Clean loop recycling: TOMRA

Container deposit schemes are the first step in changing the way people think about the circular economy and the importance of reusing precious resources, TOMRA’s Ryan Buzzell explains. 

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Smoothing over lubrication challenges in Recycling Plant machinery

According to lubrication industry expert Steve Keown, it is paramount that lubricant and penetrant products used in recycling plants are able to perform in environments that have a high concentration of contaminants.

“Dirt, debris and water can come from the plant location itself or from the material that is being recycled, and they can hamper the effectiveness of the plant equipment and components. So, it is important that the lubrication can withstand these environments,” says Keown, CBC Australia’s Product Manager for Lubricants.

Keown recommends CRC Industries’ comprehensive lubricant and penetrant product range for recycling plant applications. The Tac-2, for instance, has a tough adhesive quality which will bond to chain/wear surfaces to keep conveyer chains in peak operating condition.

The Chute Lube, an NSF H2 registered silicone spray for package handling applications, forms a colourless, odourless, non-staining film that lubricates and protects in most metal to non-metal applications.

“CRC Chute Lube eliminates the binding and sticking of packages and boxes, while protecting most surfaces,” explains CRC Industries National Marketing Manager Simon Hatton. “This lubricant helps boxes glide down chutes and rails on package handling and sorting conveyors.”

Other lubricant products offered by CRC that are appropriate for recycling plants include the 808 Silicone and Dry Glide for sliding surfaces, the Contact Cleaner and Lectraclean to maintain conveyor motors and drive systems, and Long Life to maintain hinges and other moving machinery systems.

“CRC’s aerosol lubricants are an ideal product to use – whether it’s a ‘spray in place solution’ or whether it’s a bulk product for a plant shutdown for a routine maintenance program,” says Hatton.

“The benefits of CRC’s high performing lubricants include reduced product consumption through extended service internals, increased equipment life through reduced wear, and lower energy consumption from reduced friction.”

Moreover, CBC can offer recycling plants across Australia with a localised service through their network of branches. This includes extensive inventory analysis for recycling plant customers, to make sure the right products are used by engineering teams when carrying out component change-outs or other maintenance work.

“The lubricants and penetrants are there for the site maintenance teams at the recycling plants to use. Our main aim is to supply these products to those teams so they can have effective lubrication products on hand when they need them for the wide array of applications in the recycling plant,” says Keown.

CBC works closely with CRC Industries at both the national and local level, including taking joint call-outs to recycling plant sites for site surveys, inventory assessments, and application checks. This ensures that lubricants and penetrants are fit for purpose at particular sites.

“Based on our interaction with our customers, we also provide CRC with feedback on products that are very successful, and we provide suggestions on what could be added to the CRC range or what could be improved,” says Keown.

“CBC’s close collaboration with local CRC representatives, gives customers confidence that we can both supply them with the right products for their applications and, also, provided the infrastructure, resources, and staff to back up those product offerings.”

CBC has distribution centres in Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth, with the capability to send products all their local branches across Australia.

This means that if a recycling plant requires lubrication, not only can the well-stocked branch network supply products on demand, but the distribution centres are able to resupply products that are not locally available overnight if needed.

“We have a more extensive branch network nationally than anyone else, with a large amount of distribution centres. You don’t get that level of coverage with other suppliers – they don’t have the sales staff and the engineering teams to cover all regions like we can,” Keown states.

“When companies are looking at contracts to supply their plants – whether they be metropolitan or regional and remote – they can see that we have it covered.”

CBC has been working with industrial customers since the 1950s, with a long history of working with recycling plants. Some of CBC’s current staff have 30-plus years of experience in dealing with these types of processing plants.

“Those decades of experience filter over to other people in the company that work with them. Our team is very prepared for the challenges and the specific requirements of working with recycling plants,” said Keown.

“It is very reassuring for the customer to be able to pick up the phone and talk to a person that will visit their site, who is familiar with the type of equipment they have and the challenges that may occur at their recycling plant.”

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Neutralising biohazards: Weston Thermal Solutions

Weston Thermal Solutions and Pink Environmental Services are upping their capacity to assist medical waste producers to deal with a surge in infectious material in the wake of COVID-19.

Since first reported to the World Health Organization in December 2019, COVID-19 has spread rapidly to every continent in the world, barring Antarctica. The World Health Organization declared the situation a global health emergency on 30 January 2020, with movement restrictions soon enacted world-over.

In light of the global pandemic, hospitals and waste management operators are bracing themselves for a surge in waste-contaminated with infectious materials.

While there is no current data on how much medical waste is being produced as a result of COVID-19, the recommended use of disposal personal protective equipment alone is set to see hospital waste generation skyrocket.

