consist of five 20-litre drums which may end up in landfill. With Cookers’ tankers, the drums are redundant. Importantly, Hari says most of the oil is Australian sourced and more than 90 per cent refined locally. “For example, the canola oil we sell is 100 per cent Australian. “Other oils, depending on the cropping situation, are imported in crude form from reputable suppliers who have proper certifications in place – usually from Argentina and European countries.”

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – MEDICAL WASTE

Medical grade incineration AS THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY EXAMINES ITS USE OF SINGLE-USE PLASTICS, WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW EXPLORES ACE WASTE’S SOLUTION TO THE BATTLE BETWEEN SUSTAINABILITY AND CLINICAL WASTE DISPOSAL.

n the medical industry, the spectre of single-use plastics is complicated, with the reality of infection control and single-use necessity forcing compromise on recycling and reduction initiatives. In 2018, an Australian senate report recommended a ban on all single-use plastics by 2030. Similarly, on the other side of the globe, members of the European Parliament voted to ban the material in 2019. While initiatives like this are commendable, associated conversations regularly focus on seemingly frivolous consumer items such as coffee lids, straws and plastic bottles. However, as plastic’s chemical composition lends itself to sterility, it is a necessary material for the medical industry. For generations, plastic has been used to generate IV drips, syringes, bandages, garments, surgical covers and other indispensiable medical products. Yet problems stemming from the inadequacy of disinfection methods, means most of this material ends up in landfill and is therefore single use. One of the most commonly used plastics in the medical industry is polypropylene, which is used to manufacture syringes, pouches, test tubes and beakers. While it is recyclable, state and territory health regulations require it to be disposed of post-use. Another issue is a lack of material substitutes for clinical products,

28 / WMR / October 2019

Ace Waste is working with the medical industry to address single-use plastics.

meaning the use of single-use plastics in the medical industry is largely unavoidable. Alexander Homewood, Ace Waste Executive Director, says dealing with this problem requires a recalculation of the way society traditionally thinks of sustainable waste management. He suggests the solution lies in high temperature incineration. Incineration is a favoured method of medical waste disposal because it completely destroys infectious material, and ensures pathogens are unable to enter the ground, atmosphere or community. Low recycling rates are a common problem in hospitals across the globe, with stringent health regulations acting as a barrier to the viability of traditional waste reduction and recycling processes. Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH), located in Woolloongabba, Queensland, is taking proactive steps to address this

via reduction and recycling initiatives. According to Brendon Seipolt, PAH Director of Operational Services, actions include introducing sugarcane-derived, biodegradable kidney dishes and recycling programs for PVC, soft plastics and kimguard, a form of sterilisation wrap. “PAH’s sustainability initiatives led to a 600,000-kilogram reduction in waste in 2018,” Brendon says. In conjunction with these efforts, PAH has developed a partnership with Alexander’s company, waste incineration specialists Ace Waste. “PAH produces an average of 700,000 kilograms of clinical waste per year that requires incineration, in keeping with safety and quality practices,” Brendon says. “This is a significant reduction of over 200,000 kilograms since 2012, through an ongoing program of appropriate waste identification and disposal.”

The Ace Waste incineration process involves loading waste into a primary chamber, and incinerating the material at a temperature between 1000-°C and 1500-°C. The exhaust gas from the secondary chamber is then cooled and passed through an air pollution control plant. In contrast, alternative options such as landfill and chemical treatments are unable to wholly eliminate infectious material. Alexander says in addition to not completely destroying the material, landfill treatment options produce around 24 times more greenhouse gas emissions than incineration. He adds that Ace Waste’s processing facilities in Queensland and Victoria have the capacity to incinerate 1500 kilograms of waste per hour. Alexander says the first step

following engagement with PAH was an assessment of the hospital’s waste stream. “Our extensive knowledge in understanding the characteristics of different waste enables us to blend waste streams to ensure optimal combustion efficiencies,” he says. “This practice maximises the performance of our incinerators to the stage of self-combustion, and as we don’t require supplementary fuel, contributes to emission control and environmental sustainability.” Incineration plants generally require natural gas to maintain combustion. However, Alexander says Ace Waste’s incinerator produces enough energy to independently maintain combustion conditions, due to the high plastic content of clinical waste streams. “With clinical waste providing the

vital energy to maintain combustion, Ace Waste’s incineration process can be harnessed to generate power,” Alexander says. “We are currently assessing alternative technologies to harness this surplus heat energy, which in turn could operate a steam boiler, turbine or condenser system to create usable power. This strategy is all part of Ace Waste’s self-sufficiency philosophy.” Alexander says while avoidance and recycling are the key drivers towards positive environmental outcomes, society can’t ignore the reality of waste generation in the medical industry. “We need to understand that some waste is unavoidable, and rather than turning a blind eye, should consider disposal methods that support the overall goal of a more healthy and sustainable future,” Alexander says.

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEMES

The convenience model MARKUS FRAVAL, TOMRA COLLECTIONS STRATEGY DIRECTOR, HIGHLIGHTS COMPETING CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME MODELS AND RETURN AND EARN’S SUCCESS.

Return and Earn was designed to be similar to the European return to retail system.

hen the Tasmanian Government announced it would implement a container deposit scheme (CDS) by 2023, it became the seventh state or territory to do so, leaving Victoria as the single holdout. The CDS waste collection model is similarly growing overseas, with widespread uptake in North America and Europe. While all CDSs share a common goal, there are multiple implementation models including return to retail, convenience kiosks and largescale drop-off depots. Markus Fraval, TOMRA Collections Strategy Director, says most European CDSs operate under a return to retail system. He says this is generally supported by government regulated extended producer responsibility legislation. “Businesses that sell drink containers

28 / WMR / October 2019

are obligated to take the container back in some way, and because it’s so easy, those markets typically achieve 90-percent-plus return rates,” he says. “We commonly employ South Australian style models in Australia, whereby people are required to go out of their way, generally to an industrial area, to return their containers.” According to Markus, depot models require significant time and organisational commitment from consumers and, as such, are often ineffective. He adds that in lieu of return-to-retail legislation, conveniently positioned reverse vending machine kiosks are a more effective model for Australia. Markus says despite New South Wales not having the benefit of a return to retail network, the Return and Earn system was designed to be as similar to the European model as possible.

He says this was achieved by positioning reverse vending machine kiosks in shopping centres and supermarket carparks throughout the state. “Accessible kiosks allow consumers to participate in the scheme as part of their normal routines and daily habits,” Markus says. “This provides incentives for positive consumer behavioural change that are not too extreme or inconvenient.” TOMRA, in a joint venture partnership with Cleanaway, was appointed Return and Earn network operators by the New South Wales Government in 2017. The role incorporates network design, establishing new drop-off facilities and maintaining the state’s more than 600 existing collection points. “We know from our experience in over 40 global deposit markets that the big drivers for successful return rates are deposit value or financial incentive, and the level of returning convenience,” Markus says. He suggests TOMRA’s focus on convenience and access is the reason that in just under two years, 55 per cent of New South Wales residents have participated in the scheme and return rates have been high. Since commencing on 1 December 2017, Return and Earn has collected more than two billion containers

through a combination of TOMRA kiosks and more traditional depot collection points. “The first billion containers were collected in the first 12 months of the program, with the next billion collected in the following seven months. This suggests the scheme is still accelerating,” Markus says. “Return and Earn is now averaging well above four million containers per day.” While reverse vending machine kiosks represent only half of the total collection points in New South Wales, Markus says approximately 80 per cent of all returns come through TOMRA reverse vending machines. “It is critical for a successful CDS to have a network of small footprint collection points capable of high capacity collections,” he says. “It’s also important to facilitate an

integrated supply chain that spans collections, logistics and processing.” Markus says while collection quantity is key, CDSs need to operate as efficiently as possible to keep price impacts at a minimum. “As network operators, TOMRA Cleanaway has processed well over 100,000 tonnes of material for commodity trading in domestic and international markets,” Markus says. “For instance, we ship bales of aluminium cans overseas for smelting and remanufacturing into sheet metal, which can then be used to produce new beverage containers.” Additionally, Markus says roughly half the plastic sold by TOMRA Cleanaway is used for domestic bottleto-bottle manufacturing, with the remaining half exported oversees to make bottles, textiles and plastic films. TOMRA’s optical sorting and

reverse vending machine technology is available to all operators across the CDS spectrum. “Our technology scans bottles from 360 degrees, taking one gigabyte of images per second,” Markus says. “The speed and ease of use of our machines allow TOMRA to collect more than 40 billion containers through reverse vending machines around the world each year.” According to a recent state government survey, over 85 per cent of New South Wales residents support Return and Earn. “There are different models out there, and while I think it’s useful for people to understand the success of CDSs more broadly, there is something to be said for the New South Wales model,” Markus says. “It is undoubtedly the most convenient scheme in Australia.”

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – BINS

Skipping to the beat WITH SUMMER FAST APPROACHING, TIM HYATT, COASTAL WASTE MANAGEMENT MANAGER, SPEAKS ABOUT THE COMPANY’S EVENT SKIP BIN HIRE SERVICE AND THE VERSATILITY OF ITS HIGH-STRENGTH STEEL BINS.

ACT specialises in high-strength steel industrial bins.

ampground’s littered with empty bottles and discarded tents are a scene familiar to most Australian festival-goers, as is the sight of overflowing bins scattered throughout the venue. While the summer music festival is an integral part of Australian culture, their adverse environmental impacts are significant. Multiple event companies are attempting to address the problem via ‘green policies’ that ensure recyclable packaging, car-pooling discounts and solar panels light the stage. Tim Hyatt, Coastal Waste Management Manager, says despite these efforts, an estimated 80 per cent of music festival waste is generated and left behind by punters, meaning a more on-the-ground approach is required. Coastal Waste is a waste removal, bin hire and general waste management company based in Wattleup, Western

Australia. It provides skip bin hire services to events and construction sites throughout the region. “If you’ve ever been to a music festival, you may remember the overflowing bins, with waste piled all around because they quickly reach capacity,” Tim says. “Many products are used just for the weekend and are subsequently dumped.” To address the problem, Coastal Waste provides an array of skip bin hire services that centralise waste disposal and minimise the need for multiple smaller waste bins. “Our event bin hire service employs what’s known as a skip bin, which is a trapezoid shaped container for waste. “We offer skip bins in a range of sizes through our partnership with steel bin manufacturing company ACT Industrial.” ACT specialises in high-strength

steel industrial bins, which Tim says are heavily reinforced for additional durability and corrosion resistance. According to Tim, ACT provides Coastal Waste with a steady supply of prefabricated front lift, skip, marrel and hook-lift bins, ranging from two cubic metres to 30. “In addition to event skip bin hire, Coastal Waste services ongoing, on-site domestic clients, construction sites and people moving to a new house,” he says. “Because of our wide range of services, we require a variety of bins in different sizes, with different holding capabilities, which ACT is always able to supply with little lead time, if not immediately.” ACT’s bins can house all standard waste streams, such as construction and demolition, paper, glass and plastic. Tim says their high, strong, steel frames and industrial enamel coating also enable the collection and disposal of challenging materials such as liquid and hazardous waste. “The contents of a music festival skip bin are varied and often surprising, meaning our bins need to live up to industrial-strength standards,” Tim says. “ACT’s bins certainly do, and because they’ve never faltered, we’ve continued our relationship with them for many years.” Tim says ACT also provides significant customisation options, with a range of structure modifications available and a choice of any AS2700 colour industrial enamel paint.

