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MEDIA RELEASE 14 AUGUST 2009
VISY RECYCLING & O-I SIGN
NEW GLASS PROCESSING PLANT AGREEMENT
The world's leading glass container maker, O-I, and Visy today jointly announced an agreement to build a high-technology optical glass sorting plant in Auckland.
The agreement, which both parties describe as a landmark agreement for the future of glass recycling in New Zealand, will deliver a 120,000 tonne capacity plant to colour sort and maximise use of the country's post consumer recycled glass - called cullet.
The plant will be built in 2010 and located at the existing Visy Onehunga Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) site. It will receive recovered glass from the MRF and use automated optical technology to sort it into three individual colours ready for recycled use at O-I's manufacturing plant at Penrose.
The optical sorting equipment is from a specialist manufacturer in Europe and has the capability of sorting 100,000 small pieces of glass the size of a fingernail per minute into individual colours. It can detect and remove contamination so when glass arrives at the O-I furnaces at Penrose, it is ready to be melted and made into new glass jars or bottles.
O-I New Zealand General Manager Brian Slingsby said the agreement, which covers an initial contract term of 10 years, would give O-I more certain supply of furnace-ready cullet for its manufacturing process.
"This new glass sorting plant will allow Visy and O-I to continue to work closely together and maximise glass recovery opportunities in New Zealand. This leads to greater environmental benefits such as less virgin material use (eg sand), reduced waste to landfill and reduced CO2 emissions," Mr Slingsby said.
"It will also ensure that when O-I's new furnace opens in 2010, a large proportion of its in-feed will be recycled material. Glass is infinitely 100% recyclable and we want to recycle more than the 84,000 tonnes of cullet we currently do per year. O-I wants to recycle every glass bottle and jar in New Zealand."
Visy Global Director of Recycling Steven Boland said "the new agreement provides market security for the increasing volumes of recovered glass coming both from household commingled collection services and the various collectors and merchants throughout NZ."
In addition to reducing waste to landfill, a significant environmental benefit of furnaces using higher proportions of cullet is that they use less energy and operate more efficiently than when using virgin materials.
Mr Slingsby said the agreement signalled the beginning of a new phase in the glass recycling partnership between the two industry leaders in Australia and New Zealand and was a great step forward for future glass recovery and reuse. ENDS
Contacts:
Dieter Lehmann - Communications Manager O-I Asia Pacific +61448308164 dieter.lehmann@ap.o-i.com
Lee Smith - GM Public Affairs & Marketing Visy Recycling +61417408088 lee.smith@visy.com.au
18th May 2009
Australia: Cash-for-cans 'too costly'
By Crystal Ja of AAP
Industry leaders have trashed the idea of a national cash-for-cans scheme, saying it could bump up the price of canned and bottled drinks by as much as 25 per cent.
Drink prices would rise by up to 14 cents per container, potentially adding a dollar to the cost of a carton of beer, if the container deposit levy (CDL) scheme were adopted across the nation, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) says.
Environment ministers are set to meet next week to discuss the proposal. The levy system is currently in operation only in one state - South Australia.
AFGC chief executive Kate Carnell said a national CDL would cost Australians $500 million and waste a decade of careful planning and cooperation by government and industry.
"Environment ministers must once and for all reject the expensive CDL scheme which we believe will cost Australians a whopping $500 million a year compared to the current affordable and effective model," she said.
Ms Carnell said the National Packaging Covenant - an agreement already in operation for 10 years between industry, government and non-government bodies - was a more efficient method of recycling, required no collection charges and was better value for money.
The increased cost of drinks under a CDL scheme would include a deposit and handling fee, with the deposit refundable on an empty bottle returned to a recycling depot.
South Australians currently collect up to 10 cents a bottle.
Alec Wagstaff, of the National Packaging Covenant industry association, said the shift to a levy system could burden and confuse consumers.
This article come from New Zealand food daily. For more information go to: www.nzfooddaily.co.nz
19th March 2009
Open letter to all recycling businesses;
The Ministry for the Environment will begin implementation of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 in July.
