WASTE INDUSTRY AWARDS

Recognising excellence

THE WASTE INNOVATION AND RECYCLING AWARDS ARE A CHANCE TO CELEBRATE THE WORK BEING DONE ACROSS ALL LEVELS OF THE WASTE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY SECTOR.

Waste Management Review looks at the finalists and their achievements ahead of the awards on 31 March, 2022.

OUTSTANDING WARR PROJECT: METRO

Procure recycled: Paving the way – Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC)

The largest council-led procurement of its kind in NSW, Paving the Way created a closed-loop market for domestic glass collections through a large-scale procurement of asphalt with recycled crushed glass (RCG).

Creating change with containers in WA – REMONDIS Australia

REMONDIS Australia operates the collection and processing of nonglass products for Western Australia’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) for the Perth, Peel and Wheatbelt regions. More than 28 million containers per month are collected and processed.

Recycled organics and medical equipment trial – Epworth HealthCare Centre

In the past year, almost 30-tonnes of food waste, medical PVC and employee uniforms has been recycled and turned into electricity, garden hose and stuffing for exercise equipment.

Minta roadway resurfacing – Stockland

A road in suburban Melbourne is being built with Downer’s recycled asphalt, Reconophalt. The twokilometre roadway will divert about 1,356,000 plastic bags, 39,610 printer cartridges and 724 tonnes of recycled asphalt from landfill.

OUTSTANDING WARR PROJECT: REGIONAL

Waste enforcement training – Keep Australia Beautiful

The Litter Enforcement Officer Network, run by Keep Victoria Beautiful, designed and delivered the only training for authorised officers on the new Environment Protection Act. The course has been endorsed by EPA.

McMullin Building demolition – Drumderg Services

A benchmark project for the University of Newcastle, Drumderg and TSA Management in establishing complementary protocols for planning, achieving and exceeding best practice across all phases of the demolition project. In total, the project diverted 99.83 per cent of materials from landfill, achieved a 97 per cent “World Leading” Safety score, retained 35 significant trees and crushed and processed 15,000+ tons of concrete on site.

Minta roadway resurfacing – Stockland.

FOGO deep dive education project – Forbes Shire Council

A three-month education and awareness campaign focused on diversion of FOGO materials from redlid garbage bin to green-lid FOGO bin.

Kleinton waste management facility – Toowoomba Regional Council

In late 2015, Toowoomba Regional Council opened the Greater Toowoomba Waste Management Facility to provide improved diversion options including a purpose-built Tip Shop. Waste diversion has since increased from about 30 per cent to 70 per cent. In December 2020, the similiarly designed Kleinton Waste Management Facility opened.

Creating change with containers in WA – REMONDIS Australia.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

Operational excellence in ACT – REMONDIS Australia

REMONDIS Australia has operated Mugga Lane Landfill, Mugga Lane Transfer Station, Mitchell Transfer Station and ACT’s Recycling Drop Off

Centres since 2011 and the Mugga 2 Quarry site since 2019. Over time the facilities have transitioned from disposal to resource recovery.

Waste enforcement training – Keep Victoria Beautiful

The Litter Enforcement Officer Network, run by Keep Victoria Beautiful, designed and delivered training for authorised officers on the new Environment Protection Act. It is being rolled out around the state.

ReProcess Tas – Spectran Group

ReProcess Tas, a 12-acre state-of-theart construction and demolition waste reprocessing facility is the first of its kind in Tasmania. At full operation it allows up to a 95 per cent reduction in construction waste entering landfill.

Optimising waste collection initiative – Brimbank City Council

The introduction of digital mapping for waste collection has resulted in significant savings, improved efficiency and reduced wastestream contamination.

INNOVATION AWARD

TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS. TODAY

Handybin multi-stream recycling services – Handybin Waste Services

Handybin Waste Services has successfully introduced glass, polystyrene and textiles recycling, resulting in substantial environmental and social benefits.

Reground coffee recycling service – Reground

The Reground Coffee Recycling Service: A Model for Circular Practices was established in 2016 as Australia’s first coffee collection system, and has since diverted more than 700,000 kilograms of ground coffee from landfill. Recycled plastics RMP noisewalls – Pact Group

In a world-first innovation, Pact has transformed about 600 tonnes of hardto-recycle plastic waste into noisewall panels spanning 32,000 square metres. Each panel comprises 75 per cent recycled materials and at the end of their 40-year design life, each panel will be 100 per cent recyclable.

Polyrok – Replas

Polyrok concrete is a sustainable recycled plastic aggregate alternative for pathways, kerbs and channels using soft plastics recovered from the REDcycle program in Coles and Woolworths stores.

Central Waste Facility – Bega Valley Shire Council.

