An array of processing capacity: Komptech and ELB Equipment

Reduced maintenance, time and expenses remain high priorities for leading international technology supplier Komptech, which is providing a point of market differentiation through its Nemus drum screen.

Contrary to competitor products, the Nemus leverages an open engine compartment accessible from all sides – adding an extra layer of safety for on-site material management. The engine unit is also hydraulically extendable allowing for streamlined oil checks.

With maintenance made easy, the side wall can be folded separately or together with the drum for further changes and cleaning.

The Nemus Maxx Primus drum screens by Komptech were designed for a variety of applications, including compost, wood/biomass, soil/gravel and shredded bulk, household, residual and refuse-derived fuels.

Controllable hopper and drum rotation speeds support precise material alignment. Drum overfilling is prevented by a load-dependent hopper control to support compost processing.

Komptech drum screens effectively process high-bulk materials such as wood/biomass through a feed hopper tailored to the drum size.

When it comes to processing excavated material such as sand, gravel and lightweight building rubble, Komptech has a solution for heavy materials. Solid contraries are kept back by a hinged hopper pre-screen and a hopper belt controller that prevents skewing on the belt.

In processing shredded, household, residual waste and RDF, the machine creates ample space between screen drums and side walls for a smooth operation.

Komptech also has a cellular application called “Connect!” which reports events and diagnosis codes, in addition to data on operating hours, fuel consumption and idle time by mobile radio to a central data sever.

Screening for all occasions: GCM Enviro

Terra Select trommel screens aim to tackle often challenging materials with ease, including wet compost and hard waste such as plastics and foams.

Whether it’s the Terra Select T 30 for small composting sites or the T 60 for high throughput performance, Australian distributor GCM Enviro offers a machine for all occasions.

Popular among smaller composting sites, the T 30 offers flexibility, good accessibility and low operating costs. Service tasks and trommel changes can be performed easily and reliably.

Those after a powerful machine with compact dimensions can look no further than the T 40, with all the technological advantages of the “big machines” transferred into the compact class.

With a screening performance of up to 200 square metres per hour, the Terra Select T 60 is equipped with a 2200 millimetre trommel drum. The high-performance 81-kilowatt motor allows sufficient reserves for star screening decks or windsifter attachments.

The most powerful mobile machine in the Terra Select product range is the T 70, with an ability to handle hard-to-screen materials such as wet compost. The long trommel and its correspondingly wide screening deck is suited to screening all kinds of waste.

Screening two fine screenings in one step is a standout feature of the DT 60. The double trommel screening machines perform a “coarse fine separation” to separate course fractions in the initial screening stages.

GCM Enviro is the sole distributor of Terra Select machinery in Australia.

Garwood International’s exclusive Vehicle Weigh Solutions range

Garwood International is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for the Vehicle Weighing Solutions range of weighing systems.

Products include Enviroweigh, LoadWeight and the Vehicle Overload Protection System (VOPS).

Garwood supplies the European licensed-for-trade EnviroWeigh system which is able to accurately weigh individual mobile garbage bins. The system allows for accuracy of 0.5 per cent or better during the normal loading cycle and there is no need to stop the lift cycle. The EnviroWeigh system provides individual bin weights while displaying a running total of collected weights, helping crews to prevent overloads.

The LoadWeigh is designed for high accuracy in rugged conditions and according to Garwood International, is the first choice for waste collectors.

The Vehicle Weighing Solutions weigher helps to manage overloads by measuring the weight of the vehicle and its payload, minimising damage to running gear, tyres and braking systems. Benefits include the ability to ascertain net, load, gross and axle weights as well as seamless integration to GPS/GPRS tracking systems.

Truck operators increase profits and protect investment by reducing the risk of running light and wasting money.

The VOPS 2 has been developed by Vehicle Weighing Solutions as a sophisticated yet simple solution that can be fitted to most types/categories of vehicle, whether the suspension is steel or air. It gives the driver accurate loading information when and where it is needed.

The VOPS 2 vehicle overload protection system aims to be an extremely reliable enclosed measurement system that does not rely on springs or moving parts.

Woolworths partners with Sydney Zoo to rescue food waste

Animals at Sydney Zoo will soon be feeding on surplus fresh food rescued from Woolworths, after the zoo joined Woolworth’s Stock Feed for Farmers program.

According to a Woolworths statement, Sydney Zoo joins over 750 farmers and community groups that access surplus fresh food from the supermarket.

“Last year more than 32,000 tonnes of surplus food no longer suitable for sale or human consumption went to feed animals both on farms and in zoos,” the statement reads.

Woolworths Head of Sustainability Adrian Cullen said Woolworths first diversion priority is working with OzHarvest, Foodbank and Fareshare to feed people that would otherwise go hungry.

“We then work with local farmers and the likes of Sydney Zoo, so that surplus food, which cannot go to hunger relief, is used as feed for animals or for on-farm composting, to help further reduce any food waste,” he said.

Sydney Zoo Managing Director Jake Burgess said Woolworths’ support will allow the zoo to reallocate funds from food to conservation and education work.

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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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City of Yarra phases out single-use plastic

The City of Yarra is phasing out the sale of single-use plastic bottles and straws at all leisure facilities across the inner Melbourne municipality.