To help operators manage the surge, Belinda Paton, Weston Thermal Solutions (WTS) General Manager, says WTS – the thermal processing arm of The Weston Group – is working to increase the quantity of waste they receive.

“As demand increases on our healthcare system during this time, generated waste volumes also increase. To address this, we’re working hard with medical waste producers to provide a streamlined collection and disposal service,” Belinda says.

“Removing this waste in a timely and safe manner minimises the risk to healthcare staff, patients and the community as a whole.”

Belinda Paton, Weston Thermal Solutions General Manager

The Weston Group, which traditionally processes industrial waste and manufactures steelmaking supplies, recently diversified its operations to include the thermal treatment of various hazardous wastes, under the name WTS.

Using state-of-the-art technology, in conjunction with the strictest emission criteria in Australia, WTS opened its innovative thermal destruction plant at Kurri Kurri in NSW’s Hunter Valley last month.

Working with Pink Environmental Services (Pink), which collects and consolidates medical and hazardous waste, WTS has the capacity to thermally process 800 kilograms of waste each hour – with a proposed annual throughput of 8000 tonnes.

As a critical part of the WTS supply chain, Pink, which was established in late 2019 as the collection arm of WTS, works to consolidate waste generated by hospitals and waste management operators for bulk shipment to the Kurri Kurri plant.

Due to the nature of hazardous waste management, David Bullard, Pink General Manager, says safety is at the forefront of Pink and WTS’ approach to every issue.

“The risk profile is such that, you have to approach and treat everything as though it could kill, maim or even severely injure, because when you do, you mitigate the risk at that level,” he says.

“This leads to a safer working environment, which is absolutely paramount in the approach we take at Pink. It’s Pink’s intention to operate at industry best practice and then push beyond, so Pink then sets the standard.”   

As waste is considered an essential service, David says it’s Pink’s role to support those on the front line, and provide whatever services are required to support their operations.

“Pink has offered its support to many companies that are conducting primary collections, providing the disposal services, and working with the relevant government authorities,” he adds.

“At Pink, we believe the best way to minimise risk in the current circumstances, for industry, the community and the environment, is to earmark all COVID-19 contaminated material and potential COVID-19 contaminated material for ultra-high thermal destruction, rather than sterilisation and landfill.”

Belinda shares similar sentiments, citing thermal destruction as arguably the most secure way to destroy pathogenic substances including the COVID-19 virus. Belinda adds that through the process, only ash which has been treated for prolonged periods at high temperatures is sent to landfill.

“This generally represents only 10 per cent of the initial waste load, thereby drastically reducing the burden on landfills and extending their operational lifespan,” she says.

David Bullard, Pink Environmental Services General Manager

By neutralising the potential for bio-hazardous waste streams to negatively impact community health and the environment, Belinda says thermal treatment facilitates a disposal option for waste streams that cannot be disposed of via other means.

“While always an important link in the waste management chain, thermal treatment is particularly critical in these challenging times,” she says.

WTS’ new plant features a primary combustion chamber rotary kiln, which Belinda says enhances thermal processing by providing greater contact between waste and combustion air.

“The rotary kiln primary chamber is an ashing, co-current operation, with material loaded into the primary combustion chamber for initial processing,” Belinda says.

Following combustion, the resultant ash material is discharged from the kiln and maintained on a stationary burnout hearth for up to eight hours, to ensure complete burnout of all carbonaceous matter.

To safely manage hazardous and medical waste, WTS employs strict inspection and quarantine protocols to all incoming waste. This, Belinda says, ensure the status, classification, storage requirements, optimal treatment mode and destruction verification of all incoming streams.

“Good chemical hygiene is crucial while working with hazardous and bio-hazardous waste, so our treatment process is designed to be almost entirely automated, with no physical contact between operators and hazardous waste,” Belinda explains.

This is achieved through the design and use of a tippler bin to deposit waste directly into the loading system of the thermal destruction process.

“The site also has a cool room facility to maintain putrescible waste below 4°C at all times until processing occurs. Bin disinfection processes are also applied to ensure the safety of bins/receptacles exchanged/returned as part of the service,” Belinda says.

According to David, regulatory authorities have approached WTS and Pink regarding their capacity to assist in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While approved to thermally destroy other inputs, we are currently focusing our attention and plant capacity on processing clinical and related wastes,” he says.

“We want to ensure that we are positioned with sufficient storage and processing to support the NSW effort in this crisis situation.”

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NRWMF to invest $4m in community grants

The National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF) will allocate up to $2 million worth of grants under a new Community Benefit Program.