The Act will create significant opportunities for your business if you seize the opportunity early.
Equally, in today's competitive market, not being aware of the Acts scope could pose threats to your business.
There are many facets to the bill but the most important are;
Waste levy, starting at $10/tonne at landfill in the first year and expected to increase to $25-40/tonne within three years. The levy is simply to encourage more recycling by making disposal more expensive.
Reduced volumes to landfill will mean rates will increase, simply because the fixed costs of the landfill still need to be met..
Your recycling business will look more attractive to your existing clients and to a wider range than before. To win you need to be thinking how to raise your profile and how to make your business look that much more attractive to the wide range of general public and business waste producers.
Priority Products
The Act is going to be used to target specific problem wastes. The list under scrutiny includes, but is not limited to; vehicles, lead-acid batteries, tyres, chemicals, oil, electrical and electronic wastes, mercury bearing lights, packaging.
Being in a position to accept and manage priority products will increase your profile and will attract business. With that you will gain access to a wider range of materials to - whatever your core activity is. Even knowing who to work with will be an asset to you.
Product Stewardship
To deal with the priority products and others there will be several new industry transitions running recovery and recycling programmes for all manner of discarded, redundant products.
Being aware of these and having the right connections will create more opportunities for your business.
Now its time for you to be ready
RONZ and its affiliated industry organisations have been working on the Act for more than three years trying to shape it to best advantage the recycling industry in general. We cannot understate the importance of you being aware over the next few months.
The MfE is holding a final series of workshops very soon. For a list of dates and venues click here. RONZ recommends you make the effort to attend and learn as much as you can.
RONZ is here to help.
Once you have realised the Act will mean opportunities please consider contacting us; we may be able to help your business make more money by putting you in touch with an opportunity.
RONZ is about getting you MORE - more volume, more variety and more value.
How can RONZ help you?
We have made many submissions to select committees and particicpated in several workshops as advocates for the industry and with the objective of getting best position for recyclers.
If you have an issue you would like to see taken forward but don't have time or capability to prepare it fully we will work with you to do it on your behalf. Where possible we will seek concensus to be sure that your proposal or topic is reasonably genric in the NZ context. Please feel free to email James and you will get a response
To help the public and industry to find your business we have been researching the recycling industry in NZ and creating a database that enables targeted searches by region, product/good/material. Do a search yourself to see if your business comes up!
We are identifying those businesses that are RONZ members to raise their profile and credibility that little extra and you will see that the database includes every possible means of your business being found.
When we get enquiries for recycling help, most days we get several, we refer them directly to the companies that might be able to help - we priorities our members, for obvious reasons.
This is just one way we are working for the recycling industry.
ends.
Kiwis get a helping hand to pull the plug on old, inefficient appliances
14th February 2009
Kiwis are getting a helping hand to rid their homes of inefficient appliances over the next few weeks as part of Fisher & Paykel Appliances' annual recycling days.
On Saturday 28 February (8am to 4pm) in Wellington and Christchurch, and Saturday 7 March (8am to 4pm) in Auckland, the public can bring any brand of old kitchen or laundry appliances to identified drop off points and the items will be recycled for free. The drop off points are: Wellington - 20 Gough St, Seaview, Lower Hutt; Christchurch - Fisher & Paykel Appliances, 79 Shands Rd, Hornby; and Auckland - Fisher & Paykel Appliances, East Tamaki (entry via 14 Allens Rd)
Furthermore, a limited number of people who drop off their appliances will be rewarded with a discount voucher for a new Fisher & Paykel appliance.
With tens of thousands of appliances put into landfill nationwide each year, the days enable the public to recycle their appliances in an environmentally friendly, convenient manner at no cost. This unique initiative is part of the Fisher & Paykel Appliances' environmental focus and commitment to make homes more energy efficient.
The company's Recycling Manager George Gray says last year's event was a great success and well supported by the public.
