From standing-room-only conference theatres to a sold-out exhibition floor, this year’s Waste Expo Australia attracted more than 3000 attendees through the doors.
Our community needs this industry to be great.” John Merritt Non-Executive Director of the Victorian Waste Management Association (VWMA), set the scene for two days of thought leadership, professional development, and industry-leading solutions.
John was speaking at the VWMA industry breakfast on day one of Waste Expo Australia, a showcase of everything that is “great” about the sector.
Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the 2024 event had a firm focus on resource recovery and the circular economy with 120 exhibitors and more than 100 speakers across 50 conference sessions.
Kicking off a packed plenary session at the Government and Policy Theatre, sponsored by Sircel, was an industry leaders’ discussion about progress and future directions in waste management.
Tony Circelli, Chief Executive Officer Recycling Victoria, says the panel discussion and conversations across the conference demonstrated the exciting opportunities for the waste management industry to lead the charge towards a more sustainable future.
“Waste management has become a really important part of sustainability around how we recover material, how we reprocess it and how we turn it back into valuable materials that society needs,” Tony says. “Importantly, in that process, we create hundreds of jobs, as well as investment and growth. Waste Expo Australia is so critical in showcasing the industry’s technology, people, and aspirations, but also coupling that with government policy and programs.”
Tony had earlier told attendees at the sold out VWMA breakfast that two years since its inception, Recycling Victoria still has a clear purpose.
“The waste sector is an essential service and economic driver. It’s nearly a $4.5 billion sector in Victoria alone,” he says. “We are focused on creating an environment to attract more investment and improve economic opportunity for the sector.”
Government policy and interaction was a particular focus at this year’s event, from the Government and Policy conference stream to the new Government Lounge on the expo floor, incorporating representatives from Environment Protection Authority Victoria, Sustainability Victoria, and Recycling Victoria.
Matt Genever, Chief Executive Officer Sustainability Victoria, says the Government Lounge was an amazing opportunity for attendees to interact directly with government.
“Individual businesses can’t change sectors on their own, so they need to understand who’s out there and what are the opportunities for collaboration,” he says.
“I think the same goes for government. Myself and my colleagues, as well as local government need to understand the initiatives and innovations within this sector. An event like Waste Expo is so fantastic at bringing all those people together.
“It’s a real melting pot of energy and conversation.”
This year’s conference streams covered circular economy, government policy, waste-to-energy, commercial industrial and construction and demolition waste.
Dr Sarah King, GHD Technical Director, Circular Economy, spoke as part of the day two Circular Economy conference stream.
She says that the industry is in the midst of a paradigm shift from a focus on managing waste to activating the circular economy.
“Waste Expo Australia is well-placed to address the changes in our industry, particularly as we begin to treat waste as a valuable resource,” she says.
“As Australia shifts from a linear to a circular economy, events like this play a significant role in demonstrating the potential for adding value to waste resources through new technologies and highlight the importance of regions and place-based circular economy initiatives.”
The exhibition floor was packed, with exhibitors making valuable industry contacts as well as adding to their professional development.
Brent Murray, Strategic Account Manager at TOMRA, says the exhibition is a key opportunity to connect with government and other interested parties.
“Being able to connect with industry is integral for suppliers so we can learn about what’s happening in the packaging space or the regulatory space,” he says.
“Whether it’s networking on the exhibition floor or being able to attend the conference sessions and hear from industry experts in those subjects, Waste Expo is really important from a professional development perspective for anyone who’s in the waste industry.”
It’s also a chance for attendees to get up close to some key industry equipment available from manufacturers and resellers.
On display this year was Komatsu’s 15-tonne excavator and a Rotar Grab attachment, Pacific Materials Handling’s Sennebogen material handler and the new 355E telehandler and Garwood International’s innovative DualPact split chamber compactor truck, which attracted plenty of attention.
Ian Pinney, from Garwood International, says the opportunity to display a tangible product creates conversations and connections with the right customers.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from people who have the product and people who don’t have the product, and they’re inquiring about its capabilities and how it could help them,” he says.
“For us, Waste Expo has helped to facilitate conversations with relevant waste collection users, contractors and councils, and we have tangible business leads to follow up from here.”
Exhibition Manager Sherri Pearson says that Waste Expo Australia has continued to grow thanks to its relevance, strategic industry partnerships, and ongoing adaptation to industry trends.
“The event’s success is driven by its ability to bring together the most influential players in the sector, and future editions will focus on expanding international reach and providing even more value to attendees and exhibitors,” she says.
“Next year’s event will have exciting enhancements, including targeted new content streams and the latest technologies being developed globally.
“As part of an international portfolio of events, Waste Expo Australia will feature an even larger international presence in 2025, making it the industry’s must-attend event.”
Waste Expo Australia will return to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 29-30 October 2025.
For more information, www.wasteexpoaustralia.com.au