Following a July 2019 council resolution, Yarra City Council announced leisure centres would be the first council-run facilities to eliminate single-use bottles and straws, with other facilities set to follow.

According to a Yarra City Council statement, the phase out begun 1 January 2020, with staff now working with current suppliers to source plastic free product alternatives.

“By removing plastic bottles from our Yarra Leisure facilities, we expect to eliminate the consumption of approximately 17,000 plastic bottles each year,” the statement reads.

“This figure is based on our annual plastic bottle consumption across our facilities during 2018/19.”

Former Yarra Mayor Danae Bosler said going plastic-free is an important step in the council’s long-term ambition to become a zero waste city.

“Single-use plastics have a terrible impact on our environment, particularly our waterways, and our community expects us to take real action on this issue,” she said.

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Waste talks

Last 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.

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Federal Government funds community environment projects

More than 900 local environment projects have received funding through the Federal Government’s $22.65 million Communities Environment Program.

Assistant Waste Reduction Minister Trevor Evans said he welcomed the significant proportion of waste reduction and recycling initiatives receiving funding.

“The Federal Government is strongly committed to increasing our recycling rates, turning our waste back into valuable products and encouraging innovation, so that resources are not lost to landfill,” Mr Evans said.

“It’s great to see that this commitment is shared by many in our communities, judging by the amount of applications seeking funding to deliver waste reduction, recycling and litter clean-up activities.”

Environment Minister Sussan Ley said the government was pleased to see strong community interest in the program.

“People want to play a role in helping our environment, and it is fantastic to see such a wide range of not-for-profit community organisations, schools and local governing bodies engaged in identifying local priorities and opportunities,” Ms Ley said.

“Many are being encouraged to get involved for the first time in delivering small grant projects in particular, and we are also seeing how a number of individual projects can help address wider issues.”

Up to $150,000 was made available to each federal electorate during the 2019-20 financial year.

According to Ms Ley, applicants could apply for grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 per project, with each electorate eligible for up to 20 community-led projects that address local environmental priorities in their jurisdiction.

Examples of funded projects include a new community recycling station for light globes and batteries in Aberfoyle, South Australia, and a Pumicestone, Queensland project that seeks to recreate lost shellfish reefs using old oyster shells.

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UNSW SMaRT Centre secures $1 million grant

The University of NSW’s Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) has secured nearly $1 million in funding to help commercialise a technology that transforms waste materials into value-added products.

UNSW was one of five winners to share in $5 million from the NSW Office of Chief Scientist and Engineer’s new Physical Sciences Fund.

The fund aims to support potential commercial applications of high impact research across all branches of science.

According to SMaRT Centre Director Veena Sahajwalla, the funding will help advance the commercialisation prospects of the team’s microrecylcing science.

“We’ve developed manufacturing technology and capability so waste can be reformed into value-added materials and products, and kept out of landfill,” she said.

“Environmental benefits aside, this scientifically developed technology will help to drive the emerging circular economy, create jobs and enhance social and economic outcomes, not just for local communities but more broadly for the nation.”

The Microfactorie transforms waste materials including glass, single-use coffee cups, used coffee grounds and textiles into ceramic-based panel products that can be used as tables, countertops and tiles.

NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes said the Physical Sciences Fund translates scientific innovation into tangible, real-world outcomes to benefit communities, the state economy and the environment.

“NSW is renowned for its innovative science sector, which is why we’re not only investing in developing and nurturing ideas, but commercialising them too,” Mr Stokes said.

“Our inaugural winners are turning rubbish into luxe building products, using drones to save the environment, improving the efficiency of mines and the wine industry, and literally pulling water from thin air,” he said.

NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte said bringing great ideas to market was a challenge facing universities and small companies.

“In addition to giving financial support, the Physical Sciences Fund provides advice and facilitates collaborations to ensure that each project’s scientific rigour is matched with seasoned entrepreneurial know-how,” he said.

Other awarded projects include a light-weight data gathering drone, a magnetic resonance analyser, architectural surfaces manufactured from recycled materials, agricultural technologies and a device that produces drinking water from atmospheric moisture.

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VIC EPA approves Loy Yang landfill expansion

The Victorian EPA has granted a works approval application for an extension to Latrobe City Council’s Hyland Highway Loy Yang Landfill.

According to an EPA statement, the proposed extension includes four new landfill cells within the premise’s current boundaries.

“Under the council’s proposal, landfilling will occur up to February 2033, consistent with the council’s planning permission,” the statement reads.

The EPA assessed the works approval application for potential environmental impacts such as dust, landfill gas, leachate, odour, litter issues and potential land, surface water and ground water contamination risks.

“The approval is subject to conditions, including demonstration it is needed in light of government policy and landfill airspace demands at the time prior to the construction of the new landfill cells,” the statement reads.

Under the approval, council is required to develop and implement odour, groundwater, surface waste and landfill gas monitoring and management plans.

Additionally, council will have to engage an environmental auditor to prepare an environmental audit report before the construction of new landfill cells or a leachate collection pond.

The facility has been operating for 10 years at its current location under EPA Licence No. 25565. It is permitted to dispose of putrescible waste, solid inert waste, asbestos of domestic origin and shredded tyres to be deposited to land.

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