DECEMBER 2019
Taking stock of our end-of-life tyres Tyre Stewardship Australia’s Lina Goodman on a new end market verification program.
FEATURES Ecocycle’s mercury-safe flat screen recycling machine Project Report: Sacyr-WTT southeast organics facility Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group profile Sites tours of C&D and organics sites
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COVER STORY DOWNSTREAM VERIFICATION
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Lina Goodman, Tyre Stewardship Australia CEO, speaks with Waste Management Review about its world-first foreign end market verification program that will significantly increase waste tyre supply chain visibility.
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PALFINGER FINDS ITS NICHE AT AWRE Palfinger’s new NSW Key Account Manager Seth Ozbas found the company’s DINO T22A unit was in high demand at the Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo.
“WITH A SIGNIFICANT VOLUME OF AUSTRALIAN END-OF-LIFE TYRES EXPORTED FOR PROCESSING IN FOREIGN END MARKETS, VERIFYING ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL MANAGEMENT OF EXPORTED TYRES IS CENTRAL TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE TYRE PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP SCHEME.” -Lina Goodman, Tyre Stewardship Australia CEO
In this issue
Features
18 INTENSIVE TUNNELS
Waste Management Review profiles Sacyr’s new high capacity indoor composting facility in Melbourne’s South-East.
22
BACK TO THE LAND Brisbane Airport has installed an enrich360 dehydrator at its Skygate Precinct, helping it transition to a circular economy.
FROM THE 36 LESSONS EUROPEAN UNION
Eggersmann speaks with Waste Management Review about the growing Australian resource recovery market.
IN 38 PHARMACEUTICALS THE WATER
Ace Waste explains a waste definition loophole that’s seeing upwards of 525,000 kilograms of pharmaceutical waste landfilled in Victoria each year.
NEXT 24 THE GENERATION
AORA’s new Executive Officer Peter Olah speaks with Waste Management Review about the association’s plans.
42
TAKING
50
FILLING THE GAPS The Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group’s
BY THE 28 COMPOST RIVER
SOILCO highlights its plans to build the largest organics recycling facility in the NSW Northern Rivers region.
THE PREMIAIR APPROACH
Equipment hire business PremiAir has diversified its fleet with a fleet of new refuse collection bodies from HYVA/HSR Southern Cross.
new CEO Jillian Riseley sat down with Waste Management Review to discuss the agency’s plans in 2020.
56 WASTE TALKS
This year’s Waste Expo Australia saw a record number of delegates converge on the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre.
MMERSED IN 58 IINDUSTRY
The Victorian Waste Management Association’s recent industry site tours took delegates through a range of resource recovery sites.
Regulars
62 PRODUCT SHOWCASE 65 LAST WORD
www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 3
PUBLISHER
Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au
EDITOR
Toli Papadopoulos toli.papadopoulos@primecreative.com.au
From the Editor
Getting export ban ready After months of discussion on the implications of banning international waste exports, a timeline as finally been set. The latest Meeting of Environment Ministers (MEM) reached an agreement in Adelaide in November to ban the export of particular categories of waste from 1 July 2020 with a phased approach. Ministers agreed that waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres that have not been processed into a value-add material should be subject to the export ban. Waste glass is set to be banned by July 2020, with mixed plastics by July 2021, whole baled tyres by December 2021 and remaining waste products no later than 30 June 2022. One of the clear messages from industry came around a week before the Council of Australian Governments from Cleanaway CEO Vik Bansal. At the Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo, Mr Bansal urged a panel audience comprising the waste sector and government that a ban should not be implemented without adequate infrastructure in place. After the MEM, so too came the chorus of state governments calling for more federal investment to ensure the ban doesn’t result in stockpiling, or worse, landfilling. Both the Queensland and Victorian Governments urged the feds to step up their investment in the recycling and resource recovery industry. Whether this is passing the buck is open for debate, particularly as the Victorian Government has been shown to have around half a million in state coffers from waste levies. According to the MEM statement, the timetable reflects the unique challenges of each jurisdiction. Ministers plan to test their timetable with industry and local government, undertake market analysis and develop a response strategy. This is clearly a sensible plan, but regardless, there’s going to be enormous pressure on the sector and governments over the next two years to ensure we’re ready for a ban of this magnitude. An increase in manufacturing facilities and a boost in government procurement are just some of the policy areas that look to be developed to support the ban. All ministers have committed to identifying procurement opportunities such as major road projects to use recycled material. But it remains to be seen whether the current approach will be sufficient to meet the challenging policy agenda ahead. One things for sure, we will be watching the ban with great interest over the coming months.
4 / WMR / December 2019
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News
One billion returns in first year of QLD CDS Queensland is on average seeing more than 3.4 million containers a day being returned across the state.
In its first year of operations, Queensland’s container deposit scheme Containers for Change has seen one billion containers returned. Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said the return rate is a third higher than predicted. “On average, we’re currently seeing more than 3.4 million containers a day being returned across the state,” Ms Enoch said. “These containers were the second most littered item in our state, but since the scheme started there has been a greater than 35 per cent reduction in containers ending up as litter.” Ms Enoch said the scheme has also seen $100 million returned to Queenslanders and community groups. “More and more small businesses are getting involved in running refund
6 / WMR / December 2019
points, and charities and community groups are also seeing the benefits through fundraising activities,” Ms Enoch said. “Ten cents per container adds up, and in the last 12 months more than $100 million has gone back to individuals, families, community groups and charities, including RSPCA Queensland has raised about $3500 in donated refunds.” Ms Enoch also announced that the state government is offering funding to more than 100 not-for-profit and community organisations to help the scheme grow, and provide a boost to fundraising efforts. “These grants of up to $10,000 will help community groups, charities and not-for-profit organisations purchase the equipment necessary to be donation points, the refunds from these donated containers going
directly back to the community group.” Container Exchange CEO Ken Noye said the scheme is supporting economic and job growth, with more than 700 jobs created across Queensland. “One of the biggest benefits of the scheme has been the employment opportunities provided to young jobseekers, individuals with a disability, people re-entering the workforce and the long-term unemployed,” he said. “The economic benefits have also reached families, community groups, schools and sporting clubs, as a whole new revenue stream has been created.” In other news, the Queensland Government has welcomed the Meeting of Environment Minister’s plan to ban waste exports, but believes more federal investment is needed to support resource recovery.
Developing solutions for end of life tyres is our number one priority. Tyre Stewardship Australia is hard at work to create productive outcomes for end of life tyres (EOLT). Increasing the use of locally tyre derived products across segments like rail, roads and civil engineering is top of mind.
Achieved so far.
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committed to market development initiatives.
1,700
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VW
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Foreign end market verification process taking a responsible stand on exported waste.
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major tyre importers contributing a levy to create sustainable outcomes.
Join the growing number of organisations getting behind sustainable development in a complex and globalised environment. Explore your ideas for market-growing innovations using recycled rubber at TyreStewardship.org.au/funding or info@tyrestewardship.org.au
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News
Government launches review of Environment Protection Act The Federal Government has launched a once-in-a-decade review of Australia’s environmental law. The decision aims to deliver greater certainty to business groups, farmers and environmental organisations. Led by Monash University Professorial Fellow Graeme Samuel, the statutory review will examine whether the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) remains fit for purpose, and fit for the future within the context of a changing environment. According to Environment Minister Sussan Ley, Professor Samuel will lead an expert panel including Bruce Martin, Wendy Craik, Erica Smyth and Andrew Macintosh. “This review is not about ideology,” Ms Ley said.
“The one thing all sides of the environmental debate concede is that the complexities of the act are leading to unnecessary delays in reaching decisions, and to an increased focus on process rather than outcomes.” Ms Ley said decision-making delays are estimated to cost the economy roughly $300 million a year, which frustrates business and environmental groups. “The act has been a world benchmark in environmental protection, but needs to be adapted to changes in the environment and economy,” Ms Ley said. “I’ve asked Professor Samuel to look at how we can improve efficiency, and make clear and simple decisions that deliver strong, clear and focused environmental protection.”
Ms Ley said Professor Samuel will be releasing a discussion paper in November and begin initial stakeholder meetings shortly thereafter. Under the review’s terms of reference, the independent reviewer must provide a report to the environment minister within 12 months of the review’s commencement. Terms of reference include examining the act’s current operations and the extent to which objectives are being achieved. Furthermore, the reference aims to make recommendations to modernise the act, including considerations of Australia’s international environmental responsibilities and the implementation of relevant agreements between the Commonwealth, states and territories.
Federal Government Environment Minister Sussan Ley estimates decision-making delays in environmental matters costs the economy $300 million a year.
www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 9
News
$1 million awarded by NSW’s Love Food, Hate Waste program In an Australian first, communities across NSW will deliver two-year whole-of-city approaches to food waste prevention as part of the state government’s $1 million Love Food Communities grants program. Grants have been awarded to the City of Sydney, Central Coast Council,
projects will reach 17,000 households and nearly 500 businesses. This is a huge undertaking and will be the first time we see a whole-of-community approach taken to prevent food waste in NSW.” Participants are required to undertake
Around 750,000 tonnes of food is thrown away by households and businesses in NSW each year.
Midwaste and North East Waste. Environment Minister Matt Kean said roughly 750,000 tonnes of food is thrown away by households and businesses in NSW each year. “I want to see less food being wasted across our communities and these grants will support the recipients to do just that by changing behaviour and giving people and businesses the tools they need to make informed decisions,” Mr Kean said. “Together, these four newly funded
10 / WMR / December 2019
a food waste survey to understand how much food they are throwing out, implement a succinct program to amend some of their food practices, and at the end of the program, re-measure their food waste. As well as households and businesses, each project will target at least one other sector where there is scope to have a huge impact in food waste reduction such as aged care, schools, pubs and clubs and
food manufacturers. City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the city will work with its Green Building tenants and Sustainable Destination partners – Hilton, Accor Hotels, Hyatt – to achieve at least 20 per cent food waste reduction within their business. “Food waste in our residents’ red-lid bins makes up approximately 35 per cent of the city’s general waste – waste that’s bad for our wallets and bad for our environment,” Ms Moore said. “We’re pleased to be working with the state government to increase awareness about food waste across businesses, apartment dwellers and tertiary education campuses to deliver a clear reduction in waste and create a more sustainable city.” Hilton Sydney Executive Chef Kruno Velican said organisations must have professional sensitivity and a comprehensive acceptance of how global businesses can impact the communities they serve and environment in which they operate. “Hilton Sydney has completed two rounds of the ‘Your Business is Food’ program and has reduced its food waste by 50 per cent, saving almost $860,000 from 2016 to 2018,” Mr Velican said. “Hilton Sydney has also partnered with Addi Road to deliver the daily surplus breakfast food to the community organisation and its patrons. This not only reduces food waste sent to landfill but also ensures that perfectly good food is enjoyed by people facing food insecurity.”
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News
MEM sets waste ban timeline, with several “missteps” Waste glass, mixed plastics and whole baled tyres will be banned over the next two years following the final Meeting of Environment Ministers meeting for the year. The National Meeting of Environment Ministers in Adelaide on Friday reached an agreement to ban the export of particular categories of waste from 1 July 2020 with a phased approach. Ministers have agreed waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres that have not been processed into a value-add material should be subject to the export ban. The phase out plans to be completed by the following dates: • All waste glass by July 2020 • Mixed waste plastics by July 2021 • All whole tyres including baled tyres by December 2021 • Remaining waste products, including mixed paper and cardboard, by no later than 30 June 2022. In response to the move, the Victorian Government urged the Federal Government to provide capital investment in waste and recycling infrastructure to ensure the fast approaching ban does not result in stockpiling. The Queensland Government is similarly calling on the Federal Government to increase their investment in the recycling and resource recovery industry. Commenting on the ban of exporting waste tyres, Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA), urged all governments to advocate for
increasing tyre-derived products in Australia. The Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) said MEM’s decisions on the COAG ban on waste exports and the National Waste Policy Action Plan are several good steps forward, but there were some missteps too. Among the other decisions from the MEM meeting are the adoption of broader waste minimisation targets in the National Waste Action Plan such as 80 per cent resource recovery and halving organic waste by 2030. Likewise, the meeting committed to a greater commitment to recycled roads as an important solution, with the Commonwealth to play a leading role. Additionally, it was recognised that brands and packaging supply chain members need to make clear their ‘buy recycled’ commitments. The meeting committed to harmonising container deposit schemes and recognising the need for infrastructure investment for domestic sustainability, decisions all welcomed by ACOR. ACOR noted it was concerned with a failure to enact an immediate ban on baled tyre exports as there are readily available markets for the material and serious environmental impacts from its continued export for two more years. It is also concerned with further indecision on funding for time-critical infrastructure especially for mixed paper decontamination and plastics reprocessing capacity, as well as a continued lack of substantive progress on the product stewardship
agenda, including batteries. ACOR CEO Pete Shmigel said it’s hard to understand why banning baled tyres has not been prioritised as ample evidence was produced on the environmental impact of exports, the existing domestic capacity for reprocessing, and the legal avenues available. “If one or two jurisdictions blocked this, they need to state their reasons so they can be addressed, and so the ban date can be revisited and expedited at COAG itself. Otherwise, other jurisdictions should just start now via regulations as there is minimal risk in doing so,” Mr Shmigel said. “On the other hand, it’s good to see more commitment to recycled roads as a practical, no/low cost solution for domestic sustainability. There is evidence that specifying recycled content in even 12 major projects around the country can double our plastics recycling rate, and we should move forward faster on that front, including at COAG where we look forward to the Prime Minister’s continued leadership on recycling,” he said. Ministers also agreed to write to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) to set out their expectations with respect to new packaging targets. APCO CEO Brooke Donnelly, tasked with supporting the delivery of the National 2025 Packaging Targets, applauded the ministers for agreeing on the National Waste Policy: Action Plan 2019.
www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 13
COVER STORY Tyre Stewardship Australia CEO Lina Goodman engaged Intertek to develop a platform to audit downstream vendors.
Boosting tyre supply chain visibility LINA GOODMAN, TYRE STEWARDSHIP AUSTRALIA CEO, SPEAKS WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT ITS WORLD-FIRST FOREIGN END MARKET VERIFICATION PROGRAM THAT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE WASTE TYRE SUPPLY CHAIN VISIBILITY IN LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARKETS.
W
hen Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) was formed in 2014, its initial guidelines called for market development activities to focus on early stage research and development. One year later, TSA launched its key investment mechanism, the Tyre Stewardship Research Fund. In an ever-evolving space, the fund has to date directed $4.9 million to 34 research and development projects. As TSA’s goal is to reduce the environmental, health and safety impacts of the 56 million equivalent
14 / WMR / December 2019
passenger units generated annually, it’s an agenda the voluntary product stewardship scheme does not take lightly. With research and development into tyre-derived product well and truly proven, TSA needed to change tack, enhancing its strategic focus as it underwent Australian Competition and Consumer Commission reauthorisation. Last year, it broadened the original guidelines of its Tyre Stewardship Scheme, allowing it to drive a more immediate consumption of Australian generated tyre-derived product.
