Kathy Giunta

A new Detritus Processing Facility in Rosehill, NSW, will divert more than 21,000 tonnes of waste annually from landfill, to be separated, cleaned and sorted into valuable products and materials for reuse.

The facility, opened by construction company Downer and partnered with CDEnviro, can recycle several different types of materials from everyday waste streams.

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Materials such as organic matter, sand, gravel, metals and plastics are able to be separated and then sold for reuse.

Downer’s Executive General Manager Road Services Dante Cremasco said the Detritus Processing Facility creates economic, social and environmental value for material that would end up in landfill, or end up as a pollutant in our natural environments.

“The Rosehill Detritus Processing Facility is capable of cost effectively processing, separating and cleaning upwards of 25,000 tonnes annually from everyday waste streams such as street sweepings or stormwater. Approximately 85 per cent of it is then converted into meaningful streams of use such as organic matter, sand, gravel, metals and plastic,” he said.

“The facility is about pulling product, not pushing waste, as these products can be utilised in compost, asphalt for roads that Downer builds and building materials,” Mr Cremasco said.

The facility is able to support the optimisation of street sweeping operations in metroplitian Sydney, which aims to enable some street sweepers to complete more than one load per shift.

“The proximity of the facility to street sweeping operations in metropolitan Sydney will see further benefits through improved efficiency with shorter distances travelled by street sweepers. This will in turn allow for improved productivity, reduced fuel consumption and longer equipment life.”

NSW Environment and Protection Authority (EPA) Director Resource Recovery Kathy Giunta said the EPA is committed to supporting research and the introduction of new technologies to boost recycling in the state.

“This project is one of several the government has supported through the Recycling Innovation Fund, a part of Waste Less Recycle More initiative and is a good example of innovation in recycling,” she said.