Wastech is a well-established player in the waste management and resource recovery sectors, known for its design, engineering, and manufacturing services. However, one area of the business sets it apart from the rest.
With an extensive product range and an end-to-end service offering, Wastech supports a diverse range of businesses and governments that want technology-enabled solutions to manage waste and resources effectively and efficiently. It is committed to sustainability and innovation across multiple business areas.
Wastech’s consulting arm focuses on aligning its clients’ development goals with best practice design to achieve sustainable outcomes. This includes supporting operational waste and resource management plans, construction and demolition resource management plans, green star reporting, early engineering design, educational programs, and operational efficiency audits.
Djanisa Trinder is Wastech’s National Consultancy Manager. While she didn’t plan on entering the waste management industry, she has developed a fond appreciation for it.
“It has tied in beautifully with my love of the environment and all things sustainability,” says Djanisa. “I’ve been working in the sector for 11 years and cannot imagine being elsewhere now.”
Consulting central
Wastech has only recently re-started its consulting arm. Djanisa advises that the consulting business enables Wastech to reach clients earlier in the project life cycle ensuring a better final product and outcome.
“That starts at the concept and planning phase,” she says. “We work on all types of developments, whether residential, retail, utilities or other key pieces of infrastructure. We like to get involved nice and early and work closely with many different modalities to meet the project’s scope.
“By drilling down on different aspects of the project and collaborating with other experts, we can develop bespoke solutions for each client on a project-by-project basis.
“When I started 11 years ago, it was common to receive a phone call from a developer who wanted a one-page waste management plan, following the approval for their development application from the council,” says Djanisa.
“We have developed a long way since then because we are working with clients and they understand that in order to get a good outcome Wastech needs to be involved early. I think the industry is also beginning to appreciate the crucial role we play in determining the future success of waste and resource management infrastructure.”
Another challenge is conflicting priorities with regards to developers’ financial yield expectations. From a developer’s perspective, waste management infrastructure does not generate a return, hence they want the smallest physical footprint possible. This can lead to compromised operational and financial life cycle outcomes.
Djanisa encourages them to give her the minimum space she needs to achieve the goal.
“My nearly daily challenge is talking about this with developers,” she says. “I usually present them with three options. The first option is to give me the space I am requesting. The second option is for me to acquiesce to their land offering. The impact of this is that the development can incur significant additional operational expenditures per year. That’s because they rely on more frequent collections and have more operating personnel. The third option is to wait for a few years, realise your solution is not working, and spend, significant expenses on a retrofit solution.
“It’s all about talking to them in terms and a language they understand to help connect with them at their level. That applies to a developer, an architect or even the local council.”
Sustainability solutions
In developing bespoke solutions for its clients, Wastech has considered sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.
“Some SDGs extend into 2050, such as the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, The World in 2050 (TWI2050). We need to keep an eye on industry best practices, the guidelines around them, and how to apply them to our client’s projects,” Djanisa says.
“It’s not just looking domestically. We need to see what is happening overseas and determine whether it could apply here. Some of our clients have asked about technologies that have worked overseas, which means we need to study them. Can they work in this application, or will they fail? Applying the same technology here won’t necessarily work because of economic, infrastructure and geographical differences.”
Sustainability extends to reduced need for maintenance, and this saves time and money.
“One thing I have noticed is that our clients praise us for the quality of our products,” she says. “Our clients keep coming back to us time and time again. Some of them have had waste compactors for 15 years or more. Even if they haven’t maintained the device as well as they probably should have, it’s still working extremely well. The upfront cost saves them significantly in the long run, as they are not replacing the product after five years.”
The Boots theory of economics, made famous by Sir Terry Pratchett, does apply in this situation, as Wastech’s customers can be confident that they have high-quality machines and a responsive customer service team.
“Being responsive to customers is something that I and our entire service team pride ourselves on,” Djanisa says. “It’s another reason why people choose Wastech. If they tell us about a problem, we are out there as soon as possible to fix or troubleshoot it.”
As an industry expert, Djanisa sees Wastech continuing to expand and push boundaries, providing solutions the industry has long demanded.
“If I don’t know the answer to your question, I’ll find out, and then we’ll both be in the know,” she says.
“I do see the Wastech consulting business growing and being its own beast as such, humming away. I see us pushing the boundaries of the industry, challenging the status quo and providing solutions for things that the industry has been seeking for quite some time.”
For more information, visit www.wastech.com.au