In doing so, TSA launched a demonstration and infrastructure stream, which proved to revolutionise its existing remit through practical outcomes, approving new products consuming almost a million tyres per year. The stream ensures TSA can support an array of sectors, including in roads, advanced manufacturing, civil infrastructure, rail, building construction and more. It generated an additional $3.2 million in new sales for the Australian recycling market annually, but importantly led to critical
sustainable outcomes. One of these many projects was the announcement of a test of new mixes of crumb rubber asphalt on a 335-metre stretch of road in the South Australian City of Mitcham. In another innovative initiative, the Victorian Department of Transport is now conducting the first large-scale crumb rubber asphalt trial on an arterial road, in a two-year trial with the Australian Road Research Board. To support TSA’s next evolution, TSA also welcomed a new CEO in Lina Goodman, who brings extensive experience in delivering commercial and environmental outcomes. Lina’s breadth of experience comes as a paradigm shift is occurring in the waste sector, with increased commitments from federal, state, territory and local governments to procure recycled materials, including in major road projects. She joined TSA in January 2019 after a long career in sustainability including roles at VISY, Honeywell and TIC Group. To that end, she tells Waste Management Review auditing and verifying downstream international venders is one of TSA’s current focuses. “With a significant volume of Australian end-of-life tyres exported for processing in foreign end markets, verifying environmentally sustainable and ethical management of exported tyres is central to the integrity of the Tyre Stewardship Scheme,” Lina says. In 2018/19, Australia produced 450,569 tonnes of tyre waste. Over this time, approximately 43 per cent of all end-of-life tyres were exported as either casings, tyre-derived fuel shred, baled whole, or off-the-road tyres exported for crumbing, with the largest portion being shred at 29 per cent. Given the scale of exports and wellknown consequences of unsustainable management, TSA has developed a world-first foreign end market
verification program for end-of-life tyres. Despite an international ban on whole baled tyres in the works, verifications of final destinations is paramount, as tyre products are still sent offshore for further processing. “We are taking new steps and are a lot more agile, dynamic and creative about how we want to function in the industry and wider marketplace. I like to call it next generation TSA,” Lina says. “Our aim is to support initiatives that bring together strong partnerships across the supply chain, crossing research institutions and industry partners, to demonstrate both the technical and financial viability of products.” DOWNSTREAM VERIFICATION In 2019, TSA engaged third-party quality assurance company Intertek to develop a platform and process to audit downstream vendor behaviour. According to Lina, the program will verify sustainable outcomes, ensure exporting processor accountability and educate operators both domestically and offshore. “Intertek audits the sites based on a set of criteria including modern slavery, occupational health and safety, technology and hub and spoke,” Lina says. “In terms of technology, auditors assess whether the technology is fit for purpose, and with hub and spoke they ensure the material is being processed at the collection site and not transferred to other unverified locations.” During the first round of audits, there were some issues to work through. One of these saw Intertek identify staff working inside buildings that were locked from the outside, which created a fire hazard. “We also came across sites engaged in environmentally unsound practices, and some that wouldn’t allow our
auditor to enter,” Lina says. “In that instance, the auditor took photos around the perimeter of the site and spoke to people living and working in the area – it’s quite an investigative process.” Under the verification program, for foreign end-markets to accept material from TSA accredited participants, they too require will TSA verification. To receive verification, Lina says operators first run through an education program to understand TSA’s expectations. From there, operators conduct self-assessment questionnaires, providing photographs and procedural details. “Intertek and TSA will then verify that information, and if we identify any red flags, we will send an auditor to the site,” Lina says. “The whole idea is to ensure overseas operators are not causing any environmental or social harm. That’s the bottom line.” According to Lina, TSA has recently conducted a number of audits in Malaysia and India, with many ticking all the relevant boxes. “The program enables us to ensure the material is being recycled in an appropriate manner, and also guarantees that Australian recyclers are informed about where they are sending their material,” she says. “We need greater overall visibility of the reverse supply chain of waste tyres. We can’t really be sure that materials are being appropriately managed if we don’t have them verified by a thirdparty organisation.” In addition to the downstream verification process, Lina says TSA is enhancing its international relationships through associations with groups such as the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG). The IRSG is an intergovernmental organisation comprising rubber producing and consuming stakeholders, with 36 member countries
www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 15
COVER STORY
Mahdi Disfani, Lina Goodman and Heather Holmes-Ross test crumb rubber asphalt in the City of Mitcham.
and over 100 members covering the entire natural and synthetic rubber value chain. “The IRSG has traditionally worked within the new tyre and rubber segment of the market,” Lina says. “However, they recently recognised the need to include sustainability and end-of-life tyres into their discourse.” As part of the partnership, TSA is hoping to join the IRSG’s sustainability committee, which Lina says will help facilitate connections with international governments. “Joining the IRSG will create a direct line to governments in places that currently receive our material, such as Cameroon and India,” Lina says. SUSTAINABLE OUTCOMES To facilitate greater market transparency, TSA is also working on a new suitable outcomes indicator, which Lina says models the good, better and best of tyre recycling. “One recycler is not the same as another recycler, there are various levels of measurable environmental outcomes,” she says. Lina says TSA has begun identifying
16 / WMR / December 2019
its participants against good, better and best outcomes, with recyclers judged on process, and retailers judged on their choice of recycler. “We have thousands of consumers who visit our green tyres website and want to do the right thing for endof-life tyres. They ask, who can I buy tyres from? Who provides sustainable outcomes?” Lina explains. “We really need to shine a light on organisations that have invested locally and are making an effort to transform tyres into products for local use, and I think the sustainable outcomes indicator will help that.” EXPORT BAN AND THE PSA The recent Meeting of Environment Minister’s confirmed a phased approach timeline for the ban on waste exports, as announced by the Australian Council of Government’s (COAG) earlier this year. All whole tyres, including baled tyres, will be banned from export by December 2021. While Lina says whole tyres represent only a small percentage of what is exported, TSA is supportive of government putting regulatory levers in place.
“Of the 223,000 tonnes of end-oflife tyres recovered in 2018/19, 84 per cent was exported and 16 per cent remained in Australia for use within local applications. Of the volume exported, 25 per cent was whole-baled tyres and 68 per cent was exported as shred,” she says. “That said, the ban has led to increased conversation locally about investment in new facilities and upgrades, and because of the ban, the market conditions are now right.” Lina adds however that for the ban to really change the state of end-of-life tyre processing, it needs to come hand in hand with a strengthened Product Stewardship Act. “It’s wonderful to have the COAG statement, but we need the act reviewed to provide us with more opportunity for market development and to keep all tyre importers accountable for the products they bring into the country, not just a select few,” she says. “We are a voluntary scheme – we have eight tyre importers now contributing to the levy and one automotive brand, but we really need all of them participating.” While questions remain over the long-awaited Product Stewardship Act review’s outcomes, Lina says she is heartened by the progress made by TSA over the past 12 months. “If the Product Stewardship Act review can address the issue of free riders, or as I have heard them to referred to as “environmental pirates”, we will have more funds to redirect to organisations that want to address endof-life tyres commercially,” she says. “That said, there is already a whole range of support programs in place. We are excited by the opportunities that will arise from the export ban and our market development strategy, which is already delivering significant outcomes. The next generation of TSA is looking bright.”
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Highly intensive tunnels WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH CARLOS GROS ISLA, SACYR ENVIRONMENT, AND SEAN GALERMANS, WASTE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES, ABOUT SACYR’S NEW HIGH CAPACITY IN-VESSEL COMPOSTING FACILITY.
C
omposting, once considered the domain of hippies and ecofriendly farmers, has become a booming billion-dollar industry. While public and private investment in technologically innovative equipment and facilities have a traceable history on a global level, the Australian organics market is still somewhat in its infancy. That said, the tide is turning, with a significant number of Australian councils embarking on separate food and garden organic waste (FOGO) collections. On behalf of eight Victorian councils, for example, the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) negotiated a contract to facilitate kerbside FOGO collection in 2016. Increasing the recovery of organic waste is one of four key strategic objectives set down in MWRRG’s 2016 Implementation Plan. To achieve this, MWRRG developed an organics processing network through collective procurement contracts in the northwest, southeast and east. Sacyr Environment Australia, which operates a state of the art composting facility in Melbourne’s Dandenong South, emerged as a viable option for MWRRG’s South East network. Sacyr Environment Australia signed a contract with MWRRG in 2017. The facility, which runs on Waste Treatment
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Technologies (WTT) equipment and processes, opened in May this year. With a capacity to process 120,000 tonnes of organic waste each year, the indoor composting facility is the most advanced of its type in Australia. When asked why the Sacyr facility has been dubbed the most advanced in Australia, Carlos Gros Isla, Sacyr Environment Australian Business Manage, says while he is hesitant to make comparisons, he has a good grasp on current capacity and innovation. “People often want to make grand statements such as, ‘this is the biggest building in the world’, and that can be embarrassing,” he says. “It’s not rocket science. It’s still composting, so comparing our facility to other industrial facilities wouldn’t be fair. But in terms of the composting industry, we could say it is the most advanced as a whole.” THE EUROPEAN MODEL According to Carlos, the facility has gained recognition because it functions as a whole package. He says however that because he and project partner Sean Galermans, WTT Australia Bid and Project Manager, are both Europeans, the praise can feel awkward. Carlos adds that processes that appear innovative in Australia are par for the course in Europe. “This is a pretty standard package in
Europe, and has been for the last 20 years, but it’s important to note that it’s not as through Australia is really behind. This technology just simply wasn’t needed before,” he says. Given the availability of land, Carlos says landfill was not traditionally viewed as a problem in Australia. “Plus, because they didn’t have to, councils had no incentive to pay additional gate fees and invest in new quality facilities,” he says. Carlos says the market is changing
WTT’s compost tunnels induce a highly intensive composting process to maximize organic breakdown.
however, with Sacyr indentifying Australia as a market full of new opportunities. Sean expresses similar sentiments and says that since arriving in Australia two years ago, he has seen a rise in interesting tenders and hot opportunities. “I think legislation in Australia has been very slow. Regulators haven’t been pushing for the right developments,” he says. “The Australian population is knocking on government’s doors and saying, what are you doing? All the countries around us are investing in these new processes, so why aren’t we?” Sean says the organics and wider recycling movement is now a mainstream conversation. “Australia has been coping with the luxury problem of space, and as a result, used to landfill the majority of waste into old coal mines. An out of sight, out of mind mentality,” he says. “That is the music of yesterday,
Australians want to focus on the future.” Sean adds that over the past five to ten years, many councils have made poor investment decisions. “The problem is that in the waste sector you’re always talking about large sums of money, and when those projects fail, people develop distrust,” he says. One of the reasons WTT decided to invest in Australia, Sean says, is that the market needed successful stories and high quality products. “We felt that with over 25 years of experience and over 130 reference facilities, which have a combined throughput capacity of 7.3 million tonnes per annum, we could contribute to this transition and reduce the amount of organics going to landfill significantly.” COMPOST IN DANDENONG The Dandenong facility is not the first collaboration between Sacyr and WTT. One of Sacyr’s flagship facilities
in Spain was developed using WTT technology, and, according to Carlos, has been operating for almost 15 years. “There are not many companies that can make the high-quality invessel or tunnel composting facilities WTT can,” he says. “Composting is a very simple idea, but there are huge difference between an average and good composting tunnel.” Given Sacyr’s long-term contract with MWRRG, Carlos says seemingly small differences in design and process controls can make a big impact. “Sacyr is very focused on providing for clients specific needs, so to be honest, if a council required a simple composting facility in a rural area, WTT wouldn’t be our first point of call,” he says. “However, when a client tells us that high quality is their main focus, and that they are willing to pay associated gate fees, which was the case with MWRRG, WTT’s technology is the obvious choice.” Once Sacyr had confirmed its contract with MWRRG, WTT was engaged to construct the facility’s invessel composting system and air and water management process. Sean says the contract was of standard scope for WTT. “While over the last seven years, WTT has started to adapt further processes, such as mechanical preand post-treatment systems, I would say in-vessel composting, anaerobic digestion and air/water treatment systems is where our core competence lays,” he says. According to Carlos, Sacyr designed the facility to operate as close to the centre of collections’ gravity as possible. “When you build a facility in regional areas, while the initial costs are lower, each link in the chain ends up incurring significant transport costs,” he says. “Sacyr’s idea was to build a facility in
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PROJECT REPORT - ORGANICS
Sacyr designed the facility to operate as close to the centre of collections’ gravity as possible.
close proximity to councils, ultimately constructing the facility within a preexisting building.” Carlos says Sacyr was engaged by MWRRG because the group wanted to explore the capabilities of a new market player. “Sacyr had already built a desalination plant in Western Australia, so we were engaged in the Australian water business. But in terms of our waste division, this was our first Australian project,” he says. On the otherhand, WTT had been involved in a number of Australian projects since opening its subsidiary office in 2018, including facilities in Wogamia and Kembla Grange NSW for SOILCO and a REMONDIS facility in Port Macquarie AEROBIC DESIGN After material enters the Sacyr facility, Carlos says it runs through a four-step process. “The first step is pre-treatment or decontamination. At this stage we remove anything that shouldn’t be in the green bin or is not organic,” he says. “From there we sieve, cut and mix the material to create a homogenous
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mixture. We ensure it is spongy and of the right size so it can be degraded to optimum levels in the in-vessel tunnels.” The next stage, Carlos says, is the actual composting. He adds that in Australia, the EPA regulates a high level of pasteurisation. “The actual composting happens in two different stages. The first is fermentation to achieve the required pasteurisation, which runs for 72 consecutive hours above a certain temperature threshold,” he says. “After we’ve achieved the pasteurisation criteria, the material is taken to the compost tunnels, before it is transferred to the maturation hall for further curing.” The Dandenong compost tunnels, Sean says, induce a highly intensive composting process to maximize organic breakdown. “By controlling the temperature, oxygen and moisture content of each individual tunnel at all times, we’re able to tailer a recipe for each batch, and provide our client – the operator – with maximum flexibility and ease of operation,” he says. Given the complexity of WTT’s technology, Sean says the company likes
to function as a one-stop-shop. “Instead of delivering a package, showing what it can do and leaving, we like to be involved on a long term basis to make sure clients feel comfortable with the technology,” he says. While the facility is currently running smoothly, Carlos admits there were some teething problems. “Both companies tried to adopt a design that has worked for us in Europe, but the reality is with waste you never know what you will receive,” he says. After a number of trials, Carlos says the team developed a system suitable for the material it receives. He adds that because Sacyr recognises the added value of WTT’s experience, the two organisations were in constant contact throughout the process. Sean says WTT’s knowledge centre worked to facilitate communication. “WTT can essentially log into the facility 24 hours a day and see what the operators see, which means we can read the information, feed it back into the system and troubleshoot,” he says. “Combined with the client’s operational team, it’s really a golden combination.”
FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS
Giving back to the land BRISBANE AIRPORT HAS INSTALLED AN ENRICH360 DEHYDRATOR AT ITS SKYGATE PRECINCT, ENABLING IT TO REACH ITS LANDFILL DIVERSION TARGETS AND MOVE TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY.
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ast year’s announcement of the waste levy in Queensland created a new business case for Brisbane Airport. With the levy stimulating additional demand for resource recovery solutions, Brisbane Airport began to look at diverting some of its most prominent waste streams. Having previously conducted audits into its incoming tonnages, the airport knew food waste was its second biggest input after glass. Moreover, the airport has a target to divert 80 per cent of its total waste from landfill by 2030, with food waste emerging as the low hanging fruit. Andrew Masci, Environment & Sustainability Adviser, says the airport decided to investigate and identify a suitable food waste service. He says that this was its first foray into nonstandard commingled recycled, with the airport also participating in the QLD
Government Container Refund Scheme. In a six-month investigation process, enrich360 emerged as the most suitable choice, with its food dehydrator arriving in February this year and timing well with the levy’s 1 July start date. Launched in late 2017, enrich360’s program uses a dehydrator to condense food waste into recycled water and biomass that can be utilised as fertiliser or as part of compost. The model is established on a closed loop system where restaurants and food service businesses across the country convert their food waste into rich organic fertiliser to give back to farmers and grow better, more nutritious produce. The benefits lead to more resources being recovered while replenishing globally scarce nutrients and improving Australia’s low food waste recovery rate. The process works to reduce the volume of food waste by up to 93 per cent and create a sterile and pathogen-
Enrich360 is getting buy-in from a range of businesses, including retail, restaurants, food outlets and universities.
