SITA completes WSN purchase

SITA Environmental Solutions (SITA) has said its acquisition of the former state government-owned WSN Environmental Solutions (WSN) signalled a new era for resource recovery and recycling in the New South Wales waste management industry.

SITA and the state government formally completed the $235 million acquisition yesterday, with the transfer of WSN operations to SITA ownership now finalised.

SITA’s General Manager, Marketing & Strategy, Simon Gardner Lee, said the additional operations acquired with WSN position SITA to play a lead role in accelerating growth in resource recovery and recycling through diverting these waste streams from landfill disposal.

Lee said: “The WSN assets give SITA over 90 facilities and service centres nationally, with almost 30 sites now based in NSW. We will continue to expand, with further investment in Sydney, as well as other capital cities and in regional centres around Australia.

The purchase enables SITA to strengthen its commodity recycling service for municipal and industrial customers through the WSN material recovery facilities (MRFs) acquired. Additional WSN land assets offer scope for SITA to invest in new advanced resource recovery facilities.

“As a cohesive and progressive company committed to sustainability, SITA will create industry-leading benchmarks for resource recovery and recycling facilities, especially through the diversion of re-usable organic product to productive uses in soil, and mixed plastics into alternative fuels. This shift brings tangible environmental benefits, including addressing soil degradation and the continued use of fossil fuels,” Lee said.

SITA intends to work closely with customers in offering a more diverse waste management capability, and in partnership with councils and local communities to improve recovery and recycling of all disposed material all the while maximising local community amenity.

The Managing Director of SITA Australia, Eric Gernath, said that while WSN operations would be rebranded as SITA, its operations would continue to function seamlessly.

Gernath said: “SITA will be investigating all aspects of the new business, and we are undertaking a comprehensive review of safety, environmental practices and quality at all sites and facilities. Our intention is to leverage the best practices from both operations.”

WSN assets acquired by SITA include: three engineered landfills (Belrose, Lucas Heights and Eastern Creek), two Advanced Resource Recovery ventures (the wholly owned ArrowBio Facility at Narellan and the Eastern Creek UR-3R waste contract), eight transfer stations and three material recovery facilities.

The more than 90 facilities operated by SITA across Australia now comprise eight engineered landfills, eight advanced resource recovery technology facilities, four education centres, seven organic resource recovery facilities and three material recycling facilities.

Assets Management Corporate (WAMC) retains ownership and operation of the Belrose and Eastern Creek landfills while SITA has the exclusive rights to the landfill capacity and void space.