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 31

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TRANSPORT

Safe scraps ANDREW MCKINNA, WEST-TRANS NATIONAL SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER, TALKS TO WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT ADDRESSING RISING SAFETY STANDARDS WITH AUTOMATED TARPING SYSTEMS.

ne of Western Australia’s largest metal shredder operates out of the Sims Metal Management scrap metal facility in Kwinana. Running consistently throughout the day, the machine shreds for a large portion of the state’s booming scrap metal recycling industry. At the Kwinana facility, Sims purchase scrap metal from businesses and individuals across the region. As one of the largest metal recycling companies in the world, the facility sees near constant traffic, and as such, processes at the site are taken seriously. As scrap metal recycling is complex, there are multiple steps required before material can reach the shredder. The process begins with the collection and transport of raw scrap, before pretreatment, melting, refining, forming and finishing. Despite the aggressive nature of the shredding process, it’s the initial stages, collection and transport, that pose the biggest safety concern for operators. According to WorkSafe Western Australia, the most common injuries in the scrap metal sector are falls from heights, being hit by moving objects and muscular stress from handling and moving material. Additionally, truck and trailer drivers are some of the most at-risk employees in the industry. To get in front of potential safety issues, Sims Metal Management engaged transport equipment specialists WestTrans, to supply a range of automated tarping systems in early 2019.

32 / WMR / October 2019

Automatic tarping systems enable safer operations by keeping drivers on the ground, which in turn reduces the potential for work related injuries. By cutting the time it takes to load and unload material, automating the tarping process also increases route profitability. Andrew McKinna, West-Trans National Sales and Marketing Manager, says the company’s tarping and load covering systems were developed in direct response to the rising demand for safety optimising equipment in the scrap metal and general waste and recycling industries. “The technology, manufactured by UK based manufactures TransCover, is purpose-built for waste transport,” Andrew says. “The system weighs just under 200 kilograms, which is half the weight of the traditional hydraulically actuated tarps currently being used in Australia, at roughly 70 per cent the cost.” After a consultation period, West-

Trans installed six DoubleCover automated tarping systems to a series of high cube tipper trailers at the Kwinana facility. “Sims’ main objectives were of course load security, but most importantly operator safety,” Andrew says. “The team at Sims were pleased with how the tarping systems operated, making particular note of how they enabled more trips per day and allweather operations.” Following the successful trial in Western Australia, Andrew says West Trans fitted a further two trailers for Sims in Victoria. Sims high cube trailers are 15 metres in length, with a full height of 4.3 metres, which Andrew says presents a challenge when drivers are required to secure a load on top of the trailer.

West-Trans supplied Sims Metal Management with a range of automated tarping systems to enable a safer operation.

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He says the lightweight DoubleCover system eliminates this problem, as the automation removes the need to manually untie and tarp. “Drivers operating trailers fitted with DoubleCover systems pull up before or after the weight bridge, before rolling both the driver and curb side open. The rear frame follows the front frame when rolled, open or closed,” Andrew says. “They then climb back into the truck and enter the yard to load or unload, and on leaving the yard, the driver closes the curb side first, the driver’s side last, climbs into the cab and drives away.” Andrew explains that the entire process is completed from the ground, just behind the cab. “No tying is required, no walking backwards and forwards around trailer, and no climbing,” says. extreme accuracy, speedtheand consistency of cut,hecombined with very low operating does this enhance safety forway the driver, butyour business to the next level. e new Yawei“Not HLFonly fiber laser is the perfect to take could soon become a necessity, as more and more operations Designed for reprocessing of polyethylene & dollar, the new HLF isfrom in a their league of its own, opening up possibilities for companies ban pedestrians yards.” polypropylene flexible packaging material s the laser cutting from start-ups through production, 3-shift Andrew sector; says DoubleCovers are generally used to as afull tarping Pelletising system with integrated cutter eliminates ments. solution for trailers with a length beyond the effective use of need for pre-cutting a traditional Hycover, or a tarp tower, which is more suited uality German built Precitec auto-focus cutting head, IPG laser source, Siemens to hooklift applications. 100% of pellets reusable straight back into your controller and a fabricated, stress-relieved fully annealed frame it really is a cut above “The DoubleCover system features a simple crank handle production line operation, and due to the design of the gear box, requires no Minimal material degradation without affecting pressure to secure the tarp in position once closed,” he says. material properties For high frequency use, Andrew says a hydraulic gear box option is also available. Fully compatible with FIMIC melt filters information: “The whole system sits within the existing trailer height 706 8066 and width, and adds around 200 millimetres to the front of es@appliedmachinery.com.au w.appliedmachinery.com.au the trailer at the top,” he adds. “Several mesh or net types are available according to the Connect with us socially loads and contents to be contained, but the standard net, appliedmachinery.com.au which we installed on the Sims’ trailers is incredibly tough, and capable of managing abrasive material.” 1 22/12/16 9:27 am Phone: 03 9706 8066 Email: sales@appliedmachinery.com.au

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – SITE MANAGEMENT

Paying the rent WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW EXPLORES THE STREAMLINED EQUIPMENT PROCESS OF SELECT CIVIL’S DRY PLANT HIRE SERVICE.

anaging the purchasing and maintenance of waste facility equipment can be timeconsuming, and often beyond the capacity of time-poor site operation managers. To streamline this process, waste management services company Select Civil supply long-term, full-service, dry hire plants in a range of applications, such as waste transfer stations, green waste processing facilities, alternative waste plants and landfills. Renaud Chauvet, Select Civil Managing Director, says the company currently own and maintain 39 plants on long term dry contracts. He adds

conflicting information. “To run a facility of scale, operators need to speak with financiers about capital, suppliers about parts and service companies about maintenance,” Renaud says. “Whether internal or external, that’s too many voices. With Select Civil there is one point of contact. We handle everything and we make sure the plant is available to do its job when needed.” When a client engages Select Civil, Renaud visits their site to assess specific operational requirements. From there, he develops a detailed recommendation plan and later makes an offer. “The process is very transparent.

Many of Select Civil’s plant hire clients began as general waste management customers.

that the service strives to simplify equipment purchasing and ease of maintenance. “Waste operators work under harsh conditions and inevitably their machinery breaks down. Select Civil alleviates this problem by providing plant diagnostic and repairs for break down and servicing – we operate like a turnkey solution for mobile equipment,” Renaud says. According to Renaud, a key challenge when running large-scale waste facilities is multiple points of contact and

34 / WMR / October 2019

Clients have access to Select Civil’s cost of financing, residual values, as well as budgets for major overhauls, ground engaging tools, tyres, everything,” Renaud says. “We work with an open book attitude to develop trust with the clients, which means they can focus on their operation and not worry about yellow gear.” Next, Select Civil opens tenders to original equipment manufacturers to quote on the machinery. To find the best equipment result, Renaud generally invites at least three

manufacturers to quote. “Select Civil has good relationships with tier one manufacturers, and is not tied to anyone brand, but we make sure the equipment is backed up by a solid dealer. That said, we keep our options open when clients are interested in trying less established brands.” Select Civil then buys the equipment, which has benefits beyond streamlining the decision-making process. “Large waste facilities don’t always have immediate access to the capital required to procure heavy plants in a timely manner, so renting the equipment side-steps this issue,” he says. “Additionally, it’s difficult for original equipment manufacturers to lock equipment resale value in, so we remove that risk for the client.” Renaud says Select Civil are committed to servicing every piece of equipment after 250 operating hours. “Most original equipment manufacturers advertise servicing after 500 hours, but because of the typical waste environment, we think it’s best not to stretch it past 250,” he explains Renaud says many of Select Civil’s plant hire clients began as general waste management and landfill customers. “When we run their landfill operations, clients invariably realise we are very knowledgeable about the waste industry and the need for well-maintained reliable equipment, as availability is key in our industry. “Current and recent contracts - some in excess of $10 million – demonstrate our ability to take on, manage and successfully complete large-scale waste projects of any nature.”

WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – PLASTIC RECYCLING

Pelletising polypropylene DANIEL FISHER, APPLIED MACHINERY PROJECT MANAGER, WANTS TO REVIVE DOMESTIC PLASTIC RECYCLING THROUGH SUSTAINABLE POLYSTAR PELLETS.

he recycling conversation is becoming more layered and complex by the day, with notoriously problematic plastic often taking centre stage. While the problem of plastic waste is widely understood, manufacturing processes still heavily rely on the material. Daniel Fisher, Applied Machinery Project Manager, says responsibly processing plastic while keeping up with demand requires straightforward remanufacturing options. He adds that one such option is recycled plastic pellet production. Daniel says to implement a wider uptake of recycled pellets in the manufacturing industry, resource recovery operators need simple-touse equipment. “When dealing with a difficult waste stream such as plastic, it’s common for operators to think that a more complex system will perform better,” Daniel says. “But as the exclusive Australian distributor of Polystar Machinery, Applied Machinery is committed to supplying customers with straight forward and cost-effective solutions.” Applied Machinery has worked with the Taiwan-based recycling equipment manufacturer for four years. Polystar manufactures a range of one-step machines

designed to reprocess multiple waste streams, notably polyethylene and polypropylene flexible packaging material. Polystar technology is designed to be simple to operate and easy to maintain. “The recycled output result is high-quality plastic pellets that can be repurposed back into manufacturing straight away,” Daniel explains. “The pellets save waste disposal costs by producing a saleable product, while also offering an alternative to raw material extraction.” Applied Machinery can offer customers the full suite of Polystar products, including the Polystar HNT and the Polystar Repro-Flex. “HNT machines are typically suited for flexible, post-industrial film and have the added benefit of being able to produce quality pellets from even the most heavily printed packaging material.” Daniel says the Polystar ReproFlex is suited to multiple recycling applications including plastic bags, film scraps, bubble wrap, shrink film and laminated film. “Repro-Flex machines also work well for post-industrial

film waste, as the system can process washed flakes, scraps and pre-crushed rigid plastic waste from injection and extrusion,” he adds. Both the HNT and Repro-Flex feature an integrated cutter compactor, which removes the need for pre-cutting. “The cutter compactor, which generates frictional heat during the compacting process, also helps remove moisture from the material.” According to Daniel, eliminating moisture is a particularly significant feature when generating recycled plastic pellets, as even minimal water can render a whole batch unusable. Daniel says the integrated Polystar system also eliminates the need for separate crushers and the common problem of inconsistent feeding. “The integration of the cutter compactor and extruder ensures extremely fast and stable feeding, as the tangentially connected extruder is continuously filled with pre-compacted material.” The Polystar range is designed to use less energy than traditional machines.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – C&D RECYCLING

One million tonnes under threat

Alex Fraser has been working with the Victorian Government and its agencies to identify alternative locations for its Clarinda recycling facility.