Currently, Australia’s radioactive waste is stored in more than 100 locations around the country. In January this year, the federal government identified Napandee, near Kimba in South Australia, as the preferred site to host the facility.

Applications for the community grants are for communities that were involved in detailed consultation about hosting Australia’s National Radioactive Waste Management Facility.

The department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources undertook a 4 year selection process for a suitable site involving community consultation and technical assessment.

In March, the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia determined that radioactive waste can be safely and securely managed by establishing and operating the facility at Napandee.

Communities around Kimba and Wallerberdina Station can now each apply for up to $2 million worth of grants and grants of between $5,000 and $1 million will be available for eligible projects under the program.

Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt said the $4 million in total funding would deliver long-term benefits to community groups, indigenous organisations, local businesses, not-for-profits and local councils.

“This investment will support the communities through projects and initiatives that can further build and diversify local economies as well as improve community wellbeing,” Pitt said.

The Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey said it will mark the end of the decision-making phase for the Kimba region.

“A clear majority of residents are looking forward to the legislation getting passed and works beginning,” he said.

Barndioota Consultative Committee Convener, Paul Thomas, said the new funding would provide a boost to Hawker and surrounding communities, within the 50km boundary.

“The funding recognises the long involvement that the communities around Wallerberdina Station had with this process, and while ultimately it did not proceed here, it is great that we will get some community benefits following what was a pretty significant effort,” Thomas said.

The new program builds upon the $5.76 million invested across 57 projects and initiatives in these communities since consultation on the proposed facility commenced in 2017.

Local infrastructure upgrades, services, youth engagement and mental health initiatives are just some of the projects that local communities can consider when completing their applications.

The government will be accepting applications until 11 August 2020.

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Works begin to support $13M Toowoomba waste facility

Toowoomba Regional Council will commence road widening works to support the construction of its new $13.9 million Tier 2 Kleinton Waste Management Facility.

Toowoomba Regional Council Waste Chair Rebecca Vonhoff said the project involves the widening of 300 metres of Kleinton School Road adjacent to the waste transfer facility.

“The current waste facility will keep operating while road construction is underway,” she said.

Ms Vonhoff said the Kleinton Waste Management Facility will be the fifth project delivered under council’s Waste Infrastructure Plan, and will provide environmental benefits to the area including increased opportunities for recycling.

“This design of the new state-of-the-art facility will cater for the northern region population growth expected over the next 25 years,” she said.

“The new facility, expected to be completed in 2021, will modernise council’s network of waste facilities and maintain our high service level where 98 per cent of the region’s population lives within a 20-minute drive of a waste management facility.”

According to Ms Vonhoff, the rehabilitation of council’s existing landfill site will also form part of the overall project, including the capping of the old landfill.

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Sustainability factors driving infrastructure investments

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) has revealed that environmental, social & governance (ESG) factors are driving infrastructure upgrades in Australia.

Last year, Australia saw large loan facilities being deployed for the first time to drive ESG upgrades and improvements to major infrastructure assets.

The ISCA said in a statement that a recent development within the broader ESG movement is the rapid increase in the scale of Sustainability Linked Loans (SLLs).

SLLs offer explicit price incentives to borrowers or investors for environmental improvements.

“Companies that achieve their sustainability targets benefit from favourable interest rates, while a failure to do so will lead to higher rates. With SLLs, companies therefore have an incentive to align both financing and sustainability objectives,” the ISCA said.

“SLLs are driving significant environmental upgrades of corporate and infrastructure assets around the world.”

ANZ, Westpac and BNP Paribas banks have provided billions of dollars of SLLs to organisations such as Sydney Airport, Investa Commercial Property, Queensland Airport, Adelaide Airport and AGL.

“Communities, consumers and governments increasingly expect investors to allocate capital in a socially and environmentally responsible and ethical way, and be transparent about their investment practices,” the ISCA said.

The council stated that many organisations have developed their own internal policies and procedures to assess ESG risks and opportunities within its industry frameworks.

Research released by Bloomberg New Energy Finance in October 2019 showed that  the total amount of sustainability linked debt now exceeds USD1 trillion (AUD$1.5 trillion).

The ISCA stated that infrastructure investment by superannuation funds in Australia have a particularly strong ESG focus due to the long term nature of the assets and investment mandates.

“Investors measuring and reporting ESG performance will also proactively look to improve the performance of their assets,” The ISCA said.

“SLL’s can improve quality, performance and value through their focus on upgrades of existing assets.”

The council stated it expects that ESG screened investments will continue to grow in importance as organisations look to demonstrate their environmental, social, governance and commercial sustainability.