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free material. In a closed loop reverse logistics process, logistics partner In2food picks up the materials during their usual drop-off route and delivers them to farms. Brisbane Airport’s Skygate Precinct was chosen as the ideal location for a trial of the dehydrator as it was not too busy and included a range of food outlets in the area. Enrich360’s suitability centred on Brisbane Airport’s desire to ensure its food waste would always find a home, ensuring it did not go to landfill when the airport didn’t have an end-to-end solution. “Brisbane Airport is transitioning to a circular economy and that is why enrich360 grabbed our attention. There were different dehydrators in the market, but none offered the full service,” Andrew says. “It took three months to kick off with a few teething issues, but now we are getting amazing results.” The results speak for themselves, with enrich360 diverting 5500 kilograms of food waste since commencing its trial in February. Andrew says that around 11 retailers have so far participated in the program. He say the dehydrator is able to detect whether it is overfilled and unfilled. Depending on moisture content, it takes roughly 10 to 12 hours to produce the biomass. He says that participating retailers
will soon be able to take part in a certification scheme that will allow them to showcase their involvement in the program to their customers. The scheme requires partners to demonstrate compliance to the organisation’s program to be granted an enrich360 certification mark. As an added benefit, Andrew says that Brisbane Airport is also testing whether single-use compostable items could break down in the machine and support the maturation process. “What I like about the machine is it takes a lot of different varieties of food waste, including chicken bones. There is very little it can’t handle,” Andrew says. To ensure the system is commercially viable for operators, enrich360 provides purchase, rent and rent-to-own options – enabling businesses to dehydrate food waste on site and have it collected for farms or off-site composting.
The airport is now looking to expand its programs to the main terminals: a challenging, but ambitious next step. Dean Turner, enrich360 CEO, says with issues of climate change sweeping through the headlines, the system has never been more timely. He says enrich360 is now getting buy-in from a range of businesses, including retail, restaurants, food outlets and universities. “One of the interesting things in talking to our other global partners who sell this equipment is it was developed eight years ago, and what we’re feeling is it was eight years to early. Now is the time when people are ready for this technology,” Dean says. “Certainly we found visitors at the Waste Expo were visiting our stand in droves. Almost everyone wanted to talk about their situation,
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from manufacturing plant operators right through to large-scale primary producers.” He adds that primary producers, for example, tend to have massive volumes with high water content and the dehydrator can create a water source and dry output slow-release fertiliser. “When you dehydrate the food waste, you get a green standard recycled water that can be used for all sorts of end uses, including irrigation.” Dean says the company is now setting its sights on moving into hospitals and the aged care sector. “An aged care facility can use the water and fertiliser each day across their grounds, creating a circular economy within their own premises,” he says. In future, he hopes demand for the outputs will be so high that it creates a commodity that end users are prepared to purchase from the generator.
FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS
Next generation AORA’S NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICER PETER OLAH SPEAKS WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION’S PLANS TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN THE AUSTRALIAN ORGANICS INDUSTRY.
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he organics industry is in interesting times. While awareness over the importance of sustainable organics management has never been higher, compliance costs, regulatory changes and disrupted end markets are causing problems for small and medium enterprises. How to effectively manage and process food waste is gaining traction though, with Infrastructure Victoria’s Recycling and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Evidence Base Report suggesting consistent approaches to FOGO are critical to achieving greater overall resource recovery rates. Though this is likely welcome news to the Victorian arm of the organics sector, across the border in NSW, the situation is murkier. In October, the NSW EPA reaffirmed its 2018 Mixed Waste Organics Output decision, stating the authority had no intention of amending its revocation of the material’s resource recovery exemption order. For Peter Olah, the Australian Organics Recycling Association’s (AORA) new Executive Officer, the organics industry’s current challenges present an opportunity for growth. “While I’m entering my new role at AORA in a challenging time for not just the organics industry, but the recycling industry at large, I’m excited to face those challenges head on and support the organics industry as it advances,” Peter says. Peter, who currently serves as the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute’s Chief Executive Officer, has
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AORA’s new Executive Officer Peter Olah is ready to work with industry.
an extensive background in politics and public administration. He previously worked on the private staff of a NSW Premier, and served as a Policy Advisor to Ministers for Justice and Police. Furthermore, Peter served as a Hurstville City Council Councillor in Sydney for 12 years, including three terms as Hurstville Mayor and three as Deputy Mayor. “I also worked with NSW State Transit for seven years, fulfilling a number of management functions for the organisation’s board and CEO, including projects in government and customer relations, public affairs, industrial advocacy, internal communications and cost efficiency,” he says. Drawing on this leadership experience, Peter intends to help AORA deliver the objectives laid out in its 2019-2022 National Strategy. “The strategy’s mission statement is to work with stakeholders to facilitate the conditions through which surplus organic material can be sustainably and cost-effectively recycled.” Peter says. “Furthermore, we intent to promote the beneficial use of compost and
mulches in primary industries.” In addition to the overall mission, Peter says AORA have three key objectives, including strengthening AORA as the peak body for the organics recycling industry and championing a pathway to optimise closed loop organics recycling. Additionally, he says, AORA intends to establish and participate in knowledge hubs for recycled organics research, development, extension and communication. “I will use my experience in stakeholder management and knowledge of political processes to ensure our member’s voices are heard and continue the advocacy and industry support role of AORA,” he says. “As the central body for organics in Australia, I also intend to ensure the sustainable growth of the association.” To achieve this, Peter says he will take time to speak with members about their concerns and ensure those concerns are further discussed with the AORA board. One of AORA’s next steps, he says, is collaborating with members to establish standards and best practice certifications programs. “AORA’s members are leaders in the organics space, and drawing on their expertise, I hope to use my position to identify, communicate and celebrate best practice strategies, technologies, performance and products,” he says. “By working together, AORA can help create an environment where the work of individuals and organisations in the organics industry leads the way to a more sustainable Australian future.”
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FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS
A versatile shred PETERSON’S 1700D IS PROVING TO OFFER VERSATILE CAPABILITIES FOR ORGANICS AND SCRAP WOOD, AIMING TO PRODUCE A CONSISTENT PRODUCT AT A REDUCED COST.
The 1700D is ideal for operators both small and large and able to process a range of materials.
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s with most technological iterations, making products lighter and smaller while still maintaining maximum performance is an advancement that comes with time and continuous refinement. Wood grinding and chipping original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Peterson has adopted this vision into its ethos as a company, ensuring its new 1700D carries each of these three features. The machine was released in April to meet the demand of high-value organics from predominate export markets in Europe and Australia and is available through Australian supplier Komatsu Forest Proprietary Limited. According to Peterson, operators
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have traditionally focused on being the most powerful in their class, but OEMs needed to differentiate and eventually moved into offering better maintenance and versatility. Taking versatility to new heights, the 1700D is ideal for operators both small and large, processing materials ranging from small mulch, compost or even pallet grinding. Trials earlier this year showed the machine could process more than 100 cubic metres per hour in green waste and 140 cubic metres an hour in scrap wood. Jody Volner, President of Peterson Pacific Corp says the company is impressed by the capabilities of the remarkable grinder and have loaded it with features Peterson customers have come to expect.
One of these key features is a powerful up-turn and three stage grinding process that works to provide a better fracturing of material and a more consistent product. Once the feed material has been fractured, Peterson horizontal grinders have a range of tooling options from grates in hex, round, square and rectangle openings. The four-piece grate system allows users to mix and match to achieve a desired product in the pre-grind and grind stage. The Adaptive Feed System helps with consistent productivity by maintaining near constant material flow to the grind chamber. The machine’s large feed opening allows it to measure by 54 to 27 inches. When boosted by machine’s
high-lift feed roll, the feed opening’s maximum lift of 41.5 inches can tackle large feedstock and allows accessibility to the rotor for maintenance. The 1700D horizontal grinder is equipped with a Caterpillar Tier IV C9.3 455 horsepower engine or an optional export-only C9 Tier III, 350 horsepower engine. It is the lightest of Peterson’s grinder series and is easily transportable. Added to the machine’s versatility is a quick-change multiple grate system which streamlines customised grate configurations. Grates are removed through an easy-access door on the side wall. Peterson’s Adaptive Control System also features a fully adjustable feed system. It includes a large display that provides the operator with full engine and system parameters to offer a simple set-up and efficient operations. To protect against deleterious materials, Peterson also features a patented Impact Release System. Likewise, additional protection of the machine itself is offered through a patented up-turn rotor, heavy duty parts and a robust anvil for long wear
life and product sizing. As a secondary line of defence, the OEM offers an Impact Cushion System that utilises urethrane cushions while shear pins help protect the mill from damage from contaminants in the feedstock. In keeping with the fast pace of technological evolution, Peterson offers a remote monitoring solution to provide machine operators access to real-time and historical data of their machine’s performance and location. Michael Spreadbury, Peterson Marketing Manager, says Peterson+ is a unique communication network and information system connecting Peterson machines, customers and dealers with cloud-based machine monitoring, diagnostics and information systems. “The system will help improve customer profitability through higher machine utilisation, productivity and increased uptime,” Michael says. Peterson+ equipped machines such as its 3310 drum chipper and 4710D horizontal grinder provide streamlined data, including a GPS locator. Users can gain live access to
the machine’s on-board display and operating information on their office computer, laptop or mobile phone. Statistical data can be used to track key information such as fuel consumption, engine revolutions per minute and oil temperatures, providing operators with better efficiencies and therefore cost savings. The wireless display feature uses a local area network to allow machine operators to use their smartphone as a wireless display mounted in an excavator, loader or control booth. According to the company, Peterson+ is akin to having a technician on-site working through a potential problem. The Peterson portal also allows machine documentation, parts information and supports services to be easily accessible through its website. Peterson’s versatile nature is supported by a full line of horizontal grinders from 580 to 1200 horsepower in diesel and electric applications to suit varied grinding needs. Its grinders are available in wheeled, tracked or fixed stationary applications, depending on the needs of the site.
Peterson+ connects its machines, customers and dealers to cloud-based monitoring.
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FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS
Compost by the river CHARLIE EMERY, SOILCO GENERAL MANAGER, SPEAKS TO WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT SOILCO’S PLANS TO BUILD THE LARGEST ORGANICS RECYCLING FACILITY IN THE NSW NORTHERN RIVERS REGION.
SOILCO will design, construct and operate a large organics recycling facility in Stotts Creek.
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he NSW Northern Rivers region is perhaps best known for its Pacific beaches, scenic drives and dramatic valleys surrounded by rivers and wildlife. Home to tourist hubs such as Tweed Head, Byron Bay and Minyon Falls, by 2021 the coastal region will also be home to one of Australia’s latest organic recycling facilities. As early adopters of the NSW Government’s Love Food Hate Waste program, Tweed Shire Council is committed to proactive food waste reduction and recycling initiatives. As part of this commitment, the council has commissioned a state-of-theart organics recycling facility in Stotts Creek. The composting facility will be the largest of its kind in the Northern
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Rivers, processing nearly 25,000 tonnes of organic waste each year. SOILCO, a NSW organics recycling business, has been tasked with facility design, construction and operations. According to Charlie Emery, SOILCO General Manager, once commissioned, the facility will complement council’s recently introduced food and garden organics (FOGO) kerbside collection program. Since FOGO collections began, Charlie says the region has seen a 20 per cent reduction in organic waste to landfill. This, he says, illustrates that residents are willing, and even motivated, to engage with the closedloop processes when given the opportunity.
Charlie says collected FOGO is currently transferred for processing at a facility located outside the local government area, meaning council must deal with additional logistics and associated transport costs. “Once the SOILCO facility is up and running, council will be able to process its own FOGO, right next to the existing resource recovery centre. This will reduce transport and logistics costs and further streamline council services,” he says. Following a competitive tender process, SOILCO was awarded the Stotts Creek contract in July. “Like other progressive regions in the state, Tweed Shire Council has a long-term goal of achieving zero waste, which resonates with SOILCO’s overarching mission and current operations in the Illawarra and South Coast regions of NSW,” Charlie says. The Stotts Creek Organics Recycling Facility will function as an enclosed composting facility, meaning SOILCO will construct a processing building alongside multiple aerated composting tunnels, biofilter and product storage infrastructure. “The model is based on upgrades to our own facilities in Kembla Grange and Nowra, where we used Waste Treatment Technologies’ technology for positive aeration in an enclosed environment,” Charlie says.
“This allows us to improve processing controls and monitor the material to ensure compost production compliance.” While organics compliance is a hot topic in NSW, following the EPA’s October reiteration of its controversial 2018 Mixed Waste Organic Outputs decision, Charlie says composting of source-separated materials has been largely unaffected. That said, the EPA maintains strict regulatory rules for the production and application of compost derived from FOGO, meaning SOILCO’s facility has to consider decontamination and provide rigid process controls. Charlie says through the installation of a pre-sort and aerated composting tunnels, SOILCO can produce clean, compliant and nutrient-rich products. While still in the planning and
approval phase, Charlie says SOILCO has already identified existing urban and agricultural end markets for their product. “There’s a large demand for quality compost in the region, so we’re confident in the facility’s long-term economic viability,” he says. “As time goes on, and the benefits of food waste diversion receive wider recognition, we are sure to see an increase in facility throughput and additional capacity has been designed for.” In addition to existing end markets, Charlie says SOILCO is looking to work with local businesses and large generators of food, such as hotels, of which there are many in the heavily visited region. He says SOILCO operates food waste collection services out of their other
NSW facilities, and intends to provide commercial collection to businesses in the Northern Rivers area as well. “That way we’re not just capturing existing tonnage through the municipal contact but creating further commercial opportunities for food waste diversion through a system we have already established,” Charlie says. “This provides an opportunity for local businesses to participate in the composting process and creates a real sense of community.” After lodging its development application in November, Charlie says SOILCO is working towards a two-year design and construction timeline. “The facility is set to be operational by mid-2021, after which, SOILCO will operate the facility for 10 years, before transferring ownership back to council,” he says.
FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS
Tackling the food revolution LOOP ORGANICS IS WORKING WITH THE END-TO-END USERS OF ORGANICS, DELIVERING HIGH-VALUE CROPS AND SUPPORTING NSW FARMERS DURING THE RECENT DROUGHT.