ALEX FRASER HAS CALLED ON KINGSTON CITY COUNCIL TO EXTEND ITS OPERATING PERMIT FOR ITS GLASS AND C&D RECYCLING SITE AS ONE MILLION TONNES OF RECYCLABLES RISKS GOING TO LANDFILL.

lex Fraser’s Clarinda Recycling Facility plays a pivotal role in Victoria’s resource recovery network, with the capacity to recycle around 25 per cent of Melbourne’s glass and construction waste. Situated in the Melbourne’s southeast near Clayton, the 22-hectare facility recycles up to one million tonnes of waste each year and turns it into VicRoads approved, high quality, sustainable construction materials. It is a key component of the company’s network of sites surrounding Melbourne. Not many facilities can boast the capacity for such difficult-to-recycle waste streams, let alone the contribution

36 / WMR / October 2019

Alex Fraser makes to repurposing value-added materials in infrastructure projects. The site employees 50 fulltime people and has been operating since October 2009. With Victoria’s big build placing pressure on dwindling natural resources and quarries moving further afield, the need to find a sustainable alternative has never been greater. According to PwC, the building and construction sector faces the challenge of maintaining access to supply of extractive resources. It comes as encroachment of urban and regional development affects existing quarrying areas. Likewise, demand for extractive resources over 2015-50 is set to be almost double to

supply the state’s planned new transport infrastructure, a concern alleviated through strategically placed sites like Alex Fraser’s. Now, Alex Fraser’s site is under threat, with its permit with Kingston City Council set to expire in 2023. THE REZONING In 2015, Kingston’s industrial area was rezoned to be green wedge, with conditions preventing waste management operations on the land. Since then, Alex Fraser has been actively working with the Victorian Government and its agencies to identify alternative locations. Peter Murphy, Alex Fraser Group

Managing Director, says that there is no way Alex Fraser will be able to find a suitable alternative location by 2023. One of the key reasons is a need for Alex Fraser to be located within proximity to sources of construction and demolition waste, as well as kerbside collected glass. “Using recycled material in infrastructure is only possible with facilities like Clarinda that are close to our cities – where waste is generated, and where major projects are underway,” Peter explains. Alex Fraser supplies recycled construction materials to projects including the Level Crossing Removal Projects, Monash Freeway Upgrade, Thompsons Road Upgrade, and the Hallam Road Upgrade. It is also ideally located to supply the planned Suburban Rail Loop, South Eastern Roads Upgrade and Mordialloc Freeway. Other prominent considerations are the scale of the 22-hectare site, quality road network and its extensive landscaping and screening with appropriate fencing and native foliage. Alex Fraser’s application to Kingston City Council, lodged in September this year, seeks a 15-year extension of its operating permit. “Unfortunately, there are no viable alternative sites, and so we’re asking Kingston City Council for more time,” Peter says. “We need more time so we can continue to recycle until we can relocate, to avoid adding to Victoria’s recycling and resources crises.” Peter notes that Victorians want certainty about what’s happening with their waste. A decision is expected from council this year and if Alex Fraser is denied an extension, it may have to scale back its recycling. “If this key recycling facility is shut down in 2023, it would significantly impact on Victoria’s recycling capability, and cut the supply of construction

materials urgently needed for Victoria’s big build.” “Victoria is already in a recycling crisis – this would only make matters worse,” Mr Murphy said. Kerbside glass is at the heart of Victoria’s recycling crisis – the state government recently supported an improvement to the Clarinda facility recycling capability. This will enable the annual recycling and distribution of 200 million bottles worth of recycled sand. The site’s closure could mean this goes to landfill instead. PLANNING COMPLEXITIES As Waste Management Review reported in its 2018 article, Protecting our infrastructure, urban encroachment has pushed sites such as Alex Fraser’s away from the urban sprawl. “It’s taken years for Alex Fraser to build a network of recycling sites of suitable scale, in locations serviced by major roads, that are close enough to raw and finished product markets,” Peter said at the time. “The unfortunate reality is that a lot of effort from hard-working people across government departments, and a suite of very good specifications, plans and policies that would support better

Fast Fact Alex Fraser’s Clarinda Recycling facility is among 13 recipients of the Victorian Government’s $4.67 million Resource Recovery Infrastructure Grants program. The project will reduce the landfilling and stockpiling of problematic glass by 38,500 tonnes each year. Alex Fraser will use their $336,500 grant to build a new glass additive bin within their Clarinda facility recycling plant, which will allow reprocessed glass waste to be blended into a range of high quality recycled construction materials.

outcomes are completely undermined by some planning decisions.” Peter says that relocating facilities is a complex exercise and simply rezoning new land does not alleviate the problems caused when zonings on ideal existing sites are changed. The challenge for operators has been finding suitable sites large enough to achieve economies of scale close enough to where waste is generated. Peter says that if Alex Fraser were to shut own, a major metropolitan quarry would have to be established to extract the same volume of resources. ISSUE IN THE SPOTLIGHT As highlighted in Victoria’s Inquiry into Recycling and Waste Management in June 5 hearings, glass mountains have filled sheds all over Melbourne. Alex Fraser’s response to the glasswaste conundrum has been to step up production with new infrastructure at Clarinda and a state-of-the-art plant in Laverton North. Together, these projects have increased the company’s capacity to recycle up to one billion bottles a year, including the most problematic glass waste streams. “If you came through Bayside this morning, we have got a crew out there laying asphalt that has got glass, plastics, recycled asphalt in it…being used all day, every day, in massive quantities,” Peter told the hearing in June. “It is also jobs like LXRA, various Monash upgrades, the Western Ring Road – all the way back to the Grand Prix track actually – that have got some kind of recycled content in them. So I think in Victoria the story is pretty good. Victoria’s big build is underway.” He reiterated that the scale of these recycling efforts and the reuse in major projects and the scale was often misunderstood by lots of people, including at Clarinda. “If you close that facility [Clarinda], you need to find a community

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – C&D RECYCLING

somewhere that wants a big quarry established… and you need to tell them that they need a quarry because you shut down a resource recovery facility.” “The Department of Economic Development, Jobs and Transport Resources did a very good study, three years ago, on the increasing cost to these projects due to carting quarry materials further out of town, and the cost is already well ahead of the base case.” A letter from the Department of Treasury and Finance shows efforts were made to find an alternative site by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (formerly DEDJTR) and Sustainability Victoria. The department’s scoping found site options that meet current planning requirements are extremely limited, with none available in proximity to the cities where waste in generated and end markets exist. In this vein, Alex Fraser’s Clarinda site has also previously been recognised as part of a hub of state significance in the Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan for Victoria. In a May 2019 letter to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry Into Recycling and Waste Management by the National Waste and Recycling Industry Council, of which Alex Fraser is a member, CEO Rose Read points out that Clarinda is well known for operational excellence. According to Peter, the company has not received any complaints regarding amenity impact on the surrounding area and was recognised for its high operating and environmental standards. Its Alex Fraser’s significant market pull that has led to an outreach of support from numerous stakeholders. In order to mitigate the issue into the future, Rose calls for the establishment of ‘green zones’ identified and protected for waste and recycling businesses that protect these assets for the life of the infrastructure.

38 / WMR / October 2019

Matt Genever, Director Resource Recovery at Sustainability Victoria, says SV recognised the site as an important site for resource recovery in Melbourne. “Processing one million tonnes of recycling per annum, the site serves a dual purpose, both as a hub for construction and demolition waste in the south-east and through supply of aggregate and sand into new construction activities,” Matt says. “We are acutely aware of the shortage of quarried materials to supply the state’s significant infrastructure program and having a site of this scale located in close proximity to these major projects is essential in ensuring ongoing supply of recycled construction products and materials.” Wayne Russell, Visy Recycling Executive General Manager says that Alex Fraser had been an important partner to Visy for more than 14 years. “Visy’s future glass recovery and recycling efforts would be severely hampered in the absence of the service the Alex Fraser network provides,” he says. Mark Smith, VWMA Executive Officer, wrote of his concern of the unacceptable impact the closure of Clarinda would have on the Victorian waste and recycling network. “Closure (even temporary) would have significant impact on Victoria’s recycling capability resulting in the accumulation and stockpiling of waste material,” he wrote. At the beginning of September,

Kingston Mayor Georgina Oxley confirmed the council received an application at the beginning of September which seeks to extend operations at the Alex Fraser site in Kingston’s green wedge. “In 2015, Kingston Council welcomed protections for Kingston’s green wedge that were introduced by the Victorian Planning Minister that would ensure existing waste operations would cease at the end of their current permits and that no new operations would be allowed,” Ms Oxley said. “Council wrote to the Planning Minister in April 2015 calling on the government to help Alex Fraser find an alternative site to ensure its longterm success while ensuring the end of waste-related activities in the green wedge. Invest Victoria has been working with Alex Fraser to identify suitable alternative sites. “Council strongly supports the recycling sector and has a range of successful recycling business operating outside the green wedge within its industrial zoned areas.” A Victorian Government spokesperson said the permit decision is currently a matter for Kingston City Council. “We recognise the important contribution Alex Fraser makes to the recycling sector but also the concerns of local residents,” the spokesperson said. “We’ll continue to work with both the council and Alex Fraser on resolving this matter.”

The 22-hectare site boasts a quality road network and extensive landscaping and screening with appropriate fencing and native foliage.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TYRE RECYCLING

Crumb rubber gathering TYRE STEWARDSHIP AUSTRALIA HOSTED A WORKSHOP WITH STAKEHOLDERS FROM ACROSS THE WHOLE SUPPLY CHAIN, PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS OF CRUMB RUBBER UPTAKE.

he circular economy is a longdiscussed topic as multiple industries recognise the need to shift from the linear economy to one where products are kept in the supply chain for as long as possible. While the term has been thrown around loosely from time to time, the roads sector is one that has been taking proactive action on material reuse for decades. Turning discussion into action, the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA), which represents more than 500 members in the road construction sector, chose to embed this theme into its 18th conference. Crumb rubber (CR) products are one of the best known and well tested areas that demonstrate the circular economy. CR modified binder has been used in Australia since the mid70s, although its utilisation has been inconsistent and more common in spray sealing applications. But in recent times, a more diverse use of CR in pavements has become commonplace through research and development funded by Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA). To get a sense of CR uptake, TSA sponsored a workshop at the AAPA Conference in Sydney in August. The workshop was facilitated Joe Grobler from the Australian Road Research Board and included presentations from TSA Senior Strategy Manager Liam O’Keefe, Puma

40 / WMR / October 2019

Clinton Habner takes the mic beside Erik Denneman (left), Darryl Byrne and Liam O’Keefe.

