Industry to benefit from new glass kerbside recycling initiative

 

As part of its efforts to reinvigorate recycling in Victoria, the Andrews Government has introduced a new kerbside waste system for households across the state.

The Victorian Government has announced $129 million in reforms to the state’s kerbside recycling.

An additional purple-lidded recycling bin – specifically for glass – will be distributed to homes across the state starting from 2021.

The bin will simplify the recovery of other recyclables, decreasing the amount of waste taken to landfills and improving the state’s recycling capabilities.

“This represents a holistic approach to reducing, reusing and recycling our state’s waste,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said. “That’s good news for Victoria’s environment and good news for Victorian jobs.”

The State Government expects glass jars and bottles from the new recycling bins will be transformed into road base and pavement products.

“We know Victorians want to be able to do more to recycle household waste – this new system will make it easier for all of us to do our bit,” the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily Ambrosio said.

The bins will bring welcomed relief to the waste industry, but households should also prepare for negative ramifications, according to the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group).

“Four bins will reduce co-mingling contamination which will help with recycling which is positive,” Ai Group’s Victorian head Tim Piper said. “But, of course there will be trade-offs, whether it’s higher costs and higher council rates or fewer bin pick-ups or some other unintended consequence.

“Ai Group has long called for the waste industry to be considered an essential service. Waste services are important to the consumer and our community needs a well-supported industry, so this is an important step by the Government.

“However, the ‘devil is in the detail’ with other announced policies looking at a container deposit levy and introducing a 4 bins system.

“Consumers should understand that all these changes will cost them and the Government needs to educate us all to use these new waste arrangements properly to keep costs to a minimum.”

Alex Fraser has its say 

Alex Fraser is one of the companies leading the charge for supplying sustainable civil construction materials.

The company opened new asphalt and glass recycling plants at its Laverton site in 2019. Its bespoke 875m2 glass recycling plant can produce up to 800 tonnes of high specification sand per day – equivalent to four million bottles – by “dry screening” the problematic glass waste streams that are frequently co-mingled with other materials, such as paper, plastics, metals and organics.

Alex Fraser’s managing director, Peter Murphy told Quarry the Victorian Government’s decision is a welcomed one.

“We’re pleased to see that the Victorian Government has released its new circular economy strategy – Recycling Victoria – overhauling the state’s recycling sector and further reducing waste going to landfill,” he said.

“The industry requires long term decisions, and the 10-year plan features reforms to accelerate Victoria’s shift to a circular economy, including supporting businesses and communities, creating local jobs, and leading the way in the use of recycled materials.”

In prior publicity, Alex Fraser Group has estimated that the glass recycling plant could, with its capacity to produce up to 200,000 tonnes per annum of recycled glass sand, significantly reduce glass waste stockpiles in Victoria. This is dependent on the extent of the glass waste stream, which is estimated to be in the vicinity of 150,000 tonnes every year.

More reading

Sun shines on producer’s latest assets

Blending of recycled glass and crushed rock in road pavements

Producer launches dual recycling plants

 

 

Earthmoving gear contributes to local success and pride

 

A quarry owned mainly by local shareholders and staffed almost exclusively by nearby townspeople is bringing pride and productivity to Wallerawang in near central New South Wales.

In less than two years, Walker Quarries has lifted from an 80,000-tonne-per-annum (tpa) operation of quartzite capture, to more than 200,000 tpa, climbing towards its licensed capacity of half a million tonnes.

The operation began as a greenfield site only five years ago but its real development has occurred in the last two, with a policy which has achieved the delicate balance between investment and profitability and created a workplace culture which has minimised staff turnover and contributed to the local community.

Until recently, Walker Quarries, named for nearby Mount Walker in the recently gazetted Marrangaroo National Park, was a discrete operation behind a non-descript fence on the Great Western Highway, just out of Lithgow, on the road to Bathurst.

Then signs were erected, and the entrance opened up, reflecting local pride.

Its 16 staff are all from nearby towns and the quarry has adopted a policy of dealing with selected partners with local service capability.

The quarry has only two major external partners, both of which are proudly displayed on the signs at the front gate.

One is the provider of its crushing equipment (Wirtgen Australia). The other is its earthmoving machinery supplier: Komatsu Australia. Both are mutually exclusive on-site. All off-site transportation is secured from contractors “to keep it simple”.

