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The factors that lead to better compaction
 Australia, Features, Online Subscription, Waste & Resource Recovery

The factors that lead to better compaction

Speaking candidly to Inside Waste, Cat industry specialist Ayden Piri noted that Australia and New Zealand citizens generate some 3kg of waste per person per day, which equates to more than 30 million tonnes of waste every year.

“This large volume of waste has forced nations to build almost 400 landfills in these countries. The cost to build a landfill in the region varies from AU$5 million to AU$8 million per million cubic metre (100x100x100 meters space) so it’s quite costly to build a new landfill,” Piri said. Read more

Renault launches new carbon emissions offset program
 Circular Economy, Features, Online Subscription

Renault launches new carbon emissions offset program

Renault’s Go Green to Grow Green initiative aims to offset the expected carbon emissions of all Bamboo Green Trafics during the first seven years of their working lives.

Renault Australia’s managing director Justin Hocevar is confident that this initiative will make Bamboo Green Renault Trafic vans synonymous with reduced carbon footprints, and he encourages customers who are keen to be seen to be making a difference to buy one.

“We are working to provide our customers with a vehicle to express their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint,” Hocevar said. Read more

So you want energy from waste?
 Australia, Features, Online Subscription, Waste & Resource Recovery

So you want energy from waste?

Under its legislation, the CEFC has access to $2 billion a year for five years and it is currently in its fourth year. To date, the CEFC has accessed $8 billion, of which it has invested about $2 billion. And among its target client sectors sits waste, bioenergy, and agriculture.

“Our funding is not use it or lose it. We’re not under pressure to do deals that aren’t ready to be done. But at the same time, part of our role is to accelerate the markets. The point there is that we’re not capital constraint, we’re project constraint,” Henry Anning, director – CEFC Corporate and Project Finance told delegates who attended the conference. Read more

Three-bin systems - the new waste reform front
 Australia, Features, Online Subscription, Professional Services

Three-bin systems – the new waste reform front

The key reasons preventing councils from implementing a three-bin kerbside service are uncertainty with respect to: cost to council; cost per household; waste diversion; and demonstrable environmental benefits. But these questions can be answered via quantifiable and repeatable economic analysis.

Recently, Bass Coast Shire Council (BCSC) in Victoria engaged MRA with similar concerns over the introduction of a kerbside organics service. MRA performed a full feasibility study, including a quadruple bottom line assessment, to quantify all aspects of the implementation of a FOGO service. Read more

US P2P energy sharing company sets up shop in Australia
 Circular Economy, Features, Online Subscription

US P2P energy sharing company sets up shop in Australia

LO3 Energy set up their office in Byron Bay as part of plans for a global rollout of demonstration microgrid sites based on the company’s proven P2P trading platform, which will be headed up by former Australian environmental finance professional Belinda Kinkead.

According to Kinkead, while the LO3 is certainly not the only company looking to develop P2P energy trading in Australia, it does arrive here with the advantage of having already delivered proof of concept in America. Read more

Is this the end of the Proximity Principle? Probably not.
 Australia, Features, New South Wales, Online Subscription, Waste & Resource Recovery

Is this the end of the Proximity Principle? Probably not.

Last month, the EPA released draft construction and demolition waste reforms, which included the removal of the Proximity Principle that would impact other waste streams as well.

NSW EPA executive director, waste and resource recovery Steve Beaman, who spoke at a Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association of NSW (WCRA) breakfast briefing on November 8 on the C&D reforms, told attendees that the plan to remove the Proximity Principle was largely because people were “mucking around with it” and it became a challenge for the EPA. Read more

Australia Post set to trial EVs for delivery fleet network
 Circular Economy, Features, Online Subscription

Australia Post set to trial EVs for delivery fleet network

Plans for the EV trial follow the Australia Post’s $41 million before-tax profit this year, which was driven largely by strong growth in the parcels business and reduced losses in letters.

According to Australia Post head of network optimisation, letters & mail network Mitch Buxton, they decided to investigate the use of EVs due to the rise of online shopping and digital communication changing the types of products customers send through their network for delivery. Read more

Keep Wipes Out of the Pipes campaign gains international recognition
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Keep Wipes Out of the Pipes campaign gains international recognition

Senior media and PR advisor at Sydney Water, Peter Hadfield, accepted the award in Singapore, and also made a presentation on the campaign at the Asia Pacific Communications Summit.

Inside Waste caught up with Hadfield when he returned to the country to get his thoughts on the recognition, how the campaign has gone thus far, what’s next, and what we’ve got to look forward to in this space.

Inside Waste: How important has it been getting the message out about the issues that we face associated with wet wipes being flushed? Read more

Improving profit margins in the face of global challenges
 Australia, Features, Online Subscription, Professional Services

Improving profit margins in the face of global challenges

Inside Waste (IW) spoke to World First currency specialist Joe Donnachie to find out more about the platform, particularly how it is able to offer savings that the big four banks may not.

IW: How is World First meeting some of the unique challenges and demands of the sector? Donnachie: Price and time constraints are extremely tight for companies in the waste industry, so the 24-hour service World First provides is fundamental: clients can log into their tailored online trading platform at any time to place trades for overseas orders. Sudden moves in AUD/USD (or other currency pairs) can also make a huge difference to profit margins, therefore our currency specialists are dedicated to watching these movements and personally keeping clients updated. Read more

Legal Eagle: Will the proposed C&D reforms level the playing field?
 Australia, Features, New South Wales, Online Subscription, Professional Services

Legal Eagle: Will the proposed C&D reforms level the playing field?

The purpose of the consultation paper is to consult industry on the proposed changes to the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014 (NSW) (Waste Regulation). As many would be aware, the introduction of this legislation in 2014 was meant to “provide a level playing field for waste operators” but it is widely thought that this was not achieved.

The proposed amendments are promoted as being required to address the ongoing concerns in the construction and demolition waste sector and to meet the objectives of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) (POEO Act). Whilst the EPA has branded the proposed changes as being for the construction and demolition waste sector, it is apparent that, if legislated, the changes will extend to the operations of many more industry waste sectors. Read more