Bitumen’s Erik Denneman, Tyrecycle’s Clinton Habner and Fulton Hogan’s Darryl Byrne. The presenters included stakeholders from each end of the supply chain of Australian tyre-derived product in the road sector, from bitumen supply to tyre recycling and road construction. Mr Habner spoke on behalf of the challenges facing recycling industries that remanufacture end-of-life materials and the benefits that ongoing procurement of their product can provide to the sector. Mr Denneman discussed the fact that increasing demand from CR binders is already impacting Puma Bitumen – one of Australia’s largest bitumen providers for asphalt products. According to Mr Denneman, we’re no longer waiting for the market to shift – it’s already moving. He also provided extensive technical analysis on trends in the industry. Finally, Mr Byrne from Fulton Hogan

spoke of the fact that as a contractor, he’s seen the benefits of CR binders in creating longer lasting pavements. He explained that the days of trials and demonstrations must give way to normalising use. Contractors are ready to provide the product, however, better manufacturing infrastructure that can accommodate CR and more cost competitive feedstock is required. “We’ve got about 450,000 tonnes of tyre waste here in Australia. We use a small percentage of that, 10,000 tonnes in bitumen surfacing, [and] I think we can grow that quite rapidly over the coming years, with the aspiration within industry in various forms to get it to 35,000 tonnes per annum,” Mr Byrne said. The panellists noted that an uplift in volume in CR is starting to occur in asphalt use as modern asphalt plants are able to produce wet mixed CR asphalts though vertical tanks with agitation. Mr Byrne highlighted that an

increase in CR consumption will require investment in equipment and new technology due to a limited number of producers on the market. As the workshop arrived at the interactive component of the presentation, an audience of road owners/government, contractors, designers, binder suppliers, industry organisations and others were able to vote on a range of questions. More than 60 participants were involved in most questions with road owners/government making up around 40 per cent of the audience, followed by contractors and binder suppliers. A majority of participants voted that performance drove their product selection followed by initial costs, whole-of-life costs, sustainability and policy. More than 80 per cent of participants are currently using CR,

while the barriers stopping its increased uptake were attributed to a lack of infrastructure/supply, followed by a lack of specifications/guidelines and cost. Around 63 per cent of participants believe adequate specifications/ guidelines are not in place and around 40 per cent were unaware if their companies test CR for compliance with the specifications. Around 80 per cent of participants agreed sourcing local tyres was important to them. Broadly speaking, the main barriers to increasing CR were noted to be cost, health and safety and performance. Mr Byrne said that road agencies are increasingly changing their practices and predicts an increase in CR in other states and territories akin to how it has been used in Victoria. One of the key discussion points was that CR has been used in

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Australia for more than 50 years and it was important all stakeholders stopped referring to these projects as “trials”. While VicRoads has been an industry leader in CR, a need to utilise more passenger tyres and shift the policy in government towards supporting local product manufacture was acknowledged. In terms of modern specifications, the various states and territories each have their own specifications that support CR uptake and most require they be natural, synthetic and free from contaminants. Mr O’Keefe said that the conversation reiterated that the industry is primed to provide the product to market, but it’s now the role of end users to “take up the challenge” and procure CR product in greater volume.

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PROFILE

Collaborative vision for Melbourne’s waste WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW CATCHES UP WITH OUTGOING METROPOLITAN WASTE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY CEO ROB MILLARD ON HIS MORE THAN 30YEAR CAREER IN BUILDING VICTORIA’S RECYCLING NETWORK.

hether you’re a “garbo”, a councillor or an engineer, the waste sector has for many been a career for life. The industry’s evolution from collection and sorting to landfill diversion has meant the opportunities for career development over the past few decades have been immense. Yet none of this would have happened if the industry had remained risk averse and it is the ability to continually learn from its mistakes that inspires outgoing Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery (MWRRG) CEO Rob Millard. Earlier this year, Rob announced his retirement, with Jillian Riseley appointed as the new CEO. After several months of volatility with the financial collapse of SKM Recycling, green shoots are emerging with a clean-up underway and Cleanaway acquiring the group’s senior secured debt. Just like the fallout from an initial foray into organics recycling 10 years ago by the Coldstream Eastern Group, Rob believes that difficult times present an opportunity to regroup. “Good things can come out of issues such as that and when you have drama you have to maximise learning and move forward,” Rob explains. He says that government

42 / WMR / October 2019

Rob celebrates Back to Earth competition winners at Livingstone Primary School.

stakeholders and the broader waste sector can regroup and refine the kerbside recycling scheme and its supporting processes. “The key will be understanding what opportunities are in place over the next six to nine months to review how we collect and sort materials and ensure new contracts embrace future opportunities. “It could be new bins such as a separate glass bin, it could be a container deposit scheme. Victoria needs to consider all the viable options and discuss them rather than going in with eyes half open.” Its this indomitable spirit that drove Rob in his more than 30-year career across local government and MWRRG. Coming from a civil engineer and

technical background, Rob’s local government career began with the City of Moorabbin in 1977. It was here that Rob dipped his toe into management waters before moving into the City of Banyule in the 80s. His achievements during this time spanned the introduction of a three-bin system following the amalgamation of the three councils Heidelberg, Diamond Valley and the former Nillumbik Shire Council. “All had different waste collections so we introduced a three-bin system for new councils and implemented a green waste recycling program which was quite progressive for its time,” he says. Rob also oversaw the upgrade of the council’s transfer station and built a materials recovery facility in

conjunction with Visy, including the development of an education centre. Rob joined MWRRG in January 2007 after 30 years of experience in local government. His skills in strategy and visioning, stakeholder vision and engagement and building relationship has allowed him to build the capacity of councils across the country. He was central to building MWRRG into the organisation it is today – a central authority responsible for waste and resource recovery across the whole of Melbourne and the region’s 31 councils. From the beginning, Rob built powerful partnerships and influential networks that brought together industry and local and state government. This led to the formation of many working groups, delivery of forums and workshops with the view towards solving problems, finding solutions and advancing waste and resource recovery. “MWRRG was a unique experience as I moved from delivering services to the community to leading an organisation which formed a provisional strategic direction for all of Melbourne,” Rob says. “Joining the organisation provided an interface between industry and local government and opened up conversations.” He says that he was also passionate about being able to change the status quo and provide clusters of councils with the opportunity to go to tender and develop high quality infrastructure. One of Rob’s first notable achievements arose in 2009 when he helped produce the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic plan (MWRRIP), which for the first time brought together a

Rob with colleague Paul Clapham at the 2018 Australian Waste to Energy Forum.

metropolitan-wide approach to waste and resource recovery coordination. In 2015, Rob spearheaded a more powerful MWRRIP, consulting widely with industry to cover market assessment, infrastructure research and data analysis. Released in 2016, the plan was widely supported by government, industry, local government and the community. “At the time it was considered a highly ambitious document as there was a plan to not schedule any new landfills and find alternatives, especially in the southeast of Melbourne,” Rob says. “Just over three years into the plan we are going to market this year with 16 of the southeast councils for landfill alternatives and we have a robust organics network in place.” Likewise building Melbourne’s organics recycling network through collaborative procurement models formed a key part of the MWRRIP. Over the past decade, the organics network has been responsible for processing Melbourne’s green and, subsequently, food waste. Rob oversaw the group’s facilitation of collaborative organics processing contracts, including the first one in Melbourne’s west and eventually north. “The organics network has the

capability for councils to transition to FOGO, with around eight councils either trialling or running a service and up to 17 making the switch.” By 2018 the east followed with further contracts expected to be operational by 2019-20. Most recently, the southeast network was developed with Sacyr Environment contracted to deliver a $65 million site in Dandenong South. Within this, Rob helped develop MWRRG’s awareness and education campaign Back to Earth, which helped councils lower their contamination, with Nillumbik reducing its contamination from 10.5 to a mere 0.79 per cent. As a result of collective efforts by councils, contractors and MWRRG, the capacity of the organics processing network currently exceeds the Metropolitan Implementation Plan 2021 target by 120,000 tonnes. Rob adds that the MWRRIP also acknowledged that planning and resource recovery need to be integrated, with MWRRG conducting extensive work on buffer protection in conjunction with Sustainability Victoria and planning authorities. Initiatives included the inclusion of buffers for protecting key waste and resource recovery infrastructure, educating statutory planners on

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PROFILE

MWRRG provided funding grants for best practise waste management to the Melton Resale Centre.

understanding the importance of such sites and the waste sector on how the planning system works. Significantly, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between key state agencies to implement a whole-ofstate government approach to buffer protection. “Getting that social license to operate has been a key driver to ensuring we have a sustainable integrated network aligned with the needs of the community.” As far as the future goes, MWRRG

will be driving further success in developing a commercial and industrial waste strategy to reduce food and plastic waste, expanding its Back to Earth initiative and progressing new collaborative procurements for council recycling services stimulating high-quality infrastructure. For now, Rob will be spending some quality time with his family and looks forward to providing his support to the resource recovery sector on select projects into the future.

Fast Fact Rob Millard oversaw the group’s facilitation of collaborative organics processing contracts. The North and Western Organics Processing Contract was the first collaborative contract undertaken by MWRRG, with six western councils originally and then the addition of five northern councils. The contract has the capacity to process 120,000 tonnes of green and food waste each year. The South East Organics Processing Contract with eight metropolitan councils has capacity to process 280,000 tonnes of green and food waste each year. The Eastern Organics Processing Contract covers five councils in Melbourne’s east. These collaborative contracts have led to substantial investment from the private sector, including Veolia’s processing facility at Bulla which was the largest of its kind in Victoria when it was built. More recently, Sacyr Environment Australia’s $65 million state of the art facility in Dandenong South will help meet demand in the southeast of Melbourne.

The $65 million Sacyr organics facility is part of the organics network MWRRG helped build.

44 / WMR / October 2019

The success achieved through collaborative organics procurement has inspired other waste and resource recovery groups in states and territories to use or adapt this model.

