Recycling

Tokenistic recycling projects – worth the awards they win?
Recycling
20 December 2016

Tokenistic recycling projects – worth the awards they win?

By Mike Ritchie, MRA Consulting Group Our waste problems are urgent. Waste is pouring out of the economy at 6.3% compound average growth rate. Waste volumes double every 12 years. Most Australian States and Territories have set recycling targets for 2020/21. For MSW the diversion target is generally 65-70% (except in the ACT where it’s […]

3 bin systems  –  the new waste reform front
Compost
16 November 2016

3 bin systems – the new waste reform front

By James Moverley, MRA Consulting Group Three bin waste systems are becoming the norm in many regions of Australia. Melbourne and Adelaide have moved quickly to standardise 3 bin systems for Food Organics and Green Organics (FOGO) services. The NSW government has funded 3 bin systems across NSW, with the biggest uptake of the NSW […]

The growing potential of re-use centres to generate ethical jobs and divert waste to landfill
Recycling
27 September 2016

The growing potential of re-use centres to generate ethical jobs and divert waste to landfill

By James Ellinson and Dimitris Dimoliatis, MRA Consulting Group Re-use centres are a small, yet growing industry in Australia that offer a unique opportunity to tackle more than just waste. These facilities also engage in job outreach programs for disadvantaged communities, particularly for people with disabilities. Re-use centres sell used, recycled and second hand products […]

Plastic pollution – a call to action
Recycling
30 May 2016

Plastic pollution – a call to action

By Mike Ritchie – Director, MRA Consulting Group Plastic pollution of waterways and oceans is a real problem. We need to fix it. Plastic was only invented 100 years ago and now is ubiquitous in our economies and lifestyles. It is also ubiquitous in our pollution. From microbeads to plastic bottles and fish nets plastic […]

Albury Wodonga region hits 82% landfill diversion
Recycling
22 October 2015

Albury Wodonga region hits 82% landfill diversion

The Albury Wodonga region is the best in both NSW and Victoria for household recycling. That’s according to a recent audit of kerbside household waste, which shows that total diversion rates of the four councils that introduced a combined food and garden organics service this year was 82% on average. The councils that achieved this […]

Case Study: MyWaste delivers relief for councils introducing FOGO services
Recycling
10 June 2015

Case Study: MyWaste delivers relief for councils introducing FOGO services

The rollout of new food and garden (FOGO) waste collection systems is stressful for many councils. MyWaste shows it does not need to be. For many residents, wheeling out and collecting their bins each week represents their most significant interaction with Council. This is a learned behaviour established over many years. Subsequently, changes to collection […]

Bin Trim – creating change, one business at a time
Recycling
2 June 2015

Bin Trim – creating change, one business at a time

MRA has wrapped up its 2014-2015 ‘Bin Trim Business Grants’ project, which is part of the NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More $465.7 million program. Along with 26 other Bin Trim providers, we have visited 8,000+ small to medium enterprises (SME) across NSW. SMEs are responsible for 45 per cent of commercial and industrial (C&I) […]

When one man’s ‘waste’ is a resource
Recycling
1 May 2015

When one man’s ‘waste’ is a resource

A recent case in the NSW Land and Environment Court has highlighted the discord between NSW’s planning laws and the environmental protection laws, which could impact the way that waste and recycling processers are approved and regulated. After much advocacy by the waste and recycling sectors, the Government in 2007 introduced the State Environmental Planning […]

The Murray Murrumbidgee Industrial Ecology Network News Update
Recycling
2 December 2014

The Murray Murrumbidgee Industrial Ecology Network News Update

With your help, we’ve been working hard to recover valuable resources in the Murray Murrumbidgee region. As the year comes to a close, we’d like to highlight some of the network’s recent developments. Albury Workshop A successful workshop with over 40 attendees was held in Albury on August 25th. From this workshop MRA identified three […]

Cost-effective nappy disposal – does a solution exist?
Recycling
29 September 2014

Cost-effective nappy disposal – does a solution exist?

The most cost effective way to recover food and green waste, which account for more than 60% of an average household’s garbage bin, is via a three bin system with food and green waste (FOGO) in the same bin… but should nappy waste be included the mix? About 15 councils across Australia currently run FOGO […]

360 recycling bins; a worthwhile innovation
Recycling
18 September 2014

360 recycling bins; a worthwhile innovation

Australians are the best household recyclers in the world. Our domestic kerbside recycling rates are second to none. But even so, we still put about 15-30% of all recyclables into the wrong bin. That is, into the garbage bin instead of the recycling bin. By Mike Ritchie. In NSW, this loss of recyclables accounts for […]

Waste Less Recycle More infrastructure grants
Recycling
19 August 2014

Waste Less Recycle More infrastructure grants

The first round of Waste Less Recycle More infrastructure grants came to a close in early March, with consultants and applicants alike breathing a sigh of relief as schedules, cost benefit analyses and application forms were submitted to the Environmental Trust for appraisal. The opportunities promised by the WLRM package are immense. Traditional waste service […]

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