Walker runs seven Komatsu machines, two new and the others purchased through Komatsu’s premium used equipment division to maximise investment efficiency.

 

A WA500 wheel loader works in tandem with a HM400 dump truck.

The mix of WA480 and WA500 wheel loaders, PC450 excavators and a HM400 dump truck have been brought on strength progressively as the quarry’s potential has ramped up.
Only one each of the wheel loaders and excavators have been new, their purchase justified by future planning for the site which has revealed a 30-year resource potential.

“We get exceptional service on all our machinery and with a premium used late model fleet there is no need to be concerned about lost productivity [through breakdown],” Walker’s quarry manager Trevor Hoffmann said.

The provision of a premium power train warranty on its used machinery provides additional certainty.

Walker’s board of five principal directors, two from Sydney and three from the district representing local small investors, is soon to determine future policy for machinery turnover and it will be influenced to a large degree by the conditions which have been created in the quarry.

Since Hoffmann’s appointment in July 2017, Walker has built “good hard roads” in the quarry to minimise tyre wear and machinery degradation.

The access roads, which provide positive implications for machine life, are one example of a regime the experienced civil contractor and quarry manager has helped bring to the site to contain unnecessary cost and ramp up productivity.

Walker and Komatsu have jointly developed a service and training regime to optimise the use of the machinery. The two companies share machine service duties, in each case to factory standards, with Komatsu experts brought in when required. The operator skills of Walker personnel have been maximised by on-site training from Komatsu specialists.
“I tell my operators: ‘Leave your bad habits at the front gate’,” Hoffmann said. “But I’m always open to a good idea from them.”

Walker is integrating KOMTRAX, Komatsu’s on-machine remote monitoring diagnostic service, onto all its machines and Hoffmann is using it to further motivate his operators.
According to Hoffmann, employee turnover at Walker is relatively low, the result of a team-building culture which has been at the core of the quarry’s development. “I enjoy teaching other people,” he said.

Hoffmann’s rounded experience – as a successful civil contractor on major roadworks and infrastructure, and now in at least four quarries – has provided Walker with a strong opportunity to develop its 
own extraction process and meet the needs of its clients

“It’s given me an appreciation of the needs of both and how we can work as a team,” Hoffman said.

Source: Komatsu Australia

Walker and Komatsu personnel have jointly developed a service and training regime to optimise the use of machinery, including the Komatsu hybrid HB335 LC (foreground) and the HM400 dump truck.

‘One-stop shop’ hotline to assist extractive workers

 

The Queensland Government has introduced a new mine dust health service hotline for current and former quarrying and mine workers suffering from lung disease.

Quarrying and mine workers now have access to a new lung disease hotline announced by the Queensland Government.

The Mine Dust Health Support Service hotline – 1300 445 715 – will be available to the public from 2 March. Both current and former workers from quarries and mines are expected to receive faster access to vital services with the new phoneline.

“Easy access to accurate workplace health information and free services is essential for concerned and affected workers and their families,” said Assistant State Development Minister and Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert.

“My constituents, both past or current mine workers, tell me it can be a challenge to navigate various public and private sector organisations to find information and services.

“The one-stop shop will provide them expert advice and support on navigating the system – from pre-health screening to accessing post workers’ compensation claim support services and everything in between.”

The hotline is also open to the families of workers and doctors seeking screening and diagnosis information.

“The Government introduced laws in 2017 that deliver stronger workers’ compensation protections for Queenslanders suffering from black lung or other forms of dust lung disease,” said Member for Rockhampton Barry O’Rourke.

“For those who have developed these insidious diseases through their work, support is available. The Palaszczuk Government has ensured simpler, faster workers comp claims and extra lump sum payments for people with black lung or silicosis.”

Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a major health concern for quarry workers.

The Palaszczuk Government has also supported mine and quarry workers through statewide safety reset sessions along with increasing maximum penalties for offences to $4 million and powers for the regulator to issue fines without going to court.

This follows new regulations and exposure standards for dust control across the country.

The New South Wales Resources Regulator recently added dust management to every health and safety inspection at NSW quarries to discourage an over-reliance on personal protective equipment.

The IQA will also this year be introducing workshops on RCS to Institute members and other industry professionals. This follows a 50 per cent reduction in the workplace exposure standard for RCS approved by Australia’s work health and safety ministers in December 2019 – from 0.1mg/m3 to 0.05mg/m3.