"The community really got in behind this initiative and brought in hundreds of appliances for recycling - this meant 17 tonnes of waste was saved from going into landfill," says Mr Gray. "We're anticipating an even better response this year with the programme extended to Wellington and Christchurch. With Kiwis around the country, we hope we can continue to make a positive difference to our environment.
"And with discount vouchers of up to $150 towards new appliances available to a limited number of people, we're encouraging people to get in to see us as early as possible on the recycling days," adds Mr Gray.
Fisher & Paykel Appliances recycles over 40,000 kitchen and laundry appliances each year, helping ease the strain on natural resources and avoid potential future hazards associated with dumping into landfills.
The new Waste Advisory Board is appointed.
RONZ Executive Member to play a key role
21st October 2008
The Ministry for the Environment has released the list of members appointed to the Waste Advisory Board to provide independent advice to the Environment Minister on issues relating to waste minimisation under the new Waste Minimisation Act 2008.
RONZ is particularly pleased that one of our current Executive Board Members was selected. Sheryl Stivens currently General Manager Wastebusters Trust Canterbury and a founder member & Executive member of the Community Recyclers Network of NZ (CRN).Sheryl has also been a key member of RONZ since its inception. Her work within RONZ and within the recycling industry as well as the running of recycling events, representing our industry at conferences, presenting papers and flying the banner for the cause for many years has been justifiably recognised by this appointment.
RONZ, by this appointment, looks forward to having a leading role within the new structure created by the Waste Minimisation Bill. Members are encouraged to ensure that they relate their concerns, criticisms, suggestions or ideas on topics related to the scope of RONZ and take advantage of our web-site as a media to do so.
Selected members of the Waste Advisory Board are as follows:
Rob Fenwick (Chair)
Lynne Kenny
Morris Love
John Pask
Sheryl Stivens
Lesley Stone
Nandor Tanczos
All members were appointed after a public call for nominations, and were selected for their knowledge, skills and experience relating to the Waste Minimisation Act 2008, community projects for waste minimisation, industry (including the commercial waste industry), local government, and tikanga Maori.
The establishment of the board paves the way towards implementing key provisions such as consulting on which products should be priority products, product stewardship schemes, criteria for the funding of waste minimisation projects and the information requirements to implement and monitor the effectiveness of the Act. The board's initial work will be in providing advice on these areas, so proposals can go out for public consultation early next year.
Product Stewardship - Priority Item
20th October 2008
Please note that one of the first products to be dealt with under the new framework has been announced with a call for tenders on the development of a Product Stewardship system for Mercury Containing Lamps, see below.
MINISTRY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. Gets reference: 23723. TITLE: LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP OPTIONS FOR MERCURY CONTAINING LAMPS IN NEW ZEALAND. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.
General Information: To assess the relative environmental impacts of alternative lamp management options for mercury containing lamps in a product stewardship scheme in New Zealand.
Respond by Date: Friday, 24th of October 2008 at 5:00 pm. IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please refer to the GETS Internet Site at http://www.gets.govt.nz for all contact information and/or documentation relating to this tender notice. It is free to register and download documents on GETS. The service can be contacted on 04 474-2963.
Sunday TV 1: Message In A Bottle
21st September 2008.
What happens to all the plastic bottles we leave at the kerbside each week, the bottles we are encouraged to recycle? Why are they being shipped offshore, and why can't we process our own rubbish right here at home?
The RONZ Board is currently developing our position on this subject that is both realistic in terms of world markets, the best interests of our members and the good of the nation - all of us. In order to do this we would encourage everyone - members and other interested parties to follow this link and view the video, which is in two parts. Having seen the video we invite you to give us your feedback. To do this please follow email us If you are a member please indicate that you are and please log onto the Members News Page and complete our industry survey onthis subject.
The Waste Minimisation Bill
The Waste Minimisation Bill currently before Parliament provides for the establishment of a Waste Advisory Board.
The Minister for the Environment is seeking nominations for potential Board members.