PROFILE

The state of waste WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW TALKS TO DR. GILLIAN SPARKES, VICTORIA’S COMMISSIONER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, ABOUT THE 2018 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT.

ictoria’s Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Act 2003 includes a statutory requirement that the Commissioner prepare and submit a periodical report measuring environmental indicators across the state, at intervals not exceeding five years. According to Dr. Gillian Sparkes, Victoria’s Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, the report functions as an environmental score card with recommendations for improvement. She adds that the report’s legislative authority means government must formally respond to recommendations. The State of the Environment 2018 Report (SoE) was released in March of this year and Waste Management Review spoke to Gillian in September. Gillian has served as Victoria’s Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability since 2014, leading reforms in environmental monitoring, assessment and reporting. “Science has played a pivotal role in my life. It is the foundation on which I built my career and pursued my passions; helping others, solving problems, delivering change in complex environments and resolving difficult issues,” Gillian says. According to Gillian, the SoE provides community with access to previously unavailable baseline science. It is also the first time the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have

46 / WMR / October 2019

Dr. Gillian Sparkes, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability.

been comprehensively applied to state level environmental reporting in Australia. The SDGs function as a roadmap towards sustainable development by offering a consensus framework against which progress is measured. Gillian says the framework allows her team to measure improvement and decline across a broader socioeconomic suite of indicators than traditional biophysical SoE reports. She adds that this information can be used to compare Victoria’s performance with other jurisdictions. “This allows us to understand the entire system and see the balance between environmental, social and

economic considerations,” she says. “My team and I are now preparing the framework for the SoE 2023. It will build on the scientific baseline and SDG alignment presented in the SoE 2018. The framework for the SoE 2023 report will be tabled in the Victorian parliament in 2020.” According to Gillian, the SoE 2018 also introduces the UN System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) into state-level environmental reporting for the first time, with a focus on the contribution and benefit of ecosystem services to Victoria’s $400 billion economy. “SEEA will allow us to have broader conversations with

government, business and industry,” Gillian says. “A national waste account is a priority for the national set of Environmental-Economic accounts and is under development by the Meeting of Environment Ministers.”

Gillian says while waste and resource recovery data is more substantive than in some sectors, public reporting that matches her office’s aspirations for monitoring and understanding the circularity of Victoria’s economy, or the health of the waste and resource recovery DATA GAPS system as a whole, is limited. The SoE highlights the significance “The SoE identifies a need to of waste and resource recovery in develop indicators that track the the integrated environmental system, overall health of the resource noting it has the power to deplete recovery system including markets, natural resources, create pollution, not just to rely on current metrics increase greenhouse gas emissions such as tonnes of waste generated, and affect human health. tonnes sent to landfill, or tonnes As such, resource recovery must recycled,” she says. be a key element of any systematic “We have good data on total waste response to environmental challenges generation and municipal waste and emerging global megatrends per capita, but the data on litter such as climate change, disruptive and illegal dumping is poor and on AU 250 O3M, O2M, E2M 19 200x135 e.pdf 08:53 technologies and natural resource 1 02.09.19 hazardous waste is only fair.” constraints. Additionally, Victoria has not

yet agreed on indicators to track the circular economy transition, according to the report. “We need to strive for more real-time data for regulators and managers, and the participation of citizen scientists in the data acquisition processes of government,” Gillian says. “A circular economy will challenge our assumptions and we must ensure that we have the right data. It’s about knowing what we need to know, when we need to know it.” TRANSITION Earlier this year, the Victorian Government opened its draft Victorian Circular Economy Policy for public comment. According to the official document, the policy aims to redefine growth by decoupling economic activity from

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The SoE functions as an environmental scorecard.

the consumption of finite resources and design waste out of the system. The document also highlights durable product design to incentivise reuse and repair and share economy business models. An action plan and official policy document are set for release in 2020. “This shift reflects the pathway Victoria has already identified to improve outcomes from this sector, and the metrics and recommendations of the 2018 SoE support this decision,” Gillian says. “Circular economy indicators will be developed in line with the policy to enable expanded reporting beyond the linear system, monitor the operation and circularity of Victoria’s waste and resource recovery system and track progress of the transition. Good data enables good decision making.” The SoE recommends a transition pathway through community and business engagement with whole-ofgovernment buy-in. “A circular economy cannot focus only on waste and recycling if it is

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“The SoE identifies a need to develop indicators that track the overall health of the resource recovery system including markets, not just to rely on current metrics such as tonnes of waste generated, tonnes sent to landfill, or tonnes recycled.” Dr. Gillian Sparkes, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability

to drive change in the way people consume resources,” the report states. “It needs to encompass all aspects of the resources cycle, including resource extraction, imports, consumer behaviour, markets development and enabling procurement policies across the private and public sectors.” Gillian advises that the state government align its instructional planning and procurement processes,

to support the delivery of the proposed policy. “The size of the task ahead can’t be underestimated, and will require continued and diverse investment in the sector including research and development, technology, infrastructure, plant and equipment, consumer education, new markets for recycled products and the development and enforcement of appropriate regulatory regimes,” she explains.

Gillian says continuing to advocate for a national approach to waste and resource recovery is fundamental to the transition. RECOMMENDATIONS The SoE also recommends that Sustainability Victoria (SV) develop indicators for the Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan and Regional Waste and Resource Recovery Implementation Plan. “From July 2020, I have recommended that SV expand its monitoring and reporting framework to track the progress of strategy implementation and publicly report, at least annually, on Victoria’s transition to a circular economy – plus investment in long-term, state-wide community education to

improve outcomes for this sector,” Gillian says. “The government will formally respond to these recommendations by March 2020, and SV will be represented in that response.” Additionally, the SoE recommends the Victorian Government, commencing in the metropolitan region as a minimum, align institutional planning and procurement processes, including leveraging Victorian Government Procurement. Gillian says the model could be extended to environmental outcomes, such as specifying a recycled material content requirement for government projects. “This alignment would be adopted state-wide and enable an orderly transition to a circular economy by

2030,” she says. The SoE also notes that when developing the policy action plan, the roles of all agencies should be clarified, with responsibilities for delivery, procurement, reporting and regulatory roles nominated. Gillian adds that government procurement could be used as an activator for circular outcomes. “For example, the former Victorian Industry Participation Policy, now known as the Local Jobs First Policy, requires companies to use a specified amount of local content to participate in Victorian government tenders,” Gillian says. “To achieve our ambition to move away from 20th century take, make, waste business models, innovation and leadership from the private sector is key.”

EVENTS – WASTE EXPO

Upscaling resource recovery THIS YEAR’S WASTE EXPO AUSTRALIA IS FITTINGLY FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE OF WASTE AND RECYCLING IN THE NATION, WITH PRESENTATIONS FROM MAJOR PRIVATE SECTOR ENTERPRISES, COUNCILS AND GOVERNMENT.

orting and decontamination is becoming more important than ever as the private and public sector aims to produce cleaner products that can be used onshore whenever possible. This step change is partly an evolution of international waste import restrictions and landfill diversion targets, galvanising councils and the broader waste sector into action and paving the way for new and innovative technologies. In Victoria for example, the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group has helped develop an organics recycling network across Melbourne to divert food waste from landfill. This success story is one part of Waste Expo Australia – a conference which is fittingly focused on the future of waste and recycling in the nation. Melinda Lizza, Business Development Manager at Cleanaway, looks forward to presenting a case study in the commercial and industrial (C&I) stream on the company’s innovative depackaging unit. She says the Waste Expo offers a great networking opportunity to catch up with councils and the broader waste sector. “It’s an opportunity for Cleanaway to showcase our capabilities and breadth of services across the waste sector and showcase something new to Victoria through our de-

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Cleanaway’s South East Organics Facility sorts, decontaminates and shreds more than 100,000 tonnes of FOGO per annum.

packaging unit,” she says. In February of this year, Cleanaway acquired a de-packaging unit in order to separate food from its packaging to send the organic material to the South East Organics Facility (SEOF) for processing into compost. The unit enables Cleanaway to recover more resources from packaged food products. It complements the company’s resource recovery facility, South East Melbourne Transfer Station and the Melbourne Regional Landfill. The de-packaging unit can separate a range of packaging and containers from their contents, including tin cans and trays, plastic bottles, blister packs, sachets and pouches, paper bags, tetra packs, polymer bags, cardboard boxes and steel and plastic drums. Without the de-packaging technology much of this material would have to be landfilled as it’s not viable to separate manually. Melinda says that councils and the C&I sector are all pushing for greater

landfill diversion outcomes. She says that the de-packaging unit is particularly suited to supermarket chains dealing with a mixed variety of food streams including grocery, produce and deli products. The unit is capable of recovering up to 99 per cent of material and can reduce general waste disposal costs. Typical products include bakery items, fruit and vegetables, dairy, pet food, meat, poultry and fish and other grocery items. “One of our major national customers wanted to increase their organics landfill diversion rates to meet their targets,” Melinda explains. “When you’re talking about large supermarkets and retail chains they don’t necessarily have the time and resources to educate their staff to separate the packaging from organics and put them in the right bin.” She says that the de-packaging unit saves retailers extensive time and effort by not having to de-package products.

”It’s the perfect solution for out-of-spec, out-of-date, quarantine or mislabelled products,” Melinda explains. While Cleanaway continually tests the unit with challenging products such as throat lozenges and solid blocks of cheese, materials such as glass have proved deleterious and are excluded from the unit. Cleanaway’s SEOF sorts, decontaminates and shreds more than 100,000 tonnes of FOGO per annum. Its decontaminated and shredded FOGO is repurposed into nutrientrich compost in collaboration with its partners Gippsland Water and Biomix, which uses a combination of in-vessel and open windrow processing to pasteurise and mature the material. Victoria’s organics achievements are only one part of the national picture,

with the conference delving deep into topics ranging from Container Deposit Schemes to long-term waste strategies and policy and developing manufacturing inputs into value-added products such as road base aggregates. Hosting more than 120 brands and over 100 speakers across three conference stages, Waste Expo Australia will return to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 23 and 24. The conference will offer freeto-attend conference content across the Waste and Wastewater Summits, attracting the largest gathering of waste management and resource professionals in Australia. The Waste Summit Conference will cover six targeted streams from resource recovery, waste-to-energy, collections, landfill and transfer stations, construction and

demolition waste as well as C&I waste. Key speakers include Victoria’s Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio, Victorian EPA CEO Cathy Wilkinson and Acting Executive Director for Waste Strategy and Policy at the NSW EPA Kar Mel Tang. Cory McCarrick, Waste Expo Australia Event Director, says there is no other waste event in Australia that gives visitors access to such thoughtprovoking content. He adds that the event addresses the major issues facing the industry, coupled with the opportunities to be immersed among the key players and products for free. “We have seen in an increase in the total number of suppliers, speakers and sponsors to this year’s event which is set to be the largest in the event’s history,” Cory says.

EVENTS – AWRE

Digital revolution GERMAN ENGINEERING SOFTWARE COMPANY IFM EFECTOR IS IMPLEMENTING DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT THE WASTE SECTOR FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.

his year’s Australasian Waste & Recycling Expo (AWRE) spruiks the tagline “a world of solutions driving change” and focuses on resetting thinking and reenergising communities. German engineering software and equipment manufacturers ifm efector has been a supporter of AWRE for years and it is the company’s own focus on developing extraordinary solutions that drives them to be a part of the waste sector’s evolution. Ifm provides automation products for refuse applications which comprise position, object recognition, fluid sensors, bus and identification systems and control and connection technology. Glenn Thornton, National Product and Brand Manager at ifm efector Australia, says AWRE helps the company stay abreast of industry

OEMs and councils can dial in via TeamViewer to ensure any issues with its systems are rectified.

