Waste

On 15 October, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) released a copy of its report 'Towards a pollution-free planet'. The report links consumption to waste and then to pollution, with one of the five key messages being: A new approach to managing our lives and economies: sustainable consumption and production, through improved resource efficiency and lifestyle changes, should be promoted; waste reduction and management must be prioritised.

When developed alongside strong recycling and organics processing systems, Energy from Waste (EfW) will help lift domestic and commercial diversion rates from 60% to 80-90%. It is an important element in a waste management system.

The Waste Management Association of Australia (WMAA) Waste of Origin pledge is an excellent initiative taken by industry to resolve a problem that others will not. The problem of waste flooding in to Queensland landfills to take advantage of the fact that no landfill levy exists in the state.

Matt has a reputation for making things happen. For being able to make the complex simple. This happens by being able to speak both private sector and government languages. Making sustainability mainstream. Whether that’s partnering with management consultants or using his influence on the school Council to get solar panels on the local primary school.

The NSW EPA has released its third round of Major Resource Recovery Infrastructure (MRRI) grants under the $337 million NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative (WLRM).

The NSW EPA has released its fourth stage of Improved Systems for Household Problem Wastes - Community Recycling Centres grants under the $337 million NSW Government Waste Less Recycle More initiative (WLRM).

According to an ABC report on the 8th of August, the Queensland Premier was “horrified” to hear of the extent of dumping of waste from NSW in Queensland. The Queensland government was “not aware … until it was highlighted on the Four Corners program…”

A Four Corners waste industry exposé highlighted legitimate and serious problems, but was grossly unfair to NSW senior bureaucrat Steve Beaman, according to a leading environmental consultant.

When I first came across Gayle, she was totally owning a huge plenary session at the Coffs Harbour conference. She was witty, considered, confident and well across a role that she had only been in for about six months. You’d be hard pressed to guess that Gayle hates public speaking. But she does.

Queensland recently released its 2016 Waste and Recycling Report. The report refers to a number of incremental gains in landfill diversion, but the headline number is the 40% leap in the tonnes of waste received at Queensland landfills from interstate.

By Mike Ritchie, MRA Consulting Group The Australian State of the Environment (SoE) 2016 Overview was tabled in Parliament on 7 March 2017. The previous SoE was in 2011. The SoE concludes that: “Despite an overall increase in waste generation, Australia’s total disposal tonnage decreased from about 21.5 megatonnes to about 19.5 megatonnes (about 9.5 […]

By Mike Ritchie, MRA Consulting Group Australians use an estimated 5 billion single use plastic bags (supb’s) per year. Sounds like a lot but this represents only about 20,000 tonnes of plastic or 0.04% of the waste generated in Australia per year. If all of these plastic bags go to landfill they represent just 0.1% […]