Major tender awarded

The Tarp Deployment System has secured a deal with one of America’s largest waste management contractors, expanding on its reputation in the US and Australia.

The Tarp Deployment System (TDS) has been making significant inroads in the waste sector in Australia and internationally.

In one of the TDS’ biggest successes to date, manufacturers Southwestern Sales Company has been awarded a contract to supply five tarpARMOR TDS Tarp Deployment Systems to one of America’s largest waste management contractors – Waste Management Inc (turnover US $14.5 billion).

The tarping systems will be delivered within a three-week period to provide alternate daily cover for landfills in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The tarpARMOR systems, with patented reusable cover tarps, were selected over many other alternatives to replace soil and non-reusable film that were used for daily cover.   

According to South Western Sales Marketing Manager Shannon Harrop, the tender was hotly contested with all major American suppliers of daily cover systems – tarps, spray-on systems and non-reusable film, submitting proposals.

The tarpARMOR systems were selected due to their ability to improve operational efficiencies and a daily cover cost reduction that is one-tenth of the existing cover methods. Also attractive was the TDS’ design simplicity resulting in minimum service requirements, safety and spool capacity.

According to Australian TDS distributor Jaylon, these same features have resulted in sales figures in Australia exceeding expectations.

Manager Alan Liebeck says councils and waste operators in Australia can purchase a TDS unit in Australia in the full knowledge that operators throughout North America and in every state in Australia see the same value.

“In almost every Australian case study, the payback period is less than two years when comparing the cost of covering with tarps in comparison to soil. When the opportunity cost of lost airspace is taken into consideration the economics are even more attractive,” Alan says.

One of the most often asked questions regarding tarp cover systems is their ability to withstand windy conditions.

The best testimonial for the TDS units patented tarpLOX system is its ability to withstand Cyclone Marcus, which hit Darwin in March 2018 with sustained winds of 95 kilometres an hour and wind gusts of more than 130 kilometres an hour.

Four months earlier, Darwin City Council purchased a TDS unit with four standard 32-metre tarps each with six ballast cables for use at the Shoal Bay Landfill, sixteen kilometres from Darwin.

All four tarps were on the tip face when the cyclone reached Darwin and it was not until the next day that the tarps could be checked.

After surveying the damage to the city, the landfill operators were expecting the worse and were resigned to the tarps being somewhere in the Kakadu National Park. Upon inspection, they were pleasantly surprised to see all four tarps in place just as they were left prior to the cyclone.

Landfill Manager Aaron Sacagio at the time commented “well if you need evidence that your tarps can withstand 100 kilometres per hour winds then here it is”.

The TDS units are available with a range of accessories including security engine covers, lights and an odour control spray system.

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