Clean Energy Finance Corp (CEFC) is also providing loans linked to ESG performance, including AUD100 million into MIRA’s Australian infrastructure platform to target lower carbon emissions and improved energy efficiency in assets including airports, electricity, port, rail and water, and AUD150 million to the IFM Australia Infrastructure Fund.

These two investors hold a portfolio of assets including ports, electricity networks, airports and water infrastructure.

CEFC also manages the Australian Recycling Investment Fund.

According to the ISCA, investments under an ‘ESG’, ‘sustainable’ or ‘ethical’ investment umbrella have moved into the mainstream over the past decade, and particularly in the last three years.

Sustainability linked debt comprises green, social and sustainability bonds which have been around for 10 years, and the more recent green and sustainability linked loans.

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WA injects $20M into FOGO

The Western Australian Government has announced $20 million in funding over six years to support local governments transition to better practice three-bin FOGO kerbside services.

According to Environment Minister Stephen Dawson, local governments are now eligible to apply for funding of up to $25 for each household receiving a three-bin FOGO collection service through the Better Bins Plus: Go FOGO program.

“Funding can be used to offset the costs of providing kitchen caddies and compostable liners, and implementing community education and engagement programs to support the rollout of high performing FOGO services,” he said.

“I encourage local governments and their communities to get behind this program, apply for funding for FOGO services and support our move towards more consistent and better performing waste management services.”

Local governments that have already accessed Better Bins funding of $30 per household can access an additional $15 per household.

Mr Dawson said while many Western Australian households already have access to a three‑bin system through the Better Bins program, in most cases, the organics bin is for garden waste only.

“High performing three bin FOGO services can achieve recovery rates of more than 65 per cent and make the single biggest contribution to achieving the waste strategy material recovery targets for municipal solid waste,” he said.

“Recycling can support around three times the number of jobs compared to waste disposal, and, as identified by the City of Melville, FOGO can reduce local government waste management costs.”

The state government will also support the FOGO rollout with new composting facility guidelines, establishing a reference group to provide advice on rollout issues and licensing new composting operations that can safely receive materials.

Applications for funding allocated in 2020-21 will close July 10.

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Melting for the Yarra: Applied Machinery

With a recent report revealing polystyrene to be the most common waste material in Victoria’s Yarra River, Daniel Fisher of Applied Machinery outlines an efficient equipment solution.

Polystyrene, which can take centuries to degrade, is the most prevalent litter item in Melbourne’s Yarra River, according to a new state government report.

The plastic was found at 80 per cent of sites in the Yarra River catchment monitored in a Cleanwater Group and Yarra Riverkeepers study.

“Since 2018, polystyrene has consistently been found to be the highest littered item found on the river,” the report reads.

“Being both a light-weight and brittle material means that the ecological impacts of polystyrene, which can unfold gradually over time, can be widespread and devastating for the river and Port Phillip Bay.”

According to Expanded Polystyrene Australia, an estimated 71,000 tonnes of polystyrene is used annually, growing at a rate of five per cent each year.

Add to ubiquity the material’s notoriously difficult to recycle composition, and Australia’s natural environment has a problem.

While the situation may seem dire to some, according to Daniel Fisher of Applied Machinery, recycling solutions do exist.

First showcased in Australia at the 2019 Waste Expo Australia, Daniel says Applied’s new range of Greenmax EPS recycling machines represent a technological step forward for polystyrene recycling.

When it comes to polystyrene, Greenmax is an internationally renowned specialist. Committed to providing complete polystyrene recycling solutions, Greenmax’s densifiers have been sold in more than 70 countries across the world.

Greenmax Mars C200 hot melt machines operate via a hot melting system, with material initially crushed before heat is introduced. Following this, the liquified material is squeezed out of the machine, and once cooled, shaped into plastic ingots for resale.

“After the shredding, heating and extruding process is complete, the end product has a volume reduction ratio of up to 90:1. This has obvious storage and transport benefits, with a once difficult-to-manoeuvre product transformed into high-value, densified blocks ready for reprocessing,” Daniel says.

Greenmax Mars’ melters are suitable for all kinds of polystyrene material, Daniel says, with a competitive price point for a quality and reliable machine.

He adds that the machines can process most forms of foam plastic waste, including EPE, EPS and EPP.

Daniel explains that given polystyrene’s lightweight and low-density nature, it can be extremely difficult to transport it economically for recycling.

“With Greenmax’s relatively modest footprint, however, the machine is suitable for installation at smaller-scale, local operations,” he says.

The Greenmax series features screw melting technology that enables continuous outputs, with high-density ingot weights of up to 25 tonnes per 40-foot-high cube container load.