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trends and collaborate with original equipment manufacturers. “We find industry participants are looking for the next technology to stay at the cutting edge of productivity,” Glenn explains. One of ifm’s key offerings at AWRE will be high level safety systems such as programmable logic controllers (PLC) for rear lift bins and crushers. Glenn says ifm’s expertise within Australia allows it to offer mobile equipment suitable for municipal waste collection. “We have full-time staff in Australia dedicated to their products. Our advice is consultative in how to go about getting a more sophisticated vehicle that is intuitive enough to give an understanding of what is going on in the vehicle,” Glenn says. “We do a lot of research and training globally and offer that to our customers with a strong support network.” He says ifm PLC systems carry a TUV safety rating – a unique accreditation unheard of in the mobile equipment space supported by a water- and dust-proof design. “ifm’s key point of difference in PLC is its robust nature in being able to handle screen temperatures of -40°C to -80°C Celsius. “Also it’s able to handle extraordinary vibration levels so it doesn’t have to be mounted in the cab. It can be mounted to the side of a vehicle.” He says that OEMs and councils can use the system to dial in via

One of ifm’s key offerings will be high level safety systems.

TeamViewer, understand the cause of any equipment failures and ensure any issues are rectified. “For a machine builder like an OEM that is building this type of machinery, we can offer features that add to the robust nature of the machine reducing downtime to zero, anticipate errors or see inside a vehicle in real time via TeamViewer. “Real time maintenance is one of the biggest features among uptime and efficiency.” He says that ifm will also showcase suction vehicles for infrastructure works, mobile wood chipping machines and elevated work platforms to support council projects. Ifm also offers 3D technology to provide intuitive information inside and outside of a vehicle and avoid collision. Glenn says that it’s critical all of the most pertinent safety components are addressed before a vehicle takes off. “We will continue to listen to our customer base and machine builders to ensure we provide the latest safety systems,” he says.

APCO COLUMN

Taking a considered approach APCO CEO BROOKE DONNELLY EXPLAINS WHY BUSINESSES NEED TO IDENTIFY MATERIAL ALTERNATIVES AS THEY MOVE AWAY FROM SINGLE-USE PLASTICS.

f there’s one issue that unites us all, it’s the challenge of managing single-use plastics. Governments, businesses, consumers and community groups have all weighed in on the issue – and the consensus is that time’s up for single-use. But what’s the most effective process for conducting an industry-wide, nationally consistent phase out? This is one of the questions APCO is working hard to address through the delivery of the 2025 National Packaging Targets, and the specific focus to phase out problematic and unnecessary singleuse plastic. Across the APCO membership, we have seen real willingness from businesses to embrace change. But the dilemma facing organisations reviewing their future packaging formats is if not plastic - then what? For many organisations, the solution has been a switch to paper-based products. But as a material flow, this brings its own unique challenges. The waste stream generated by paper (two million tonnes) is currently twice the size of plastic (907,401 tonnes), and with more and more brands moving from plastic to paper – what will that waste stream look like in the future and do we have the infrastructure to manage it? Meanwhile, as the functionality requirements of paper-based packaging expands – so too does the complexity

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of packaging formats. This brings its own recyclability challenges, with more PCPB coatings and greater reliance on multi-layer flexible formats. Another popular alternative has been the growth in biodegradable and compostable packaging. While compostable packaging will play an important role in our capacity to reach the 2025 targets – the Australian system doesn’t currently have the collection and processing infrastructure in place to make it a mainstream kerbside solution. As we start to explore alternative material types, I’d encourage all businesses to take a holistic, systemic approach to the challenge. Each packaging scenario is unique and requires a tailored response that considers the impact and opportunities across the whole supply chain. Qantas’ recent zero-waste flight trial, employing a closed loop composting system, was a great example of this approach. You can read more about the project in our new Food Services Packaging Guidelines - available on the APCO website in October 2019. For businesses considering a Life Cycle Assessment approach, the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) holds training courses on how to apply a methodological framework for assessing environmental impacts associated with all stages of a packaging product’s life. APCO will be facilitating a lifecycle workshop

Brooke Donnelly says paper has emerged as an alternative to plastic but this brings with it its own set of unique challenges.

with the key retail organisations in 2019 to work through some of these difficult to answer questions relating to packaging alternatives. However, it’s important to note that there is one relatively simple action we can all take to work through these issues – engage with others. These challenges will not be solved through isolation or closed thinking. Instead it will require the active contribution and engagement of all stakeholders in the packaging ecosystem. Talk with your supply chain, speak with your industry associations, reach out to your state and territory based government agencies, and organisations like APCO, Planet Ark and AIP. Participate and join the many organisations working towards building our unique Australian pathway to the circular economy.

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE – TRAILERS

Automated walking ZYGGY REINOGA, KEITH WALKING FLOOR AUSTRALIA MANAGER, SPEAKS TO WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE COMPANY’S AUTOMATED ALTERNATIVE TO THE TIPPING TRAILER.

he recently released 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit examined key challenges faced by Australia’s waste sector including population growth, patchwork government regulation and transportation costs. Without action, transporting waste will become more costly and as such, so will resource recovery, according to the report. This is attributed to significant distances between waste generation points and processing facilities. Zyggy Reinoga, Keith Walking Floor Australia Manager, says the limited technical efficiency of waste trailers is an additional factor. “Loading and unloading waste trailers can be time consuming because operators have to clean the body out manually,” he says. “There are also issues with cross contamination that stem from ineffective cleaning and a lack of automated loading and unloading, which results in wasted space and reduced payloads.” To counteract these inefficiencies, Keith Walking Floor developed a fully automated walking floor trailer system that allows cargo to be safely and efficiently unloaded without the need of a tipping trailer. “The introduction of the rugged V-Floor slat 15 years ago, allowed operators to process loads that other trailers had to pass on because of transportation challenges.” The V-Floor system consists of

a series of reciprocating slats that are powered by a hydraulic drive. “As the floor moves through its four-phase cycle, every third slat moves together,” Zyggy says. “During the final phase, all slats move in unison conveying the material. The friction of the load on the two sets of slats that remain in place keeps the load from moving, while the final set of slats moves.” Zyggy says V-Floor slats are designed for high impact and abrasion, and are suitable for construction and demolition waste, scrap metal, aggregates and specialty waste products such as fly ash. “Operators need to make the most of their trailers and waste transport vehicles, and backhauling can double the efficiency of a fleet – an added benefit of our automated system,” he says. “Our sweep system also cleans the floor of the trailer as it unloads to reduce payload cross contamination.”

According to Zyggy, the sweep system eliminates the need for brooms or manual tarps and provides a safer working environment as the operator never has to enter the trailer body. Zyggy says the V-Floor system recently underwent a redesign to increase the versatility of its unloading floor. “Major advantages include an increase in the floor area that actually moves the load, and a reduction in the weight of the slats,” he says. Zyggy added that the V-Floor’s bearing support system increases the life of both the bearing and the V-Floor slat. “Designed to handle a variety of waste products, our walking floor system offers many benefits over conventional tipper trailers, with the horizontal unloading action eliminating many of the hazards associated with tipper trailer unloading,” Zyggy says. Contact Phone: 03 9562 2190 Email: zreinoga@keithwalkingfloor.com Website: www.keithwalkingfloor.com

Keith Walking Floor has developed a fully automated walking floor trailer system.

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58 / WMR / October 2019

PRODUCT SHOWCASE – TRAILERS

All roads lead to safety T&M ROAD HAULAGE HAS CONSISTENTLY WORKED WITH ALL ROADS TRANSPORT ENGINEERS TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND SUPPORT ITS BIOMASS AND WOODCHIP TRANSPORTATION.

oving to WA just over 10 years ago, Tim Bowman envisioned a business where he could service a range of heavy industries with efficient labour and transport solutions. His hard work and determination led to T&M Road Haulage, a business based in Bunbury in WA covering a range of heavy industries. Established in 2008, the company provides maintenance and repairs to the heavy plant, highway, mining and construction industries.

prime movers and 50 trailers. The company had historically used tipper trailers but as it grew, identified the need to move to a safer and more efficient fleet. The reliability and robust reputation of All Roads Transport Engineers led Tim to acquire his first Walking Floor Trailer around three years ago and since then he hasn’t looked back. “It reduces the risk of materials falling over and allows for a much more

T&M Road Haulage turned to All Roads to acquire its first Walking Floor Trailer.

A mechanic by trade, Tim understood how important quality repairs and servicing were to maximising uptime and preventing downtime. In the waste transport segment, T&M carts biomass and woodchips, in an approximately 300-kilometre stretch covering an extensive range from Bunbury up to Albany. The diverse business moves a range of materials using various pieces of equipment, including bulk tippers and flat tops. Its fleet comprises around 18

versatile unload,” Tim explains. He says the safety benefits are huge as tipping trailers often required close monitoring of loading and unloading in challenging environments such as uphill and downhill terrain. Safety is supported by an ADR 38-04 brake system and is also yard release fitted. The Walking Floor is fitted with a roll tarp and comprises an aluminium barn door fitted with an air operated tail gate from top to bottom. One of the key reasons why T&M

turned to All Roads was its ability to offer an excellent build quality with robust steel. The company, which brings more than 25 years’ experience, has worked hard to ensure its customers are provided with the best possible solution. With a capacity of 74 cubic metres and around 8.6 metres of tare weight, the Walking Floor provides options for load cells and conmet axles. All Roads also provides floor options of a Cargo, Halco or Keith to provide an impactand leak-proof system. Tim says the trailers allowed for an easy configuration and support T&M to load and unload from both floors using the moving floor technology. The trailers have been such a successful part of the fleet that each year the company has acquired new ones to support the business’ growth. T&M carts around 180 tonnes per day. With a strong after-sales support network, All Roads is able to provide assistance should anything go wrong. Mitchell Spaanderman, All Roads Business Development Manager, says the company builds singles and combinations of walking floors. “We believe heavily in solving a problem and being more than just a salesperson but a problem solver,” he says. Contact Phone: (08) 9844 3883 Email: sales@allroads.com.au Website: www.allroads.com.au

www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 59

PRODUCT SHOWCASE – TRAILERS

Ejecting for efficiency AFTER CITYWIDE DEVELOPED AN OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY PLAN TO BOOST PRODUCTIVITY AND PAYLOADS, IT ENGAGED WASTECH ENGINEERING FOR A NEW FLEET FLEET OF CLEARLINE WASTE TRANSFER TRAILERS.

hen the City of Melbourne announced it would fast-track the delivery of its Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy in early August, it illustrated a commitment to growing the state’s resource recovery capacity. Similarly, the Victorian Government allocated $35 million to waste and resource recovery via the state budget in May. Both initiatives highlight a pledge to develop more efficient waste processing capabilities across the state. Increasing productivity via efficient processes is a motivation shared by Melbourne City Council subsidiary Citywide, which recently revised its operational efficiency plan. Travis Martin, Citywide Commercial Waste Division Manager, says while

investment in resource recovery facilities is critical, so too is streamlining operations at less glamorous but equally important waste transfer stations. Being entrusted with the waste management of Victoria’s capital city, and the second largest in the country, highlights the scope and scale of Citywide’s operations. It similarly underscores the importance of finding the right equipment supplier. Travis says to manage this scale, Citywide and Wastech Engineering developed a symbiotic relationship. “Citywide and Wastech have worked together in many capacities over the years, with Wastech providing ongoing equipment maintenance and support at our transfer station and working with us in waste and recycling process

Citywide and Wastech Engineering have been working together for a number of years to boost productivity.