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hile there is no universal definition of drought, NSW is experiencing one of its most severe droughts on record, with extreme low rainfall affecting farmers over the past six to nine months. As governments around the world deal with climate change and its impact on multiple sectors, one solution being proposed to support the agricultural sector is sustainable intensification. In a nutshell, sustainable intensification sees better optimisation of resources while using fewer inputs and producing greater yields. This paradigm shift is already being driven by multiple organisations across Australia, including Loop Organics. The company has managed to get high crop yields using organics wastes from food manufacturing where the majority of the state is in drought, and in turn supply fodder to NSW farmers experiencing drought. Loop Organics has donated bales of oaten hay grown in the winter of 2019 to farmers in the Northern Tablelands and Lower Hunter Valley area, closing the loop between food processors and primary producers and creating healthier soils that can support ongoing agricultural production. With a combined experience
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Tim Wilson, Matthew Brown and Lisa Rawlinson explained the Loop Organics business to an array of stakeholders at this year’s Waste Expo.
of more than 60 years, the team at Loop Organics have a wealth of experience in a broad range of organics management areas. The company has presided over some of the largest liquid organics and biosolids reuse programs in Australia. Its services comprise composting, wastewater lagoon desludging and dewatering, collection, transport and land application of both liquid and solid organics. Loop’s staff has provided consulting and contracting services to water authorities and councils since 1994. The company operates large-scale biosolids management and reuse programs for a number of east coast water authorities and food processors. In the Sydney Basin, Loop Organics receives waste from milk producers, chicken abattoirs, yoghurt culture manufacturers and a range of other
sites. Loop Organics works on farms on the outskirts of Sydney. In some cases, the farms have been left for a long period of time without any intensive farming. Tim Wilson, of Loop Organics, says Loop operate on five farms in the Sydney Basin, close to 1000 hectares of land. He says that a history of soil compaction is eliminated through deep ripping and delivery of moisture, organic matter and nutrients directly to the root zone. This process mechanically breaks up compacted soil layers and uses strong tynes to loosen hard layers of soil. “We’ve been able to retain a lot more soil moisture in the dry period so we’re getting high yielding crops where the majority of the state is in drought,” Tim says. “We’re not using any chemical
fertiliser, we’re using a by-product from food generation so it’s sustainable. We’re just returning what’s been taken from the soil, putting it back and getting a high value product out of it.” Lisa Rawlinson, Loop Organics Director, says that the winter crops are typically oats and in the summer, crops such as sudangrass, millet or sorghum are grown. Importantly, moisture and high value nutrients are returned to the soil at a suitable application rate to produce high value crops which Loop can supply to farmers during periods of drought. “The production we’re achieving is almost akin to those from irrigation areas and that’s principally because the liquids we’re delivering into the subsoil are being retained, so the crops can withstand the low rainfall drought conditions we’ve been
experiencing over recent years,” Lisa says. Loop Organics’ Hunter Valley composting facility, located at Ravensworth, is situated within a market with a large demand for organic products and along B-double transport routes. The facility can process up to 55,000 tonnes per year of garden organics and biosolids to create specialised soil amendment products for agriculture and mine rehabilitation purposes. Matthew Brown, Loop Organics Regional Manager, Hunter Valley, says the company is now looking to grow its Hunter Valley site and is open to new sources of clean material. “We are hunting for clean, commercial-scale quantity material,” Matthew says. “At the moment we’ve got the ability to bring green waste in and
we’ll look at producing a high-quality compost, targeting farmers and mine rehabilitation.” He says that Loop Organics is keen to support councils with green waste and food organics services. “We already have a good relationship with local government, but it’s also thinking about how we can help them in other areas that they have to manage.” “The compost facility is designed to take materials not just in the Hunter, but also out of Sydney and part of the broader Loop Organics business. The focus for the future is also for Loop Organics to gain approval to receive, process, decontaminate and compost food organics in the Hunter. He says the company is looking to the future to ensure it can meet its customer’s needs in three to five and even 10 years’ time. “Create a high-quality FOGO compost, increasing agriculture yields and sustained soil health, with an offset market
close to infinite!”
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Contact
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FEATURED TOPIC – ORGANICS
The mechanical stomach TAS PAPAS, IUGIS ENTERPRISE SALES DIRECTOR, SPEAKS WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT WORKING WITH VEOLIA TO PROMOTE ON-SITE RECYCLING AND THE AEROBIC DIGESTION PROCESS.
Melbourne’s Degrave Street Precinct invested in the ORCA in 2017.
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hile waste occurs throughout the food supply chain, roughly two-thirds of Australia’s food waste is generated in consumer-facing businesses or in the home. To minimise its contribution to the overall footprint, the City of Melbourne, one of the most populous juristications in the state, installed an ORCA aerobic digestion system at its Degraves Street Precinct in 2017. Diverting more than 60 tonnes of waste in its first year, the machine
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uses natural microorganisms to convert food into wastewater, which is then sent directly into the sewer system. According to Tas Papas, iugis Enterprise Sales Director, iugis introduced ORCA technology to Australia two years ago, after a sixyear run in Canada and the United States. Tas says iugis, an internationally managed service technology company, is committed to changing the way businesses deal with their
food waste. He adds that as part of this commitment, iugis has developed a collaborative partnership with Australian waste management provider Veolia. “We saw Veolia as a business that continues to look for waste technologies beyond landfill, and in the last 12 months, they have been offering our ORCA food waste digester as one of their organics solutions,” Tas says. “Veolia suggest the ORCA to customers looking for an economically viable way to divert food waste, and while the national partnership is still in its infancy, the future looks very promising.” The ORCA aerobic digestion process uses natural microbes, which are automatically sprayed into the unit, oxygen and naturally occurring heat to digest food waste down to a liquid. Tas says once the material reaches liquid form, the ORCA passes it through an in-built filter and discharges it from the unit. “One of the great advantages of the ORCA, which we refer to as the mechanical stomach, is that the metabolisation and digestion rate is accelerated by continuous feeding,” Tas explains. “Operators don’t have to wait until the end of a cycle as material can be fed into the machine 24 hours a day –
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it loves a continuous feed.” Accoring to a 2019 Blue Environment Report prepared for Veolia, the ORCA produces a 100 per cent diversion from landfill rate. This rate, Tas says, enables iugis to register under the Emissions Reduction Fund. Through reduction credits, the Emissions Reduction Fund aims to incentivise individuals and organisations to adopt new practices and technologies to reduce emissions. These credits, Tas says, add a layer of economic incentive to ORCA installation. Another economic benefit, Tas says, is that compared to standard The ORCA aerobic digestion process uses natural microorganisms dehydration systems, the ORCA uses automatically sprayed into the unit. minimal energy. “To dehydrate food, a significant on kerbside waste collection. amount of heat needs to be added, “Recycling at the source also means which typically comes from a pump businesses can assist in getting waste that requires three-phase power,” he says. trucks off the road, which is a key “The ORCA on the other hand, focus for us.” only uses single phase power, so a Tas says processing 25 tonnes standard 10-amp power point is all of food waste in the ORCA is the that’s required. Operationally, it’s equivalent to reducing the emissions very cheap to run.” of a diesel truck travelling 21,000 In addition to landfill diversion kilometres. He adds that recycling and less energy use, Tas says the waste at the source also eliminates ORCA allows businesses to reduce extra costs associated with bin WMR_Dec19_ThirdPage.pdf 1 22/10/2019 11:56:47 AM emissions through a reduced reliance collection.
To further minimise the strain of financial output, Tas says iugis put all machines to market as a managed service. “Investing in new technology can be prohibitive to smaller buisnesses, so we allow users to pay a monthly fee as part of a fully managed service,” he says. “iugis manages all the consumables including the microorganisms, and offers ongoing preventative maintenance.” He adds iugis offers a range of ORCAs to suit all size and tonnage needs. “Our new baby ORCA, which can process 120 kilos of food waste each day, is the perfect solution for smaller businesses such as restaurants, cafés and pubs,” Tas says. For larger businesses such as hotels and shopping centres, Tas says iugis offers digesters capable of processing up to a tonne of food waste each day. “The more exposure on-site recycling solutions get, the wider the uptake will be,” he says. “iugis, which is Latin for perpetuity, is continuously looking to develop technology that increases digestion rates and inspires more on-site recycling.”
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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – E-WASTE
No more wasted TVs ECOCYLE’S RECENT ACQUISITION OF A MERCURY-SAFE FLAT SCREEN-RECYCLING MACHINE IS SET TO STREAMLINE THE ONCE HAZARDOUS PROCESS.
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espite Victoria’s recent ban on e-waste to landfill, the scale of Australia’s e-waste problem continues to grow. At present, only Victoria, South Australia and the ACT have e-waste to landfill bans in place, meaning that in the remaining states and territory, much of the material ends up in landfill. While waste on its own accord is cause for concern, the chemicals housed within electronics pose significant human and environmental health risks when left in landfill. Namely, the risk of mercury leaks entering leachate and groundwater. Daryl Moyle, Ecocyle Business Development Manger, says a commitment to accerlerating e-waste recycling rates was the driving factor behind Ecocyle’s recent technology acquisition. In October, Ecocyle purchased Irish firm FPD Recycling’s world first mercury-safe flat screen-recycling machine. “The FDP PRO is a fully automated recycling system that can safely and efficiently recycle flat panel displays including televisions, monitors and laptops,” Daryl says. “We always embrace and seek out the latest in recycling technologies. Moreover, this new technology will address an ever growing waste stream
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in an economically safe and effective manner.” Despite only three jurisdictions currently banning e-waste to landfill, Daryl says as public awareness grows, and the national conversation shifts from ‘waste’ to ‘resource’, others states will likely follow suit. “More manufacturers are seeking total recycling solutions to meet current, and likely future, compliance obligations,” he says.
manually, and with complex internal structures, this is slow and expensive,” he says. “This means that even when people want to do the right thing, the process can become unviable, which can lead to stockpiling, illegal exports or in the worse case - landfill.” When using currently accessible LCD TV recycling equipment, Daryl says hazardous substances such as mercury containing fluorescents
“There’s a growing national consciousness over the importance of sustainably managing this modern waste stream.” Daryl Moyle Ecocyle Buisness Development Manger
“There’s a growing national consciousness over the importance of sustainably managing this modern waste stream.” While interest in LCD TV and laptop monitor recycling is increasing, Daryl says currently available technology makes it difficult to effectively process the material. “TV’s have to be disassembled
need to be removed before the nonhazardous fractions become ready for recycling. He adds that this creates another layer of complexity to the relatively new process and market. “With the FDP PRO those challenges are erased, with a fully enclosed module robotic unit that separates hazardous and non-
HIS YAWEI LASER ISGood for the ESIGNED TO CUT environment – BOVE THE REST. even better for OW THAT’S APPLIED your bottom line. HINKING. Now that’s The fully automated nature of the FDP PRO means minimal human intervention is required.
Applied thinking.
hazardous fractions automatically,” Daryl explains. “In addition to streamlining the process in a time spent, and therefore resource spent context, the FDP PRO features a filtration system to protect the environment from harmful discharges and workers from exposure to mercury, lead and other hazardous materials.” The fully automated nature of the machine, Daryl says, means minimal human intervention is required, thereby circumnavigating the issue of manual dismantling and high exposure risks from breakages. “Ecocyle’s acquisition of this new piece of machinery means we are able to side step many existing barriers to LCD TV and associated flat panel recycling,” he says. Driven by artificial intelligence technology, Daryl says extreme accuracy, speed consistency cut, combined the FDP PRO will and transform flat panelof recycling in a cost with very low operating e new Yawei HLFmanner. fiber laser is the perfect way to take your business to the next level. effective “The machine can depollute up to 60 displays in an r dollar, the new HLF is in a league of itsvalues own,and opening up possibilities for companies hour, producing high recoverable significant s the laserdiversion cutting from sector; from start-ups through to full production, 3-shift landfill rates,” he says. ments. This rate, Daryl adds, enables not just environmentally positive outcomes, but economically viable ones as well. • Hot melt processing achieves a 90:1 densification ratio uality German built auto-focus cutting IPG laser source, Siemens “The FDPPrecitec PRO enables process speeds of head, up to 1.2 • Huge volumetric savings on your waste bins controllertonnes and aper fabricated, fully annealed hour, and stress-relieved recovery rates of more than 80 perframe it really is a cut above • Create a new revenue stream with your densified EPS cent, which allows us to recycle at a rate not previously possible,” he says. • Keep EPS out of landfill, and contribute to the true Daryl adds that the FDP PRO can efficiently capture in circular economy demand critical raw materials such as indium. information: • Simple, cost effective, safe operation “These panels are full of valuable materials, and 706 8066 manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of the es@appliedmachinery.com.au w.appliedmachinery.com.au latent economic benefit of holding onto those resources through recycling,” he says. Connect with us socially “As e-waste regulations tighten across the country, appliedmachinery.com.au Ecocyle is ready to take on increased levels of e-waste 1 22/12/16 9:27 am with the help of its new and existing technologies.” Phone: 03 9706 8066 Email: sales@appliedmachinery.com.au
WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – INTERNATIONAL
Eggersmann’s Clyde Valley Residual Waste Project commenced in December 2019 and involved five local authorities.
Lessons from the EU DUNCAN BOWETT, EGGERSMANN UK MANAGING DIRECTOR, SPEAKS WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE GROWING AUSTRALIAN RESOURCE RECOVERY MARKET AND A LOCAL PARTNERSHIP WITH SKALA.
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hile the European Union did not escape China’s National Sword restrictions in 2018, harmonised waste regulation facilitated a swift regional response. Higher population density was another factor, with greater material output working to incentivise private investment. According to Duncan Bowett, Eggersmann UK Managing Director, the regulated EU system, and associated technology outlays, is better equipped at separating waste than its Australian counterpart. This, he says, inevitably leads to a higher-
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quality recycling product. “The UK presently falls under EU legislation, so we have to follow the European directive on recycling and waste, whereas in Australia, it’s very much a state by state system in terms of what material is collected, sorting, processes and levies.” Duncan suggests the disjointed nature of Australia’s resource recovery system, in conjunction with the country’s relatively small population, works to disincentivise private investment in higher grade processing technology. He adds that given the rate
of Australian construction and infrastructure building, this creates a significant level of missed economic and environmental opportunity. “Australia’s big build movement is in full swing, and when you’re knocking down buildings and building new infrastructure, you’re using a lot of aggregates,” Duncan says. “We went through a similar growth period in the UK 20 years ago and used landfill tax increases to capitalise on resource recovery potential.” That forward thinking, Duncan says, has fostered a healthy resource recovery environment, where projects
such as Eggersmann’s 2019 UK Clyde Valley turnkey facility are viable. The Clyde Valley Residual Waste Project, which commenced operations in December 2019, involved five local authorities. Designed to improve recycling and residual waste treatment to complement existing recycling and composting activities, the project was awarded to waste management company Viridor. Following this, Eggersmann was tasked with plant design, build and installation. As a result of the facility, Duncan says 90 per cent of the partner council’s waste is diverted from landfill and used to produce refusederived fuel. The facility features a twin-line system with waste material delivered to an in-feed hall, where it is stored before its fed into the system. Each line, Duncan says, operates at approximately 36 tonnes an hour to produce the required 190,000 tonnes per annum throughput. Further implemented technology includes two static high-torque, slowspeed shredders, which reduce the maximum waste size down to less than 300 millimetres. The material, Duncan says, is then delivered via twin conveyors into two trommel screens that force separations at 80, 200 and 300 millimetres. “Following the trommel process, the material is passed through a conveyor, with overband magnets and eddy current separators used to remove any ferrous and non-ferrous metals,” Duncan says. “Post metal recovery, Eggersmann designed an optical sorting system that positively ejects all dense plastic material.” The complexity of the Clyde Valley facility design is made possible by the nature of EU waste policy harmonisation and resulting private industry certainty, Duncan says.
“Waste companies, and any business working in the private sector, have to remain economically stable, and as result, will find loopholes and clever ways to extract more profitability,” he adds. “There will always be a waste footprint, but harmonised regulation is the way forward. It has to be.” Despite Australia’s current lack of centralised waste regulation, Duncan is positive that through industry advocacy and growing public awareness, the sector will grow in a manner that encourages private and public investment. “Resource recovery can be difficult and it can be expensive, but there is a lot of innovation happening, and at this point, many new processes are becoming possible,” he says.
Skala, which in addition to equipment supply, designs and builds small plants and distributes Eggersmann equipment throughout Australia. Duncan adds that they also oversee Eggersmann’s fixed plant and static equipment operations. In the case of small plants Skala takes the lead, however, when dealing with larger projects, Skala functions as Eggersmann’s Australian representative. Duncan says this takes the form of installation, maintenance and ongoing spare parts support. “Time differences are a problem in the globalised market. If I’m in Australia having problems with my plant at half past noon for instance, calling someone in the UK who’s asleep is not going to help me,” he says. “If you don’t have local support you Eggersmann developed a partnership with Skala 18 months ago.
