The crowd erupts and chants of ‘Buddy’ reverberate around the stands as Sydney forward Lance Franklin sends another one sailing through the goal posts. But there are more than the on-field super-star moments to be celebrated at Marvel Stadium. Behind the scenes, the AFL is kicking its own goals in sustainability.
Marvel Stadium is on track to recycle 60,000 kilograms of glass in a 12-month period, equivalent to 157 cubic metres of landfill saved or removing 10 cars off the road, through the introduction of BottleCycler – a behind-the-bar system for hospitality venues to manage glass waste.
David Hrabal, Technical Venue Manager for AFL House, says introducing BottleCycler is part of an ongoing commitment to environmental transformation at the stadium by the AFL and contracted cleaners Quayclean.
“It’s a good story for everyone involved,” David says. “We needed to reduce our waste that was going to landfill. One of the biggest hurdles was everything going into co-mingled bins and the labour costs involved in sorting it into waste streams.
“Since bringing in BottleCycler, I love that there isn’t a mountain of waste going into the co-mingled bins.”
Marvel Stadium has 11 BottleCycler machines on site, each one can crush about 80 bottles a minute and store up to 300 crushed bottles.
The crushed glass is dispersed into a bin that sits inside a stainless-steel cabinet. Sensors detect when the bin is full, and staff simply attach a handle to the bin and wheel it outside to be collected by BottleCycler. A new empty bin goes inside the cabinet and the process starts again.
Once collected, the crushed glass goes to one of two recycling plants in Melbourne where it is processed into cullet and used to produce new bottles.
Because the glass is being collected as a single waste stream, businesses are aware of exactly how much glass they are recycling and the benefits that go with it, a key when reporting environmental, social, and corporate governance outcomes.
The BottleCycler portal allows customers to see their statistics in relation to how many bins have been collected, glass volumes in kilograms, how much carbon dioxide emissions have been stopped, and how many cubic metres of landfill they’ve saved. Reports can be generated and uploaded directly to social media.
David says Marvel Stadium, and the AFL, are pleased with the results.
“About 98 per cent of our waste was going to landfill, now it’s down to 63 per cent. There’s still more work to be done but with Quayclean and BottleCycler’s support we’re achieving a better outcome.
“For a lot of stadiums built in the 1990s, such as Marvel Stadium, environmental issues were not even considered. We’re currently redeveloping and sustainability is a big part of that, including creating more room for recycling and waste diversion.”
Zac Larmer, Quayclean Contract Manager who oversees Marvel Stadium, says BottleCycler not only delivers on the recycling front, but has resulted in improvements in efficiency.
“When a large bin gets full it becomes almost impossible for staff to move,” Zac says. “With the BottleCycler, staff can manoeuvre the bins quite easily.
“It’s also quick and easy to use, which is enabling us to capture more glass overall. A five-minute demonstration and staff are on top of how to use it.”
BottleCyclers are located within close proximity to bars on levels C and D at Marvel Stadium. The compact nature of the machines mean back-of-house operations are also safer from an occupational health and safety perspective.
Zac estimates staff have gained about 20 per cent additional workspace because BottleCycler helps keep pathways clear. Regularly scheduled collections by BottleCycler ensure it stays that way.
BottleCyclers were to be installed at Marvel Stadium just before COVID-19 forced the cancellation of sporting and other events. Despite the delay, they’re now being put through their paces.
But Zac had previously seen them in action at Caulfield Racecourse, which is also contracted to Quayclean. Since 2018, the five machines at Caulfield have collected almost 1000 bins and up to 45,000 kilograms of glass annually.
Zac says he’d like to see BottleCycler introduced across other major venues.
“I really like the whole concept.”
George Azzam, BottleCycler General Manager, says the company is proud to be associated with organisations such as Quayclean and the AFL through Marvel Stadium.
“We take pride in being able to provide the service we do and work with forward-thinking, progressive organisations that are serious about sustainability, as well as making sure they provide a solution for their staff to be safe and efficient.”
The BottleCycler works on a rental model. For a monthly fee the machine is serviced and maintained regularly. A per bin collection fee is dependent on a venue’s volume and pick-up schedule.
For more information, visit: www.bottlecycler.com
BottleCycler is offering an exclusive two-month free trial for anyone who enquires about a machine and mentions Waste Management Review.