60 / WMR / October 2019

innovation,” Travis says. “In the most recent instance, we informed Wastech that we needed new waste transfer trailers to boost operations, and were directed to its Clearline range.” Travis, who has worked in the waste industry for more than 30 years, says the Citywide Transfer Station and Resource Recovery Centre is the largest of its kind in Victoria, and one of the five largest in Australia. “Located in West Melbourne, the centre provides waste management services to various local government and commercial clients, meaning effective transport arrangements are key,” Travis says. “We process multiple waste streams at the facility, largely consisting of municipal waste, residential, commercial and industrial waste and multiple recycling streams such as paper, cardboard, steel and organics.” According to Sustainability Victoria, over 12.8 million tonnes of waste was managed by the state’s waste and resource recovery system in 2017. In the same year, City of Melbourne residents generated 40,000 tonnes. To keep up with accelerating service demands, Travis says Citywide recently developed and implemented an operational efficiency plan in order to lift productivity and payloads. “With ever-increasing volumes of waste generated in and around

Melbourne’s CBD - that needs to be processed through the Citywide transfer station - we needed to boost efficiency and invest in new operational and transport equipment,” Travis says. “One facet of the plan was engaging Wastech for a new range of Clearline Waste Transfer Trailers, with an operational model of owner drivers and a drop and go system for productivity.” Citywide already owned a number of Clearline trailers, but wanted to upgrade to the newer model. Travis says his previous experiences with Wastech made him confident the new trailer model would meet expectations and application requirements. The Clearline Waste Transfer Trailer’s rolled wall body design provides durability and integral strength, which Travis says is critical to withstanding the high piercing forces present during compaction of industrial and commercial waste. The trailer also incorporates the use of high-tensile steel plate in the body to reduce tare weight and increase payloads. Citywide uses the Clearline trailers to transport waste from its central transfer station in West Melbourne to various landfill sites across the city. “The Clearline’s smooth internal design, and hydraulic eject blade, safely and efficiently push the waste load out of the body at landfill,” Travis says. “The full eject feature reduces each load by 20 minutes, equating to one extra load per shift.” According to Travis, the Clearline trailers are fitted with Elphinstone weighing systems that provide 99 per cent weight accuracy. He adds that as the trailers are mass managed, the weighing systems can be used to full effect. “The trailers have also reduced volumes at the transfer station, which makes the customer onsite experience quick and easy,” he says. Wastech’s transfer trailers feature full cab controls to facilitate operator friendly conditions and heightened safety, as operators aren’t required to exit the vehicle when unloading. “The previous Clearline Waste Transfer Trailer design was great, and worked well under harsh conditions, but the rear doors and hydraulic ejection of the new model really lifts ease of operations,” Travis says. “As the last piece of Citywide’s operational efficiency plan, the delivery of Wastech’s trailers significantly increased our transfer station operations.” Contact Contact: Chris Andel Phone: 03 8787 1656 Email: candel@wastech.com.au Website: www.wastech.com.au/

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE – WHEEL LOADERS

Handling gold RYAN HOBAN, KERFAB MARKETING MANAGER, TALKS TO WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE COMPANY’S NEW RANGE OF WASTE INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC-WHEEL LOADER ATTACHMENTS.

reen waste is regularly called black gold – black because it turns dark when fully decomposed, and gold because of its untapped reuse potential. Green waste presents a number of handling challenges and as such, is often perceived as too difficult to work with, according Ryan Hoban, Kerfab Marketing Manager. Ryan adds that green waste’s perceived unviability is one reason the material’s potential remains untapped. “Green waste is biodegradable, and often comes in the form of garden or park waste like grass, tree cuttings, branches and hedge trimmings, as well as domestic and commercial

timber waste,” Ryan says. “It is wet and heavy, arrives as a mass of varied particle sizes and is ultimately very cumbersome to shift.” According to Ryan, all waste streams present a unique set of challenges, which highlights the need for specialised equipment. After years building custom bespoke attachments for the waste industry, materials handling equipment manufacturer Kerfab has noticed a gap in the market. “We’ve conducted countless site visits across Australia and found most facilities were using ill-suited attachments originally designed for other industries,” Ryan says.

“Most industries aren’t as harsh as the waste sector, and therefore don’t require their attachments to work at the same capacity.” To correctly handle waste, Ryan says operators require wheel loader attachments designed specifically for their material stream. “To tame glass waste for example, high dump buckets are useful as they streamline loading into high-sided trailers,” he says. “But even then, when buckets are designed simply for general use applications, waste operators are likely to run into challenges.” Ryan says that after extensive research, it became clear the waste

The WastePro range is designed specifically for the waste industry.

62 / WMR / October 2019

industry needed its own range of prefabricated, purpose-built attachments. “We developed the WastePro range in response to an evergrowing but demanding industry, where productivity is critical and downtime must be prevented at all costs,” Ryan says. “The WastePro range is the only set of attachments in Australia designed solely for the unique demands of waste management companies.” Ryan says the WastePro range enables efficient procurement and removes the necessity of custom builds. He adds that in addition to green waste, the WastePro range features attachments suitable for all waste stream including glass, cardboard and construction and demolition. “Kerfab is committed to customer service and working in collaboration with our clients. However, it is not uncommon for an operator to require quick and easy access to attachments,” he explains. “We hope to facilitate this through our new WastePro range.” Ryan says because general use attachments aren’t designed to handle waste conditions, they can decrease the effectiveness of wheel loaders and the lifecycle of buckets, which leads to premature wear and increased downtime. “From green and general waste to plastic recyclables, Kerfab has designed multiple variants of our attachments to help maximise uptime and increase equipment life,” he says. The new range consists of eight separate bucket and grapple attachments, with different models available depending on an operator’s specific material stream. “A bucket used to move large amounts of paper needs different functionality design to one working with abrasive material such as crushed

glass, and Kerfab has designed the WastePro Range around that fact,” Ryan says. According to Ryan, Kerfab paid specific attention to durability during the WastePro design phase. “More moving parts means there is a greater chance for breakdowns, which is why it’s so important for grapples and high dump buckets be built for purpose,” Ryan says. “We have also developed heavier duty cylinders to cope with the immense pressure required to repeatedly operate a fully loaded high dump bucket.” Unlike Kerfab’s standard line, the WastePro Range is manufactured using Hardox, a wear-and-abrasion resistant steel. “These attachments are designed to increase efficiency, longevity and maximise return on investment,” Ryan says. “We know how important it is for companies to have minimal downtime, so our attachments are designed to limit this, and subsequently drive productivity.”

Ryan says Kerfab’s after-sales service BackUp+ offers another line of defence for the range. He adds that Kerfab has a network of engineers and fabricators in every major city in Australia. “They are in place and ready to assist in routine maintenance, such as replacing cutting edges and wear plates, complex fixes and warranty claims. “This ensures that any attachment related issue will be dealt with quickly to minimise downtime. However, since Kerfab attachments have a less than one per cent failure rate, this scenario is unlikely,” Ryan says. The WastePro range has recently undergone final testing, with buckets and grapples already in use at waste companies and councils across the country. “Kerfab will officially launch the range at the Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo in October,” Ryan says. Contact Contact: Ryan Hoban Phone: 1800 818 079 Email: ryan@kerfab.com Website: www.kerfab.com.au

The WastePro Range is manufactured using Hardox steel.

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE – WHEEL LOADERS

Pushing power WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW PEAKS WITH MATT MCCARTHY, HITACHI NATIONAL MAJOR ACCOUNT MANAGER, ABOUT DESIGNING WHEEL LOADERS FOR THE WASTE INDUSTRY.

e it mining, construction, forestry or waste management, wheel loaders are a key fixture across multiple industries. While the basic function of the machine remains relatively unchanged, different applications require specialised additives and system structures. In a waste context, this can include devices to regulate temperature, individual guarding and differential systems designed to enhance pushing power. Recognising the impact of industry understanding, international construction equipment manufacturer Hitachi has developed a specialised waste service team to guide in-house design and customer support. Matt McCarthy, Hitachi National Major Account Manager, says his job requires him to work closely with major accounts to monitor their needs and industry-specific requirements. “If a company hopes to sell into a specific industry, it must have a layered understanding of how the sector works and what its central needs are,” Matt says. “While Hitachi’s client list spans multiple sectors, we are very attuned to

ZW-5 wheel loaders were designed using research and development from Hitachi. 64 / WMR / October 2019

the specificity of the waste and recycling industry, and the need to employ heavyduty equipment solutions.” Matt says Hitachi’s close relationship with the waste industry allows the company to develop machines based on acquired knowledge. “One of our biggest strengths as a national company is our expansive branch network and industry-focused departments,” Matt says. “This means we have a significant breadth of knowledge to pull from, plus the size of our team enables fast response times.” Matt says when it comes to machinery and equipment design, the waste sector is demanding. “Operators at transfer stations, landfills and resource recovery facilities expect a lot from their equipment for good reason, given they regularly deal with harsh materials that require safe and environmentally sound handling.” Matt says Hitachi’s ZW-5 Wheel Loader range was designed with site conditions in mind and is suited to most applications. “It can handle anything from solid waste, organics, to recyclable waste and construction and demolition material.”

According to Matt, ZW-5s were designed using research and development from Hitachi’s excavator range. “Hitachi is renowned for our hydraulic excavators,” he explains. “When developing the ZW-5, we chose to incorporate a lot of the same design principals, features, benefits and even componentry.” ZW-5 Wheel Loaders use a torque proportional differential system, which Matt says is a key point of difference. “Hitachi includes standard torque proportioning differentials against the whole range, meaning all the machine’s usable power is available to the ground,” he says. “Customers comment that the pushing power of the machines is exceptional, and because it’s concentrated, they are using a lot less fuel.” The Hitachi torque proportional differential system automatically adjusts the machine’s driving force to both wheels. “Unlike conventional differential systems, when road resistance under both wheels is different, the differential reduces slippage and enables the loader to move freely, even in slippery and uneven terrain,” Matt says. He adds that another benefit of the differential system is reduced tyre wear. “Hitachi’s system sends torque to the wheels to gain better traction, leading to less damage and longer tyre life.” Hitachi Wheel Loaders are also equipped with a new hydraulic circuit that accelerates the combined

operation of the bucket and lift arm for loading, while prioritising bucket use for unloading. “The lift arm movement contributes to the new ZW-5’s high productivity levels, as the flow control lowers the lift arm smoothly, reducing vibrations and operator fatigue,” Matt says. Matt says the manoeuvrability of the ZW-5-Wheel Loader series is also enhanced by automatic gearshift controls. “The auto one option automatically shifts between first and fifth gear, dependent on the load, when second to fifth gears have been engaged.” “The auto two option automatically shifts between second and fifth gear, relative to the load. If required, the operator can also change gears manually by using the down shift switch to suit the terrain on any job site.”