“Australia is already making strides in the way it deals with FOGO, energy and biogas. I definitely see the market changing over the next few years.” To capitalise on future growth, Eggersmann developed a partnership with local bulk material handling and recycling equipment supplier Skala 18 months ago. “Eggersmann has grown substantially through acquisitions, and because of that we have a wide network of partners around the world, which is how we started working with Skala,” Duncan says.
have a very small window of action, which is not fair on the client.” Through a combination of Eggersmann’s significant resources and Skala’s depth of Australian market knowledge, Duncan says they are able to provide a fully turnkey service. “We’ve been really impressed with what Skala brings to the table in terms of local knowledge and support,” he says. “Waste and recycling is certainly the topic on everyone’s lips at the moment, so it’s important Eggersmann can turn to Skala and help grow the sector.”
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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – MEDICAL WASTE
Pharmaceuticals in the water WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SPEAKS WITH ACE WASTE ABOUT A WASTE DEFINITION LOOPHOLE THAT’S SEEING UPWARDS OF 525,000 KILOGRAMS OF PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE LANDFILLED IN VICTORIA EACH YEAR.
Ace Waste conducts regular waste audits into clinical waste and on average finds 15 per cent is pharmaceutical.
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ollowing a two-year testing period of Melbourne water streams, a 2018 study, published in Nature Communications, found traces of 69 different drugs in observed insects and spiders. According to the study, a platypus living in a stream on Melbourne’s fringes could receive more than a half human dose of antidepressants each day. The study did not specifically address how the drugs ended up in Melbourne’s waterways. That said, the research team suggested that they likely entered via the sewer system. Similar studies have been conducted into the result of household flushing of pharmaceuticals, such as a 2017 Environmental Pollution report that found pharmaceuticals in surface water in Antarctica. Investigations into the phenomenon from the context of
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hospitals, however, yield little results. While pharmaceuticals entering the environment via hospitals hasn’t sparked significant publicly accessible research, Ace Waste’s directors believe it’s a significant issue. Under Australian federal law, all pharmaceutical waste must be incinerated to ensure it is disposed of in the safest way possible. Clinical waste however, which includes any material resulting from medical, nursing, dental or otherwise health related activity, can legally be either incinerated or treated before landfill. While on the surface the distinction seems apt, a half-full vial of codeine poses more environmental and human health harm than a disposable medical glove, the standard makeup of clinical waste complicates the situation. Managing Director John Homewood says Ace Waste has been working in this industry for 31 years and as part of its central business practice, conducts regular waste audits. “We’ve found that on average, 15 per cent of clinical waste is pharmaceutical, including physical drugs and chemical residue.” For example, Executive Director Alex Homewood says when a patient is injected with morphine or other scheduled drugs, residual liquid remains inside the sharp or syringe. “That sharp then goes into a sharps container, but the residual morphine
remains present,” he says. “Residual pharmaceutical additives also remain in infusion bags and IV lines, which can hold in excess of 100 millilitres.” Currently, no public hospital in Victoria incinerates its waste according to Alex, meaning all clinical and related waste in the state is treated and landfilled. “It has simply been that way for many years, and whether Melbourne health facilities have done audits to satisfy themselves I do not know, but what I do know is that our audits show 15 per cent of clinical waste contains pharmaceutical residue, if not pharmaceuticals,” he says. “That fact implies that all Victorian hospitals are inadvertently breaking the law.” In contrast, Alex says all public hospitals in South East Queensland use incineration to process clinical waste. “All hospitals from Wide Bay right down to the border insist on hightemperature incineration because they recognise the problem of pharmaceutical waste residues,” Alex says. While the Victorian EPA is responsible for regulating the storage, transport, treatment and disposal of clinical and related wastes in Victoria under the Environment Protection Regulations 2009, its Clinical and Related Waste Operational Guidance resource highlights generator responsibility. Generator responsibility, broadly,
refers to the concept that a producer of waste is responsible for its accurate definition and subsequent disposal. According to the EPA guidance paper, generators must take all necessary precautions to minimise potential hazards, and ensure they manage clinical and related wastes safely and legally. While the EPA guidance resource was published in 2009, at the time of writing, it is the only related resource available on the EPA Victoria website. “I can’t speak to internal processes and whether or not individual hospitals are aware of the problem, but when hospitals are branding pharmaceutical waste clinical and related, and therefore sending it to treatment and landfill, that’s a breach of the law and a basic responsibility to protect human health and the environment,” John says.
While the knowledge of individual hospitals isn’t clear, John and Alex say they have informed the Victorian Health Department (VicHealth). “The Health Department is aware, and they need to start taking serious steps to address the problem,” John says. In an average year, 3.5 million kilos of clinical waste is produced in Melbourne Metro, using Ace Waste audits, that equates to 525,000 kilograms of mistreated waste. John says expanding that figure to Victoria at large highlights a real problem of scale. “If Victorian hospitals don’t change the way they operate in this space, the health risks are huge, but it’s not that complex, there are very clear avenues available to address it,” he says. John adds that rectifying the issue will not require huge investments in
new waste infrastructure, because the capacity already exists. When you include Ace Waste, there are two companies currently capable of incinerating Victoria’s clinical waste, he says. “If the state’s hospitals don’t implement strict procedures to separate clinical and pharmaceutical waste at the source, which given the fact medical professionals operate in stressful and often life-threatening situations, would be borderline impossible, VicHealth needs to begin enforcing incineration,” he says. “Treating and landfilling residual pharmaceuticals is not only contributing to our current environmental problems, but actively making them worse.” At the time of writing, VicHealth had not responded to Waste Management Review’s request for comment.
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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TRANSPORT
Palfinger finds its niche at AWRE PALFINGER’S NEW NSW KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER SETH OZBAS FOUND THE COMPANY’S DINO T22A UNIT WAS IN HIGH DEMAND AT THE AUSTRALASIAN WASTE AND RECYCLING EXPO.
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hen Palfinger began exploring which of its hookloader units to showcase at the Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo (AWRE), the team identified its DINO T22A hookloaders as the ideal fit. The conference’s NSW-centric location meant that a hookloader with the capacity for various rail widths and hydraulically adjustable hook heights was highly sought after, inspiring the team to display the unit on the show floor. Supplied with either a hydraulically adjustable arm or an articulating arm, the DINO T22A is ideal for various waste streams, from construction and demolition waste to organics.
Palfinger clients are handling a range of challenging waste streams and the company recognises that containers vary in design, with multiple rail widths and assorted hook heights creating logistical challenges. Having a single hookloader that can collect most containers is a strong value proposition for Palfinger’s diverse range of customers in NSW. Holding AWRE in October timed well with new NSW Key Account Manager Seth Ozbas having just come on board. Joining Palfinger in August, Seth was keen to meet and greet Palfinger’s new and existing customers. His main responsibilities are to ensure Palfinger maintains its strong connections with its existing NSW
Glen Woodrow, Seth Ozbas and Stuart Cameron shared positive conversations with customers at the Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo.
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customer base, while also working to forge new relationships with waste operations and fleet managers. With more than 10 years’ experience in mining and construction, Seth is an expert in hydraulic equipment. Seth explains he first moved to Australia last year where he worked for Wam Australia – a company based in Italy manufacturing bulk handling equipment. From there, he stumbled upon Palfinger after discovering their products online and was immediately impressed with their quality of build. He says he is determined to ensure Palfinger’s strong reputation in the cranes sector is equally as well-known in waste management, an area Seth
considers a personal passion. “Waste management is an established industry, experiencing rapid growth as consumer sentiment shifts towards reducing our impact on the planet,” Seth says. “NSW is an interesting state and I look forward to learning more about our various customers and applications.” Seth says that the majority of Palfinger’s diverse range of NSW customers are in the Sydney CBD or western suburbs, with a number also spread across regional areas, an area he hopes to continue to grow. While he is new to the waste industry, he says AWRE has helped him forge connections with new and prospective customers. Seth says the DINO T22A has been an easy unit to sell in NSW, given
The DINO T22A fit in well with AWRE’s NSW location due to its capacity for multiple rail widths.
in the world because of our unique customers needs, particularly in NSW,” Glen says. He says that historical designs have had limited clearance on the front of the bin due to a large hook, an issue the DINO eliminates.
“Waste managers are knowledgeable and they know what they want most of the time, so it’s about combining our technical capabilities to suit their needs.” Seth Ozbas NSW Key Account Manager
the demand to carry a variety of containers. “Waste managers are knowledgeable and they know what they want most of the time, so it’s about combining our technical capabilities to suit their needs,” Seth explains. Glen Woodrow, Hookloader and Skip Loader Account Manager at Palfinger, says the DINO T22A hookloaders are unique to Australia. “We manufacture products that are bespoke – it’s as simple as that. This hookloader is not sold anywhere else
Glen explains the DINO’s hydraulically adjustable hook will pick up any bin at any rail width or height from 1360 to 1650 millimetres. As an added benefit, the unit comprises front bin locks for seven points of contact ensuring NSW customers can secure their loads safely. The colour scheme of black and yellow is a design that stands out on the AWRE floor, complementing Palfinger’s red backdrop and brand promise of lifetime excellence. Glen explains that the units all
originate from France and can be customised to suit customer’s colour needs. Augmenting the unit is Palfinger’s PAD controls – an intelligent system that aims to provide users better information and improve safety. The controls include features such as automatic cycle for increased safety and additional information, including real-time record data and information displayed on the truck dash. “Through our digitisation process, Palfinger is looking to make its units easier, smarter and faster. The new process removes all relays out of the control circuitry, so it’s quite a maintenance-free system,” Glen explains. He says the PAD control box is an intelligent system and will inform users if the unit is not set up correctly. “If you’re trying to tip and have the front bin locks in instead of out, it won’t go into tip mode,” Glen says. “If the vehicle is not ready to travel and you have a bin unlocked, the audible warning will tell you it’s not safe to travel, even if you disconnect the PTO.” He says that PAD controls are offered in both the T22A articulated DINO unit for low loading and T22T – a telescopic unit able to pick up every bin on the market.
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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – TRANSPORT
Taking the PremiAir approach EQUIPMENT HIRE BUSINESS PREMIAIR HAS DIVERSIFIED ITS FLEET WITH A FLEET OF NEW REFUSE COLLECTION BODIES FROM HYVA/ HSR SOUTHERN CROSS, BROADENING ITS WASTE SERVICE.
PremiAir Hire is constantly looking to diversify its hire fleet and will soon introduce a range of Hyva skp loaders to the market for hire.
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ccidents, registration preparations and inspections, along with unscheduled maintenance and breakdowns and seasonal conditions, are just some of the common obstacles a fleet manager encounters in the dynamic waste transportation sector each day. Countering these problems effectively makes investing in efficient and productive equipment the name of the game, with operators taking a “try before you buy” approach without the burden of capital investment. Hydraulic equipment supplier Hyva
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has been across these industry needs for decades, supplying fit-for-purpose collection equipment to a broad range of transportation customers. One of these is PremiAir Hire, an equipment solutions/dry hire specialist in areas such as diesel and electric air compressors, traffic management equipment and sustainable event solutions. The company services the entire east coast of Australia with 12 specialist branches located in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and SA. PremiAir Hire’s service provision has led it to invest in a large fleet
of prime movers, B-double trailers, crane trucks and tilt trays to provide timely and efficient support 24/7. Earlier last year, PremiAir Hire partnered with Hyva/HSR Southern Cross to acquire its new R-Line refuse collection equipment (RCB), purchasing a fleet of custom specified vehicles fitted with a range of Hyva RCB compaction bodies. Hyva’s new R-Line RCB comprises three models with different capabilities: the mini (6,8 and 10 cubic metres), medium (12, 14, 16 and 18 cubic metres) and mega (18, 20, 22 and 24 cubic metres).
Constructed using pressed and rolled high-tensile steel and wearable steel in abrasive exposed areas, the line aims to be incredibly durable, with a long operating life. Loading can be completed with ease via hydraulic bin lift or skip lifter arms, with the RCB’s offered as manual or fully electronically operated. Simon Hill, at PremiAir, says by choosing Hyva’s R-Line RCB, the company was able to take a fresh approach to its equipment supply for new and existing customers. “Operators who run a large fleet of trucks will inevitably have a certain percentage of them getting registered or repaired at any one point in time, so we wanted to give those customers an opportunity to try something different,” Simon explains. He says customers in the waste segment can try the product out as an initial redundancy measure, and if they like the product, they can then choose to buy it. The RCB ensures rear loader compactors have strong capabilities for PremiAir’s customers across commercial and industrial and municipal solid waste. Simon says the company is always looking for new avenues to support PremiAir’s customers, which range from councils up to small, medium and large-sized waste companies. Martyn Cross, Managing Director of Australian Hyva PRESS distributor, HSR Southern Cross, says the company supported PremiAir with a spec’d product manufactured from Swedish 450 hardox steel. He adds that it offers visually appealing clean skin body designs which reduce tare weights. He says the Hyva PRESS RCB range is fitted with Danfoss PLUS 1 full CAN bus electronic system with smart diagnostics enabling ease of operation across all tasks and Australian and
With six to 22 cubic-metre bodies, PremiAir can support conncils right through to multinational waste companies.
worldwide technical support. “The fleet of vehicles offered to the market by PremiAir Hire ensure a large segment of the market will have access to the most suitable refuge collection vehicle for their individual needs. PremiAir Hire has spec’d its Hyva RCB range with wide comb lifters to ensure compatibility to mobile garbage bins, from 120 to 1100 litres,” Martyn says. Simon says that versatility is essential in the hire game, as it’s important not to narrow one’s customer base. Another key factor in the purchase was national support in every capital city through Hyva’s after-sales network, allowing PremiAir to service the Australian market effectively. Simon adds that PremiAir Hire is constantly looking to diversify it’s hire fleet and will shortly introduce a range of Hyva skip loaders to the market for short and long term hire. He says this will further broaden the offerings available from PremiAir Hire and the company may further look at getting other Hyva models down the track. “From a six-cubic-metre body, up to a 22-cubic-metre body, low entry body, kerbside body, PremiAir will be able to supply that and
support councils, right through to multinational waste companies in regional and metropolitan areas.” This ability to remain agile is a key factor behind the company’s success as it looks to the future and continues to adapt and respond quickly to its customer’s needs. Andre Bremmer, Managing Director at Hyva Pacific, says the RCB models were introduced to the Australian market in early 2018 and sales immediately took off. He says the Hyva advantage is added payloads through high compaction force, increased reliability through the use of quality high-tensile steel and a more efficient operation from small-diameter cylinders. “Waste is not new to Hyva. We are in 130 countries around the world and truly a global company and a market leader in hydraulics, tipping cylinders and solutions,” he says. Andre says a key point of differentiation for Hyva is keeping manufactured stock on location at the company’s production facility in Australia. He says this significantly reduces lead times on fitted units, giving the Hyva HSR RCB a strong sales advantage.
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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – WEIGHING SYSTEMS
Over and under KERFAB SHOWCASED ITS DIVERSE CAPABILITIES AND PRODUCT RANGE AT THE AUSTRALASIAN WASTE AND RECYCLING EXPO, WITH A FOCUS ON ITS ATTACH+GO ONBOARD WEIGHING SYSTEMS.
Jim Eagle, Kerfab Onboard Division Manager, says Kerfab has expanded to a range of new areas.
