Waste and Recycling

Tim Clark. Adelaide Biocity Studio 2008

Recycling truck emptying its load inside a Materials Recovery Centre (MRF) Zero Waste SA

If we continue to degrade or over-use our environmental resources (natural capital) we will leave future generations with a serious and increasing environmental debt (Suzuki 2003)

We need to use our resources more efficiently

Waste management and recycling

Modern cities have a linear metabolism

Input resources

Output waste

We need to close the materials loopby taking measures to prevent waste generation and to reincorporate waste into the economic cycle

Girardet Report 2003

The Wuppertal Institute has calculated the ‘ecological rucksack’ (the amount of waste generated in producing everyday products) is 1.5 kg for a toothbrush, 75 kg for a mobile phone and 1500 kg for a personal computer. Use of substantial amounts of natural resources and the associated impacts on the environment can therefore be avoided by reusing or recycling these products in their waste phase and by designing them in a more eco-efficient way.

Commission of the European Communities 2003

equals

Waste disposal in South Australia have been reliant on landfill as the lead technology

Adelaide currently has six landfills licensed to receive metropolitan waste streams

•Southern Waste Depot, Maslin Beach

•Southern Region Disposal Depot, Pedler Creek

•Integrated Waste Services, Dublin

•Waste Management New Zealand, Inkerman

•Waste Management New Zealand, Nuriootpa

•Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority Balefill, Uleybury

At current rate of disposal these sites will meet Adelaide’s requirements for several decades

Waste avoidance, reduction and recovery- material or energy

We need to consider

Zero Waste SA

Waste prevention includes cleaner production processes, better product design and more eco-efficient production and consumption patterns

There are problems with landfill

Why is this necessary?

•Burying waste in landfill prevents ongoing use of that product and potential for higher resource value through reuse, recycling and resource recovery

•Anaerobic decomposition of organic matter leads to greenhouse gas emissions -particularly methane (a more effective greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide)Proper landfill siting, urban encroachment and landfill design, construction, operation and post closure management are essential to control potential impacts such as•Leachate

•Dust and mud on the site and prevention of discharge from site

•Odour emission on and off site

•Noise emissions

•Vermin, birds and other disease carriers

•Storage and handling of dangerous substances

•Storage, maintenance and fuelling of machinery and equipment on site

•Litter management

•Traffic management

•Fire prevention, control and associated emissions

Recycling activity in South Australia 2005-2006 Final Report

Comparison of reported per capita recycling activity, by State

Annual South Australian landfill diversion and overall waste recyclingIn 2006-07 2.43 million tonnes of materials was diverted from landfill in South Australia which is an increase of 1.6% from the previous year

The SA diversion rate is the highest of any State, exceeded only by ACT

The waste to landfill figure is the lowest in the past 4 years

The recycling and reprocessing industry needs to continue to grow alongside the growing the population

Review of Recycling Material in South Australia 2006/07

Greenhouse gas savings benefit of recycling

The recycling of aluminium saved 315,000 tonnes of CO2equivalent to almost 73,000 cars off the road

Review of Recycling Material in South Australia 2006/07

Origin of SA sourced reprocessed materials

Majority of recycled materials are from construction and demolition, and commercial and industrial sectors

Municipal recycled materials makes up only 16.8% of total materials processed

Review of Recycling Material in South Australia 2006/07

Kerbside recycling

Councils have been at the forefront of encouraging householders to contribute to recycling the provision of either separate bins or separate compartments in existing bins for recyclables

puts onus on householders

City of Marion CouncilAfter collection all garbage, recycling and green organics are taken to the Adelaide Waste and Recycling Centre on Morphett Road at North Plympton.

The Centre incorporates:

* domestic and commercial transfer facilities for waste and recycling * residential and commercial green organics drop-off and pre-processing * hard waste transfer and recycling * a full Materials Recovery Facility.

Resources

Allan, P & Davey, C, 2008 Review of Recycling Activity in South Australia 2006-2007. Zero Waste SA, Adelaide

Commission of the European Communities. 2003 Towards a thematic strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste. European Commission, Brussels

Girardet, H. 2003 Creating A Sustainable Adelaide. Government of South Australia, Adelaide

Marion City Council 2008 Waste Management http://www.marion.sa.gov.au/web/webmar.nsf/lookup/Waste+Management

Suzuki,D. 2004 A David Suzuki Collection Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest NSW

Zero Waste SA. 2005 Background Paper to South Australia’s Waste Strategy 2005-2010. Zero Waste SA, Adelaide

Zero Waste SA. 2005 South Australia’s Waste Strategy 2005-2010 Summary. Zero Waste SA, Adelaide

Zero Waste SA. 2005 South Australia’s Waste Strategy 2005-2010. Zero Waste SA, Adelaide

60,000 X

recycles 100,000 tonnes of organic green materials

Jeffries Group

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