When the Bill is enacted, the role of the Board will be to provide advice, upon request, to the Secretary for the Environment and the Minister. The Board's advice will relate to waste minimisation, and functions of the Minister and the Secretary for the Environment under the Bill.
The Board needs to have knowledge, skills and experience relating to:
* The Waste Minimisation Bill.
* Matters that are likely to come before the Board as a result of its proposed functions under the Bill, such as regulations relating to priority products and the waste disposal levy, decisions on priority products, and accreditation of product stewardship schemes.
* Community projects for waste minimisation.
* Industry (including the commercial waste industry).
* Local government.
* Tikanga Maori.
Board members should have experience in organisational governance or senior leadership, and be able to give strategic advice to the Ministry and Minister. Previous experience on a board is desirable.
It is also desirable that Board members have knowledge and experience in one or more of:
* Product stewardship.
* The New Zealand Waste Strategy.
* Product life-cycle analysis.
* Scientific or technical expertise in the environmental harm of waste from end-of-life products.Major waste streams in New Zealand.
* International best practice in waste minimisation.
The Board will have 4-8 members and is required to have members with knowledge, skills and experience in community projects for waste minimisation, industry and commercial waste, local government and tikanga Maori. In addition to the specifications in the Bill itself, the Board will follow Terms of Reference set by the Minister.
The RONZ board have resolved to put forward Bruce Gledhill (Executive Director) as the RONZ nominee for one of these positions. His many years in the recycling industry, work on the packaging accord and technical knowledge make him an ideal candidate.
BILL UPDATE
The Scrap Metal industry is promoting an amendment to narrow the definition of 'waste'. RONZ fully support this and it was part of our origional submission. The Bill's sponsors are currently engaged in negotiations with the industry, the Ministry for the Environment, political parties, and others as to the implications of this amendment. National are supporting this amendment and it can be seen here
Could this be the Holy Grail of tyre recycling?
By Sarah MacDonald
- This is the Waste Awarenes / Waste MINZ Feature News Story Posted 17th April 2008
As awareness and concern at New Zealand's mounting used tyre heap grows three companies have joined forces to develop an innovative solution that could reclaim virtually all of New Zealand's used tyres.
Since 2004, tyre recycler and shredder JJ Laughton Shredding Services Ltd, steel producer Pacific Steel, and Tyregone resource processor have been working together on a new way to help New Zealand efficiently recycle more of its four million waste tyres each year. Now the trio is ready to embark on a trial that looks promising for validating a large scale, environmentally friendly, commercially viable solution to the tyre problem.
A small team of enterprising inventors/engineers make up Tyregone, headed by project manager Chris Newman. They have adapted pyrolysis processes used overseas and, by applying some innovative 'number-eight wire technology' that Kiwis are famous for, believe they have developed a process that will be achievable and viable on a New Zealand scale. The breakthrough has exciting implications for the country as a whole.
In a nutshell, Tyregone's pyrolysis process "heats tyres in the absence of air and captures everything that comes off them", says Chris Newman. Tyre shreds are fed in, and the outputs include carbon (30%), steel (15%), gas (20%) and oil (35%). And there's "absolutely nothing" left over. Carbon is a vital component in the steel making process, and the tyre derived carbon produced is central to the entire project.
The pyrolysis process sits in the middle of a chain that also involves input (tyre feedstock) and market demand for outputs. Critically, the three companies involved in this trial have managed to marry up the supply-process-demand links to make the project viable as a commercial enterprise.
J&J Laughton, New Zealand's largest tyre collector and shredder, run by Jim and Janene Laughton in Waitakere, will initially supply up to 10,000 tyres a week for processing, with the anticipation of increasing this to up to 30,000 weekly. Pacific Steel, part of the Fletcher Building group, uses approximately 3300 tonnes of coal-derived carbon per annum at its Otahuhu site, and provides a potential market for the carbon 'char' that is produced by the pyrolysis process.