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s one of 123 exhibitors at the Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo (AWRE), Kerfab knew it was important to make a statement. To stand out in the packed Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Kerfab showcased its brand new range of WastePro wheel loader attachments. Launched in October this year, the range was designed specifically for the waste industry and features an array of on-demand or customisable buckets and grapples. Speaking with Waste Management
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Review on the AWRE floor, Jim Eagle, Kerfab Onboard Division Manager, says Kerfab has traditionally focused its waste operations on manufacturing telehandler and wheel loader attachements, both bespoke and standardised. “After speaking with clients about application needs, and noticing shifts in the growing market, we’ve since expanded into wheel loader, telehandler, excavator, front and side lift trailer and waste truck weighing systems.” After fielding questions from potential customers, Jim directs Waste
Management Review’s attention to another facet of Kerfab’s product range, Attach+Go weighing systems. The Attach+Go range of weighing systems was designed to provide accurate load data to users, which in turn reduces the likelihood of over or underloading waste vehicles. “Waste operators want to avoid overloading trucks for two reasons. First, the fines from road authorities are very expensive, causing a clear economic incentive,” he says. “Second, operators want to support driver and wide public safety.” Jim says underloading is another
common concern, due to the significant cost incurred by waste and recycling companies, their contractors and the companies that run their trucks and loaders. “It’s not cheap to drive around the country. Diesel adds up,” he says. “Making sure each load entails as much material as is legally permissible is the only viable option.” Kefab’s legal-for-trade on-board scales remove the necessity of fixed weighbridges by providing real-time load measurements to vehicle drivers and facility operators. This, Jim says, eliminates weight uncertainty to enable a streamlined process. According to Jim, underloading and overloading is a common problem when loading trucks. “When a truck carrying an irregular load reaches the weighbridge, it is forced to turn around and return to the point of loading, which on some sites could cost the driver an hour,” he says. He adds that lost time translates to lost productivity. When using a Attach+Go system, Jim says drivers and operators are aware of weight at the point of
loading, which removes human guess work. He adds that because many of the scales are legal-for-trade, invoices can be lodged immediately. “Kerfab has been distributing Attach+Go scales in Australia for 10 years, and have found the quality German product has a much lower total cost of ownership than comparable systems,” Jim says. “Installing facility or fleet-wide onboard scales also comes at a fraction of the price required to install modern weighbridges.” Reduced ownership cost, Jim says, is a result of higher quality materials and technology, which leads to lower servicing frequency and cost. “With scales, the biggest cost over the long term is the cost of servicing and recalibration, so having a sturdy, reliable system really reduces expenditure,” he adds. Eliminating downtime is another benefit of the range, Jim explains. “The scales save time and money for our clients because they can remove a process step,” he says. “Trucks drive into the point of loading, load the product from the stockpile or depot, and as weighing occurs during loading, our range
removes the following weighbridge step.” Ensuring they can provide a solution to meet any clients needs is a central focus for Kerfab, Jim says. He adds that the company’s extensive dealer network works hard to maintan long-term client realationships through on-going support and contact. Furthermore, Jim explains that Kerfab’s after-sales service BackUp+, which includes a network of fitters, is consistently on call to provide on-site service for both in-warranty an outof-warranty equipment. “No matter what waste material you’re dealing with, everything needs to be weighed and monitored regardless of location, so it’s very important for all operators to have access to necessary data,” he says. “It’s worth noting that in the waste industry there is no one-sizefits-all approach, so Kerfab offers an extensive range of on-board scale models. “We also have multiple models to suit function and operation specificity, ranging for high-tech advanced touchscreens with Wi-Fi capability, to more straightforward basic scales.”
Kerfab’s legal-for-trade on-board scales remove the necessity of fixed weighbridges.
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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP
The largest collection network SPYRO KALOS, MOBILEMUSTER GENERAL MANAGER, SPEAKS WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT REVIEW ABOUT THE PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP SCHEME’S 21ST ANNIVERSARY AND SHIFTING APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABILITY.
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hile Australians are early adopters of technology, the length of mobile phone ownership remains relatively stable, with half the population using their mobile phone for two or more years, according to MobileMuster research. Reuse and repair rates are also rising, as the circular economy concept continues to take root. Aside from shifting supply chains, one of the most important circular economy outcomes is changing the public’s attitudes when it comes to reuse, repair and recycling. People are realising that an out-of-date phone doesn’t need to become waste. It can
be reused through sale or passed on to family and friends. Spyro Kalos, MobileMuster General Manager, says to support the growing reuse and repair market, MobileMuster has developed education resources and partnered with several leading commercial reuse programs. “Traditionally, refurbished devices were shipped to developing markets overseas, but there is a growing demand for refurbished devices locally,” he says. “When a device has no commercial resale value however, consumers are encouraged to recycle them with MobileMuster.”
Trevor Evans, Spyro Kalos, Jane van Beelen, Chris Althaus and Matt Kean celebrate MobileMuster’s 21st anniversary.
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Spyro says MobileMuster’s expansion into reuse and repair education is typical for the program, which since 1998, has continued to adapt and grow in line with advancing technology and consumer expectations. Celebrating its 21st birthday earlier this year, Spyro says MobileMuster began as a standard take-back program. “Since it began, MobileMuster has collected over 1500 tonnes of mobile phone components, and now operates the most extensive drop off network of any stewardship program in the country,” he says. At an anniversary event at Sydney’s The Mint in early November, Spyro highlighted the importance of collaboration and building strong relationships with collection network stakeholders. “Our collection partners are critical to the success of the program. They are motivated and actively engage in supporting our work, including raising awareness to get more people recycling,” he says. “We have also seen a significant growth in the number of repair stores joining the program, with over 220 stores now participating as a collection point,” he says. The event was attended by Telstra Executive Director of Regulatory
Affairs and Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association Chair Jane van Beelen and Assistant Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Minister Trevor Evans. Spyro says the event highlights how far the scheme has grown. MobileMuster collected and recycled 84.1 tonnes of mobile phone components in 2019, including 1.2 million handsets and batteries. Spyro adds that one in three Australians have recycled a mobile phone since the program began. “The success of our scheme relies on raising awareness through promotions, and addressing barriers to recycling through education,” he says. “We are committed to continuing to invest in the next generation of mobile phone users, educating them about the impact of their mobiles and
how to act for a sustainable future.” In addition to behavioural and awareness changes, Spyro says MobileMuster is committed to a high recovery rate through its recycling process, and notes that the design of mobiles phones has changed over the programs 21 years “The material make-up of mobiles is always changing. Manufacturers are using more glass and metals than ever before – material that is highly recyclable and also in demand,” he says. With public scrutiny increasingly focused on the recycling industry, Spyro says MobileMuster is committed to total process transparency. “The program only uses a single recycling partner, which helps us understand their end to end operations. We also audit their
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WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION – WASTE-TO-ENERGY
One million tonnes of PEF SUEZ-RESOURCECO’S SOUTH AUSTRALIAN WASTE TO ENERGY PLANT HAS OFFICIALLY PRODUCED ONE MILLION TONNES OF ALTERNATIVE FUEL.
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ustralia’s first waste-to-energy plant celebrated the production of one million tonnes of alternative fuel in November, and as a process aside, the diversion of two million tonnes of waste from landfill. Working closely with Adelaide Brighton Cement, ResourceCo developed a Processed Engineered Fuel (PEF) as a partial replacement for fossil fuels for the company’s cement kiln in 2006. The result is a plant capable of sorting, sizing and extracting 300,000 tonnes of combustible material each year. The Wingfield plant in South Australia is operated as a partnership between ResourceCo and SUEZ. Simon Brown, ResourceCo Managing Director, says the company is proud to play a role in Australia’s efforts to move away from a make, use and dispose model in favour of a circular economy. “ResourceCo’s ethos is to recover, recycle and re-use products to extract their maximum value – in this case dry non-recyclable material,” Simon says. “The plant is a great example of what’s possible when it comes to circular economy initiatives.” Cement produced by Adelaide Brighton, using PEF from the Wingfield plant, has been used in a host of major infrastructure projects across South Australia. According to Simon, the Wingfield facility uses world-leading technology to harness the energy value in construction, demolition, commercial
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and industrial waste, otherwise destined for landfill, transforming it into a baseload fuel. When unveiling a plaque to mark the one-millionth tonne milestone, Steven Marshall, South Australian Premier, acknowledged the facility as a great example of what’s possible in the resource recovery industry. “South Australia leads the nation in resource recovery, and projects like this are fantastic for the environment as well as the economy,” Steven says. “We know that for every tonne of waste recycled, there are more than three times the amount of jobs created compared to when sent to landfill.” David Speirs, South Australian Environment and Water Minister, says the SUEZ-ResourceCo facility reinforces South Australia’s reputation as a national leader in waste management and circular economy initiatives. “The waste management and resource recovery industry is a major player in South Australia’s economy with approximately 4800 people employed, and we want to this number to grow,” David says. Mark Venhoek, SUEZ-ResourceCo Chairman and SUEZ Australia and New Zealand CEO, says in addition to creating employment, the SUEZResourceCo partnership has resulted in significant environmental outcomes. He adds that the facility has contributed not just to significant landfill diversion, but also a reduction
in the state’s reliance on fossil fuels. “PEF presents a cost-effective, sustainable solution to the generation of baseload energy, while helping to address the complex issues of waste management – it’s a win/win,” Mark says. “Since launching as Australia’s first waste-to-energy plant in 2006, the facility has helped reduce annual green house gas emissions to the equivalent of the electricity supply of 50,000 homes.” Nick Miller, Adelaide Brighton Limited CEO, shares Mark’s enthusiasm. “SUEZ-ResourceCo’s alternative fuel reduces Adelaide Brighton Cement’s reliance on natural resources, as well as the use of raw materials in the cement manufacturing process,” he says. “Through the use of this alternative fuel, Adelaide Brighton Cement has achieved a reduction of approximately 500,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions since project inception.” Tony Circelli, South Australian EPA Chief Executive, says the plant illustrates an innovative way of dealing with waste that would otherwise have gone to landfill. “The EPA has driven a regulatory risk-based framework to ensure that innovation can occur with strong attention and adherence to their social license,” Tony says. “The outcome is positive both for the environment and the people of South Australia.”
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PROFILE
Filling the gaps THE METROPOLITAN WASTE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY GROUP’S NEW CEO JILLIAN RISELEY DISCUSSES THE AGENCY’S PLANS FOR 2020, INCLUDING A NEW C&I STRATEGY AND ADVANCED WASTE PROCESSING PROCUREMENT.
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hen the City of New York announced a “zero waste” to landfill plan by 2030 in 2015, the Department of Sanitation looked to significantly expand its kerbside organics collection. While the plan was announced well before China’s National Sword impacted the global markets, the city’s strategy is redolent of a global shift towards finding replacements for landfill. With half the population of New York City, Melbourne has looked to progressively reduce a reliance on landfill, with an organics network spearheaded by the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) to fill that gap. Much of the agenda began to be implemented after the release of the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Implementation Plan in 2016, which aimed to minimise the need to schedule any new landfills before 2026 and find alternatives, especially in the southeast. MWRRG’s plan for landfill alternatives continues and is now being led by Jillian Riseley, who joined MWRRG as CEO on 2 September. She replaces Rob Millard, who led the organisation for 12 years. Jillian has extensive experience in senior roles in complex, multi-stakeholder and regulated environments where she has led significant national consumer affairs and recycling initiatives and
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implemented procurement strategies in complex essential service markets. Waste Management Review sat down with Jillian to discuss MWRRG’s upcoming policy work in collaborative procurement, its Back to Earth Initiative, a planned commercial and industrial (C&I) strategy and advanced waste processing (AWP) procurement. Progress against the initiatives are recorded in MWRRG’s 2018-19 Annual Report. Tabled in Victorian Parliament in October, the Annual Report acknowledges that the waste and resource recovery sector was
forced to navigate significant changes over the past year, both local and international. It includes a number of comprehensive actions both finalised and set for completion in the coming year, including facilitating a litter prevention program, improving multi-unit dwelling waste management and the development of a Sustainability Hub at Fishermans Bend. Jillian says her background and passion for sustainability and collaborative procurement is what drew her to MWRRG. “There are huge opportunities as
MWRRG is working on a variety of upcoming policy work in collaborative procurement, litter prevention and multi-unit dweling waste management.
Jillian Riseley sees an opportunity for MWRRG to work with councils and the C&I sector towards reducing waste.
we’re seeing a step change in the way that we, as a state, manage resource recovery,” Jillian says. “For example, the opportunity to incorporate recycled content, recover resources and reuse them in roads is a massive opportunity.” She says that with the Victorian Government’s circular economy
policy coming out later this year, there is an opportunity for MWRRG to work with councils and the C&I sector towards reducing waste and increasing resource recovery. MWRRG continued its support for councils through collaborative contracts, capacity building, procurement and education to
ensure services continued as normal. It established the feasibility for a collaborative procurement approach for an alternative to landfill through the Metropolitan Regional Business Case for Advanced Waste Processing. To that end, AWP is one part of MWRRG’s strategic and integrated approach to waste management. Metropolitan councils were invited to work with MWRRG, culminating in one of the largest collaborative procurements in the country. Sixteen council’s in Melbourne’s south-east are working together on a joint AWP procurement while councils in the north and west are assessing their needs. DERIVING COLLABORATIVE VALUE Jillian says that collaborative procurement, more generally, creates significant value for councils not just in price, but helping to build a sustainable sector, with governance and social indicators also part of that. She adds that the collaborative procurements are very much council driven, with the local government sector identifying the best possible model to solve their local challenge. “Our AWP procurement is often misunderstood as it’s technology agnostic. The initial stage of the project is going out and looking at the best infrastructure in the world to find a solution to the challenge of diminishing reliance on landfill,” she says. In addition to finding an alternative to landfill, MWRRG has continued to support councils to respond to changes in the recycling sector, most recently with the collapse and subsequent sale of SKM Recycling. In the short-term, it is coordinating panel contracts to allow councils to access a recycling processor. In the long-term, MWRRG is awaiting the release of the Circular
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PROFILE
Economy Policy, which may have implications on the available volumes and composition of recyclables. “We have a vested interest in making sure the waste and resource recovery industry is strong and sustainable both environmentally and financially,” she says. “That holistic look we’ll get from a circular economy policy should hopefully strengthen the whole chain not just that little piece from an SKM risk perspective, but looking globally and at the whole system.” Earlier this year MWRRG conducted 180 waste audits and industry workshops to inform a C&I strategy that will initially focus on reducing the volume of plastics and food going to landfill. “It will be interesting to see where we land in the development of our C&I strategy as we’re now going through the data,” Jillian says. She says that a substantial amount
Fast Fact MWRRG has active collaborative procurement contracts with a value of more than $100 million, including the following: Landfill • Four landfill contracts • 26 participating councils Recycling • One recycling processing contract • Five participating councils Organics • Three organics processing contracts • 21 participating councils Additionally, there are six organics overflow contracts being used by six councils.
