Industry Report: When rubbish isn’t rubbish

Over the past five years, the Australian waste remediation and materials recovery services industry has been operating in an increasingly favourable environment. State and territory government regulation has encouraged industry revenue growth, with almost all governments imposing a waste recovery target. These targets have encouraged increased diversion of waste away from landfill towards materials recovery facilities that the industry operates. Meanwhile, landfill levies imposed in many states, such as NSW and now SA, have reduced the processing costs gap between landfill disposal and recovery, and reduced external competition for industry operators.

South Australian Waste Levy aims to boost recycling

The South Australian Treasurer the Hon Tom Koustantonis has announced that as part of the 2016/17 South Australian budget the state’s solid waste levy will increase from $62 per tonne to $103 per tonne by 2019/20.

The first tranche increase of $5 came into effect from 1 July 2016, with an additional $14 per tonne increase to be applied from 1 September 2016.

The planned increases are designed to raise an additional $64 million over the four year period.

Register and SAVE $100: Improving outcomes from waste audits workshop

The WMAA workshop, Improving outcomes from waste audits and data collection projects will assist participants in examining existing waste audit methods and develop a deeper understanding of the steps involved in the waste audit process to ensure any future audit projects are well targeted and deliver maximum value for money.

Register before 29 July 201, and SAVE $100 off registration!

Proposed amendments to WARR Regulations

The Department of Environment Regulation (DER) is undertaking consultation on proposed amendments to the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Regulations 2008 (WARR Regulations) to require annual reporting to the Waste Authority and record keeping of waste and recycling data by local governments, waste recyclers and licensees of major regional landfills.

ISWA's monthly Scientific Journal

Waste Management and Research is an ISWA monthly journal, publishing articles relating to both the theory and practice of waste management and research.

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OTHER NEWS: Indian entrepreneur turns rags to riches recycling American sheets

In the ever-growing mountain of cast-off textiles from the U.S. and other wealthy countries, Mumbai’s Jaideep Sajdeh saw a chance to build a business that could help the environment, create much-needed low-skilled jobs in India and make him rich.

A global glut of used clothing has pushed down the prices of recycled textiles as much as 50% in the last year. The per-ton price of discarded shirt, skirts and other cloth from the U.S., Canada and elsewhere has fallen so much that exporters are in effect giving them away, selling for the cost of shipping.

OTHER NEWS: IBM research team discovers a way to convert old CDs into new plastic

A team from IBM Research's Almaden lab in San Jose, CA has found a way to convert polycarbonates — for example CDs, baby bottles, and smartphones - into new plastic.

Researchers discovered the process by adding a fluoride reactant and heat to old CDs. While polycarbonates normally decompose and release the chemical BPA over time, this process stabilizes the material and in fact makes it stronger.