Tyregone, through its years of research and development, is confident it can produce carbon char that meets Pacific Steel's strict criteria in terms of particle size, chemistry, volume and consistency. The project's trial is about to begin with the construction and commissioning of the pyrolysis plant next door to J&J Laughton's Waitakere site. The trial follows a successful initial three-month trial that Pacific Steel conducted in 2004. J&J Laughton teamed up with Pacific Steel in providing whole, halved and shredded tyres as carbon substitutes for coal.
If successful, the project is likely to revolutionise tyre disposal and reclamation/recycling in New Zealand.
Pacific Steel's environment and energy manager, Rod Murray, says this project fits with the company's recycling theme and its search for viable renewable resources. "Pacific Steel currently recycles an estimated 280,000 tonnes of scrap metal each year for manufacturing into rebar and wire products for the construction industry and also horticultural markets. We recycle all of our slag into roading materials and recycle all site process and stormwater within the slag crushing process. So recycling of tyres for the energy, carbon and steel therein closely matches our sustainability story - as long as the tyre derived carbon is commercially viable and is equivalent to coal."
During the research phase, Rod visited the Nucor Auburn steel mill in New York state to view a very similar process. The mill receives ALL used tyres from across the state, as legislation from the United States Environmental Protection Agency bans them from going to landfill and directs them to go to this steel mill for disposal. "They literally throw the tyres in whole," says Rod. "There is no black smoke. There are no plumes of acrid odour. High temperature destruction within a steel plant crucible is a clean and efficient method."
Rod notes that there are similar practices at other steel mills around the world and also in cement mills in various locations. Pyrolysis is not incineration. It is performed at much higher temperatures, and is more aptly described as a 'high temperature destruction process'. Because Tyregone's pyrolysis process operates in the absence of air (i.e. oxygen) there is no potential for toxic by-products such as dioxins. It is a clean and self-contained process.
The team says the pyrolysis process is best practice for tyre disposal, converting a solid form to a heat form. Heat given off in gas can be captured and refined for use as LPG or hydrogen. Using the energy released can reduce the demand for electricity to power the site. With no fat in New Zealand's electricity generation system over peak demand periods, everything large consumers such as Pacific Steel (New Zealand's fifth largest electricity consumer) can do to lessen its reliance on the national grid is good for the whole country.
Unlike places such as New York, where legislation directs 100 percent reclamation and processing of used tyres, New Zealand is lacking such measures. Tyre Track is a voluntary 'accounting system' that collects data on where tyres are sent at the end of their first life, but there are no set requirements for disposal or recycling. The team takes issue with this situation and would like to see changes, including Tyre Track being given more teeth, with consequences for those who don't participate, and harsher penalties for those who dump tyres.
"I think the message I'd like to get out is that there is a solution for disposing of used tyres - here it is. Let's get people to use it by, number one, publicising it; and number two, let's see the government do something about providing incentives to capture the whole tyre stream," says Chris Newman.
Jim Laughton says they are waiting with interest to see the fine print that comes out of the Waste Minimisation Bill this year with regards to the introduction of a waste levy. Together with the others, he's hopeful that the levy will be applicable to help support this new initiative. He says a levy on waste to landfill will make organisations disposing of tyres keen to look for lower cost alternative disposal methods, thereby encouraging more tyres into the pyrolysis process.
To be commercially viable, the scale of the pyrolysis plant needs to be about on par with the size of the North Island in terms of feedstock availability. Clearly there's only room for one player in this market. Legislation to help guide the market is in the interests of the whole country, the team maintains.
Currently J&J Laughton recycles between about 30 and 50 percent of the tyres it receives, depending on the season, and the rest goes to landfill. Once the pyrolysis plant is operating next door, all tyres that currently go to landfill will become feedstock - resulting in 100 percent recycling/reclamation.
"This is huge for the country, and huge for industry. You always hope that the markets will come about where you can recycle 100 percent of what you are collecting. That's when you've got satisfaction, and any type of recycler will tell you the same answer. It's been a long wait," says Jim.
While they have come a long way, and there is cause for optimism, Jim notes that there is still a lot of work to do. "You've got to go through the trial process before you can be 100 percent confident and know that yes it's working and it's got a future."