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of paper is going to landfill in the C&I sector. According to the National Waste Report, around 31.7 million tonnes of materials were processed for recycling, with C&I representing 37 per cent of this. The report highlights that in many instances, C&I recycling rates are lower than they could be due to the cost of additional bins and collections being seen as prohibitive. “Plastics also feels like an obvious place to start, but having worked a lot with both the corporate and C&I sector, the way in which those sectors work and their sub-sectors within sectors work are very bespoke and unique,” she says. “So, whatever the strategy is and whatever we decide to focus on, we will need to tailor the strategy to that sector.” Jillian says MWRRG is looking at releasing a draft C&I strategy at the start of next year. “Utilising existing networks and the trusted stakeholder relationships we have built over the last decade will be really useful,” she says. The Back to Earth Initiative, a successful organics social marketing campaign with 28 councils, is also being expanded in 2019-20. “We commissioned some social research last year looking at the kind of messaging that resonates with people and encourages them to change their behaviour, so we’re now rolling out a new version of Back to Earth, offering it to more councils and including a focus on food waste recycling,” she says. Jillian says MWRRG provides councils a complete FOGO support service, from planning to implementation, evaluation and social marketing. It comes as the capacity of its organics processing network already exceeds the Metropolitan
Implementation Plan 2021 target of 120,000. “We’re working with our colleagues at Sustainability Victoria to support the work they do around Love Food, Hate Waste, so we’re looking at the whole continuum, from what you buy and how you prepare it to what you do with what’s leftover.” Supporting that was the development of a FOGO guide in late 2018 which provided practical tools and advice for planning and implementing a service in six stages. “There’s been great pick-up of the guide with councils actually using it and following the steps in order to plan and implement their own FOGO or conduct their own trials,” Jillian says. “Since launching in August last year, we have delivered follow-up workshops and training to staff from every council in metropolitan Melbourne and several regional councils who have valued the practical steps outlined in the guide,” she says. In tackling buffer protection, MWRRG also reached a memorandum of understanding with key agencies on a whole-of-state government approach. It delivered three hub plans in West Melbourne, Dandenong South and Epping, which are being implemented, and is providing support at another six sites. While there are numerous challenges ahead, Jillian looks forward to tackling them collectively with industry. “The silver lining is the average Victorian is much more aware of waste and recycling and there is a groundswell of support for finding solutions to our national challenges and taking increased responsibility for recycling,” she says. “With visibility and motivation comes opportunity, supported through a circular economy policy and the introduction of FOGO.”
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APCO COLUMN
2020 and beyond AUSTRALIAN PACKAGING COVENANT ORGANISATION CEO BROOKE DONNELLY PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF COLLABORATIVE SECTOR-LED PROJECTS HELPING TO SCALE THE LOCAL CIRCULAR ECONOMY.
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he Collective Impact Model is at the heart of APCO’s work – a framework that engages a diverse range of participants who share the common interest of finding a new and sustainable approach to packaging. This year a critical part of our focus has been to apply this approach at the sectoral level by establishing and delivering a range of industry-led projects. APCO’s work with the wine industry began in 2018, with a twoday workshop at the Dorrien Estate to explore the impact of the 2025 targets for people working on the ground in the industry. Combining site visits to packaging suppliers, retail operations and recycling plants, the session was designed to help participants see firsthand the entire packaging journey. By involving the complete value chain, including packaging suppliers, retailers, and wine producers and distributors, participants were able to recognise their stakeholders’ different needs and challenges and identify any gaps in their own operations. The most significant outcome of the day was the commitment to keep working together – and the Wine Industry Sustainable Packaging group has continued to meet regularly to explore the industry’s unique sustainable packaging challenges and potential solutions. The group also agreed to work towards the delivery of several packaging-focused projects and greater data transparency to help monitor the
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Brook Donnelly says the food services sector has been another area of focus for APCO in 2019.
industry’s progress towards the 2025 targets. Also agreed to was the plan to develop an industry-specific sustainable packaging guideline, and in October this year APCO and the Wine Industry Working Group launched the new resource together in the Barossa Valley. Diarmaid O’Mordha, Quality and Sustainability Manager at the Endeavour Drinks Group, has been fundamental to the working group’s success. He explained that collaboration – often between unlikely partners – has been at the heart of the project. “Working together, the industry can drive change from within, avoid the duplication of efforts, develop a platform to share information and set baselines to measure progress,” he said. The food services sector has been another area of focus for APCO in 2019. It’s an industry that’s undergoing a system-wide transformation globally, as businesses navigate challenges like growing public awareness around
plastic waste. That’s alongside the tide of new packaging materials and operating models disrupting the way consumers engage with food service. At a policy level, many Australian jurisdictions are also considering statewide bans on single-use plastics. Businesses have been scrambling to adapt to the changing landscape, and navigate challenges like misinformation. They are all issues APCO has sought to help address with the Food Services Packaging Sustainability Guidelines, a new resource launched in October. The guidelines were developed following extensive industry consultation, including a workshop hosted at the Qantas Campus in Sydney that brought together industry, government and community stakeholders from across the country. The new resource will provide food service businesses with a stepby-step framework for navigating this rapidly changing industry, and support food service providers to begin making the change, while offering informed advice and tips on how to avoid making the wrong choices. Looking to 2020, APCO has working partnerships in place with two highly motivated sectors, the dairy industry, represented by Dairy Australia, and the nursery industry, in collaboration with Greenlife Industry Australia. Engaging sectors that are highly motivated, willing and able to address packaging sustainability will be key to progressing the transition to a circular economy for Australian communities.
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EVENTS – WASTE EXPO
Waste talks THIS YEAR’S WASTE EXPO AUSTRALIA SAW A RECORD NUMBER OF DELEGATES CONVERGE ON THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION CENTRE TO EXAMINE NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN A CHANGING SECTOR.
Waste Expo Australia featured more than 100 speakers and 120 exhibitors.
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t this year’s Waste Expo Australia, Pete Shmigel, Australian Council of Recycling, opened his presentation with a question: when you think about the waste and resource recovery industry over the last 12 months, would you give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down? Audience reactions were mixed, with one delegate calling the system a mess, and another applauding the sector’s ability to acknowledge its problems and move forward. For an industry in a state of flux, this lack of consensus should come as no surprise. But Mr Shmigel was positive, highlighting rising construction and demolition (C&D) and commercial and industrial (C&I) recovery rates. “What kind of animal would I use to describe recycling? I’d say a bear, and what’s a bear? It’s surprisingly fast, it grows really fast and it sleeps for about half the year,” Mr Shmigel said.
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“Amazingly fast growth in C&D and C&I, and then we look at kerbside recycling and it’s asleep.” A solution for kerbside’s slumber, Mr Shmigel said, is further funding and harmonisation across jurisdictions. According to Mr Shmigel, the Australian Council of Recycling recently conducted an analysis across 110 councils in NSW, finding 3824 collection and recycling process variations. “There’s an argument for standardising the types of packaging that goes in, and there’s an argument for standardising the types of systems councils themselves run,” Mr Shmigel said. “If Canada can do it, why can’t Australia?” Supporting a stronger kerbside system was the focus of multiple Waste Expo Australia presentations, with over 100 speakers and 120 exhibitors navigating
opportunities in the changing market. According to Event Director Cory McCarrick, 2019 saw record attendance, with early reports indicating a 33 per cent increase from 2018. “We are thrilled with the large increase in visitation at this year’s Waste Expo Australia, with a number of people travelling from interstate for the event,” Mr McCarrick said. “Waste Expo Australia has truly cemented itself as the must-attend event for the waste management and resource recovery sector.” The two-day event was opened with a keynote from Victorian Energy Environment & Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, who outlined actions her department is taking to improve the state’s resource recovery system. “Our country is facing some major challenges in the waste and resource recovery sector and that, of course,
includes restrictions on the export of recyclable materials,” Ms D’Ambrosio said. “It has also made us think differently about how we manage our waste domestically, and it’s been a bit of a wake-up call to many of us, because we know that we can do better.” Ms D’Ambrosio highlighted the state’s forthcoming circular economy strategy and waste infrastructure investments, including a $500,000 grant to Advanced Circular Polymer for Australia’s largest plastics recycling plant. “We are committed to strengthening and growing the waste and resource recovery sector as we transition to an economy with less waste and better reuse and recycling,” the minister said. “My commitment to all of you as industry players is to be available and to listen and work with you as we manage the transition the community expects us to undertake.” Policy drivers that would help Ms D’Ambrosio’s plan to strengthen the sector were then addressed by Rose Read, National Waste and Recycling Industry Council. Ms Read highlighted the importance of market development, landfill levies, product stewardship, environmental regulation, product bans, standards and education. In reference to product stewardship, Ms Read highlighted the success of the used oil recycling scheme, the National Television and Computer Recycling scheme and state-run container deposit schemes (CDS). The topic of CDS was further discussed at the Victorian Waste Management Association’s (VWMA) post day one discussion dinner, with presentations from Peter Bruce, Whenceforth Consulting, and David Cocks, MRA Consulting. Mr Bruce, who recently served as Exchange for Change CEO, presented state-by-state CDS comparisons. He specifically highlighted variations
between who owns the collected material, how cashflow is managed and how different schemes designs facilitate convenience. While attendees appeared largely in favour of a Victorian CDS, questions were raised over long-term efficacy, material recovery facility liability and kerbside glass collection as a CDS substitute. Peter Murphy, Alex Fraser, also addressed the importance of glass separation. On the C&D stage, Mr Murphy discussed innovative recycling approaches and the consequence of increased recycled content in pavements and roads. Following the presentation, Mr Murphy faced a steady stream of questions, highlighting an understanding of the central role sustainable infrastructure will play in the transition towards a circular economy. George Hatzimanolis, Repurpose It, expressed similar sentiments, with a presentation on the company’s approach to C&D transformation via best practice technology. “The principles of our business are based on the concept of industrial ecology, taking a product at the end of a lifecycle and converting it into a product that begins a new lifecycle,” he said. Mr Hatzimanolis went on to discuss the importance of urban recycling facilities located close to generation points and Repurpose It’s C&D washing process. The contrast between urban and rural capabilities and needs was further discussed in a session chaired by Mark Smith, VWMA. With presentations from Matt Genever, Sustainability Victoria, Isabel Axio, Just Waste Consulting, and Joe Agostino, Yarra City Council, the discussion emphasised the multifaceted nature of resource recovery, with
distinctions made between what is appropriate in city centres and what works in the regions. Ms Axio explained how to adapt urban concepts to regional landscapes, and suggested challenges such as low populations and transport costs were enabling characteristics rather than barriers. Mr Genever then broadened the scope, focusing on what Sustainability Victoria has learnt over the past seven years. He specifically stressed the importance of closing the market development, sustainable procurement and new infrastructure loop. Similar arguments were made at day two’s Towards a Circular Economy Partnership Panel, chaired by Toli Papadopoulos from Prime Creative Media. During the panel, Sebastian Chapman, DELWP, highlighted the importance of data, and said while the department doesn’t fully understand the flow of material in the Victorian economy, it is working to improve. Pushing the point, Cameron McKenzie, ASPIRE, referenced the axiom that data is more valuable than oil. Without data, he said, waste cannot be sustainably managed. While each panellist presented different perspectives, the consensus was clear: for a circular economy to thrive, action needs to extend beyond waste to reuse, repair and sharing economies. As the expo wrapped up its final day, delegates discussed waste-derived products, destructive distillation and optical sorting. The extensive and varied nature of the Waste Expo Australia program was perhaps best expressed by Steven Sergi, South Australian EPA: if anyone still thinks waste management involves simply putting material in a hole, they’re behind the eight ball.
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EVENTS – SITE TOURS
Immersed in industry THE VICTORIAN WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION’S RECENT INDUSTRY SITE TOURS TOOK DELEGATES THROUGH A RANGE OF RESOURCE RECOVERY AND MANUFACTURING FACILITIES.
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he partnership between the Victorian Waste Management Association (VWMA) and Waste Expo Australia is particularly significant in 2019, given current challenges facing the Victorian arm of the sector. While the event had a national focus, Mark Smith, VWMA Executive Officer, says Victoria was lucky to have Waste Expo located in Melbourne. “We support Waste Expo because of the relevance this national event brings to the Victorian landscape, with thought provoking discussions and presentations on everything important and impactful to the sector,” he says. As a strategic Waste Expo partner, VWMA ran three concurrent industry tours on the Friday following the expo, a first for the leading waste and resource recovery event. Hosting a wide range of delegates including representatives from the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group, industry heavy weights such as TOMRA, local government agents and small business owners, VWMA’s tours were designed to educate and stimulate conversation. The day’s events included a construction and demolition tour, an organics tour and a packaging process tour. “Working with industry partners Alex Fraser, the Australian Packaging and Covenant Organisation (APCO) and the Australian Organic Recycling Association (AORA), VWMA ran the tours to bring the steps industry is
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Bingo Industries new facility has a capacity of 300,000 tonnes per annum and can convert waste into seven different products.
taking to support Victoria’s recycling agenda into focus,” Mark says. As attendees gathered at the Melbourne Convention Centre on Friday morning, many expressed difficulty over choosing which tour to attend. After an opening address from Mark, delegates piled into three separate buses, each with an industry specific tour guide. The construction and demolition tour, sponsored by Alex Fraser, included site visits to Bingo Industries West Melbourne Facility, Alex Fraser’s Sustainable Supply Hub, a Level Crossing Removal Project site and the Toll Shipping’s terminal at Webb Dock. Bingo Industries West Melbourne Facility is established on a site acquired
18 months ago by the company, with Bingo pouring $23 million into the facility since then. The site allows Bingo to convert waste into seven different products and has capacity for around 300,000 tonnes per annum. The company aims to achieve a 75 per cent recovery rate on-site. At Webb Dock, Alex Fraser has worked with contractor Civilex to develop a heavy-duty pavement which incorporates reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) that meets VicRoads guidelines. The pavement base layers are comprised recycled glass sand and recycled concrete. As part of the Level Crossing Removal Project, the Western Program Alliance used Alex Fraser’s recycled sand as bedding material for the
combined services conduit housing the communications and power cables. The grade separation was undertaken at Kororoit Creek Road in Melbourne. The low embodied energy material replaces virgin sand with all 900 tonnes diverted from landfill at a lower cost. Finally, Waste Management Review got to explore where Alex Fraser’s recycling happens, touring its Laverton North supply hub where more than one million tonnes of C&D waste, and one billion bottles of glass waste is reprocessed to make the quality construction materials needed to build greener roads. A climb to the top of Alex Fraser’s high recycled technology asphalt plant topped off the excursion. The new $18 million faciliity is capable of producing over half a million tonnes of green asphalt per year, utilising the recycled glass sand and RAP produced in its collocated recycling facilities. Shifting material focus, the Organics and Composting Tour’s first stop took attendees to the South Melbourne Market, where they were told about the market’s 32 tonne a year dehydrating compost initiative. From there, VWMA and AORA directed the tour bus to Sacyr’s new indoor compositing facility. Michael Wood, Sacyr Environment Australia Consultant, guided the group through the 120,000 tonnes per annum facility, and explained the challenges associated with adapting a European model to an Australian environment. The group was then guided through Cleanaway’s South East Organic Processing Facility and food depackaging unit. Melinda Lizza, Cleanaway Development Manager, explained the depackaging unit’s 150,000 tonnes per annum capabilities, before handing the tour over to Michael Lawlor, Cleanaway Operations Supervisor. After the tour, the group had
lunch with the Cleanaway crew and discussed interactions with the EPA and growing levels of scrutiny on the compost industry. From there, the group was driven to Bio Gro’s Dandenong South Facility, where Sage Hahn, Bio Gro General Manger, explained the company’s approach to organics diversion and composted mulch production. After taking the group through the Bio Gro site, Sage fielded a range of technical questions and detailed the mineral additive process of mulch manufacturing. Doug Wilson, AROA Victoria Admin Officer and compost group tour guide, says the day allowed delegates to closely inspect organics processing. “At the very time when the state government is bringing the circular economy into focus, the organics tour took delegates on an interactive experience with some of Melbourne’s most exciting and innovative organics recovery technology,” he says. The APCO packing tour, which was delivered in partnership with the Australian Food and Grocery Council and Australian Institute of Packaging, took attendees to Ego Pharmaceuticals, the South Melbourne Markets and
recycled plastic manufacturer Replas’ Carrum Downs site. Of the APCO tour, Mark says industry is at a critical time where collaboration is essential to address challenges in the packaging supply chain and achieve the 2025 National Packaging Targets. “Great stuff happens all across Australia by the waste and recycling industry and many organisatsions that we partner with,” Mark says. He added that these were areas of interest that were not spoken about enough. “It was exciting to see demonstrations of the circular economy in action. Parts of our sector are leading on this front and there are scale interventions that only really need the appropriate government policy to delivery environmental, economic and social benefits to Australia.” He says this was clearly demonstrated on the tours in the Victoria context. “Industry is leading on parts of this and it’s important to acknowledge the good work being done locally. “A big thanks to all our partners for coming on board and collobarating with us.”