The machine enables three temperature control stages to keep output colour as white as possible, with easy operation and no additional adjustment required when in use.

Applied Machinery is proud to be an Australian sales and service partner for Greenmax Recycling, Daniel adds, with the added value of Greenmax’s parent company Intco Recycling’s buy-back offer.

“Intco Recycling can buy the densified polystyrene for their local manufacturing, which Applied can facilitate for local customers, creating a further efficiency and economic benefit,” he says.

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NZ opens applications for $8M Waste Minimisation Fund

Creating jobs in the waste reduction sector is the focus of the latest application round for New Zealand’s Waste Minimisation Fund.

Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said the fund would prioritise projects focused on food rescue and distribution, supporting existing waste sector organisations and advancing product stewardship.

“COVID-19 has challenged businesses and organisations in the waste and materials recovery sector. This year’s funding round, with up to $8 million available for grants, focuses on addressing immediate needs and upgrading waste systems so they are resilient for the future,” she said.

“A priority for all projects will be to demonstrate how they will support more jobs. This year we are looking for 10 to 20 projects of strategic importance to waste minimisation as New Zealand responds to COVID-19.”

According to Ms Sage, the Waste Minimisation Fund links with the Federal Government’s plan to invest in projects designed to reduce, reuse and recycle and ensure New Zealand has a leading track record on waste.

“Since 2008, more than $300 million of landfill levy revenue has been invested into more than 200 waste reduction projects and initiatives through the Waste Minimisation Fund, and distributed to councils to support waste minimisation,” she said. 

Examples of Waste Minimisation Fund projects include the rural recycling programme Agrecovery, which enables farmers and growers to more easily recycle or safely dispose of on-farm waste under a voluntary product stewardship scheme. 

Additionally, Māori waste movement Para Kore has received almost $2 million through the fund over the past decade.

“From a beginning in three Waikato marae, it now delivers education and training on recycling and how to minimise waste to more than 400 marae, kura and Māori organisations throughout the North Island,” Ms Sage said. 

The Waste Minimisation Fund is funded through New Zealand’s waste levy and was introduced under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008.

Under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008, 50 per cent of levy revenue is distributed to councils to spend in accordance with their Waste Management and Minimisation Plans.

The remainder –  minus administration costs – is used for the Waste Minimisation Fund, which is managed by the Ministry for the Environment.

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Central Coast reopens waste facilities

Residents on the Central Coast in NSW are able to utilise the Woy Woy and Buttonderry waste management facilities following its closure due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Although access remained open for waste management vehicles, private waste contractors and small business customers, the public were prohibited from entering all three Central Coast Council waste facilities.

A Central Coast Council spokesperson said all three facilities were closed to the public in line with NSW Police advice and the NSW Government’s Public Health Order of March 29.

“In response to the developing situation with COVID-19, the NSW Government later issued a fact sheet clarifying the management of waste and recycling facilities,” the spokesperson said.

“As a result, the restriction on public access to the Woy Woy and Buttonderry waste management facilities was lifted.”

The Kincumber facility remains closed due to ongoing maintenance work.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 in the community, limit the need for residents to travel, minimise contact and ensure services are still being provided, Council has changed some operations at its waste management facilities.

Council is encouraging all residents to utilise their three bin and bulk collection services and comply with requirements around non-essential travel.

CEO Central Coast Council, Gary Murphy, said Council’s priority is the health of staff and the Central Coast community and continuing to deliver essential services.

“I want to assure the community that all our essential services are not interrupted, and this includes water and sewer; collection and management of waste,” he said.

Essential services across the region continue, including work on its rolling program to inspect and replace critical sewage sewage to improve the performance and reliability of the network.

More than $2 million dollars has been earmarked for the project this financial year that sees existing pipes rehabilitated with structural relining to extend their service life by up to 50 years or replacing end-of-design-life equipment.

“We manage an extensive sewer network with 2,649 kilometres of sewer pipelines across the region as well as eight sewage treatment plants and more than 320 sewage pumping stations,” Council spokesperson said.

“We are using innovative techniques to rehabilitate damaged sewer pipelines during the work.”

Council starts by clearing the pipe and assessing the conditions of sewer lines via CCTV camera, then insert a liner to reinforce the existing pipe structure that seals any leaks, significantly reducing the risk of future damage, particularly from tree roots.

“This technique reduces the need to excavate, minimising disruption to services during works and reduces repair costs,” Council spokesperson said.

“This essential maintenance on local sewer infrastructure will improve asset and network reliability, lower the risk of environmental discharges and help ensure we have adequate and sustainable infrastructure to meet future demand.”

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