Looking further into the future, once the tyre pyrolysis system is established successfully, the technology has potential to handle other waste streams, such as some plastics, says Chris. "We would use the same model of building a close relationship with suppliers and industry, and matching it up with the available feedstocks. It would use the same core business and process principles."
State of the Environment Report is published
Media release: 31 January 2008 as follows:
A comprehensive state of the environment report released today provides the basis for future action on the environment, says Environment Secretary Hugh Logan.
Environment New Zealand 2007 presents a thorough snapshot of the health of our environment and will help inform and prioritise decisions that will lead to a sustainable New Zealand, Mr Logan said.
The 450-page report is the country's second state of the environment report, but quantifies a range of key indicators in a way that the first report issued a decade ago did not.
"The environment means much more to us than just iconic landscapes. As this report shows, a sustainable environment is also vital to our social and economic well-being and our standard of living," Mr Logan said.
The report confirms that while we have an enviable environment compared to many countries, some trends are going in the wrong direction.
"The report shows that key pressures on our environment are growing as our population increases, our economy grows and evolves, and our lifestyles change," says Hugh Logan.
"Our everyday activities and choices - both past and present - have put pressures on our soil, water and air and other natural resources."
"This report isn't just for policy makers and environmentalists. It will be used to make decisions - by both central and local government, businesses, iwi, communities and families - which will lead to a sustainable New Zealand.
To read the report online click here.
You may also download the full report or the summary report.
PLA bottle update from Greenplastics Inc. the PLA product stewardship organisation
19th September 2007
The Good Water bottle has now been launched and is NZ's first branded product in a PLA bottle. PLA is environmentally significant, because unlike conventional plastics made from non-renewable fossil (oil or natural gas) resources, it's made from annually renewable sugar producing crops. The sugar is fermented to make lactic acid which is refined into lactide and then turned into polylactide (PLA) by a condensation reaction.
This whole process requires much less energy than the production of conventional petrochemical plastics and by buying its electricity from generating utilities using renewable energy sources such as wind and hydro, NatureWorks LLC, the world's leading PLA producer, manage to make their PLA more or less greenhouse gas neutral.
This of course is great for the environment, but PLA volumes as yet, are a drop in the ocean compared with the volumes of conventional petrochemical based plastics such as PET, polystyrene, polypropylene etc. Until PLA volumes become big enough to support a commercially viable recycling stream of their own, PLA can't be commercially recycled, so until we can advise otherwise, please be careful not to put PLA bottles out for kerbside collection.
There are, as with other plastic bottles, numerous re-use options for PLA bottles. The more times and ways in which you re-use plastic bottles, the more environmentally sustainable they become. Additionally, PLA burns very cleanly with no toxic products of combustion and no incremental greenhouse gas emission, so using your PLA bottles as firelighters, is a responsible end use.
Otherwise, if you have no practical alternative, your used PLA bottles should be put out with your other refuse for land filling. The reality meantime, is that the great majority of end of life consumer plastics, end up in land fill and PLA causes no problems in a land fill.
Greenplastics, the PLA product stewardship organistion ( www.greenplastics.org.nz ) will continue to push for the establishment of local collection and recycling of PLA, as soon as circumstances allow. Greenplastics is also working with other sectors related to end of life plastics to establish more productive land fill diversion options for all plastics that are presently land filled.
Waste Companies, Recyclers and Environmentalists Unite To Prevent Global Warming
16th August 2007
A landmark collaboration between Australia's biggest waste companies, recyclers and the Total Environment Centre today released a plan to prevent two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
Currently, the dumping of food, garden, paper and wood wastes produces high levels of landfill gas, consisting mostly of methane, which has a global warming potential 25 times that of carbon dioxide. Unless new recycling policies are implemented, up to 2 billion tones of greenhouse gas will be released in the next 50 years, making up potentially 85% of Australia's future carbon budget. A range of solutions are available said the Resource Recovery Collaboration.
