A first heavy vehicle for Envirocrush is the backbone of a unique compaction unit and service set to change the building and demolition waste landscape.
Staying abreast of waste management innovations ensures the industry can meet the current demands and anticipate future challenges. This includes an increasing volume of building and demolition waste in Australia, which has grown to 25.2 mega tonnes per year, according to the latest National Waste Report. While it’s the largest source of waste in the country, about 20.2 mega tonnes of these materials are recovered annually.
In the construction-heavy city of Sydney, Envirocrush is thinking outside of traditional methods, offering a mobile service that compacts waste in open-top skip bins on-site, maximising the amount of waste inside the skip and consequently, reducing the number of runs to landfill.
It does this using a unique crushing compactor arm built onto a support frame and an Isuzu FRR 110-260 Auto.
“Envirocrush is all about providing a smart, cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to handle waste,” says General Manager Elias Elias.
“By compacting waste on site, our clients can reduce their waste collections, which leads to substantial cost savings on disposal fees.
“This flows through to environmental impacts – reducing the volume of waste means fewer trips to transfer stations, cutting down on vehicle emissions and promoting more sustainable waste management practices.
“It also keeps their work sites tidy and clean, making waste less likely to overflow or build up.”
Rock ‘em, sock ‘em
This long-wheelbase Isuzu FRR 110-260 Auto sports a hydraulic hinged arm with a heavy-duty spiked roller that will do its utmost to crush almost any type of material put beneath it, whether it’s light construction waste, wooden pallets, scrap metal or general waste.
It can crush a fully loaded skip bin in an impressive five to ten minutes.
The technology has been available in Europe through French manufacturer Packmat System. Recognising a gap in Australia’s current waste management market, Envirocrush travelled to France in 2023 to meet with the Packmat System team.
It recently secured a partnership to import and adapt this design to local standards, bringing the technology to Australian shores.
It’s a serious piece of equipment designed to create serious space savings. According to Envirocrush, clients can expect up to a 5:1 reduction in waste collections with their service, equating to a potential 80 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and 65 per cent reduction in associated carbon dioxide emissions.
Elias says the service will not only improve operational efficiency for clients but also move things along in the wider world of waste management.
“Even though we are just starting out, we would like to see other players in the waste industry adapt and offer similar compaction technology and services for skip bins – a bit of healthy competition will be good for opening up the market,” he says.
“Looking ahead to the next couple of years, we would like to expand our customer base and assist our current customers in enhancing their waste management practices.”
Payload priorities
Taking the Packmat System on the road, the medium-duty Isuzu FRR 110-260 Auto is powered by a 6HK1-TCC turbocharged engine producing 191 kilowatt (260 horsepower) at 2400 revolutions per minute (rpm) and torque of 761 newton-metres (Nm) at 1450–2400 rpm.
With a gross vehicle mass of 11,000 kilograms, the truck offers the right amount of payload to transport the specialised unit and the necessary counterbalance for the pressure outputted by the hydraulic arm during compaction.
Envirocrush chose the long wheelbase model, which has an overall length of 8.605 metres. This provides space for the arm to do its business out the back while still being nimble enough to operate on work sites with size limitations.
This is complemented by a neat turning circle of 16.4 metres (kerb to kerb), allowing the truck to be reversed and manoeuvred in tight spots.
Allison LCT2500 fully automatic transmission provides smooth handling and simplifies the driving experience, allowing drivers to focus on operating the compacting unit efficiently.
A specialised control system allows the operator to manage the compaction process from the FRR’s cabin with joystick controls that regulate the roller’s movements. A camera and sensor system ensure safe operation.
On the rise
With the business still in relative infancy, opening doors in early November 2024, there’s plenty of time to see how things will pan out.
From a planning perspective, acquiring this system and engineering the truck locally with the assistance of Gilbert & Roach Isuzu in Huntingwood has been key to achieving Envirocrush’s start-up goals.
The performance of the FRR has also been crucial, offering the efficiency needed for a business launching its service.
“This is our first heavy vehicle, and it’s the backbone of our mobile waste compaction unit and service,” Elias says.
“Efficiency is one of our key focuses; we want our customers to enjoy a more efficient waste management process to free up time and resources.”
For more information, visit: www.isuzu.com.au
