Taking Ownership of Waste

CLEANAWAY-RESOURCECO’S STATE-OF-THE-ART RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY AT WETHERILL PARK IN SYDNEY, HAS EXPERIENCED A NOTABLE INCREASE OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, IN LOCAL COUNCILS AND COMPANIES PROACTIVELY WANTING TO PLAY THEIR PART IN DRIVING A GREENER ECONOMY.

With the multi-million dollar resource recovery and Process Engineered Fuel (PEF) plant achieving an outstanding 95 percent diversion from landfill rate, more companies are realising by partnering with us, we can assist them achieve their zero waste to landfill goal, as well as a specific sustainability or carbon outcome. CEO of ResourceCo Energy Henry Anning says it’s extremely pleasing to see this shift in mindset as more businesses are investigating where their waste is going and what their waste options are to meet their broader sustainability goals and carbon commitments. “As Australia’s first project to register under the federal government’s Emission Reduction Fund (ERF), the Wetherill Park site continues to generate carbon credits after opening to the local market four years ago,” Henry says. “Some of our customers are now starting to talk to us about bringing their waste to the facility and securing the carbon credits for the delivery, so they can achieve their own objectives towards a circular economy. “We want people to take ownership of their waste and if it’s their carbon we’re helping to divert, absolutely we’re keen to be part of this conversation. This in turn sees the customer buy back their carbon that relates to the tonnes of waste they’ve brought to us.”

The Wetherill Park plant is licensed to receive up to 250,000 tonnes per annum of dry commercial and industrial and mixed construction and demolition waste, recovering commodities such as metal, clean timber and inert materials, with the balance converted into PEF.

EVERY TONNE OF WASTE WE DIVERT FROM LANDFILL SAVES AROUND ONE TONNE OF CARBON EVERY TONNE OF FUEL WE SEND TO A CEMENT KILN SAVES AROUND ONE TONNE OF CARBON

The PEF is used as a substitute for fossil fuels in both domestic and international markets in the production of cement. Shoalhaven City Council in the south-eastern coastal region of New South Wales, has partnered with ResourceCo, as it moves to divert as much waste from landfill as possible. To meet some of its sustainability objectives, the council sends commercial and industrial waste to the Wetherill Park site for processing – waste which would otherwise end up in landfill. Shoalhaven City Council Mayor Amanda Findley acknowledges as a council, they are at the forefront of the circular economy and dig deep to make a difference in repurposing valuable resources.

“We look at waste as materials and recoverables. Waste has been that unspoken thing, where people don’t really talk about how much carbon emissions come from it,” she says.

“IT’S ESSENTIAL WE WORK WITH COMPANIES LIKE RESOURCECO, TO MAKE SURE THE THINGS WE CAN’T DEAL WITH LOCALLY HAVE A PATHWAY TO BE RECOVERED.”

“When you can’t do it yourself, you have to hold the hand of someone else to achieve the maximum amount of diversion of product from landfill, which is then a benefit to us when it comes to reducing carbon and meeting our own carbon emissions.

“At the end of the day our objective is to be a real player in driving down Australia’s carbon economy.” With an upward trend in businesses taking a more independent and proactive approach to waste solutions, ResourceCo Energy is anticipating an increase in future demand, where customers lock-in their delivery volume at the plant long-term. “This way it guarantees they’ll be able to access the site which has a limited set volume and provides certainty when it comes to planning and meeting their own targets,” Henry says. The premium resource recovery site at Wetherill Park continues to be at the forefront as a leading, hightech manufacturing facility making increasing contribution to shifting Australia to a more sustainable energy model. It is part of ResourceCo’s suite of 25 plants across Australia and South-East Asia.