Total Environment Centre director, Jeff Angel, said "This is a pollution liability we must avoid. To combat it, these degradable materials should be recycled, instead of land filled. Measures such as a landfill allowance scheme, emissions trading, bans and levies imposed at the tip, are available."
Visy General Environment Manager, Nick Harford agrees saying "Closed loop recycling and re-use of these materials is vital with significant potential for future investment in these new generation industries."
John Lawson, Manager at Global Renewables, stated that "strategy needs to be implemented now to decrease greenhouse gases and increase the sustainable use of resources. Business-as-usual projections of landfill emissions show an increase from 15.4 million tones of carbon dioxide equivalent per year in 1990 to 46.9 million tones by 2050. We believe removal of this pollution would be widely accepted by the Australian community."
Anna Mitchell, Corporate Development and Sustainability Manager with WSN Environmental Solutions pointed out that "WSN's customers are seeking responsible waste management solutions as they realise there is a real opportunity to reduce their climate change impact by the choices they make about waste management."
A copy of the Resource Recovery Collaboration Report can be found at www.tec.org.au
Further information: Alison Karwaj,
Total Environment Centre, 02- 9261 3437
The Resource Recovery Collaboration Participants and Contacts:
Total Environment Centre
Total Environment Centre (TEC) is an independent, non-profit group that have operated for over 30 years, working to protect this country's natural and urban environment, flagging the issues, driving debate, supporting community activism and pushing for better environmental policy and practice.
Contact: Jeff Angel, Director
Ph: 02- 9261 3437
Global Renewables
Global Renewables is a leader in sustainable business which delivers economic, social and environmental results by reducing, reusing and recycling municipal waste and improving carbon efficiency. Global Renewables provides innovative technological solutions to the growing problem of municipal solid waste in order to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to a sustainable environment for the benefit of all, while delivering a positive economic return to shareholders.
Contact: John Lawson, Manager,
Ph: 02- 9223 8099 M: 0438 873 475
WSN Environmental Solutions
WSN Environmental Solutions provides responsible recycling, resource recovery and waste management services to the greater Sydney area and beyond with a network of 12 waste and recycling facilities, kerbside collection and commercial waste management services. WSN currently employs 380 people and in 2005-2006 processed over 1,900,000 tonnes of waste. In 2004, WSN partnered with GRL to open Sydney's first alternative waste processing facility at Eastern Creek. In 2008 WSN will open Australia's largest fully integrated resource recovery site for household waste in Sydney's south west, with an alternative waste processing facility capable of diverting around 70% of household waste from landfill.
Contact: Anna Mitchell, Corporate Development & Sustainability Manager
Ph: 02- 9934 7000 M: 0408 408 690
VISY
Visy is an integrated packaging and recycling company, committed to sustainability and environmental improvement. In Australia and New Zealand Visy employs about 6000 people and operated more than 120 packaging and recycling facilities. Visy collects and processes almost 2 million tonnes of used material a year and makes more than 1 million tonnes of recycled content paper a year, as well as a range of beverage, food and specialty packaging. Visy was judged Australia's leading company for environmental performance in the Sydney Morning Herald and Age newspapers' annual corporate reputation index for four consecutive years.
Contact: Nicholas Harford, General Manager, Environment
Ph: 03- 9247 4519 M: 0419 993 234
SITA Environmental Solutions
SITA Environmental Solutions is one of Australia's leading recycling and waste management companies, operating in all Australian mainland states and the Australian Capital Territory to provide environmental and sustainable waste management services to more than 43,000 commercial and industrial customers and more than 800,000 households each week across Australia. Services include recycling domestic collection, commercial and industrial collection, waste assessment and resource recovery options, sorting, processing such as composting, autoclaving, product destruction, waste stabilisation, engineered landfill operations and transfer facilities.
Contact: Mike Ritchie, National General Manager, Marketing and Communications
Ph: 02- 8754 0105 M: 0401 980 391
RURAL BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS PLAN FOR
CLIMATE CHANGE AND A STRONG FUTURE
16th August 2007
Seven leading business and community organisations have formed the Agricultural Alliance on Climate Change to work towards securing the future of rural Australia and building the foundations of Australia's clean energy economy.
