Agency innovations

Zoological Parks Board: Taronga Zoo –
Integrated Waste Management Centre (IWMC)

Taronga Zoo produces large quantities of waste each year as a result of high visitor numbers and in-house operations. The need to manage the bulk of this material in a sustainable manner prompted the development of the Integrated Waste Management Centre. The Centre was established to collect and store materials for reuse within the Zoo or removal by a licensed waste operator. The IWMC diverts waste from landfill by:

• recycling aluminium, glass, PET plastics and cardboard and paper
• storing reusable items such as timber and steel. These products are purchased back by different divisions within the Zoo and reused in small divisional works.
• chipping green waste for use on gardens
• storing hazardous chemicals in a contained area ready for disposal at an authorised facility
• collecting and combining animal waste and shredded paper for use on gardens
• collecting old batteries and fluorescent light bulbs for recycling or appropriate disposal

These initiatives resulted in a decrease in the amount of putrescible waste per visitor from 0.8kg/visitor in 1995–96 to 0.2kg/visitor in 1998/–99. Taronga saved approximately $27,000 and $13,500 in disposal fees for green and putrescible waste respectively in 1998. In addition to these savings, income from recyclable materials sold in 1998 was greater than $22,000.

Building and Construction Industry Long Service Payments Corporation –
Reducing paper waste and buying recycled

Recycled content envelopes have replaced their virgin counterparts. All brochures are now printed on 70% plus recycled paper and internal documents are printed on 100% recycled paper. Most forms and other printed materials have some recycled content. Specifications for agency publications were changed to include the use of recycled paper where possible at no additional cost to the organisation. Many services provided by the organisation use large amounts of paper. Now forms are supplied on request only. Innovative use of intranet sites, electronic imaging and scanning reduces the need to keep hard copies on file and reduces storage space needs – saving money. Recycling of paper saves approximately 20–25m3 of paper going to landfill annually.

Ministry of Energy and Utilities –
Educating staff to reduce waste

The Department of Energy has excellent strategies to communicate waste reduction principles to staff. These include:

• issuing a staff circular from the Director-General outlining the Department’s policy on waste avoidance,
• committing managers to ensuring that waste reduction and recycling strategies are successfully implemented by staff,
• periodically placing articles in the staff newsletter about waste minimisation, and
• appointing a staff member to monitor the implementation of the strategy and to report to the Executive bi-annually.

Bicentennial Park Trust –
Recycling landscaping materials

Bicentennial Park Trust helps divert waste from landfill by purchasing a range of landscaping and construction materials, some of which are made from recycled and/or all natural materials. Examples include:

• soil mixes – 45% of mix made from recycled manure, sewage and green waste,
• fertiliser/conditioner extract – 100% naturally derived from plant material, seaweed extract, and fish and crustacean carcasses
• recycled rubber material – used as safety product within the playgrounds
• recycled road base and crushed concrete material - used for construction of carparks and cycle paths
• recycled paving materials – used in the construction of paved walkways
• 100% recycled mulch products – used in garden and specimen tree areas.

Australian Inland Energy and Water –
Sludge busters

Biosolid waste (sludge) from wastewater treatment plants is treated and dried. This sludge is then sold to the local mining company and used as a ground conditioner for the regrowth of vegetation on the mine’s sites. Also, shredded paper waste is donated to a local organisation working with the Local Environmental Lead Control Group. The paper is used in a fertiliser, which is used to ameliorate the lead-contaminated soils.

Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust –
Recycling pests

In 1996, 150 tonnes of water hyacinth was removed from Kensington Pond, and used in a trial composting operation. In 1997–98, 10 tonnes of carp were removed from the Parks’ pond system and processed into high quality fertiliser.

Department of Corrective Services –
Fixing furniture

The Department runs reuse and repair centres which fix broken furniture from state schools and has a refurbishing and recycling program for either repaired furniture or salvaged metal and timber. The business turns over approximately $1 million per annum. The centres are staffed with work-release inmates and periodic detainees. Bathurst, Parramatta and Silverwater Correctional Centres repair and refurbish small white goods which would normally be sent to landfill by retail stores. The items are either returned to stores as ‘seconds’ or dismantled and the components sold.

Department of Education and Training –
Buying recycled and supporting charity

School Communities Recycling All Paper Limited (SCRAP) provides schools and colleges with recycled paper at no charge. It is able to do this by using the money it earns from providing paper collected from schools to recycling contractors. Used uniforms are also returned to charities for converting into rags. Prepared meals from the culinary schools are donated to various charitable organisations.

NSW Health, Maitland Hospital, Hunter Area Health Service –
Big recycling in a regional hospital

Maitland Hospital has developed a wide range of highly innovative recycling and reduction programs which have significantly reduced the amount of waste being sent to landfill. Kitchen scraps are separated and large quantities fed to the hospital’s worm farm. Cuttings grown in composted materials make substantial savings in purchases of plants for landscaping. Large numbers of recyclable plastic drip and sterile saline bottles are recycled or alternate uses found for them. A committee was formed to develop a recycling program for the hospital which has been enthusiastically embraced by staff. The Hospital applied for and won a NSW government waste grant and developed a CD-ROM and supporting materials on waste reduction strategies for hospitals.