OUTSTANDING FACILITY AWARD

ReProcess Tas – Spectran Group

ReProcess Tas, a 12-acre construction and demolition waste reprocessing facility is the first of its kind in Tasmania. At full operation it allows up to a 95 per cent reduction in construction waste entering landfill.

Bardee Commercial Pilot Facility – Bardee

Bardee transforms food waste into protein and fertiliser with insects. Every tonne of protein offsets 50 tonnes of CO2 emissions. In 2021, Bardee commissioned Australia’s largest food waste-to-insect protein facility, processing up to 10 tonnes every eight hours.

Central Waste Facility – Bega Valley Shire Council

Bega Valley Shire Council constructed an emergency landfill cell and resource recovery area in direct response to the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfires. Perth Material Recovery Facility – Cleanaway

In May 2021, Cleanaway reopened the Perth Material Recovery Facility located in South Guildford. The $26 million facility can process more than half of comingled recycling from residents and customers across Western Australia, delivering up to 90 per cent recovery of reusable products.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

Stacey Ward – City of Port Phillip

An integral member of the Waste Futures team at the City of Port Phillip, Stacey started out as a Project Officer and led several projects critical to the success of the ‘Don’t Waste It!’ Waste Management Strategy. Stacey was recently appointed to the role of Senior Strategy Officer – Waste Futures.

Perth Material Recovery Facility – Cleanaway.

Samuel Lawson – Keep Victoria Beautiful

Samuel is a research and project coordinator at Keep Victoria Beautiful. Working with community, authorised

officers and landowners, Samuel leads research to reduce illegal dumping. Matthew Day – REMONDIS Australia

Matthew joined REMONDIS as part of REMONDIS’ 2019 Graduate Program and was later offered the role of Technical Engineer. His responsibilities include assisting business development, providing technical advice and support, and project management.

Tara Osborne – BINGO Industries

Tara has been at BINGO for more than four years and has seen the company through its IPO and several large acquisitions. An important part of BINGO’s recent success, she’s a general manager at the age of 28.

WOMAN OF WASTE

Sabina Wills – Keep Victoria Beautiful

With more than 30 years in the waste and resource recovery industry, Sabina has driven change and innovation, from developing cleaner production solutions in the winery industry, to the first Buy Recycled Conference and statistical analysis of landfill audits.

Susie McBurney – REMONDIS Australia

Susie has more than 20 years’ experience in senior management at REMONDIS and Cleanaway. Her exposure to the industry began in a waste and recycling business started and managed by her family.

Ninna Larsen – Reground

Ninna Larsen started Reground as a way to put coffee grounds to good use. The initiative was an enormous success, growing from six to 60 cafés in a year.

Larissa Rose – GG Enviro

Larissa Rose has forged stronger relationships and opportunities for females in the industry through her commitment to support university placement during the COVID-19 pandemic, curating online internship projects and weekly mentor sessions.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUCCESS OF THE YEAR

WasteSorted: talking my language – City of Wanneroo

Developing multilingual resources to create stronger interconnected communities through the everyday experience of sorting household waste.

TerraCycle school recycling program – TerraCycle

TerraCycle school recycling program – TerraCycle.

Empowering teachers and parents to raise the next generation with sustainable practices and values by incorporating hands-on learning about recycling in the classroom.

“Our Future Waste” community engagement – Sunshine Coast Council

Designed to provide the community with information about waste services and future strategies, objectives, and targets and allow community feedback on existing waste services.

Waste Wednesdays – Forbes Shire Council

A waste education and awareness campaign to spread awareness about the ongoing resource recovery facilities available.

WARR WORKPLACE OF THE YEAR

Handybin Waste Services

Since 2012 Handybin has successfully introduced glass, polystyrene and textiles recycling with environmental and social benefits.

REMONDIS Australia

REMONDIS Australia has operated Mugga Lane Landfill, Mugga Lane Transfer Station, Mitchell Transfer Station and ACT’s Recycling Drop Off Centres since 2011 and the Mugga 2 Quarry site since 2019. Over time, the facilities have transitioned from disposal to resource recovery operations.

Bega Valley Shire Council

The council built an emergency landfill cell and resource recovery area in response to the 2019-20 bushfires.

GG Enviro

Larissa Rose has forged opportunities for females in the industry through her commitment to support interns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

LEADER OF THE YEAR

Harry Wilson – Handybin Waste Services

Harry is an industry icon, with a career spanning 50 years in both small private companies, large Australian blue-chip corporates and developing his own business. Harry has lead innovation, conducted research and shared results leading to best practice.

Julian Grasso – Reclaim Waste

Co-founder and owner of both 30XY Group and Reclaim Waste. Julian sits on a number of committees within the waste industry and has a passion to do better for the industry.

Larissa Rose – GG Enviro

Larissa has forged opportunities for females in the industry through her commitment to support interns during the COVID-19 pandemic, curating online internship projects.