The site tours explored Bingo Industries’ West Melbourne Facility.
www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 59
EVENT - AWRE
AWRE homes in on waste ban DAY TWO OF THE AUSTRALASIAN WASTE AND RECYCLING EXPO ADDRESSED THE IMPLICATIONS OF A CONTINUED RELIANCE ON WASTE EXPORTS AND THE UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL BAN.
T
his year’s Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo featured an array of captivating speaker sessions from government and the private sector. The National Waste and Recycling Industry Council (NWRIC) held a networking breakfast on day two which attracted great interest from all levels of the waste sector. Addressing delegates, NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean argued local councils have been shut out of the waste and resource recovery conversation for too long, due to a “cosy” relationship between government and industry. He said his department intends to bring councils and the wider community back to the decision-making table. “Policy has been developed for too long by government working with industry, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but costs keep rising for communities and local councils. Let us not forget that waste is over a third of people’s council rates,” Mr Kean said. “Rate-capping caps the amount of council rates on every single item on the bill except for waste, so there’s been no incentive for industry to deliver cheaper, better outcomes for the community, and that’s something I would like to see change.” Mr Kean added that after speaking with local councils, it was clear to him that they agree.
60 / WMR / December 2019
“We need to have them as part of the conversation and we need them at the table to talk to industry and develop policy that is going to deliver waste management services in the cheapest, most environmentally sound way possible,” Mr Kean said. “We need everyone affected by this industry to be part of the conversation, and that’s what I’m looking to do differently to my predecessors.” At the event, chaired by NWRIC CEO Rose Read, Mr Kean also addressed the Council of Australian Government’s recent proposal to ban international waste exports. According to Mr Kean, NSW is working closely with other governments to develop a ban timeline, which he anticipates will be tabled next month, following the November Meeting of Environment Ministers. “We need to face the fact that the export of waste undermined the confidence of consumers who expected that when they were told they were recycling waste, it was actually being recycled. The same goes for MWOO, I just want to point that out as well,” Mr Kean said. “That’s why I was proud to sign up to a timetable to ban export waste. It’s a step towards rebuilding consumer confidence and delivering improvement in our waste management practices, including recycling.”
Referencing NSW’s forthcoming 20-year waste strategy, Mr Kean said he hopes to deliver a strategy before the end of 2020 that provides industry certainty and enables investment. The morning was followed by a panel on the Future of Waste and Recycling in NSW. It featured SoilCo’s Charlie Emery and Local Government NSW Vice President Cr Linda Scott. James Hay represented the NSW Department of Planning Industry & Environment, while Tanya Barden from the Australian Food & Grocery Council and Vik Bansal, CEO of Cleanaway also attended. On the circular economy, Cr Scott said Local Government NSW was developing draft specifications to give to the government to adopt for recyclables in roads. The panel discussed numerous topics including the circular economy, export markets and hypothecation of levies. With the logistics of the exports ban a key discussion point, Mr Bansal said industry could no longer stockpile or send overseas. He pleaded to those listening in the audience that we should not be looking at banning waste until the necessary infrastructure is in place. However, he gave credit to the NSW Government for their efforts in establishing a container deposit scheme.
DON’T WASTE THE CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS 1 ST - 3RD A P RI L 2 020 M E LB OU R N E CON V E N T I O N & E X HI B I T I O N C E N T R E
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PRODUCT SHOWCASE - BALERS
Compacting plastic infrastructure WITH RAPIDLY GROWING COLLECTION RATES AND RISING PUBLIC AWARENESS, REDCYCLE RELIES ON CONVENIENT COMPACTION FROM WASTECH ENGINEERING.
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hen Downer opened its new soft plastics asphalt plant in June, Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser highlighted the facility’s ability to process thousands of tonnes of sustainable road material each year. For every kilometre of two-lane Reconophalt road, the facilities flagship product, 530,000 equivalent plastic bags are diverted from landfill and repurposed into roadbase. Australia’s infrastructure boom, paired with a renewed government focus on sustainable procurement, suggests Downer will require a consistent flow of soft plastic to meet demand. Industry led product stewardship scheme REDcycle, which supplies
To ensure material quality, REDcycle operate a range of Bramidan Balers.
62 / WMR / December 2019
the soft plastics used to produce Reconophalt, has collection bins in every Coles and Woolworths supermarket in the country. According to the Coles 2019 Sustainability Report, since beginning in 2011, REDcycle has diverted more than 715 million pieces of flexible plastic from landfill. In the 2019 financial year, the volume of soft plastics collected by the program grew by 32 per cent. Elizabeth Kasell, RED Group Director, says the program aims to provide Australian consumers with an alternative disposal option for plastic packaging that can’t be recovered through kerbside recycling. To ensure material quality, Elizabeth says REDcycle operate a range of Bramidan Balers, supplied by Wastech Engineering. “Another recycler recommended the Bramidan Baler range to us over 10 years ago, and REDcycle has been using them exclusively ever since,” she says. According to Elizabeth, baling the material REDcycle collects is the most efficient transport option for the program, given soft plastic’s irregularity and tendency to hold air. “At most of the stores, around 80 percent, the material is collected directly by us. We do have some regional stores that are well covered through a reverse logistics process,” Elizabeth says.
“After the plastic arrives at the depot, we conduct initial decontamination and sorting before baling the material and sending it to end market clients such as Downer and recycled plastic manufacturers Replas and Plastic Forests.” Elizabeth says the compaction rate of Wastech’s Bramidan Baler range is well suited to film plastics. “Due to the nature of our material, REDcycle compact’s a lot of plastic bags that are full of air, and the compaction rate of Bramidan Balers alleviates potential issues,” she says. “We have multiple Bramidan Balers that have been running all day Monday to Friday for years, and they’re still in operation – they are very reliable.” Elizabeth says the volume received at REDcycle depots is increasing, so the operational reliability of its Bramidan Balers is crucial. She adds that customers are dropping off roughly a million pieces of plastic each day, with the weight of bales produced by REDcycle averaging 260-290 kilos. “We’ve been working with Wastech for many years, and while we know there are other balers on the market, their product is perfectly suited to our process,” she says. “Plus, the support we get from Wastech ensures we can keep our processes operating at maximum capacity.”
PRODUCT SHOWCASE – BALERS
MAC 111/2 BALER The MAC 111/2 baler is characterised by its long-lasting, robust and easy maintenance capabilities. Following the success of the MAC 2 range, the MAC 111 is now available with updated features and extended channel sections for higher compaction. Available through Australian distributor CEMAC technologies, the baler has been designed to treat large quantities of material in a short space of time, including paper, PET, metals and refuse-derived fuel. Using 15-millimetre Hardox 450 steel, bolted as opposed to welded for easy changeover, total protection of the internal parts of the baler is achieved, increasing the lifetime of the machine. Using REXROTH variable flow pumps and high efficient IE3 electrical drives, Macpresse also further improved the hydraulic block for better wear resistance and counter pressure control. The trolley runs on eight high strength bearing side rollers with enlarged diameters. The ram features hinged front guards to stop wire blockages. In terms of compacting ability, the compacting cylinder provides a thrust of 170 tonnes at 320 bar, completing a full forward/baling/return cycle in 12 seconds with material.
The MAC 111/2 baler is availble through CEMAC.
Additionally, a movable tying unit connected to a hydraulic cylinder can be used during the cutting and twisting phase of the wires, proving to be particularly useful for difficult-tobale materials. The machine can be optionally equipped with a POLY-TIE wire tying system. SSE Europa also offers a Siemens TP1200 operating panel and software for real-time diagnostics. Contact Contact: Eric Paulsen Phone: 03 84006066 Email: info@cemactech.com Website: www.cemactech.com
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PRODUCT SHOWCASE – EPS RECYCLING AND ORGANICS
GREENMAX EPS RECYCLING MACHINES ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA GreenMax EPS recycling machines have been manufactured to strict standards to handle the challenging expanded polystyrene (EPS) problem. Available through Australian supplier Applied Machinery, GreenMax produces EPS compactor/densifier and hot melting machines, including its APOLO and MARS range. The MARS series melter is capable of tackling polystyrene foam, expanded polyethylene and expanded polypropylene. Strong throughputs are achieved when a continuous stream of suitable EPS is supplied to the unit for processing. Screw melting technology enables higher output density with a three-stage temperature control facilitating a better output quality. According to Applied Machinery, the model compares well on price to competitors when compared to demonstrated throughput, relative power and quality of electrical componentry. Additionally, the robustness of construction, reliability of parts and backup service are also standouts. The MARS range is available in several models, including the M-C50 (50 kg per hour), M-C100 (100kg per hour), M-C200 (200 kg per hour) and MC-300 (300 kg per hour). To support quick turnaround of their customers’ recycled
GreenMax EPS recycling machines have been manufactured to strict standards.
EPS, Applied Machinery is working on local aggregation options to offer instant payment for densified EPS in volumes less than a full container load. Contact Phone: 03 9706 8066 Email: sales@appliedmachinery.com.au Website: www.appliedmachinery.com.au/recycling
EDGE INNOVATE’S RECYCLING RANGE FOCUS enviro offers tailored solutions, from single equipment supply to complete integrated processing systems. These capabilities allow it to effectively service the waste and organics industries by offering selected technologies that are proven, innovative, relevant, and reliable. FOCUS enviro’s entire recycling has two design principals at their core – maximum uptime and minimising operating costs. By understanding the industry’s challenges, FOCUS enviro can offer custom solutions that are as individual as each customer and application, such as EDGE Innovate. EDGE Innovate’s Recycling Range houses a number of products to help with the resizing, screening, separation and stacking of materials in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. One of its solutions for composting is the combination of the EDGE Innovate’s Modular Picking station MPS48, FTS Mulch Master and Mobile Trommel TRT622 - replacing a series of conventional machines traditionally used for composting. The solution’s benefits are seen through the MPS48, which focuses on removing contamination upfront and improved site safety. Likewise, the Mulch Master can reduce the turning frequency of compost windrows by 50 per cent, while
64 / WMR / December 2018
EDGE FTS Mulch Master is designed specifically for stockpiling of lower density, bulky materials.
increasing the moisture content of the compost. Mulch Master has enabled FOCUS’ customers to increase production volumes through compost deep stacking. The TRM622 Mobile Trommel screen combines high production rates with ease of use in a robust, portable and versatile screening plant that is ideal for applications comprising topsoil and composting, as well as C&D waste. Contact Phone: 02 4365 4247 Email: sales@focusenviro.com.au Website: https://focusenviro.com.au/product_type/edge-innovate
LAST WORD
Treading carefully on waste exports IT’S TIME WE TRANSFORMED INTO AN ECONOMY THAT VALUES ALL OUR RESOURCES AND TAKES ACCOUNTABILITY ONSHORE, WRITES MATT GENEVER, DIRECTOR RESOURCE RECOVERY, SUSTAINABILITY VICTORIA.
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he announcement by the Council of Australian Governments in August that Australia would ban the export of certain types of waste came as a surprise to most in the industry. Global markets are already closing their doors to some degree, but Australia is still exporting around four million tonnes of material annually (see Figure 1) despite import restrictions set by China and
other countries. Thus, the decision will certainly have implications for Australia’s domestic sector and the impacts will depend on how the ban is enacted and what materials are targeted. WASTE VERSUS COMMODITY The intent of the ban is clear and easily justifiable. The images seen across media earlier in the year of mixed Australian waste, including
soiled nappies, turning up at multiple Asian ports were not well received by the community. The social license of this great sector is already under siege and these images certainly didn’t help. However, the situation is much more complex than this. It is unlikely that anyone could successfully argue that soiled nappies represent a tradeable commodity, but it does beg the question of where, and how, we draw the line between a waste and
Figure 1 Exports of waste from Australia to all destinations by financial year and type
5.0 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5
Hazardous Other Paper & Cardboard Plastics
2.0 1.5 1.0
Metals
0.5 0.0
Source: Blue Environment 2019. Australian waste data exports – ABS workbook www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 65
LAST WORD
Matt Genever says the idea of value adding offers a great opportunity.
a commodity. The recyclables being targeted as part of the ban include plastics, paper, glass and tyres. Over the years, we’ve become more opportunistic in moving large volumes of plastics and paper offshore, which has led to less work being done locally to fully separate or “add value” to these resources. In the case of tyres, there are valid questions being raised about where whole tyres, in particular, end up and how they are treated. It’s this idea of “value adding” that offers the greatest opportunity for Australia, and equally where the most work needs to be done from the perspective of defining the boundaries of the ban. How far does one need to go to add value? Is it simply separating material into different material types or is it fully commoditising it into a manufacturing-ready feedstock? This is a conversation that Australia, and other nations, has been having for years. In fact, there is a whole document
66 / WMR / December 2019
dedicated to this called: Australian Waste Definitions: Defining waste related terms by jurisdictions in Australia. It is certainly not bedtime reading, but it is worth looking at the many and varied definitions we have for waste across each state and territory. Words like “rejected”, “abandoned”, “surplus” and “discarded” commonly appear, as does the phrase “where not intended for recycling”. In a world where one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, there is a fine line that must be walked here in developing these definitions. BALANCE IS EVERYTHING The complexity in defining a waste and how and when it becomes a commodity should not be the driving force that diverts us from this course of action. Like so many things in this system, it’s really all about balance. We have an obligation to protect human health and as global citizens this needs to extend far beyond our own ocean-locked borders. Having said that, we also have an obligation to ensure that we are positioning our sector to develop its own domestic capacity and have the ability to participate in a thriving global commodity. The sweet spot in here offers pause for some very optimistic reflection. There are already strong signs that industry is in a state of growth. New investments are coming online and many businesses have already taken the leap toward commoditising the materials they collect. From hotwashed PET going into new bottles to government procurement of glass sand, the tide is most certainly turning. So, Australia’s collective decision to ban exports needs to support and
accelerate the change underway but at the same time consider our place in a global marketplace – one where we already have high operating costs (energy, in particular) and high labour costs. WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES, A WINDOW OPENS Regardless of definitions, the idea of value-adding or commoditising our resources is one that is appealing. The opportunities for economic growth, new skills, new infrastructure and new jobs in the recycling sector are significant, but are only the tip of iceberg. When we start commoditising our resources domestically, a whole range of opportunities for local manufacturing emerge. I was immensely pleased with the level of interest in Sustainability Victoria’s recent Buy Recycled Conference 2019. I spoke with a number of manufacturing businesses that have the capacity right now to absorb more recycled content but are unable to source it from the local market. With the door to exports closing, its heartening to see the window into our domestic manufacturing is well and truly open. While there are probably more questions than answers in the commentary above (in the spirit of walking a fine line, I too must traverse my own path of balance), there is no doubt in my mind that the rewards here far outweigh the risks. We’ve got to get the definitions right. We’ve got to get the balance right. But it’s high time we transformed into an economy that values all our resources, takes accountability for their management onshore and is focused on adding value and commoditising material when it reaches end of life.
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