Eraring Energy –
101 uses for flyash

Eraring Power Station produces approximately 1 million tonnes of fly ash and bottom ash   – a by-product of the burning of coal – every year. Around 40% of this is being beneficially used for a variety of purposes, mainly as a cement substitute in concrete but also as structural fills, as a road base material and recently for stabilising underground mine voids.

Superannuation Administration Authority –
Electronic scanning saves paper

SAA employs a "workflow imaging system" to process its superannuation scheme-related correspondence, which covers approximately 85% of all correspondence that is received. Documents are scanned and electronically transmitted to the business areas for processing, thereby eliminating the use of paper in the correspondence process until a letter or statement is generated at the end.

Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust –
Tackling food waste

After an extensive waste audit was conducted at an Australian Rules Football match, the Sydney Cricket Ground determined that approximately 5% of the waste generated was food packaging. The remaining waste was observed to be food waste, cardboard and glass leakage into the waste stream. Additional cardboard and recycling facilities were introduced. The Trust is presently investigating the use of biodegradable packaging and awaiting the results of a composting study at the University of New South Wales to address food waste.

Campbelltown Institute of TAFE –
The worm has turned

An aggressive waste reduction program implemented by the Institute has resulted in an 86% reduction in the total amount of waste being sent to landfill. Before the program approximately 14 skips of waste were being generated per week; this has now dropped to 2 per week. Most notable are the efforts of the Tourism and Hospitality section which, with assistance from the Macarthur Waste Board, has built worm farms to handle food waste generated by cooking courses. What the worms can’t handle is sent to special composting bays. Garden waste is added to the food waste and the resulting high quality waste is used in landscaping and on the Institute’s gardens.

Hunter Water
Turning old sewage works into wetlands

Demolition waste from the decommissioned Morpeth Waste Water Treatment Plant in the Hunter Region was used to create valuable wetlands for local species of birds. Normally most of this demolition waste would have been sent to landfill. Steel reinforcing was removed from concrete rubble and more than 100 tonnes of filter stones were used to create beaches, islands and other features in the disused sewage ponds surrounding the site. Shallower areas were also created to attract wading birds. The ‘new’ wetlands have created much interest amongst bird-watchers and the local community.

Building and Construction Industry Long Service Payments Corporation and Superannuation Administration Authority
Electronic imaging saves paper

Electronic imaging and scanning of documents and correspondence is used where possible to reduce the need to keep hard copies on file and reduced storage space needs and associated costs. Original copies are then recycled.

Pacific Power
Concrete beams making waves

Concrete beams from the decommissioned Tallawarra Power Station were used to create the slalom course at the Olympic white-water stadium at Penrith. Granite boulders recovered from Brown Mountain were also used as obstacles and to create challenging water currents. In addition, 120 tonnes of fly ash was used in concrete in the course and other facilities.

State Electoral Office
Cardboard furniture

Cardboard ballot boxes, screens and signage used at polling places for elections, together with cardboard furniture provided to Returning Officer offices are manufactured from recycled Australian-made materials. When elections are finished they can be recycled or reused for school, community service or local council activities. Apart from the positive environmental and corporate image, the initiative has resulted in considerable savings in storage, transport, cartage and hiring costs.

Sydney Water
Office waste audit saves money

As part of its office waste strategy, Sydney Water measured the amount of office waste generated at its Head Office building. It was determined that while it costs approximately 21c per kg to send general mixed waste to landfill, materials like paper, glass and aluminium can be recycled at a cost of only 2c per kg, or less. Not only does recycling deliver environmental and social benefits, it is 10 times less expensive than disposal to landfill.

Sydney Ports Corporation
Grinding up grain silos

The 172 grain silos demolished at Glebe Island had the potential to increase total construction and demolition waste going to landfill by 10%. To prevent this the waste concrete was ground up on-site and sold as three types of aggregates for use as drainage, pipe packing, roadbase etc. Total cost savings: $3 million.

Zoological Parks Board
Want 1000 tonnes of animal poo?

Taronga has also diverted animal waste (dubbed "Zoo Doo") from the waste stream. Of the 978 tonnes generated in 1996–97 year, 839 tonnes were removed by a licensed compost manufacturer. Seventy-four tonnes were reused on site, and 65 tonnes were exchanged with Royal Botanical Gardens and a number of tertiary institutions in return for the use of specialist horticultural equipment.

Maitland Hospital, Hunter Area Health Service
Bottling worm waste

Maitland hospital ‘feeds’ its worm farm with kitchen and garden wastes. Vermicasts (worm poo) are collected for use on hospital gardens. Liquid is collected, sealed in used saline bottles and sold at fetes and open days to raise money for hospital charities.

© NSW Government Dept. of Environment and Conservation (NSW) Home | Feedback WRAPP Home | What's the WRAPP? | What materials | More information Buy | Use | Recover | Remake Office | Construction | Demolition | Other Materials