The ZW-5’s automatic reversible cooling fan, which Matt says allows the wheel loader to work long hours more consistently, is another relevant feature for the waste industry. “The fan facilitates easy radiator cleaning, with a one-minute automatic reverse rotation every 30 operating minutes,” he says. “Having engaged cleaning systems in place is crucial when working in dusty and hot environments.” For its waste customers, Hitachi also provides a specialised waste handling package. “We can fit ZW-5s with durable guarding, reducing the potential for waste to get trapped in the machine and cause damage,” he says. “We also have dust protection screens and guards for the front windshield, buckets and axle seals all of which conform to outdoor waste

safety specifications.” According to Matt, Hitachi’s commitment to understanding industry is driven by its total cost of ownership focus. “Hitachi isn’t just thinking about purchase price. Instead, we are continuously examining ways to reduce total life costs through fuel saving technology and specialised servicing,” he says. “When a machine is not working efficiently there is reduced productivity, and as such, the operator isn’t earning income. “It’s Hitachi’s job to keep these machines running, so uptimes can be as high as possible.” Contact Phone: 02 9780 6906 Email: marketing@hcma.com.au Website: www.hcma.com.au

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE – WHEEL LOADERS

Fully loaded timber DIRECT PALLETS & RECYCLING ARE WORKING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF WOOD WASTE WITH STURDY MACHINERY FROM CJD EQUIPMENT.

Direct Pallets has been using CJD Equipment to load and unload loose wood material.

irtually every manufacturer deals with the issue of waste timber in the form of pallets. Despite their natural resource status, wood pallets are difficult to dispose of and take up significant landfill space. According to the NSW EPA, approximately 140,000 tonnes of waste wood pallets and crates are sent to landfill each year in Sydney alone. That said, the problem of wood waste is not being ignored, with proactive resource recovery work through organisations such as the Forest Stewardship Council and private businesses like Direct Pallets & Recycling. Direct Pallets is a closed loop pallet provider that sells new, near new and fully recycled pallets. To complete the circle, Direct Pallets also shreds excess waste timber to manufacture fully recycled animal bedding, biofuels and garden mulch. Rob James, Direct Pallets & Recycling Managing Director, says it’s not an over

exaggeration to say his company handles a million pallets each year. He adds that 80 per cent of the pallets they sell are manufactured with fully recycled timber. “Many clients will receive new or recycled pallets through us and then backload our trucks with old pallets for recycling,” Rob says. Rob started Direct Pallets 25 years ago when he was 23 years old. He says the initial focus was metal recycling, before the company turned its attention to timber. “Our 10,000-square metre site in Ingleburn NSW handles a near constant flow of trucks, with some dropping pallets off for refurbishing or recycling and others picking new ones up,” he says. To keep the flow going, Rob says he relies on simple but sturdy equipment. “We have eight-wheeler hook bin trucks, specialised walking floor trucks, flat top trucks, forklifts, excavators and two large LG946L SDLG wheel loaders,” he explains. “We purchased the loaders from CJD Equipment after successfully working with them in the past.” CJD is an Australian owned distributor of construction equipment and trucks for a variety of manufacturing and waste disposal industries. CJD’s product portfolio includes multiple industry leading brands, such as Volvo, Kenworh, DAF and Fuso. Rob says being aware of CJD’s long list of international distribution deals made him confident in the company’s

ability to provide a loader that met his requirements. “The SDLG wheel loader is a simple piece of equipment that’s ideal for loading and unloading loose material such as shredded wood.” The SDLG loader supplied by CJD has high roll buckets, which Direct Pallets uses to load mulch into trucks for transport and reinforce pallet stockpiles. The wheel loader has a fully certified ROPS-FOPS rollover protection airconditioned cab, with wraparound pillarless front and rear windscreens for clear visibility. The SDLG also comes with a standard Volvo compatible quick hitch and general purpose bucket, with a bolt-on cutting edge designed to increase productivity. According to Rob, the engine is high torque, high performance and fuel efficient, and connects to a tropical cooling package that allows it to work at full capacity in tough conditions. Rob says he initially brought just one SDLG wheel loader from CJD. However, after watching the machine in action, he went back for a second. “CJD has been great to work with, not just with supplying the loaders, but also with servicing and after-sales support,” Rob says. “The comfort of having their back-up was a big influence on our decision to buy the first, and then second SDLG loader.” Contact Phone: 1300 139 804 Email: enquiries@cjd.com.au Website: www.cjd.com.au

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Levy reform urgently needed A NATIONAL APPROACH TO LEVY PRICING, ADOPTION OF THE LEVY PORTABILITY PRINCIPLE BY ALL JURISDICTIONS, AND MORE TRANSPARENT MANAGEMENT OF LEVY FUNDS ARE URGENTLY REQUIRED, WRITES ROSE READ, CEO OF THE NATIONAL WASTE AND RECYCLING INDUSTRY COUNCI. NWRIC recently undertook a review of the current status of waste and landfill levies across Australia.

aste or landfill levies are a key regulatory tool used to improve recycling and fund environmental liabilities from waste generation. They have a significant effect on both the commercial environment of nearly every waste and recycling business and community behaviour. They also generate significant amounts of funds for each jurisdiction. Therefore, carefully considered levy regulations nationwide are essential to advancing Australia towards a circular economy. The National Waste and Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC) has recently undertaken a review of the current status of waste and landfill

levies across Australia (see www.nwric. com.au). It examines by jurisdiction, how much the levies are, what waste types are levied, where and when they apply, how they are administered, the amount of funds raised each year and how these funds are spent. It also analysed the impacts and benefits of these levies on waste and recycling outcomes across Australia and identified a number of issues that need to be addressed urgently to ensure the levies achieve what they were set out to do and not drive waste downÂ theÂ hierarchy. Waste/landfill levies were first introduced in 1971 by NSW at a $0.56/tonne. Since then South

Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland have introduced levies. In 2018-19 rates ranged in price from $31 to $250 with an estimated $1.06 billion raised. In 2019-20 this is expected to increase to $1.5 billion with the introduction of the waste levy in Queensland. This will equate to approximately $54 per capita per year, up from $39 per capita per year in 2018-19. Of the $1.06 billion funds raised in 2018-19, an estimated $365.5 million or 34 per cent nationally was reinvested into activities relating to waste and recycling, EPAs or climate change (in the case of Victoria). At a state level the reinvestment rate of the

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levy ranged from 20 per cent in NSW and 25 per cent in WA to 66 per cent in Victoria and 67 per cent in South Australia. Funds not reinvested were either retained in consolidated revenue and invested elsewhere as in the case of NSW and WA, retained in nominated funds such as Victoria’s Sustainability Fund or SA’s Green Industries Fund or provided to the relevant state EPA general budget for non-waste and recycling activities. In 2019-20 it is estimated that of the $1.5 billion in funds raised around $600 million or 41 per cent will be reinvested into waste and recycling activities. This increase can largely be attributed to the Queensland Government’s commitment to reinvest 70 per cent of the levy, with local councils receiving 105 per cent of their levy contribution. On the positive side, the levies have increased resource recovery over time and enabled the commercial development of local resource recovery businesses including material recovery facilities, processing facilities for plastics, paper, cardboard, glass, timber, organics, alternate waste treatment plants and waste-to-energy facilities for fuel manufacture, thermal and electricity generation. The levies have also funded various waste and recycling initiatives. These range from state EPA and local government environmental compliance activities, community and business waste and recycling education campaigns, research and development, data collection, construction of new infrastructure by local government and private enterprise, to cleaning up waste and pollution generated from illegal actions. On the negative side however, differentials in levies across regions and between states has created a levy avoidance industry, both legal and illegal, resulting in potentially

70 / WMR / October 2019

recyclable material ending up in landfill, and hazardous material being disposed of inappropriately. This has become big business particularly in NSW and WA due to the significant variability of levy rates for solid, hazardous and liquid wastes. It is estimated that between 1.5 million to three million tonnes of waste has been transported per annum either significant distances to landfills where levies do not apply, dumped into the environment, stockpiled or in the case of hazardous wastes hidden or mislabelled to reduce or avoid state levies. Key learnings from this analysis are the vastly different approaches states and territories take to levies. This ranges from how much is charged between regions and states, what wastes are levied (e.g. solid, liquid, hazardous or prescribed) and how they are defined, where liability for the levy is charged, how the levy is administered and how levy funds are managed and reinvested into activities to improve waste and recycling practices and reported on. Of major concern is the lack of transparency in most jurisdictions of how many funds are collected per year, how and where they are invested in waste and recycling activities and assessment of the effectiveness of the investment in achieving waste and recycling strategies and targets. The NWRIC believes there is an urgent need to reform the current state levy structures, pricing, administration and investment management. It is critical this reform is done in a coordinated manner between all state and territories to remove interstate inconsistencies that are clearly driving poor waste disposal behaviours contrary to the objects of the levy to increase resource recovery and environmental protection. This will be the only way to ensure

the best return on investment of levy funds in delivering better waste management and resource outcomes expected by the community.

Fast Fact The NWRIC recommends that state and territory governments together with the Federal Government and: 1) d evelop a National Levy Pricing Strategy through COAG that prevents the inappropriate disposal and movement of waste between regions and states and ensures the resource recovery industry remains viable and competitive by removing significant geographic levy differentials and providing recycling residual discounts or recycling rebates where justified. 2) d evelop National Waste Levy Protocols for which wastes should be levied (e.g. solid, liquid, hazardous and prescribed), where the liability for the levy sits (e.g. at point of generation and is portable across regions and states), how far waste can be moved (e.g. proximity within or across states) and how the levy is administered (e.g. payments, bad debts). 3) a re more transparent and accountable for the total amount of levies collected by each jurisdiction by: • s etting up a separate Levy Trust Account (similar to Victoria’s MILL Trust Account) where all levies are retained. • g uaranteeing a minimum percentage of levies (suggested 50 per cent) to be spent annually on activities to implement the jurisdiction’s waste avoidance and resource recovery strategies, resource recovery and remanufacturing industry development plans, market development initiatives and infrastructure plans. • r eporting annually on the total amount of levy funds collected and spent (including non-waste and recycling related expenditure) and outcomes achieved.

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Waste Management Review October 2019

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