Rural communities, and the businesses that support them, are at the frontline of climate change impacts like more severe droughts, floods and storms and regulatory impacts like carbon pricing.
With a changing climate and uncertainty about future government responses to the challenge,
the organisations have recognised that there are significant gains to be made from working collaboratively to take control of our legacy and build one that strengthens our communities.
The Alliance is commissioning research to investigate how rural communities can create climate change resilient communities and prosper from harvesting clean energy and farming carbon.
The organisations are:
- Country Women's Association of Australia
- Westpac
- South Australian Farmers' Federation
- AgForce
- Visy
- Australian Conservation Foundation
- The Climate Institute
The group will focus on solutions for rural Australia which:
1. Prosper: Create effective and sustainable economic drivers from harvesting clean energy, carbon farming and bio-diversity stewardship, such as a clean renewable energy target.
2. Strengthen: Secure a viable, vital and productive future for rural Australia by forward planning and providing for social and physical infrastructure and services such as mental health facilities and workforce skills.
3. Adapt: Make information, tools and resources accessible to rural Australians with a view to adapting to and preparing for the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Recognise that farmers have an ageing profile and many operate small or medium scale enterprises.
Working together and supported by government, rural Australia can prosper from a clean energy future.
Auckland gets state-of-the-art recycling facility
1 June 2007
Auckland and Manukau city councils today awarded the contract for the southern hemisphere's most advanced recycling sorting facility.
Visy Recycling New Zealand will build, own and operate the materials recovery facility at Onehunga. It is a key part of a new recycling service for Auckland and Manukau cities that will see the existing blue crates replaced with a new, 240-litre mobile bin for all dry recyclable waste, which will be collected fortnightly from July 2008.
It will be able to sort 80,000 tonnes of recyclable waste yearly from Manukau and Auckland city households and convert more than 95 per cent into reusable product."
The contract was awarded after a competitive tender process attracted bids from seven prospective operators. Visy Recycling New Zealand is a fully owned subsidiary of Australian company Visy Recycling, which has been operating similar facilities in Australia for more than 20 years.
"The facility will incorporate the latest screening and optical sorting technology available for paper, glass and plastics," Mayor Hubbard says, "and is a tremendous leap forward in our plan for zero waste to landfill by 2015."
New recycling service. What is changing?
Manukau and Auckland city councils are working together on a new recycling service that will see 240-litre mobile or wheelie bins provided for people to recycle. They will be collected fortnightly from the kerbside, replacing the current weekly crate collection.
Residents will begin using the new bins after July 2008. The actual start date is dependent on consent issuances and construction progress for building the materials recovery facility. The principle change is that sorting will be done at the MRF and not at the kerbside.
The materials recovery facility
The facility will be the most technologically advanced in the southern hemisphere. It will use various screening techniques and optical sorting of glass into colours and plastic into grades, leading to much improved processing rates and reductions in product contamination
Capability to expand (incrementally) to accommodate in excess of 160,000 tonne per annum of recyclables. This will allow the facility to handle recyclables collected by other councils
The capacity to accommodate at least 150 truck movements per day
Paper supply exceeding the quality standard required by Auckland (Penrose) Paper Mill
A commercial paper operation to bale and market 120,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard fibre per annum
An onsite education facility. The education centre will be open to school and community groups and will be a core component of the waste reduction and minimisation message that is currently being taught in schools and the wider community.
About Visy Recycling
Visy Recycling is the largest recycler in the South Pacific region. Visy already employs over a thousand people in New Zealand, and this project will generate at least 24 new jobs in the Auckland area.
Why a fortnightly collection?
An advantage is that having one fortnightly city-wide recycling collection service will mean fewer vehicle movements. There won't be a vehicle coming every week to pick up recycling, making it more environmentally friendly by reducing vehicle emissions
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