The program has collected 38.5 million printer cartridges over the years, with last year’s haul being the biggest at half a million. Today, there are more than 4000 C4PA public recycling collection boxes around the country, located at all Officeworks stores and participating Australia Post, Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys, and Office national outlets. Read more
PFASs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. They have been used in firefighting foams, non-stick cookware and stain resistant fabrics and carpets. They are highly resistant to heat, chemical and biological attack and as a result, they persist in the environment. They are also bio accumulative and ecologically toxic. Read more
According to the company, waste reduction and landfill-free initiatives have been amongst GM’s most significant areas of achievement, though while the company’s plants have made tremendous progress, those manufacturing facilities represent only one phase of the product life cycle.
“We need to move toward a more systems-based approach that goes beyond the GM enterprise to take into consideration the materials used in our vehicles – the process begins with vehicle design and extends through end-of-life,” said David Tulauskas, director of global sustainability at GM. Read more
Often the first time lawyers are called in is when a contractual dispute has broken out and relationships have soured, preventing speedy and inexpensive resolutions. Occasionally, the dispute can be traced back to something which could have been easily addressed in the tender process.
Typically, the problems we encounter involve inadequate or unclear specifications for the required services, use of inappropriate contract documents, and negotiations straying beyond the core purpose of the tender itself.
“The City of Melbourne has challenges to do with the fact that the city is retrofitting modern waste and resource recovery needs around narrow and increasingly busy laneways around old designs – something many other local government areas will not need to ever experience, and it’s important to look at how other global cities manage these challenges,” Smith said.
“I think it’s great that the City of Melbourne are putting something out and starting to create discussion and get feedback, not just from the industry, but also from the community on this. Read more
Bettergrow, a waste management facility in Vineyard, NSW, specialising in processing drilling slurries, biosolids, garden organics, food waste, and grease trap waste, received two loads of asbestos contaminated drillers mud in March 2016, which had originated from the refurbishment of an electricity substation owned by Transgrid in Beaconsfield, Sydney.
Bettergrow was not licensed under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) to accept asbestos contaminated waste. Read more
A joint undertaking by the two companies, as well as the Sydney Institute of Marine Studies (SIMS) and Reef Design Lab, the Living Seawall is part of the UN’s World Environment Day initiative aimed at fighting the troublesome waste stream.
The Living Seawall uses uniquely designed tiles made from concrete reinforced with 100% recycled plastic fibres to mimic the root structure of mangrove trees that were once prolific along Sydney Harbour. The plastic fibres are embedded within the concrete in such a way that they cannot disperse into the environment. Read more
And in that same year, the much loved and respected Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association of NSW (WCRA) was founded.
Remembering the early days
Three years had passed since World War II came to an end and as WCRA member ‘Wick’ Hanlon recounted 20 years on at an association convention in 1968: “[1948] was the time when most of us shed our uniforms after preventing the Japanese from stealing our lands, our homes, our heritage. The trade unions were becoming more active in their demands for better pay and conditions and it was necessary for us as employers to have a voice in such things.” Read more
The company’s numerous waste avoidance initiatives and energy saving measures were key in helping Ricoh Australia realise this accomplishment.
The Ricoh consumables recycling program, in operation since 2001, has set the benchmark for sustainable business practices within the industry. It is free to Ricoh customers as part of their goal to reach zero waste-to-landfill. Read more
The ban will see plastic bags disappear from all retail outlets, with shoppers encouraged to bring their own bags, as part of a push to reduce plastic waste.
Most retailers will begin the ban from July 1, or face a $6300 fine each time they are caught using a thin plastic bag. It is the beginning of a slow plan to reduce the amount of accumulated plastics in the environment. Read more