NSW EPA’s precipitous action jeopardises future resource recovery investments
On October 26, the NSW EPA released the Mixed Waste Organic Material (MWOO) – Regulatory Change, withdrawing the Resource Recovery …
Bingo acquisition of DADI may open up C&I sorting capacity in Australia
According to the 2016 National Waste Report, commercial and industrial waste (C&I) represents 20MT of the 53MT of waste generated …
Bio-based plastics can reduce waste, but only if we invest in both making and getting rid of them
Drinking straws are just the literal tip of humanity’s plastic addiction. In 2016 global plastic resin production reached nearly 335 million metric tons. By some estimates, it could grow to approximately 650 million metric tons by 2020, roughly 100 times the weight of the Pyramid of Giza. Read more
Why Coles’ plastic bag backflip leaves us worse off than before
This unprecedented move is in response to strong backlash by customers who are struggling to switch to reusable bags.
Read more: Why plastic bag bans triggered such a huge reaction
We know that offering free lightweight plastic bags causes excessive plastic use. We also know that banning lightweight bags can increase the use of heavier plastic bags (such as bin liners). Coles’ decision brings out the worst of both worlds: giving out heavier plastic bags for free. Read more
Short-term gain for longer-term pain: expert weighs in on Coles backflip
The dramas continue for Coles as the supermarket giant has come under fire for its reversal of its decision to …
Composting massively reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfill
Thinking that the carbon forcing factor of methane from landfill (25 times CO2) would render that claim incorrect, I thought …
Incinerators for waste disposal
Incinerators work by combusting waste thus creating an exothermic reaction between the waste and oxygen from the air. The end …
Odour control for wastewater
From what once used to be an afterthought, the control of odours has now become a necessary primary consideration at a facility …
Is the waste disposal levy too high?
The Four Corners program painted a very negative picture of much of the waste industry as it explored: • illegal dumping of …
EfW – a sustainable solution?
In the October issue of Inside Waste, Lee Bell from the National Toxics Network Australia, argued that EfW or waste incineration …